– Spoiler Review –
Another year, another set of revelations! Revelations (2023) #1 does what its predecessor did, teasing the future of Marvel’s Star Wars comics output, but unlike last year’s entry, it offers little stories introducing us to new and intriguing characters or series to come in 2024. Does it manage to do a better job than last year’s with the new format? Find out in our review!
I’ll go over each story in a moment, but I wanted to kick this review of Revelations (2023) #1 off with some general thoughts. I felt like 2022’s version was too disjointed and promised more of the same, big connected crossover stories that fans were growing a little tired of in the era, while the art was uneven and it revealed some upcoming plot points that without context didn’t quite hit. 2023’s Revelations issue forgoes all of that, instead giving each series and writer their own little space to carve out a story offering hints and clues about what’s ahead in their series, be it new characters, plot points, or a general vibe, and therefore doesn’t feel like we’re heading towards another big event. In a way, Revelations (2023) #1 is like the comic solicitations, the monthly blurbs for upcoming issues (March 2024’s should be out this week), meant to entice us readers to keep coming back with hints and teases about what’s to come, but whereas those are static lines released with an eye-catching cover, Revelations’ short stories are those solicits come to life, adding substance beyond vaguely worded, yet enticing summaries. It might not be the most surprise-filled issue, but the way Revelations (2023) gives life to what’s to come, especially in introducing new characters, is quite enjoyable. It does have some downsides, as some of these might be a little too short they almost need one more page to feel effective, while those reading this issue for Thrawn or who the hooded individual is on the cover will be severely disappointed, as we get unfinished art previews for the Thrawn: Alliances adaptation (though the full art previews were released last week), while there’s no hooded individual (maybe it’s a reference to a character in The High Republic’s story?)! These are minor annoyances or drawbacks, as Revelations (2023) #1 is an otherwise vibrant, intriguing look at what’s to come for Marvel’s 2024 Star Wars comics! Now, a few thoughts on each individual story.
Star Wars: “A Trick of the Mind” Written by Charles Soule, Art by Andrea Di Vito, Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, Lettering Throughout by Travis Lanham
“A Trick of the Mind” introduces us to the lawyer (or Advocate, in Star Wars parlance) Salli Georgio, who tries some really out-of-the-box thinking to get Dengar out of trouble with the law. While it’s neat to see the profession in a galaxy far, far away, let alone written by Charles Soule, who was an attorney himself, why do we need to meet a lawyer? At the end of Star Wars #41 (Vol. 2), after Lando revealed the truth of his actions all series long in a gambit to save his friend Lobot, he’s arrested by Leia to be put on trial by the Rebellion! Sounds like the perfect time for a lawyer to get involved with the proceedings! The story ends with Lando calling Salli, collecting on a favor she owes him, to represent him in the coming trial! Considering how well Salli’s efforts work here, will she be helpful in clearing his name or harmful? Why does she owe him a favor and not the other way around, like it typically is for Lando? Will Lando helping her somehow help his case? We’ll find out once the trial starts in issue #44 of Star Wars (Vol. 2).
Advocate Georgio (I wonder if she’s named after someone Soule knew) feels out-of-the-box herself due to Di Vito and Rosenberg’s work, with Di Vito making her the only mobile character in nearly every page, with grand gestures to accentuate her points, while Rosenberg’s orange is loud compared to the drab colors of the courtroom and all those in it, immediately setting her apart and keeping readers’ (and those in the courtroom) eyes on her. The image of the Jedi doing the mind trick is such a funny depiction of one, hovering between the High Republic’s more flashy attire and a really stuck up, full-of-themselves looking guy, with long flowing hair, Rosenberg giving him bright yellows and golds for hair and saber to make him hard not to focus on as well. I really liked Lanham’s placement for Dengar’s “Oh come on,” line at the end of the trial, even lower than his dejected face.
