– Spoiler Review –
Star Wars issue #49 brings the “Mutiny at Mon Cala” to roost, with payoffs, battles, and a neat little twist, the repercussions of which will lead the Star Wars series into a new, and hopefully even more exciting, era.
As is the Kieron Gillen way, the “Mutiny at Mon Cala” has been a slow build, resulting in some slower issues, but the payoff always seems to be quite worth it and Star Wars issue 49 is no different. We get to see the Mon Cala break free, or at least their fleet, to assist in the Rebellion, thanks to the actions of the Big Three and King Lee-Char’s final words. Queen Trios’ place in all of this is finally revealed. And the continued success of the Rebellion post-Battle of Yavin finally hits its inevitable, and needed, death toll. One of my biggest issues with Jason Aaron’s run, as it continued on over the years, is how the stakes felt like they were missing because the heroes kept winning. While Gillen has given us two victory-laden arcs in a row, they’ve both come with costs, and by the end of this issue, the set up for the bleak road to the Rebellion barely holding together on Hoth has arrived. “Mutiny” ended up being the more enjoyable of the two arcs so far, but I’m also very glad it’s over and we’re heading into a different direction with the series, so if you’ve been tuned out for awhile now, even if you miss this arc, you’ll want to check back in for the big 50th issue in July, where “Hope Dies.”
When Queen Trios revealed her desire to help the Rebellion, I certainly welcomed the idea with open arms in my review for Star Wars #43, though I wasn’t sure how successful her help would be nor did I rule out the possibility she could really be a double-double agent, as one simply has to have seen The Empire Strikes Back to know the Rebellion is down on their luck so even Trios’ might and power weren’t enough to help them…or she betrayed them. I’m actually really happy it has turned out to be the latter, as Vader’s lesson in Darth Vader Annual #1 and how he trained her to be a ruler in “The Shu-Torun War” arc, were really brutal, efficient things and I doubt, even as stubborn and resourceful as Trios could be, she has ever really considered crossing Vader. She regrets it somewhat though, if her conversation with Leia, with actual tears, are anything to go by, while her identification code for contacting Vader in secret is “There was no other choice.” I’d like to think Leia and the rebels can still manage to show Trios there is a choice, that she can get out of the Empire’s yoke without sacrificing her planet, but I’m afraid that won’t come until the Battle of Endor. Either way, I hope this isn’t the last we see of Queen Trios, be it here in the Star Wars series or elsewhere, but at least for now she goes out on quite a nice cliffhanger/twist in a panel that reminded me of the old Salvador Larroca days in it’s grandeur.
It was a blast to see Admiral Ackbar being an admiral again, even if it was only for a little bit, and I liked how his maneuver here to break the Imperial blockade recalled a previous Mon Calamarian’s strategic thinking. Ackbar sends Aurora Flare towards the blockade because he knows it’s carrying a full load of coaxium, hyperfuel featured prominently in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and if it can make it close enough, it can blow a hole right through. His speech about nobility to the Flare‘s commander, and their response, shows the pride in the species and their desire for freedom, and added a nice touch to the moment. Ackbar’s plan kind of reminded me of Admiral Raddus’ idea in the Battle of Scarif, throwing the Hammerhead at a Star Destroyer shove it into another Destroyer, and I love the idea that literally throwing ships at one another is a somewhat common Mon Cala battle tactic, or at least shows Raddus and Ackbar were two great minds who think a lot a like. I bet both Raddus and Ackbar were watching, from the Barrier Reef of the Great Beyond, Admiral Holdo’s maneuver in The Last Jedi with giant Mon Cala smiles and pride.
Salvador Larroca (art) and Guru-eFX (colors) had a somewhat decent issue this time around. Ship battles and alien creatures are Larroca’s calling, and since there’s plenty of it, there’s less of the distracting facial tracing issues. They were still there, as Leia’s face looks like it comes from deep within the uncanny valley in certain panels, but all the non-humans were great. And, as I mentioned earlier, the final panel of Trios, with the hologram of Vader hovering over her, is a gorgeous thing, laden with ominous feelings, and is a great showcase of what Larroca used to do. Letterer duties were handled with expertise as always by Clayton Cowles this arc, while it seems we’ve hit the issues where Heather Antos and Jordan D. White no longer helped edit, as #49 only has Tom Groneman as Assistant Editor and Mark Paniccia for Editor.
Be sure to check back with the Manor next week for Chris’ arc review for “Mutiny at Mon Cala” and I’ll link to it here once it goes live! UPDATE: It’s here!
Here are a few other things:
- For the most part I enjoyed Tunga’s character, the Clawdite shapeshifter, and I’m intrigued by his potential return to make things up to Leia for impersonating her father, Bail. The joke of him saying the name of the arc aloud, as the name of his next great play, was neither here nor there for me, but since it’s the first I can recall it happening across most or all the series, it’s fine by me.
- So long Regent Urtya! You at least came around in the end, finally understanding why Leia would rebel if it meant sacrificing Alderaan again.
Star Wars #49 is a great wrap up to the slow, but somewhat faster burn, of “Mutiny at Mon Cala,” and sets up an exciting new era to the series.
+ Queen Trio’s true allegiance (with hints she’s not totally happy about it)
+ The Mon Cala Way for ship combat
+ Plenty of payoff
– The art was a little better this issue
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
Star Wars
Kieron Gillen — Ashes of Jedha (#38-43) / Arc Review by Chris | Mutiny at Mon Cala: #44 | #45 | #46 | #47 | #48 / Arc Review by Chris | Hope Dies (#50-55) / Arc Review by Chris | The Escape (#56-61) / Arc Review by Chris | The Scourging of Shu-Torun (#62-67) / Arc Review by Chris | Kieron Gillen Retrospective
Jason Aaron — Jason Aaron Retrospective (#1-37)
Greg Pak — Rebels and Rogues (#68-72)