– Spoiler Review –
His current lightsaber on the fritz, Luke Skywalker sets out on a journey with R2-D2 to repair it, though his naivety leads him to meet some intriguing new characters. Find out all about his new quest in my review of Star Wars #34 (Vol. 2) now!
Charles Soule’s time on the Star Wars series, while navigating the all big crossover events at same time, has had some very memorable storylines and character development, but when he’s focused on Luke and taken him on some type of journey, it’s been some of his best work. From what transpires in Star Wars #34 (Vol. 2) alone, this latest Luke-focused event could be the greatest yet. There are new and intriguing characters, a return to a familiar world, and interesting tidbits of lore about kyber crystals to enjoy, so for me at least, this was totally my jam.
Consulting his precious book he risked his life for, which led to his High Republic saber being damaged, Luke finds out how little preparation Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi gave him beyond the basics. He’s coming to understand the kyber crystal, and getting one to build your own lightsaber, were an important rite of passage for younglings back in the day, but his own trip to Ilum was short-lived and Empire-filled not long ago. He’s also learning the connection between a Jedi and their crystal is vital, as while his two previous sabers have been good tools, he’s not felt what’s being described to him, how the crystal is a sort of living object of its own. And the book is short on information on repair and building a lightsaber, so he’s sort of on his own again to figure out how to get this one working again. Despite Luke’s lack of info, we get something interesting, tying into Kylo Ren potentially: as Luke ignites his broken saber and holds onto it, he trails off, getting lost in its mesmerizing, broken glow, seemingly to imply Luke’s nephew’s lightsaber and its fractured kyber had a bit of a hold on him. Soule previously showed us the first instance of a Sith “bleeding” a crystal to make it red, in an unforgettable moment early in his Darth Vader run and later with Kylo himself in The Rise of Kylo Ren miniseries, so it’s neat he gets to expand somewhat on kybers here again, how a broken one could also help break or mess with its user to some degree, and it only adds all the things stacked against Kylo in his fight between light and dark.
As Luke’s about to set out, he runs into Leia and she’s concerned about him going out alone in the galaxy, as they could really use a symbol like a Jedi to keep hope fresh as the Rebellion prepares for the next big operation. She also knows about how tricky the Force is right now for Luke, as he told her about the Force Wave affecting him (which she sort of thinks she can feel too), where it’s either overwhelming as the Wave comes in or the Force is non-existent as it washes away, but he just really needs this, a win with a rebuilt lightsaber, as his grasp continues to feel like it’s slipping on being a Jedi. And hey, she shouldn’t be too concerned, he’s got Artoo with him! If Ilum is still out of the question nowadays, where instead to find some kyber? Christophsis! It’s neat to see the planet again, now through Luke Skywalker’s eyes and how it’s changed in Imperial times, especially after it being the focus of the opening of The Clone Wars where Luke’s father and his sort of step-sister Ahsoka have some big history! Luke wanders into a bar, hoping to talk to the right people to locate the black market kyber trade, but just as things look to be progressing, someone waltzes in and kills everyone!
Out in the galaxy, Luke’s a little out of his depth as Leia feared, as he’s still too naïve and his connection to the Force too tenuous, and this was a great case for his need to figure this all out and get control on his training to be a Jedi. Luke, who gave his saber to Artoo for the time being to remain incognito, is defenseless, but the newcomer isn’t there to hurt him, rather she’s there to save him. Luke’s not happy she killed so many people to save him, but she claims they were going to turn him into the Empire, as they lure in prospective kyber buyers and get double the money from the Empire for turning them in. Despite this information, and her acknowledgement kyber is nearby so he’s not far off, he doesn’t want to associate with her because he knows she’s a killer and that’s too much for him. But she has a speeder and knows exactly where to find kyber, and since he can’t quite fly around in his X-wing without being noticed, he might just have to deal with her anyways. This is when Gretta explains her history, which we learn involves her family being murdered on Jedha, all members of the Fallanassi† Force religion, so Luke taking out the Death Star provided her the vengeance she sought for their deaths, mending a hole in her heart, and now she wants to return the favor. This is enough for Luke to go with her, but it doesn’t stop him from leaving instructions for Artoo to go for help if he doesn’t return in a reasonable time. Gretta seems like a fascinating character already, a sharp shot with her pistols, quick wit, but she means well and wants to help people with her skills, watching out for Jedi like Luke in hopes to help them. Her connection to the Force is only through her beliefs, but the structure of people in the galaxy who believe in the Force and what the Jedi stood for is an important resource Luke can lean on in the years ahead, like he’ll do eventually when he meets and starts traveling with Lor San Tekka, aligned with the Church of the Force.