Doctor Aphra: “Tall Tales” Written by Alyssa Wong, Art by David Baldeón, Colors by Jay David Ramos
In typical Alyssa Wong fashion, “Tall Tales” is a ton of fun, all while disarming its readers with both some favorite returning characters they’ve fostered over the course of Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2) and their other projects, plus plenty of entertaining humor. At this point I should know better and expect the rug to be pulled out from underneath me with Wong’s stories, but the ending still took me by surprise, though this was the whole point of the disarming nature of the unreliable narrator fun we had proceeding it. In fact, the unreliable narrator aspect to the mysteriously helmeted Raslin Grace, who we later see without a helmet, reminded me of the Doctor Aphra audiobook and how Chelli Aphra takes some…liberties at certain points of her retelling of her exploits as seen in the Darth Vader series she was introduced in, and I love how that lineage continues, even here, through someone else. Considering what just happened in Doctor Aphra #39 (Vol. 2) {also out the same day as this issue, so expect a review soon} and the fact the series ends in January, what does Raslin and their goal of hunting Aphra mean for what’s to come? Is it a tease of another Aphra series on its way? Or will they mix into the finale somehow and give us a big cliffhanger for a different project? Hopefully we’ll learn next month when Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2) ends, because I’m still not ready for it to be over and I’d love to know how completely my heart will be broken when it does.
Baldeón perfectly fits the needs of “Tall Tales,” as he really gets readers into Raslin’s expansions of the truth, but it’s the whole team that makes the unreliable narrator angle work so well and disarm you. Two parts I adored a ton were: the growing size of the nexu, David Ramos’ blue glow around Baldeón’s now larger take on the nexu calling out the lie for all to see; while Lanham’s “poof” is shaped silly, as is the way Baldeón has Raslin’s head turned towards her hand, now missing a knife, confused it’s gone. Little moments like these allow us to put our guard down, think this is all just fun, and come to like Raslin before we learn she’s after our (well, mine, I can’t speak for you, dear reader) favorite character! The next page, where Raslin has her hand deep in the nexu’s gut, which is now preposterously large, all shadowed out with big streaks of red blood in the background, is the fun nearly final image to this tale of hers, even if it seems there was some truth to it in the end. The panels of all the familiar characters (from Aphra and Bounty Hunters) looking at her, incredulous, are also quite hilarious, as the background colors David Ramos gives the scene are bright, colorful, and urge readers to feel lighthearted about all this. The harsh glow of the lighting when we get a close-up of Raslin, looking at Aphra’s holo, tells us how serious this all really is and makes for a nerve-racking final punch.
Jango Fett: “Stolen Hope” Written by Ethan Sacks, Art by Will Sliney, Colors by Nolan Woodard
In case you weren’t aware, there’s a Jango Fett miniseries coming from Ethan Sacks this March and we got our first teases of what the Bounty Hunters (another series that ends in January) writer has up his sleeves for more bounty hunting goodness! We see why Jango’s a hunter to fear from how he wrangles himself out of a difficult, monster-filled situation, but also his vulnerability, as Aurra Sing, and someone mysterious speaking to her through an ear-piece (a young Tobias Beckett?), have him dead-to-rights in sniper-sights but spare him…for now. We also get a hint at the series’ MacGuffin, the “Hope of Glee Anselm” (which is why I guessed Beckett/he mentions Aurra Sing in Solo). I look forward to seeing how many of the prequel era bounty hunters get involved with the miniseries, as well as their interactions!
