I’ve decided that all I want from Kieron Gillen’s Star Wars is more Skywalker twin interactions.

Queen Trios and the Empire continue their efforts to drill all of the kyber out of Jedha and the rebels continue to have somewhat strained relations with what’s left of the Partisans. However, things are slightly less than harmonious between even some of our heroes…

Spoilers after the cut.

I really should have expected a book that so obviously ties into Rogue One to have a Bail Organa sucker punch and yet here we are. In a reasonably strong issue, the best pages by far are the ones where Leia and Luke clash. At their core, they boil both characters down to their essence. Luke and Leia are both incredibly passionate and dedicated individuals but their approaches differ. Luke wants to delve into the Force and figure out what being a Jedi means while Leia always has to remember her duty and putting the Rebellion’s needs before her own.

And then you have to add in the weight of Bail’s final words to Leia. At face value, a declaration of trust and belief might seem like ideal last words to hear from your father but when you’ve been raised as royalty and you’ve had the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders for a few years? Perhaps they come as more of a burden. Expectations can be difficult to live up to. Expectations from a deceased parent can be doubly so. Luke might want to become a Jedi so he can avenge Vader’s victims but Leia… Leia has to live and fight for Alderaan and do so with the weight of her father’s final words on her shoulders.

Even though the exchange between the twins is just a few pages within the issue, it’s the real centerpiece here and shows that Gillen really gets both characters. Again, the rest of the issue is good too but Star Wars #40 is worth it for the Leia (and Luke) character dive alone.

Star Wars #40: Kieron Gillen/Writer, Salvador Larroca/Artist, Guru e-FX/Colorist, Clayton Cowles/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor