– Spoiler Review –
Star Wars Adventures #1 (Vol. 2) is a relaunch of the all-ages IDW series, which originally began in 2017, and it begins by focusing on the era between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, putting the sequel trilogy’s heroes front and center. The backup stories return, but for now the Graf family is taking a break from telling tales and we’re getting villainous-led tales instead for now.
I’m going to be honest from the start: I didn’t really cover the original run of Star Wars Adventures, though I did read it, especially since I was tracking diversity data for the comics for Eleven-ThirtyEight’s Minority Reports, while I focused my coverage on miniseries like Vader’s Castle and The Clone Wars – Battle Tales. I wanted to change that as the series started over, so here we go!
“The Obstacle Course – Part 1” Written by Michael Moreci, Art by Ilias Kyriazis, Colors by Charlie Kirchoff, Lettering (in both tales) by Jake M. Wood
Finn and Poe excitedly bring Rey to a remote planet, eager to show her the obstacle course they’ve prepared for her (with help from R2-D2, of course). She’s understandably eager to train and dives into the course with BB-8, much like we saw on Ajan Koss (spelling) in the opening of The Rise of Skywalker, but things quickly turn as she stumbles and falls…all the way into a hive of scum and villainy! Poe and Finn are quickly caught by pirates, but Rey and BB-8 break free as she attempts to free her friends and escape the planet before the First Order arrives, whom the pirates alerted as they recognized her. It’s a fun, quick story and ends on a cliffhanger, and I think it’ll be a great time to watch how Rey saves the day (with a potential assist from Artoo since he’s chilling on the Falcon).
Moreci proved his SW knowledge is drilled into his bones with his Battle Tales miniseries and does so again with Rey, Finn, and Poe. The banter between the trio feels like something from the films, channeling the actors, and provides plenty of laughs. Finn and Poe’s friendship is everything we’ve loved in the films, while their giddiness at helping out Rey is infectious. Likewise, Rey’s inquisitive, eager, and protective nature shine through, and I love see her becoming more confident in her role. I’m still a little quizzical over the whole she can’t go on missions without more training, Luke always did with the Rebellion, but it is what it is and Moreci makes the most of it.
I really appreciate the hint of Finn’s Force-sensitivity, confirmed in the novelization of TROS but left regrettably vague in the film, and I hope we get more of that going forward.
On art, Kyriazis’s exaggerated style is overall tame and also rather fitting for the high energy of the script and story. How he captures Poe and Finn’s excitement over helping Rey sells the scenes and dialogue, while Kirchoff’s colors are bright and distinct, giving even the different locations on the same planet their own feel and life. I’m really looking forward to what they bring to the obstacle course Rey still has to run to save her friends.
Tales of Villainy: “Invasion of Echo Base” Written and Art/Colors by Nick Brokenshire
If you’ve ever wondered what it looked like from the Imperial POV when they invaded Echo Base, look no further than Brokenshire’s sharp and short version of events. There was some fun seeing the payoff for things which happened off screen, like what happens to the Rebel trooper who yells Imperial troops entered the base, or that Threepio ripping off the warning label on the door leads to a Wampa attack on the Imperials, resurrecting a deleted scene from the final film. In a way, it felt like an entry in the upcoming From a Certain Point View: The Empire Strikes Back, which just had all its stories revealed, as it provides a fresh perspective on a well-known moment, as a way to celebrate 40 years of the film.
I especially enjoyed the parallel Vader draws between himself and his son when he finds the bacta tank chamber. Vader envisions his burning visage on the shores of Mustafar being similar to Luke freezing after the Wampa attack, and while it’s honestly something I never thought of before, I love the dichotomy. Both alone, their friends out of reach, and injured, one burning from fire and the other frostbite of extreme cold, but then their recovers are flipped, as Luke has his friends and Vader only has the Imperial guards, cold and careless; it’s arresting imagery and definitely changes the way I think of both scenes now.
Since Brokenshire also provides the art, there’s a sense of purpose to each and every panel, meshing well with the writing, as he knows exactly what he wants to show with each moment. The more traditional art style heightens the darkness and strength of the Imperial attack, really giving the moment a real feeling of villainy. As I mentioned above, his panels where Vader’s mind draws a comparison/contrast to Luke’s injuries both came as a surprise and really impressed, leaving me with something I’ll always think about when I watch either film.
Here are a few other things:
- Jake M. Wood’s lettering meshes well with both artists’ styles, never distracting from what choices they make and only compliments it instead. It’s rather impressive and that’s likely why he’s been around for basically all of IDW’s SW work.
- The second issue has been jumping around on when it’ll release, as did this issue, but it’s currently slated for November 4 so let’s hope it sticks!
- Speaking of the Vader’s Castle series, the next and potentially last entry
is out 10/21is now out November 4 too, unfortunately, but it’s titled Shadow of Vader’s Castle!
Star Wars Adventures #1 (Vol. 2) is a great beginning to the series’ relaunch, from the sequel-trilogy captured with Moreci’s writing and the art team’s style to the villainous tale offering an impressive new view of Echo Base’s downfall.
+ Capturing Rey, Finn, and Poe
+ Vader’s POV on the Hoth invasion
+ Both art teams shine, Brokenshire’s focus takes the cake
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.