Gretta knows an expert on kyber, a Dr. Cuata, who had a brief mention in Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, hiding out on Christophsis. She explains he was smart not to get involved with the Empire’s kyber research projects like Galen Erso and other scientists did, hiding here instead. On their way to meet him, a creature emerges from underground to attack them, classic Star Wars style, and Luke tells Gretta to flee and he stays back to try and hold it off with the Force, which currently isn’t working. Just when things look dire, the creature explodes…and Dr. Cuata appears through the resulting dust, kindly requesting Luke for his lightsaber! Two intriguing new characters in one issue, let’s go! I can’t wait to see the depth of Cuata’s resources for Luke, as long as he’s on the up and up! As for the weapon he was using, it sort of reminded me of the kyber powered rifle Jocasta Nu had when she battled Darth Vader at the Coruscant Jedi Temple in Soule’s Vader run. I wouldn’t be surprised a kyber expert like Cuata would be able to build something similar!
Artist Madibek Musabekov, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, and Clayton Cowles lettering all return for this latest arc, which I’m very happy about. In the littlest of ways, I love the scant details of Luke’s book about kyber crystals while the crackling lightsaber is spooky and unnatural feeling, while in the big ways the double page spread of them speeding over the crystal surface only for the big monster to appear has a cool slant to it and some great progression, where the monster breaking through the panels is like it breaking through the world’s surface. I really like how Luke’s naivety showed through the art but also how it set us up not to expect the people of the bar could be anything other than helpful. Was it on purpose because Gretta is really the problem here and they weren’t or was it just to preserve the surprise? There’s a cozy look to the bar, the lighting from Rosenberg making it feel peaceful and welcoming, like a supper club vibe almost though way less reputable, while the bartender has a friendly demeanor to him, almost uninterested in Luke at first, and not terribly menacing when he starts to question about kyber. Luke seems none the wiser as he munches on his fired spider meal, content with the food and happy his line of questioning is getting results so easily, so I felt none the wiser when the first blaster shot rang out. It’s only via hindsight I see Gretta at a booth when Luke walks in, but her look seems to riff a bit from Han Solo though is enough of her own we can deduce a great bit about her right away. Her red vest, over the beige outfit, plus goggles and leg strap holsters, give her the air of a pilot and a scoundrel, right down to her confident stance, like I loved her green hair and darker skin, as this series could do with a little racial diversity outside of more aliens. Dr. Cuata looks like Pantoran man who’s been living off the land, his cape and vest in tatters at the edges like frayed feathers, while his colorful necklace of kyber and cybernetic glasses hint at his sharp mind. The way he first appears, a wide stance, gun slung over his shoulder, and holding out his hand, he seems like a calm, cool, and collected guy despite the big monster he just evaporated, while his clipped and to the point greeting makes me wonder how much personality he has or if it’s all about the science with him. Cowles’ lettering does some neat things, but the smallest one is the most important to me: as Luke has his lightsaber ignited nearby Gretta in the hopes he can stand against the creature, the effect of the damaged kyber is spilling outwards, which we see in her word bubbles turning wavy, and it causes Gretta to slur her words, struggling even to talk, so one has to wonder if she’s actually Force-sensitive or not. The jagged SFX for the broken lightsaber all seems sick and unnatural, offering more evidence it’s a problem and could really mess with a Force user like we never imagined.
Here are a few other things:
- *And now we’ve seen the first crystal bled outside of the comics, as it happens early in Jedi: Survivor’s story! I’m not going to say who or why, though I felt like the why wasn’t quite earned and the process a little too easy compared to how the comics showed it, but it was still really cool to see!!
- †The Fallanassi where a Force-sect of mainly women who factored into the story of late Legends novels, known for the illusions, but have been mentioned in canon a few times, with their illusion ability factoring into Luke’s actions in The Last Jedi!
- The book Luke’s reading mentions more books on building sabers, written by Huyang! With the Doctor Who voiced character set to make his live-action debut in Ahsoka in August, and knowing Luke and Ahsoka have at least met, maybe we’ll get to see Luke meeting Huyang at some point!
- Things are going to get a little confusing. I do appreciate how some of the recent issues clarified when they all take place, but while Luke’s on his mission here, he’s also abducted by Doctor Aphra in the issue of her latest comic….so when does this take place compared to her series? I imagine they’ll straighten things out with some dialogue, but be prepared for a lot of characters appearing in a different series even as they star in their own and hope we’ll get it all clarified soon.
Star Wars #34 (Vol. 2) gets the series’ next great Luke Skywalker adventure off to a exciting start!
+ Intriguing new characters
+ Luke’s latest adventure showing his strength and weaknesses
+ Art making Luke’s naivety show
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
STAR WARS (Vol. 2)
The Destiny Path: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 / Arc Review — The Will of Tarkin: #7 | #8/Arc Review — Operation Starlight: #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 — War of the Bounty Hunters: #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #18 — Crimson Reign: #19 | #20 | #21 | #22 | #23 | #24 — Special Issue: #25 — The Path to Victory: #26 | #27 | #28 | #29 | #30 | #31 | #32 | #33 —