It’s real! After months of delays, the one-shot C-3P0 comic book that was supposed to be a part of the Journey to The Force Awakens has finally hit comic stores shelves. So was this one-shot by James Robinson and Tony Harris worth the wait?
Consider me… whelmed.
I am not a fan of Tony Harris as a person (google it) but I have to say his art is definitely the highlight of this story. The credits indicate that he did the line art, inking, and colors and it definitely works really well together. It’s actually the best thing about this book. There’s a page at the start that’s mostly of Threepio that just really really works.
The story itself feels… superfluous. We already knew from reference books that Threepio wears the red arm to honor the sacrifice of another droid. That’s… basically the story. Right there. If you’re a fan of Threepio, you’ll like this story because it’s a heck of a lot of him talking like his usual self. The one bit that did stand out was when another droid gets a little more philosophical about what exactly being a droid is. There’s a super neat bit in which we find out that despite being memory wiped, traces and glimpses of those memories still survive. It’s something that I never considered before but find endlessly fascinating.
So is it worth the wait and your money? If you’re a completionist or a Threepio fan, sure. If you’re not… well, it’s not a bad issue. It’s most unfortunate that this issue didn’t come out when originally planned.
Less than a year ago, we had the wonderful Heather Antos, Assistant Editor for the Marvel Star Wars comics, on the Tosche Station podcast and we maaaaay have begged a little for an X-Wing/Rogue Squadron comic. And we weren’t alone in really hoping to see more stories focused on X-Wing pilots in the new canon. A few months ago, we learned that Poe Dameron was getting his own series. I’ll be honest with you all: when Marvel announced this book, I was mostly excited but also a tiny bit hesitant. I’ve been a huge fan of Charles Soule’s work in the Star Wars universe thus far and Phil Noto’s art is always lovely but I wasn’t quite sure if it was possible for someone to that find that same vibe that made Stackpole and Allston’s pilot books so good.
With Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens Volume 1, Landry Q. Walker returns to a good old element of Star Wars: short stories about the random beings we see in the background of the films. The 90s saw the publication of more than a few of these, ranging from Cantina tales to Jabba’s Palace. Walker lets the background characters from Jakku and Maz Kanata’s castle take starring roles in these six stories, helping flesh out the universe just a little more in this collection.
It turns out that all Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca had to do to keep me happy while Dr. Aphra is in mortal danger is have Vader be involved in a plot line that has royal intrigue. I didn’t even worry about her once during this issue! Out today is Darth Vader #18 in which everyone’s favorite Sith Lord must battle the enemies of Shu-Torun’s Queen and Cylo’s apprentices while simultaneously keeping the murder bots in check. Who says that Sith Lords can’t multitask?
The Mystery of Chopper Base has the distinction of being an episode that I was enjoying but mostly ambivalent towards for most of it but had me completely hooked by the end thanks to a very well placed musical cue. Kevin Kiner continues to nail it this season. That last slowed down version of the Imperial March? Perfection. That Big Damn Heroes moment? Also perfection. But let’s break down the rest of the episode.
Everyone’s favorite Master/Padawan team is back in Obi-Wan and Anakin #3 by Charles Soule and Marco Checchetto. It’s a little more of everything that’s made this book so gosh darn good thus far.
Jason Aaron and Leinil Yu are back with Star Wars #17 in which the boys get into trouble and the ladies team up while also in a lot of trouble. Okay but actually… are our heroes ever not in trouble?
Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca are back with the next installment in the Darth Vader as the book takes its turn as a political maneuvering story. Or rather, it’s a story with political maneuvering and a wrench called Vader in the middle. Despite his history with Shu-Torun and Queen Trios, Vader doesn’t really care about the planet and its unique political system. He’s more concerned with making sure it remains loyal to the Empire and that he gets the job done. Everyone is working around him towards their own goals with varying levels of success.