– Spoiler Review –
Cloud City is a recent wound in the L-Squad’s lives (Leia, Luke, Lando), but it still holds precious necessities for each of them, so they tempt fate and return in Star Wars #3 (Vol. 2) and it becomes clear rather quickly it won’t be any easier than last time to escape!
Before we jump into L-Squad’s exploits on Cloud City, the issue starts by checking in with the intimidating Commander Zahra, fresh off the total destruction of another one of the Rebellion’s scattered fleet. While I didn’t notice it in issue #1, but it is visible, Zahra’s flagship, Tarkin’s Will, is heavily damaged on one side and we not only get our first big close-up of the damaged but functional ship, its history/symbolism is revealed. It seems Tarkin’s Will, previously the Fortitude, was near the Death Star when it blew, taking the significant damage we see today. Zahra chose it after Darth Vader gave her free reign to choose her command ship, and she handpicked her crew with those who lost someone on the Death Star, using its damage as a constant reminder to the crew about the righteousness of their mission to eradicate the terrorist Leia and her Rebellion. Zahra supposedly lost someone on the DS as well, and when asked who, she says she’ll utter their name in Leia’s ear before she knives her; remember how I called Zahra intimidating? Who did she loose? A guess would be Tarkin, who she not only quotes here, but called her ship after, but how were they connected? Did she admire him? Love him? Was he a relative? Otherwise, maybe one of the gentlemen at the round table with Tarkin? My other guess would’ve been Zahra being part of the Tagge family, but he didn’t die on the DS but maybe she didn’t know (Doctor Aphra {Vol. 2} will be introducing a new canon Tagge, which is what made me think of this)? Regardless, while it’s certainly intriguing, her shrewdness in plans and leadership are the far more interesting aspects to her character, as I like how she’s using the tragedy to fuel devotion from her troops, making me wonder if she didn’t lose anyone on the DS and is, like I said before, just that shrewd.
As for the L-Squad, each as their own goals on Cloud City, and for the former Baron Administrator, it’s honoring a debt he owes a very dear friend: Lobot! Given the events from the Lando miniseries Charles Soule previously wrote (and I will always highly suggest reading), Lando’s debt is nothing short of life for his friend, though we know from stories set after Return of the Jedi Lobot is still on Cloud City until Lando and the New Republic liberate it, so what happens that he can’t get Lobot out this time? We get a good mix of ‘Lando Style,’ a highlight from last issue, with fun little comments to Leia and Luke (like one about him playing Jedi) and his persuasiveness with previous employees, and some literal up the sleeve tricks, pulling out his ace in the hole wrist pad that controls much of Cloud City despite Imperial control. I appreciate how much and how deep Lando’s commitment is to both Lobot and Cloud City and how often we’ve gotten to see it in canon so far.
Leia, the image of Han being frozen in carbonite not far from her mind but knowing the rescue unfortunately has to wait, is off to the carbon freezing chamber to understand how to thaw him when they find him. My immediate thought was not about what this meant with regards to her love for Han, but rather I wondered…couldn’t she have asked Lando? There’s potential Lando doesn’t know, but Leia’s trust in him is so tarnished by what happened, especially with Han, that she’d rather figure it out herself. She made a very rational decision in prioritizing saving the rest of the fleet, but an emotional one in using Luke’s need for his saber to push one of her own goals…and it leaves her caught by stormtroopers and encased in carbonite!! It’s not just research which helps her ease Han out of his own carbonite block in RotJ, it also comes from an unfortunate bit of experience; like father like daughter now, hey, as Leia is the next Skywalker to get frozen! Guess we might find out if Lando knows how to unfreeze people or not after all…
And with Luke, his patience begins one of its biggest tests, as Lando points him to the possible drop point for his lightsaber: a giant heaping pile of trash, where the lightsaber is one shiny needle in a shiny haystack of metal; where’s Ghost Obi-Wan to berate him for losing the saber, much like he did with Anakin many years ago? The vision he had last issue revealed a hooded person catching his saber, so will they be waiting for him there or will he get another vision of where to go next? Either way, it doesn’t look like he’ll have much time to search due to the deteriorating situations for Lando and Leia.
What I enjoyed most about the L-Squad’s return to Cloud City was the mixture of practical and emotional reasons, as each one might be doing something practical, but the wounds from events in The Empire Strikes Back all hit them in specific, visceral ways. The final scene of the film, with them in the hospital ship and which takes place AFTER the events of this comic, doesn’t quite feel earned with how things went down in the movie, and so far this comic seems tailored made to make that happy, upbeat finale to TESB feel warranted for the characters. It’s not something I really thought too much about over the years, but as this comic explores how deeply the characters were affected, its story feels absolutely necessary to achieve those happier moments. It’s a pointed story Soule’s well-known for, like his goal for Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith was changing Vader from a “No” man to a “Yes” man, which he did in stylish, enthralling fashion, and it looks he’s bringing that same energy to telling this part of the L-Squad’s story.
What aids this more emotional, introspective approach is undoubtedly the strength of Jesús Saiz on art and Arif Prianto’s colors. From the look of Lando’s disgust and shock at seeing Lobot hooked up all over to control Cloud City, Zahra’s righteous anger, to Luke and Leia’s disbelief/distrust of Lando, facial expressions both capture the characters and accentuate the dialogue; it’s really wonderful work. Even bigger panels, like the unbelievable amount of trash Luke has to sift through or the flashbacks/detail to the damaged Tarkin’s Will, this team can handle it all.
Here are a few other things:
- Last issue, myself and much of the internet theorized Operation Starlight, creating a beacon for the scattered Rebellion flee to coalesce around based off a similar operation back in the High Republic era, might be part of the mysterious Project Luminous. Well, the mystery is no more: Project Luminous is a publishing program set 200 years before the prequels, deemed the High Republic era, and Starlight Station isn’t just part of that time period, it features heavily in the program’s connected stories! Charles Soule is writing the opening novel, kicking off the era and setting the stage for the stories to follow, so it’s no surprise his current comic was the first place Starlight was mentioned.
- The banter between the two stormtroopers who captured Leia was pretty funny, reminding me a little of the two bike troopers in The Mandalorian’s season finale opening. More of this, please.
Star Wars #3 (Vol. 2) digs into each member of the L-Squad’s emotional core as they deal with the fallout of TESB in their own way.
+ Emotional journey back for L-Squad
+ Lando’s literal trick up his sleeve
+ Potentially harder to leave Cloud City this time!
+ Art aids and exudes so much emotion
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
STAR WARS (Vol. 2)
The Destiny Path: #1 | #2 | #4 | #5 | #6 / Arc Review