– Spoiler Review –
Age of Resistance – General Hux #1 shows the dismissive way the First Order hierarchy treats the pale General might be their undoing if they aren’t careful.
The Last Jedi played General Hux as a bit of comedic relief here and there, while The Force Awakens took him a little more seriously, but both takes will allow The Rise of Skywalker to potentially showcase the true villainy of someone like Hux within the First Order. Whether or not TROS does, Age of Resistance – General Hux #1 takes the opportunity, as one doesn’t have to be powerful in the Force to destroy their enemies or rise in the ranks. Marooned on a planet with Kylo Ren, their antagonistic relationship shines in the issue’s early panels, as it’s quite astonishing how honest they are with one another, more so than some actual friendships can handle. Once viscous native creatures knock out Ren, and another marooned soul saves them both, Hux’s true, frightening power reveals itself.
Their marooned savior, an Alderaanian, fled the galaxy after the destruction of his planet and has been surviving ever since, unaware of what has transpired in the galaxy in the intervening years. Hux, seen as a coward for running from the creatures that attacked them, plays into the man’s beliefs and allegiances, easily slipping into a story full of half-truths of who both he and Ren are, including addressing Kylo by his birth name of Ben, announcing his heritage of belonging to the marooned man’s Princess. It’s a devilishly delicious action by Hux, his mind is so sharp, so natural at the lie I almost believed him too, but he shows his true colors in the end, tearing down the poor man’s world in an instant. It’s a brutal showcase of Hux’s abilities, but it’s not the only this issue.
An Admiral who slighted Hux when he was a young lad, especially due to his father’s lack of a heart, isn’t quite behind Kylo and Hux’s ship crashing on the wayward planet, but it’s one of the Admiral’s men, giving the young man enough reason to punish his superior beyond his long memory for how he was treated as a child. Both times, the people Hux destroys underestimate the pale, sniveling General and pay the ultimate price, a lesson Kylo Ren needs to learn after all that he’s done to Hux by The Last Jedi’s end. This issue definitely raises some possibilities on how important Hux could be in TROS’ events, as the slights Kylo has committed to Hux since becoming Supreme Leader, and with the new Allegiant General Pryde by his side, how fragile is Kylo’s hold on the First Order’s military might…and when will Hux strike? I was a little curious about his part in the upcoming film, but Tom Taylor’s take on Hux over the course of this issue definitely raised his profile a damn lot and I feel like he’ll have a surprise or two up his sleeve in the final sequel trilogy film. This issue brings up Hux’s hand in his father’s death, with Captain Phasma’s help as revealed in the novel Phasma, a fact I wish the films had made common knowledge, as it’s the tip of the iceberg of what Hux is willing and capable of doing.
On art, with Leonard Kirk (pencils), Cory Hamscher (inks), and Guru-eFX (colors), I really enjoyed how the issue started dark and gloomy, and then got brighter as Hux spun his lie and the Alderaanian Bylsma believes him more and more, and then it goes dark again once Hux reveals himself for what he is, while the little smirk on Hux’s face looks ripped straight from Domhnall Gleeson’s playbook.
Here are a few other things:
- As always, the character essays by Bria LaVorgna have been quite excellent, but her one for Hux is one of the best ones yet.
Age of Resistance – General Hux #1 is a brilliant showcase of why the First Order’s most frightening leader might not be the one you think.
+ Kylo Ren and General Hux dynamic
+ Hux’s easy lies
+ Maybe Force users aren’t the most terrible in the galaxy…
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
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