– Spoiler Review –
After two issues of intriguing Luke Skywalker antics on his search to becoming a Jedi, Star Wars #36 (Vol. 2) takes us back to the larger Rebellion, where Leia Organa hatches a wild plan to help remind the galaxy they are here and not going away, resulting in an issue best summed up as Top Gun: Star Wars!
The crazy plan Leia comes up with? Attack the Emperor’s statue on Coruscant with a small compliment of fast fighters flown by the best pilots! After Luke told her about the Force Wave affecting him, and how it’s likely affecting Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, Leia thinks there’s never been a better time to strike on something like this, as while the Imperial machine is vast, deadly, and always running no matter what Palpatine and Vader are doing, she thinks they won’t be as competent while the leaders are distracted. Most people in attendance of the meeting think it’s insane, impossible even after Admiral Ackbar shows them the plan, yet enough still volunteer: Bryen Rowne (a nod to writer Charles Soule’s frequent collaborator, Ryan Browne), Freyta Smyth (who was part of Starlight Squadron early in this series), and Nien Nunb all in their own A-wings, with Lando Calrissian & Chewbacca joining them in the Millennium Falcon! The plans starts off in a very unique way: smuggling them as close to Coruscant as possible inside a pool of fertilizer! Things don’t go smoothly, because why would they ever, and Bryen and Freyta perish rather quickly (that was harsh of Soule to his friend!), their target seemingly still standing and the Imperial presence requiring as hasty an exit as the remaining pilots can make. Nien’s ship gets hit and Lando and Chewie launch a desperate rescue mission in the middle of fleeing the Empire, with the moment helping establish how Nien and Lando became friends and why he’s flying co-pilot with Lando during the Battle of Endor! It’s a neat little way to fast track these two to their movie point, working together, and adds a little more camaraderie to their time in the film.
What really makes this issue sing and gain the Top Gun moniker is the work of the art team, lead by artist Andrea Di Vito, with Rachelle Rosenberg on colors, and Clayton Cowles lettering. There’s an intensity early on, the amount of laser fire from the Imperials, which packs most panels on the opening run of the mission with tons of heat, almost suffocating the Rebel ships, and it’s a foregone conclusion not everyone was going to make it out alive. There’s also some really cool layout choices, unique triangle cuts across pages, which helps in the illusion of the Falcon diving into the planet’s underworld and aids the notion the mission is going to the dumps, as they must rescue Nien by having him jump out of his A-wing and be caught by Chewie on top the Falcon! The panel of Nien soaring in the air, arms reaching out to Chewie, who likewise is reaching out to catch the pilot, while his ships explodes in the background and TIEs continue to fire on them, is so chaotic and fun, it really hits the nail on the head with how epic this move is on all parts involved. Cowles’ sound effects (SFX) for Nunb’s A-wing exploding is small, encompassing Di Vito’s drawn explosion and Rosenberg’s colors for it, as if it show it’s an important moment but not as big as Nien Nunb’s epic leap, which his scream is in a word bubble appropriately all jagged and shaking, displaying the fear in his shout. I like Rosenberg’s colors here, bright around the explosion at the top of the panel and darker as it gets closer to Chewie and the Falcon, giving them shadows, giving a sense of unease to Nunb’s jump, jumping into shadows and hope. Nunb collides with Chewie’s head, his helmet giving the Wookiee a likely concussion, if Cowles’ SFX for the collision is anything to go by. The later double page spread is somewhat the inverse of the first, the triangle panel on the bottom right, but it conveys them going upwards, not down, like the first double spread did. On the majority of the double splash is a series of insert panels depicting the Falcon’s flight deeper and deeper into the planet’s underworld, Rosenberg offering different colors in each level, while swirling around these panels is a connective blue exhaust trail, helping us fly through their descent and then through the jaws of the epically larger creature (think of like the one in Solo) and out to the surface again! The amount of teeth on this thing is STAGGERING, and the scale is well-drawn thanks to the little Falcon flying through its jaws, Cowles’ word bubble not even trying to contain the massive creature’s growl, while I enjoyed how it had no eyes seemingly, as being so far down in the dark, what good could they really do. Di Vito’s expressions for characters were full of variety, from the Imperial sneers feeling self-important and snotty to Lando’s rogue-ish charm and look of expected success against the odds could be a Billy Dee Williams if you look hard enough. The final page, a splash of the Emperor’s statue missing its head, the other pilots’ sacrifices not in vein, various smoke trails rising from the destruction, and the sunsetting hues by Rosenberg give the scene a hopeful feeling, as if this little act of rebellion is enough to symbolize the end.
Here are a few other things:
- Speaking of the end, this is the last issue before the Dark Droids crossover, also by Soule, takes over comics. I’m curious if we’ll still get to see how successful this mission was for inspiration across the galaxy despite the new storyline, because if we don’t, I sort of wish we had gotten a few little panels of how images of the broken statue might’ve help inspire others.
- Also speaking of the end, I wonder if my prediction of this era of Star Wars comics coming to a close with issue #50s across the board will get a bit of confirmation at a SDCC panel or not.
- The pilot of the transport hauler who sneaks the Rebels in with his manure is a cool new alien design and it left me asking the perennial question: is it a Bothan?!
Star Wars #36 (Vol. 2) is a fun little thrill ride of a one-off issue that reignites the feeling of Rebellion ahead of the next crossover event.
+ Di Vito and team made this a cinematic chase sequence!
+Nien Nunb and Lando’s friendship begins
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 — Quests of the Force: #31 | #32 | #33 | #34 | #35