Canon Comic Review: Dark Droids – D-Squad #4

– Spoiler Review –

Artoo’s efforts to save his friend, Threepio, come to one part of an ending in Dark Droids: D-Squad #4, marking it truly as a companion piece to the main miniseries, which ends up shortchanging its characters/story.

For a crossover about droids, that inevitably jumped to cyborgs and then full organics all under threat, outside of focusing on the Scourge’s efforts and some parts with Ajax Sigma in the main miniseries, the Dark Droids storyline hasn’t really focused too much on droids themselves. That’s why Dark Droids: D-Squad has been such a refreshing experience, as it’s let the droids deal with the burgeoning problem and see it a bit from their perspective, but once we started getting warnings that Star Wars #41 (Vol. 2) {also out the same day as this issue} was going to spoil the events of Dark Droids #5 {out December 27}, but there were no such warnings for D-Squad’s finale, I began to get worried how much further this mini-miniseries could go with its story and characters. I’m not a big comic reader outside of Star Wars comics and created-owned, limited series, aka I don’t dabble in Marvel or DC superhero stories, so I’m not totally accustomed to how crossovers work/can all play out, but I guess it’s probably the norm a mini-miniseries like this could come out, tell it’s own chunk of story that wouldn’t fit in the main story, yet not get to have its own satisfying conclusion. Because unfortunately that’s what happens with D-Squad here, as while its charm and energy doesn’t relent, the series ends without resolution for its characters or its story, promising readers it’ll all come clear in Dark Droids #5, where they won’t be the focus like they are here, most likely. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, nor terribly surprising, but it’s still disappointing, as we saw this series’ final pages in Dark Droids #4 already last month, making the little side adventure to Tatooine in this issue feel not exactly necessary, while for this to all end here means removing the droids’ point-of-view of the story whom aren’t just Ajax or the Scourge. And with having read Star Wars #41 (Vol. 2), which I won’t spoil here, it doesn’t seem like one of my biggest concerns with this entire crossover story will be really touched on, droid sentience and the galaxy’s reaction to these events, and having the only droid-focused story not even get to the finale of the overall event only adds to my issues with this crossover, even if I enjoyed its tone and wild story overall.

Otherwise, it was cute and fun to have R2-D2 and QT-KT, whom he helps bring back to life after she got shot in the last issue, go into the depths of Jabba’s Palace and overcome some obstacles together. Not allowing these two to have more panel-time together would’ve been a sin, and writer Marc Guggenheim and the art team of Salva Espín, Israel Silva on colors, and Joe Sabino lettering really take advantage of their interactions. Having Artoo use Qutee’s magnetic drone to become a distraction so she can get Ajax’s colony’s location is a funny, neat moment, while I liked their excited beeps and boops after Artoo rescued her which only a droid’s head thrown by Triple-Zero could break up the pair. Outside of that, their little run-in with Lando, carrying Lobot, was a nice nod to other events in the crossover, while much of funny exchanges between IG-88, 4-LOM, and Triple-Zero return for this finale.

After the way Espín and Silva bring Artoo’s disguise to life, I need more of droids wearing disguises in my life. The Scourge and its Dr. Frankenstein experiments on organics and droids, mixing their parts together, are frightening, but what was cooked up here for Artoo is horrific in a funny way. Part of another type of astromech’s head has been strapped to his, with little wires added to his regular dome, with additional plating over certain parts of his body and hastily added green paint over his regular parts. It hides the familiar Artoo design to some extent but it so easily looks like him, it’s no surprise Lando thinks about it for a few beats before he decides he’s just seeing things. Sabino’s lettering and sound FX have really been the MVP throughout, conveying as much as they can about what’s being said in binary, and I loved the exchange when Qutee releases her magnetic drone, as Artoo doesn’t hesitate to attach his one magnetic cord to it, only stopping to ask a question after he’s done so, with Qutee answering his with her own question, his response a confident “deep.” The next he’s shouting in excitement, being flown above the Scourge droids, pulling their attention way as she sneaks in, while the panel when he comes crashing down is chaotic goodness, his many bells and whistle out and attacking the droids he falls into, the SFX giving it that crazy, packed feel.

Here is one other thing:

• My annual Star Wars comics year-in-review will be out sometime early January, which is where I’ll dive more into my overall feelings on the crossover, as well as 2023’s Top 5 moments and more!

Dark Droids: D-Squad #4 continues its fun pace and humor, but its “check out the other series” ending robs it of a satisfying conclusion.

+ Qutee and Artoo getting more time together

+ Humor and energy, alongside great art, continue for finale

– Unsatisfying ending, as it’s over before it really gets going

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.

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