– Spoiler Review –
Galaxy’s Edge #5 finds Kendoh and her crew, antiquities dealer Dok-Ondar, and the burgeoning First Order presence clash in the stigma-avoiding finale to this theme park tie-in.
Overall I enjoyed Galaxy’s Edge‘s final issue, but it highlighted the weakness of the fun flashback stories we’ve been getting each issue: I haven’t connected with or cared for any of the main characters, so while how things all shake out is both a blast and fitting, I wasn’t attached to any resolution whatsoever. Kendoh and her crew we barely get to know, though it seems they are in debt and the sword was their way out, while Dok’s digging into his parent’s mysterious deaths doesn’t go anywhere besides be part of the motive for his collecting habits. Dok gets what he wants in the end, having played Kendoh and her crew this entire time, revealing why he’s such a formidable part of Black Spire Outpost, but I’d loved to have seen some resolution to the storyline involving his parents, though maybe we will in the future. Kendoh’s connection to Serenno might be simply due to a heist she pulled there, but beyond her desire to pay off debts, and how little the rest of her crew is fleshed out, it all comes up empty in the cares department for the team of scoundrels, though I did like how Dok still payed them and, due to their laundry list of misdeeds, I think it might be worth learning more about them. It’s not always about the ending though, rather the journey, so it was fun to see Kendoh use information she gleaned from the tales Dok has spun in previous issues,l ike the kyber statue and baby sarlacc, to help her and her crew escape the First Order squad who corners them in Dok’s shop.
The issue also dives into how Doctor Aphra and her adventure on Moraband (from last issue) at Dok’s behalf are the reason why the Sword of Khashyun is in two parts in the first place. Aphra and Dok come at odds after Triple-Zero’s failed assassination attempt, and with Aphra wanting to renegotiate their deal, Dok doesn’t play nice and begins shooting at the sword, making it break in two. The blade gets stuck in the ground, which Dok can’t pull out in time before BT-1 awakens, Aphra’s blastomech, so he takes the hilt and leaves Aphra behind. This still doesn’t explain how Aphra got off Moraband, nor how/why she’s willing to part with the blade despite not having the hilt, though it probably has to do with needing credits, but again, as this is all about the journey, it’s no surprise the fun really does come from Aphra stealing the sword in the first place.
Overall, Ethan Sacks has weaved an entertaining enough story, but I’ll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of his approach, like those flashbacks, in more detail in my miniseries review. Will Sliney’s art and Dono Sánchez-Almara’s colors don’t get as much to do this issue, as we retread plenty of ground from what sights have come before, but connecting all the pieces from previous stores led to some fun visuals, like kyber reflecting blaster shots and the baby sarlacc trying to consume stormtroopers. Also, the panels of the rest of the park, like the shops/rides who can visit, was eerily spot-on to some of the photos I’ve seen of the actual place, wish has been a highlight of Sliney’s work.
Here are a few other things:
- Other Galaxy’s Edge tie-in include A Crash of Fate, a YA-novel about two friends who have a helluva interesting day on Batuu, Myths & Fables, an intriguing storytelling device for the saga at large, and the recently released Black Spire, a review of which should be coming later this month!
- If you were intrigued enough about Doctor Aphra, make sure to check out her hilarious, rollicking, and contemplative series!
- I guess it’s embarrassing for one Clawdite shape-shifter to be impersonated by another, which is understandable once you think about it a bit!
While I ended up liking this series more than I thought I would, or could, Galaxy’s Edge #5 both succeeds and fails what came before, coming to a close with some excitement and shrugs.
+ Finding uses for items from the tales we’ve read
+ Dok’s been playing them this whole time
– Not enough time with the newbies leads to shrug at how this all ends
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
GALAXY’S EDGE
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