Guess what: Kanan #3 is out this week and after taking a break to write a real review… yup, you guessed it. We’re reviewing in gifs again!
Tag Archives: Marvel Comics
Review: Princess Leia #4
Did you think that Princess Leia #3 was too slow? Too formulaic? BOY DO I HAVE A COMIC FOR YOU THEN. Princess Leia #4 by Mark Waid and Terry Dodson is out in comic stores today and it DEFINITELY takes things up a notch.
Thus far, Leia’s mission to save her remaining Alderaanians have been successful with only a few bumps along the way. Problem is, they have an unknowing traitor in their midst in the form of young Tace and her sister Tula. Add in the reunification talks with Espirion and there’s a lot at stake for the remnants of Alderaan.
Waid manages to pack a lot into about twenty pages worth of story; enough that it’s rather impressive. This is one of those issues where we really get to see all the facets of Leia as a person and as a leader. It’s not hard to see the lessons learned from Breha and Bail about ruling by listening to your people and caring about them as opposed to being totalitarian. It’s fitting for a woman who carries the guilt of her planet’s destruction on her shoulders along with the responsibility for all those left.
Evaan has taken a bit of a more backseat these last two issues but she’s still definitely the standout new character in these books who will hopefully have a lot of staying power in this new canon. The evolution of her relationship with Leia has been absolutely fascinating to watch especially when contrasted with the other prominent Alderaanians featured in the book.
Terry Dodson’s art continues to be lovely and Jordie Bellaire’s colors elevate the book to whole new level of pretty. Everything about Tace’s hair and nails is just spot on perfection. Honestly, what else is there to say at this point?
Princess Leia #4 gets a strong 4/5 from me this month along with lots of anticipation for the finale issue.
Review: Darth Vader #6
Last issue, I said that I wasn’t sure where Gillen was going with this but I was pretty sure I liked it. Good news. I liked it. Darth Vader #6 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca is in comic stores today and it should definitely be at the top of your pull list.
There will be spoilers for the issue in this review because it’s impossible not to discuss the issue without them.
Review: Star Wars #6
Happy Marvel Star Wars week! Star Wars #6 by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday arrives in comic stores today and heyyyyy look at that cover. Do you think Luke might be in trouble?
As a note, read this issue before this week’s Darth Vader.
Surprising to no one who read the previous issue, Luke’s definitely in trouble. The one and only Boba Fett has tracked him to Kenobi’s hut on Tatooine. Meanwhile, Leia and Han continue their scouting mission to find a new base for the Rebel Alliance. Unfortunately, things don’t quite go our heroes’ ways…
I feel like I say this about every issue but holy wow is this an issue where it’s incredibly apparently what a freaking blast Aaron and Cassaday are having with this book. It’s evident in every single panel and that elevates the book to the next level.
Fett Fans are going to love his fight with Luke. It’s refreshingly different then a lot of what we’ve seen before with either character. Plus, we also get to see Artoo being awesome. That little droid really is the hero the galaxy deserves. It’s storylines like these that make me so grateful for comic books as a medium because it’s awesome to actually get to see how the fight goes down between bounty hunter and the fledgling Jedi.
Han and Leia’s story takes a backseat again this issue but Aaron does throw in a few fun lines along with their banter. It’s also a great opportunity for Cassaday to draw a beautiful new planet that would’ve been a way better base then Hoth.
What intrigues me most about the book though isn’t so much what happens but rather how the fandom will react to the introduction of a new character. (Okay so I’m intrigued by the new character too.)
Star Wars #6 gets a 4/5 from me along with a continuing recommendation to pick it up.
Review: Star Wars #5
The battle against the Empire is far from over as our Rebels continue their search for a new base planet. They’re not the only ones with a mission though as Boba Fett, tasked by Darth Vader, hunts for the pilot who blew up the Death Star. Star Wars #5 by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday arrives in comic stores today, bringing your own search for a new issue to a close. For this month at least.
This is an issue that will probably make the Boba Fett fanboys very happy. Not being a particular fan of the Fett myself, I can’t say for sure but this is definitely the most we’ve seen of him in the new canon thus far. That said, it does feel like a bit of a departure from the previous versions of Boba and like Jason Aaron is having fun with getting to really create and expand upon the characterization of a character who, quite frankly, didn’t do much more then stand there and look badass in the films. (Warning for the more sensitive: there are a few pages that get fairly violent.)
