– Spoiler Review –
Poe Dameron #27 continues unveiling Black Squadron’s various shenanigans behind-the-scenes from the main events of The Force Awakens, while giving us more delightful moments post-The Last Jedi with the Big Three (as it were) of the sequel trilogy.
Not content with giving us the already dream moment of seeing Rey, Finn, and Poe together, Charles Soule provides us with little wonderful moments for Leia, Chewie, and even Nien Nunb. And porgs, of course. Leia’s scenes are short, but hit emotionally, not only due to the untimely and still fresh passing of Carrie Fisher, but because both the art and writing let us see how beaten down by the events of The Last Jedi she was and how her ever lasting resiliency to tragedy continues, as she absorbs and moves ever forward. Her seeing a glimmer of Han while sitting in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon was a fantastic opening image, catching me off guard a bit, and it seems to for her as well. Her conversation, when she finds Rey, Finn, and Poe sitting at the holochess table as she makes her way to take a rest, was both funny and poignant. She talks about how everyone has the Force and how they all need to learn to get to know one another, showing her leadership capabilities and that despite all which has befallen her, she’s optimistic and looking to the future, much like her last line to Rey in TLJ. I’m curious to hear the conversation she’s going to have with Poe and I hope we get to see that here in “The Awakening” arc, as it could be as simple as her giving Poe a new position in the Resistance, considering she calls him Captain still here despite him becoming the leader she hoped he could be, or maybe something bigger, because either way it’ll be scrutinized for any hints regarding Ep. IX.
What I appreciate most about these post-TLJ set scenes is how they give us a chance to seeing the quiet moments in-between the big ones, as little innocuous information is shared that we’d most likely just assume these characters talk about between films. As Finn goes off to check up on Rose, Rey and Poe discuss their parts in the events on Takodana and Rey asks about Maz Kanata, because while we all saw her alive and well in TLJ, it’s easy to forget Rey wouldn’t have, and it’s a cool little moment where Rey learns Maz is alright, showing her empathy and leaving the door open for her and Maz to meet once again in the future as she seems to respect the old woman’s advice. The bonding between Rey and Poe, as odd and funny as the torture buddies scene was, is fantastic as it doesn’t carry any romantic undertones (I am in the Rey shouldn’t end this trilogy in a relationship camp, by the way) and it’s just two people, caught up in something so big, enjoying the little things and company when they can. And then there’s Chewie and Nien’s fist bump, excited to pilot the Falcon together (having both been co-pilots to a human in the position previously), which was a delightful and funny panel. If there really is a time jump between TLJ and IX, I’ll fondly remember what this comic allowed us to see, as whatever stories will fill in that time jump won’t likely have the same chance to show these quiet things.
If you were ever curious, like me, about how Snap Wexley managed to gather reconnaissance of the Starkiller Base and get away without being noticed, Poe Dameron #27 finally provides that answer and it was way more harrowing than I ever expected. For starters, it’s not just Snap that gathers this info, but really it’s Jess’ engineering and Karé’s smooth piloting that make the whole thing possible (and it’s what I’ll remember every time I see TFA). It’s great to see Jess Pava, Karé Kun, and even Snap during the timeframe of TFA, as they have really stepped into their own over the course of the series and deserve their fair share of the spotlight going forward. Snap’s mission wasn’t as easy as flying a cloaked X-wing or something, but rather he’s literally dropped towards Starkiller in a tiny winged, engine-less ship with a scanning package that Jess built. Jess’ skills as a mechanic have been highlighted before, but this invention of hers is spectacular for how it feels extremely old-school spy mission and yet totally feasible to use in such a situation. While this bit of the story tried a little too hard to pull at the heartstrings when we all knew Snap would survive, as it felt like things went wrong simply because it had to, I really enjoyed Karé and Snap back as a couple again, as they work much better simply being a couple than the whole “break-up” stuff they went through a few issues back, and how they are here is what I had hoped Rebels had given us with Kanan and Hera.
The morsels of goodness set post-TLJ continue to be the highlight of Charles Soule’s writing on the current arc and knowing there’s still 4 more issues of it, I can’t wait to see what else he has in store in this unprecedented era. And at this point I probably don’t need to tell you how excellent the art team is once again, especially the big ol’ splash page of Poe’s impressive flying over Takodana translated with grace to the comic medium (Soule pointed out on Twitter it was all Unzueta’s doing), but I definitely will tell you once again. Angel Unzueta (art) and Arif Prianto, joined by Rachelle Rosenberg for an assist on colors, continue to make magic happen, finding a way to fall on the right side of the uncanny valley, make porgs even cuter than they were before, and let us bask in the enormity of Starkiller Base. If this series ends anytime soon, as the August solicitations seem to hint, I hope this team is placed on another series because I’d miss them.
Here are a few other things:
- Charles Soule’s website once again has notes regarding Poe #27, as he shares how excited he’s been to show us the little moments (which, as you can tell, I enjoy as well), and even discusses how “Legend Found” was originally meant to be the ending until you, the fans, helped it survive. Let’s keep buying so it continues to survive! Also, his notes page has given individual subpages to each day, so now I can link you directly to the correct release notes date!
- While probably not intentional, Leia sensing Han while sitting in the Falcon’s cockpit reminded me of the scene in Shattered Empire #3, where she senses Maul’s presence at the Naboo hanger as she passes through the same doors decades later.
Enjoy the little things because Poe Dameron #27 is packed full of them.
+ Rey and Poe’s bonding
+ Leia’s reminiscence
+ Seeing the rest of Black Squadron again
– Felt like things go wrong just because they needed to
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
Poe Dameron
Full Series Retrospective with Chris and Ryan
Black Squadron (#1-3) | Lockdown (#4-6) | The Gathering Storm (#7-13) | Legend Lost (#14 – 16) | War Stories (#17-19) | Legend Found (#20-25) / Arc Review (by Chris) | The Awakening: #26 | #28 | #29 | #30 | #31 / Arc Review (by Chris) | Annual: #1 | #2
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