Canon Comic Review: Poe Dameron #30

– Spoiler Review –

Poe Dameron issue #30 is the series’ penultimate issue, which Charles Soule and team spare zero punches on, ending with a cliffhanger making the month-long wait for the finale one hell of an emotional roller coaster.

When “The Awakening” arc begun in issue #26, it was largely a fun read, as Poe gave Rey and Finn his version of events from The Force Awakens, and seeing those three together was a true delight. By issue #29, that all changed, as Poe had to settle in for the reality he was going to watch transmissions from Black Squadron, sent on a mission from Leia to secure Resistance allies, and those transmissions might be incomplete and their fates left unknown. It’s still fun to read right now, but this issue ends with such an emotional, shocking final page I barely want to talk about it. I’d much rather (jokingly) curse Soule, Angel Unzuetra, Arif Prianto, the editors, etc, but as much as I want to curse them, that’s a pure emotional response due to how much I’ve come to enjoy these characters, because in reality I both love and understand the creative decision behind it, but I’m emotionally not okay at all. This is what good stories do, they challenge you, and I’m sure it even challenged the creators, though I really expected nothing less from Soule and the Poe Dameron series and I’m glad they keep delivering. But before we jump into what that’s all about (and if you read the issue, you know), let’s talk about what leads to the unforgettable, shocking, emotional final page.

Snap Wexley, Karé Kun, Suralinda Javos, and Jess Pava are headed to the next planet on General Leia’s list of potential allies, Ikkrukk, when they hear the inhabitants sending out a distress signal: the First Order is already there, hammering the planet’s main city, protected under a shield, into submission. There’s a quick debate from the team, still a little down from the failure of their first stop, on whether to help them or not due to the overwhelming odds against them as it’ll be 5 pilots against the First Order having an entire squadron of TIEs with a Cruiser, but they decide to do the right thing and assist. The team must split up though, as the Ikkrukkian’s shield is under attack from First Order sympathizers and the only person on the planet who knows how to keep it operating is Jess Pava. A plan is hatched and it forces Suralinda and Jess to dive into a quick opening in the shield, while Snap and Karé stay outside and battle the legion of TIEs. Suralinda, in an A-wing, makes it in no problem thanks to the ship’s speed, but Jess has far more trouble, coming to a crash landing she thankfully survives. They set out to help the Ikkrukkians with the shield and the other two continue the good fight in the skies, bringing the current recording Poe’s listening to to a somewhat happy close. Black Squadron’s faced tougher odds than this. They usually come out on top regardless, right? Heck, the issue even sets up why you should be hopeful all is alright, as Threepio reveals this recording isn’t the last and he’s gotten a new one from Black Squadron. This must mean they make it out alive from this ordeal then?!?

Wrong. Dead Wrong. DAMN YOU, SOULE! I feel like Charlton Heston on the beach at the end of Planet of the Apes, pounding my fists in my keyboard (instead of sand), screaming at the starkness of the situation and those that brought us readers here. I did not expect to be so emotionally compromised from the final pages of this issue, not because I was taken by surprise (I was), but because it shows just how much I’ve cared for these characters after spending 30 issues with them. Some have gotten more panel-time than others, some have been underdeveloped a bit, but in the end, they are Black Squadron and they’ve been providing fun, enjoyable pilot-centric adventures for two years now. Snap has had his due in the Aftermath Trilogy, Karé has unfortunately been a little underdeveloped, outside of her romantic subplot with Snap, Jess’s backstory has been hinted at though the Resistance’s droids reluctance to work with her has been fun, and Suralinda has really grown as a character from her first introduction (and is still one of my favorite of the series). So to think this series might end in such a grim fashion, ending enjoyable characters, really hit hard, as the final pages show Poe coming to realization the newest transmission isn’t happy, and instead very dire: Jess Pava looks to be inches away from death, huddled up in some cave under fire, as Suralinda lies on the floor next to her, a gaping hole in her chest, dead as dead can be. Damn. I physically had to put the issue down when I saw it, as it’s a striking final image for the issue from Angel Unzueta (art) and Arif Prianto (colors). Heck, just typing about it is making me all teary-eyed again. Last issue I had gotten the sense we were heading for a less than happy ending, but I never expected it to be this gloomy. Sure, there’s still one issue left and the rest of the team could make it out alive, but it sure doesn’t look like that’s possible at all, though that doesn’t mean I’m not holding onto some glimmer of hope, no matter how minuscule it is. One can look to Greg Grunberg’s (aka Snap Wexley) tease he might be back for Ep. IX as a hint someone will make it out of this situation alive, but if he’s the only one, I’m going to be legit pissed and we’re going to have a couple think pieces on why that’d be messed up. So now we have to wait basically a whole month to find out the answer though?!?!? It’s going to be a tough, long wait, even if it means the end of the series as a whole.

Here are a few other things:

I haven’t gotten around to watching the whole thing yet, as I only saw bits and pieces from people Tweeting videos from the panel, but at SDCC 2018, The Legal Geeks and Rebel Legion Sunrider Base put together a mock trial for Poe Dameron due to his conduct in The Last Jedi! This is such an inventive, awesome idea and I hope we get to see more stuff like this at future cons!
UPDATE: Star Wars Resistance‘s first trailer arrived and it made me wonder, what if the main character Kaz, and whomever he gains as allies, come in and save Black Squadron from certain doom, and then the show will send a season (or two) building up to that moment. It’d be a fun crossover, but highly unlikely. I’d be more willing to bet on it being Lando saving them, if they get saved at all. Yup, the wait for the final issue got even worse.

Poe Dameron‘s penultimate issue, #30, ends with an emotionally charged cliffhanger that I both love and hate at the same time. *Continues to pound the sand on the beach next to Charlton Heston*

+ DAMN YOU SOULE AND CO FOR THAT ENDING!!
+ IT IS GREAT, IT IS SAD, WHY OH WHY
+ SORRY, I’ll stop yelling now. What a penultimate issue, showing they aren’t messing around for the finale

Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.

Canon Comic Review: Poe Dameron #30

+ DAMN YOU SOULE AND CO FOR THAT ENDING!!

+ IT IS GREAT, IT IS SAD, WHY OH WHY

+ SORRY, I’ll stop yelling now. What a penultimate issue, showing they aren’t messing around for the finale

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