– Spoiler Review –
Despite too much double-crossing and inconsistencies, The Battle of Jakku: Last Stand #2 does its best to set up the final two issues.
I’ll fully admit, I was wrong in my review last issue that Han Solo’s return was the first time he’s been in the main era of comics since 2019 as he actually was in Insurgency Rising #1. Opps! And then this issue helped clear up my confusion about Han’s appearance at the end of Last Stand #1, as he explains he’s left Chewbacca momentarily to come to Chandrila to help his wife, though how and where this all matches up with his return to Kashyyyk to help his friend and Leia’s own appearance above its skies to save the planet remains to be concocted, unless this is suggesting that’s already happened and Han’s left Kashyyyk and Leia’s already back from there and now a constant target of the Acolytes of the Beyond, which again, will be hard to all square up. Last Stand #2 creates further problems, as now it shows RAE SLOANE and Gallius Rax being all friendly in the wake of the attack on Chandrila, which happened when Sloane was visiting, whereas Aftermath: Life Debt shows Rax claiming she’s dead and calling himself the Counselor to the Empire, while she’s on the run and being helped a New Republic pilot’s husband, one of the prisoners used by Rax in the attack on Chandrila. So…how and when does the scene here fit in, especially with them making nice and him even offering to ensure the attack isn’t blamed on her, compared to him cutting her loose? If this series had been longer, even by 4 issues or so, maybe there would’ve been time or a place to better fit this story into the larger events, but for now, this series’ interjections are getting more and more difficult to understand.
Also difficult, all the double-crossing, spy who’s a spy stuff, as while it was initially entertaining, it feels like we’re going circles and going over the same twists and turns. The Spice Runners first don’t want to align with Adelhard, then they do, but then they help oust him, then they help bring him back, and now they are pulling back their support again? Same with the Acolytes of the Beyond, as Reyna Oskure was their official unofficial spokesperson with Adelhard, but since she’s working with Gallius Rax’s group, whose side is she actually on? And why are the Acolytes still attacking Leia if Reyna’s been ousted by Adelhard? And yet by the end, we learn the Acolytes and Spice Runners will help Adelhard launch his own attack at Jakku, hoping to take both sides out in the process, but earlier in the issue the Runners back off Lando and Preeti on Tomasso’s orders, who is actually working for the New Republic? If we had some clearer distinction about what was going on and by who, and maybe more time with these characters to understand all the back and forth, this would probably be way more entertaining. Instead, it just feels pointless to keep doing and hopefully all this stuff is done ahead of the final two issues.
Overall, Han Solo’s return was fun, as we got some cute little moments between the Big Three again, be it Han and Leia’s back and forth when he saves her from the Acolyte of the Beyond or his interactions with Luke and Leia in the briefing room, but it really made me laugh when he hears Rynn’s name and is like “hey, you are the one who did this, this, and this!” even though it’s totally okay for everyone not to know everyone (and the dialogue wasn’t needed for us or anyone in the room with these characters). I hope he’ll have a little more impact in the final two issues, but I’ll take having Han back, who instantly injects humor the moment he shows up, even if only this for now.
On art is Jethro Morales, with Jim Campbell on colors, and Joe Caramagna lettering, cementing themselves as my favorite team on the series overall. I just really like Morales’ take on the characters, as he doesn’t try to specifically match them to the actors or any real-life faces, but he makes each one their own and they end up feeling both unique, more expressive, and close to the actor’s faces in the end. Leia’s fight with the Acolyte was a good sequence, as you know she’s going to be up to something when determination strikes her face after her, Mon Mothma, and Agent Bastion take cover, and the next page’s first panel has her already halfway to the Dowutin Acolyte, blasting away, Agent Bastion futilely reaching out to stop the General/Princess. The next panel puts her in a position over the big alien, standing with her blast drawn and him cowing on the ground, but while his sudden movement doesn’t bring her any concern right away, once he begins to choke her, the fear is palpable and the struggle she has before her seems immense given the size of the arm grabbing her. There’s a largely yellowish and orange background to the struggle, with Caramagna providing a fitting sound FX for her measly attempt to punch at the arm choking, so when the background goes red and a big FX cuts through the arm choking Leia, it feels like such a big switch. It leads to Han Solo, scraggly beard and all, standing with his signature gun drawn, smoke coming out of its end. They have a casualness to their first panel together, but it leads to a much-warranted kiss between the newlywed couple.
Here is one other thing:
- I feel so bad for Lando and Preeti, as their appearances boil down to: encounter Imperials (of various groups or coalitions), fight them off, find out it’s too much for them to handle, run away, then repeat.
- Reyna’s situation was also confusing, as she confronts Kranor, who is the one passing the message from Tomasso to the Runners hassling Lando/Preeti, and when Lt. Alaytia shows up, she tells her she was escaping…but we never saw her being taken to prison or being told she couldn’t leave last issue or this one, so was she just getting off the ship after Adelhard took back over? And how did Alaytia get out of her cell to be there? How many more NR spies are on Adelhard’s ship?! And where was Adelhard during all this, being completely absent from the series for the first time?
- Here’s the current release schedule for the final two entries in the Battle of Jakku story: 1/15/2025 Last Stand #3; 1/22/2025 Last Stand #4.
The Battle of Jakku: Last Stand #2 keeps the series jumping through hoops to get us to the finale, but at least it’s still fun along the way.
+ Han’s return injects some fun
– Redundant, reused double/triple crosses
– Harder and harder to fit with what we already know
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
THE BATTLE OF JAKKU MAXISERIES REVIEWS
Insurgency Rising: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 – Republic Under Siege: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 – Last Stand: #1