The depiction of both Jango Fett and the K’lor’slug are my favorite parts of Sliney and Woodard’s work for this short story. For Jango, we often see him from a perspective where we must look up at him, making him seem a little more intimidating, and the brighter greys and purples of his outfit making him feel as confident as Sliney poses him, as he’s such an easy target in those colors. The K’lor’slug was just neat to see since it’s typically only been shown as a dejarik piece, and it seems instantly intimidating, with its many legs, snake-like body, and big ol’ teeth, while Woodard gives it a brown/orange look, making it feel unnatural to the surroundings. Lanham gets really involved with the SFX in this story, getting to tell some of it by telling us what’s happening off-panel, like the contact Jango visits being eaten by the K’lor’slug as he leaves
Mace Windu: “Showdown at Ocean’s Deep” Written by Marc Bernardin, Art by Chriscross, Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
Also in case you didn’t know, there’s a Mace Windu miniseries starting February from writer Marc Bernardin (and now there’s a Windu novel in April!), so “Showdown at Ocean’s Deep” drops us at the beginning of the series to give us a taste of what’s in store. This Mace Windu feels both like the one in Attack of the Clones, ending Dooku’s party on Geonosis, and the one in the Clone Wars animated microseries, showing off some considerable fighting skills, so it left me eager for more of Bernardin’s take on the character. What are these Skeleton Keys Mace is trying to track down, some type of one-size-fits-all key for all the prisons, and someone is trying to release all the prisoners to sow chaos? The Warden is eager to sell them to whomever can offer the most, claiming he’s just as much a prisoner as the prisoners themselves, so is this something the series is going to touch on, prisons in the galaxy far, far away? And is the Master Skeleton Key the secret Azita Cruuz, the series’ new character, has that everyone wants? I’m looking forward to the answers in 2024!
Mace Windu is a force to be reckoned with and Chriscross conveys this so well in the action scenes, with my favorite being when it looks like his saber is in two places at once, blocking fire from droids on both sides, Dalhouse really sparkling the scene and Lanham’s SFX adding to the chaos of the initial attack since he’s so outnumbered. Outside of the action, I enjoyed Chriscross’ Mace, stoic and lacking much emotion for most of it, but he has quite the Samuel L. Jackson vibe on the opening page as he slyly remarks to himself as he’s about to sneak around the prison. I also really liked the playfulness with the droids, doing their best to run away from him, and succeeding.
Darth Vader: “Tool of the Empire” Written by Greg Pak, Art by Salvador Larroca, Colors by Nolan Woodard
If you’ve read my reviews of the current Vader run, it’s no secret I haven’t always been impressed, but what Greg Pak has on offer here is rather incredible, to the point I felt like it covered something the entirety of the Dark Droids crossover hasn’t done, and covered it damn well. For an event about droids, and later cyborgs, losing their autonomy due to the Scourge virus claiming their minds, the main miniseries and surrounding series haven’t concerned themselves too much with touching on droid sentience or how droids are treated at large, which has been disappointing to say the least (and I’ll be covering that further in my 2023 comics year-in-review, out early January). In “Tool of the Empire,” Pak digs hauntingly deep into these issues as Vader, betrayed by his Death Troopers since they are human, goes looking for a way to get an army completely subservient to his will. ZED-6-7, the Vader (Vol. 3) series droid who has been quite the delight, interacts with a Rebellion droid after Vader takes out the base and the conversation these two have, as I said earlier, is haunting! They discuss how horrible it’ll be for the Rebellion’s special cyborg warriors, whom Vader wants to make his own, to be trapped in their bodies, watching as someone else controls them, which is what happens to the droids and cyborgs under the Scourge’s control. It gets to the core of Vader as well, as they mention for droids it’s easy, just wipe their memories, but what of organics, as they see themselves replaced with machinery and become the tool of their enemy? Is a chilling thought, for both the larger crossover and for the Sith Lord, and hits on an important way to show the Sith Lord: less is more with Vader and this really shows what Pak can do with the character on a more limited basis.
Larroca and Woodard add a lot of unease to the conversation between the droids thanks to one little panel, as the Rebellion’s protocol droid is seen from a unique angle, us looking up at it from the side, giving its eye receptacles deep shadows, the blue from Woodard looking off against its silver body, and it looks so removed from what it’s talking about it’s uncomfortable to some degree. The designs for these special Rebel soldiers are promising, even if we just see them in holo-form, and I’m eager to get to meet them in the main Vader (Vol. 3) series in the coming issues because they look intimidating. I have a funny feeling their futures will be short, but maybe we’ll get to see more of their pasts one day.
