Leia and Evaan have found some Alderaanians and are now off to Sullust in search of more, unaware of the traitor in their midst. Princess Leia #3 by Mark Waid and Terry Dodson is out today in comic stores and continues to live up to the high standards of the previous issues. Naboo may not have gone completely according to plan but Sullust… Sullust is really not what Leia expected. The Alderaanian Enclave there is lead by a woman who calls herself Preserver Jora Astane and she is really not a fan of the Princess.

There are some mild spoilers in this review.

It’s almost like Mark Waid can read my mind as he keeps hitting on all the things I want to see in a book that takes place so close to the destruction to Alderaan. Obviously Leia carries the weight and the guilt with her every day but Waid is showing us a true range in what her people think about her. Seeing someone who considers her a traitor to Alderaan is brilliant. Coming in a close second for fascinating moments in the issue is when we see a crack in Leia’s exterior as she takes the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders.

Part of what makes this book so good is how it builds upon itself. This may be a limited series but it doesn’t feel like Waid is rushing the story he’s trying to tell here. We’ve gotten teases of the Alderaanian sisters over this issue and the previous and I sincerely hope we get to learn more about them in the next two issues. As Leia points out, Alderaanians aren’t really known for being militaristic so it would be interesting to see how the elder sister ended up in the Imperial army.

The Dodsons continue to deliver when it comes to the artwork on this book. I’d also like to point out that Jordie Bellaire is doing magical things with Tace’s hair. That green ombré is drool worthy. Oh and while we’re talking about the coloring? I’d like to point out that within the enclave, we see a variety of skin tones that really reinforce the point that Alderaan is not filled with just white people. Look at that diversity in space!

Princess Leia #3 continues in a tradition of excellence and… come on, you already know I’m going to strongly recommend you buy this book.