Bounty hunter aside, this issue does let us get another look at our favorite trio. Luke’s off on his own, headed back to Tatooine in search of answers while Leia convinces Han to be her co-pilot on her latest mission for the alliance. It’s fun to see the beginnings of the antagonistic banter between Leia and Han in the years before it fully develops into the routine arguments that fellow Alliance soldiers just walk through on Hoth. The relationships between all of the main characters are where Aaron really thrives with this book.
On the art front, I continue to enjoy Cassaday’s work and will definitely miss him when he leaves the book. There’s just something about reading a book where you can tell the artist is loving every minute of his work.
Star Wars #5 continues this book’s trend of being solidly enjoyable and gets another recommendation from Tosche Station.
Review: Kanan #2
This is it. This is the issue we’ve been dreading since this time last month. Kanan: The Last Padawan #2 by Greg Weisman and Pepe Larraz hits comic stores today. It’s the follow up to an issue that had all of us still talking at Celebration so how does this latest issue hold up?
Review: Princess Leia #2
Princess Leia’s mission to track down all her remaining Alderaanian survivors continues as she lands on Naboo with her new accomplice and fellow Alderaanian Evaan. Mark Waid, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and Jordie Bellaire knock it out of the park yet again with the second issue that’s in stores today!
This review contains mild spoilers.
Our Alderaanian heroines arrive on Naboo to find retrieve the Melodic order; a famous performance group from their homeworld. It will hardly be an easy task though to elude Imperial detection… even with the help of Leia’s old friend Lord Junn.
We have our first Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens image!
Not content with dropping the breaking news mic all week, the Star Wars folks have released the very first image from Marvel’s contribution to Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Check out the cover of Shattered Empire #1 by superstar artist Phil Noto below. The first issue will be out in September.
Review: Star Wars #3
It’s an explosive conclusion this week to the first arc of the new Star Wars comic. Star Wars #3 by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday is out now and so far, they’ve lived up to the promise of their first issue. Luke, Leia, and Han’s mission to destroy the weapons factory hasn’t gone as planned and now, it’ll be tough enough to escape from Vader and the Empire with their lives let alone finish their mission.
As with the previous issues, it’s obvious that this is a labor of love for both Aaron and Cassaday. It’s difficult to say which Aaron does a better job with: the characters or the plot. That’s impressive. His Leia and Han have the perfect level of post-Yavin bickering (aka: not too heavy on the flirting subtext) while Luke is trying to live up to his mental expectations for himself. Or at least what he thinks Obi-Wan and his father would expect of him.
The plot line for this first arc was a great choice. Attacking a weapons factory is a high stakes mission without being involving entire fleets and large armies. It’s the right level of important and tense for a story such as this and, without any spoilers, I found it to have a very satisfying conclusion.
Cassaday’s art with Laura Martin’s colors continue to be a great fit for the book. His panels where he’s having fun with facial expressions are definitely my favorites. The joy on Luke’s face as he flies the speeder, even in the heat of battle, is positively tangible.
As I said in my review of the first issue, the true test of this book will be how the second arc plays out. However, if the last two pages are any indicator, I think it has potential to be just as great.
Star Wars #3 gets a 4/5 from me for both this issue and for the first arc. Go pick up the first three issues if you haven’t yet!
Review: Princess Leia #1
Remember back in August when I wrote about what I hoped for with a Mark Waid Leia comic? Yeah, he nailed it. I won’t beat around the bush here. I loved this issue. Go to your comic store right now and pick up Princess Leia #1 by Mark Waid with art by Terry Dodson, inks by Rachel Dodson, and colors by Jordie Bellaire. Need another reason why? Well read on for a mostly spoiler-free review.
The book picks up immediately after the Battle of Yavin with the medal ceremony and Leia giving a very brief speech commemorating the losses of all those who gave their lives fighting the Empire and especially Alderaan. There is no time for sorrows though as the Rebels must immediately dismantle the base and flee. Leia, however, wants to embark on a mission of her own: to find and protect all the remaining Alderaanians in the galaxy… with or without the Alliance’s approval.