The High Republic “All the Republic” Written by Cavan Scott, Art by Marika Cresta, Colors by Chris Sotomayor
Set likely before the events of The High Republic #1 – Phase III, this felt more like a primer for readers who haven’t dipped their toes in yet, or its been a while, to the era of the High Republic. As a long time, and very big fan of the era, especially Keeve Trennis, it’s always a delight to see more of her, especially now as a Jedi Master, bringing light and life to the galaxy as the Nihil bring chaos and destruction. Keeve looking for a mysterious lightsaber-wielding user during a big battle seems like a tease for the main series (if you’ve read The High Republic #2 – Phase III, which came out the same day as this issue, you’d get even more of that vibe), but I love how this story is resolved here, showing the Jedi’s might when out in the galaxy, directly interacting with those they swear to protect. For readers who might not know about the era’s famous “We’re all the Republic” tagline, they’ll see it come to life in fantastic fashion, much like Scott is known to do during the stories of this era.
I keep hoping for more of Cresta’s work and she continues to show up, so hopefully that continues in 2024, as she’s got a great style and lots of expression range for characters. The Keeve we see throughout the issue is determined, sometimes surprised, but always ready for the fight, looking like everything a Jedi Master should, poised and confident. It’s what makes the final panel hit like such a zinger, as she talks about only needing hope to serve the light, and yet a tear comes down her face, sadness sneaking in where there hadn’t been all issue, with Sotomayor giving it the lightest appearance, almost hidden on her cheek, you might miss it if Cresta hadn’t given her such a sad look. The set of panels where she’s underneath a Nihil walker, slicing up its leg, and then we pull back, watching it fall, her just a small speck compared to its size, really shows her might and ability, fulfilling Yoda’s “size matters not” wisdom to its fullest. Lanham’s big sound FX after the non-Jedi tosses her a lightsaber and she swings at the Nihil about to kill her, all while her dialogue bubbles for the growing shout of “We are all the Republic,” bring a striking closure to the moment and the sentiment she’s expressing.
Jabba the Hutt: “Duel of the Reprobates” Written by Marc Guggenheim, Art by Salva Espín, Colors by Israel Silva
I’ve never read any of the Original Marvel Years Star Wars comics back in the 1970’s, so many of the Legends pulls writers have made fly over my head, or I’ve at least heard of the character to some degree, but Rik Duel at the center of this story is beyond me. Despite not knowing anything about him, Marc Guggenheim’s writing brings tons of laughs, setting the tone of the story when Duel references a sound FX in a moment of fourth-wall-breaking fun. This irreverence and silliness pervades the story and if this is a tease of some upcoming series, a mainly comedy one, I might actually be interested due to the strength of the showing here alone. The story ends with Duel being introduced to two characters he claims to know, and I guess back in Legends he was first introduced alongside them in issue #70, Dani Gammill and Chihdo Jo (the last names look to be new for canon). I’d like to know more about where this is all going, as are we getting some Legends-heavy comic? Is it all building to a canon version of some Legends comic story? Considering we started Marvel’s newest run of comics with a variant cover of movie characters holding a door shut on Jaxxon, this should be a great sign to fans Legends never truly goes out of style, folks.
I’ve been singing the praises of Espín and Silva for the past few months for their comedic fun on the Dark Droids: D-Squad miniseries and it was very fitting for the tone of this story. The montage of what Duel is doing to make up for his debts to Jabba was a true highlight, as we get to see the less glamorous version of the yarn he’s spinning, be it the really long stride he’s taking when running away despite saying he’s tough to hiding his happiness the person he’s supposed to kill just choked in front of him anyways. Silva’s colors are so shiny and bright they bring lots of playfulness to these panels, and all of the story. Lanham’s SFX for the “wooom” stun blast that takes Duel down at the opening, followed by the exact same spelling of “wooom” in his dialogue in the next panel is really, as I said above, a great tone-setter it’s sort of underrated compared to all the other goofiness under display.
Revelations (2023) #1 adjusts the format and ends up offering a delightful series of stories with tantalizing glimpses at what’s to come in 2024 for Star Wars comics!
+ Plenty of intriguing previews for what’s to come
+ Art teams across the board really shine through, be it helping with unreliable narrators or comedic timing
+ Gives a lot of hope for what’s to come
– Let downs remind us to ignore covers to some degree
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.