– Spoiler Review –
Star Wars #70 is another riveting and fun entry in Greg Pak and Phil Noto’s takeover of the series, as it has everything from Han and Leia honeymoon humor, a debate on sentience, and Luke searching for Force-related help from a untrustworthy swindler; and it’s only getting better every issue!
I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this excited about reading or waiting for the next issue of the Star Wars series and it being worth it, and it’s all due to a great variety of reasons, of which here are a few: Greg Pak’s way of handling all three storylines that there’s just enough to keep us hooked each issue; Phil Noto’s dynamic art; how each storyline manages to be both pure fun and explore deeper issues; and new characters add both unexpected moments and plenty of tension. Star Wars can be campy and serious at the same time, which is where it’s been its best as of late (see Doctor Aphra in comics for starters), and this series right now embodies that dichotomy.
In Luke’s adventures on Sergia, I absolutely enjoy Warba Calip and how she’s treating Luke’s eagerness/desire to learn more about the Force, of which she claims to know a lot. In a way, Warba is acting like Luke when Rey shows up on Ahch-To by wondering why Luke wants to learn so much, as she’s disillusioned about a Jedi’s place in the galaxy, and doesn’t feel like she needs to teach him anything she knows, while she’s even like Yoda when Luke shows up on Dagobah, though he played a fool to test Luke’s patience, Warba plays the maniac and says they need to rob a bank so Luke can learn focus; Okay…so maybe not as much like Yoda in that regard, though it’s a story thread I am damn excited to see unfold. Her comment about Luke facing down the whole Empire with only his laser sword is what gives me the biggest Luke in The Last Jedi-vibe, considering he made a similar comment there, and shows how any teacher, formal or informal, can grow jaded after they’ve dealt with tragedy, of which Warba claims to have seen with Jedi, real or those faking it. Of course one has to wonder if Warba actually has the Force, but I’m thinking we’ll find out it won’t matter in the end, as the lesson she says she wants to teach him is important one for any Force user. Getting to see this all unfold during a bank robbery will just be icing on the cake.
As for Han and Leia, while their unwanted tail being Dar Champion wasn’t hard to predict, his motives were, though they make a lot of sense. Dar might help Han and Leia out of a scrap with Lanz Carpo police, twice now, but he puts them under the scopes of his guns to stop them from fulfilling their mission, which he overheard while tailing them. Champion’s attempt at arresting Boss Carpo’s men, only for them to be picked up by a representative last issue, thus the stalemate between right and wrong continues for all of Lanz Carpo to see, is really all for show because the stalemate is much better than the alternative: Imperial rule/subjugation. So Champion doesn’t want Han and Leia’s plan, to make the Empire think Boss Carpo has flipped for the Rebellion thus bringing the Empire to Lanz Carpo and off the Rebellion’s back, to go through. It’s an unintended consequence of their actions that at least two of these storylines dive into: while we want out heroes to succeed and for the Empire to lose, those caught in the middle might be worse off if such things come to pass. So while Champion might seem like a bad guy, if the status quo keeps most of the population of a planet safe, he lives more in the morally gray area in-between, as his deal with the devil he knows isn’t the best choice, but it might’ve been the only choice. Champion’s ambiguities provide plenty to mull over, but how Pak sprinkles it between some delectable honeymooner humor about Han and Leia is the real strength of this storyline. From how Han and Leia scream “NO!” when a droid offers to light the pheromone enhancers to the old Shistavanen couple telling them they can hold hands in public now, having these moments so close to Empire Strikes Back really helps the humor hit; that old Shistavanen couple gives me life…spin-off, please!
The Chewbacca and Threepio storyline continues to impress: while the Empire’s appearance causes Chewie to forget his desire to save the rock people, Threepio manages to talk him into still going back to deactivate the bombs. But then the rock people knock the Falcon out of the sky with…a rock. And then they take Threepio. And then the planet swallows them up, leaving Chewie distraught, alone, and so confused. What do the rock people want with Threepio? How deep into the planet did they take him? And with the whole planet swallowing thing, one has to wonder…is the entire planet alive just like the rock people? Are the rock people an extension of the planet? All questions I’d love to know the answer to because it’s fun to explore these stranger aspects of the Saga while diving into heady subjects like sentience. Back in my #68 review, I said there’s potential in this storyline for the two sidekicks, one an alien and the other a droid, to meet others considered less than important, like these rock people since they don’t register as living beings, and issue #70 delivers some of the goods. Aboard the Executor, a sensor sweep of the planet only reveals one living being, a Wookiee, whom Admiral Ozzel dismisses as the most disposable member of “Skywalker’s crew” and therefore this is all part of some type of distraction. Just like Chewie was willing to dismiss them, he’s dismissed by others who see him as lesser, something he and Threepio share in common from time to time, as they have been treated as the sidekicks, sometimes forgettable ones at that, in most stories within the Star Wars comic itself and definitely elsewhere. By putting them front and center, we’re confronting that point-of-view not only in-universe, but also our perceptions of these characters, an intriguing concept to confront; and with the potential for this to be considered a commentary on the racist rhetoric running rampant within the US here, it could join the long tradition of the Saga’s history of commenting on politics.
From the planet opening up and swallowing the rock people as they take Threepio, the color palettes for each storyline, Han and Leia’s swanky new outfits, to the natural, emotive faces that convey so much and are all Noto’s take on the characters to boot, it’s the work of Phil Noto, people…of course it’s all freaking great! I also love how it action scenes feel like a freeze frame of an epic sequence…all done without relying on tracing, mind you, which really highlights some of the strengths of his work. It’s almost hard to sing his praises all the time because it’s work of such a consistent caliber it easier to see how great is than talk about, and proves this series thrives not just on fantastic writing and pacing, but also outstanding art.
Star Wars #70 thrives on its dichotomy of goofiness and depth and I can’t wait to see what happens next on both regards!
+ Diving deep on big, serious subjects…
+ …all at a swift pace with tons of humor, as Star Wars is wont to do
+ Phil Noto 20Forever
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
STAR WARS
Greg Pak — Rebels and Rogues: #68 | #69
Kieron Gillen — Ashes of Jedha (#38-43)| Mutiny at Mon Cala (#44-49) | Hope Dies (#50-55) | The Escape (#56-61) | The Scourging of Shu-Torun (#62-67) | Kieron Gillen Retrospective (#38-67)
Jason Aaron — Jason Aaron Retrospective (#1-37)
CURRENT SERIES COMIC REVIEWS:
Doctor Aphra
Aphra (#1-6) | And the Enormous Profit (#9-13) | Remastered (#14-19) | The Catastrophe Con (#20-25) | Worst Among Equals (#26-31) | Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon (#32-37) | Annual: #2
TIE Fighter (miniseries)
Galaxy’s Edge (miniseries)
Age of Rebellion (miniseries) | Age of Resistance (miniseries)