When Luke, Han, and Leia set off the core inside Cymoon-1’s facility to explode, I don’t think anyone expected it to work that easily. This is Star Wars, after all, something was bound to happen and cause a snag in the rebels’ plan. But does Jason Aaron handle the mini-arc with care and excitement, or does it fall flat? We look at that, and an ankle-biting Darth Vader, in our Star Wars #3 review.
At the very least, Aaron does a great job continuing to craft a story that feels like it belongs right in the Star Wars universe. There’s the right amount of danger and tension without the whole thing losing its light-hearted fun elements. Where Star Wars #3 fails is in the same area it has for the first two issues, it just can’t elevate itself out of being “another Star Wars story” – and a slow-moving one at that.
The constant barrage of nods and references are still coming, with not a lot of original ideas being developed. Leia and Han fight, Luke talks to dead Jedi, Darth is hunting Luke, etc. I feel like a broken record at this point, but if that kind of fanservice appeals to you, you may enjoy this issue (as I’m sure you have the first two) but it doesn’t fully resonate with me. I get that the introduction arc needs to get the feel of Star Wars established in comic book form, but said arc is dragging on far too long at this point, and I can’t wait to get to something more substantial.
While, again, it’s not a great issue by any means, it’s still fun if for unintentional reasons. There is something inexplicably hilarious about seeing Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and the most feared figure in the galaxy, sitting at the foot of an AT-AT slashing away at its ankles like a feisty Chihuahua. At the same time, it’s easy to imagine as Han and Leia sitting up in the cockpit realizing just how much danger they are in, and Star Wars #3 gets that sense of urgency across well. They are surrounded by heavy artillery, have no working ship to escape on, and have a tiny angry Vader slashing their feet.
Perhaps the biggest downside of this issue is the art. Even the cover (which can be seen in the featured image above) features a weirdly disinterested Luke Skywalker as he flies through some Stormtroopers. I can easily forgive characters not looking like their on-screen personas, but in Star Wars #3 in particular, it’s just hard to make out their emotions the majority of the time. On top of Luke’s apparently boring stroll on a Speeder Bike, there are times within the issue that Han either looks cocky or confused, I’m not sure which.
Action shots were done well enough, but perspective is again an issue in the series, with the AT-AT frequently looking like it’s just a few feet off the ground when shown in comparison with other, smaller Imperial vehicles. The main point of the towering elephant-like walkers is to be intimidating, but they look nothing of the part in this run so far.
I’m by no means giving up on Star Wars as a whole, but as far as the Cymoon-1 story arc is concerned, I am entirely over it. Even a surprising reveal and hint at something interesting coming down the road isn’t enough to keep me looking forward to next month’s issue.
Last Updated on November 28, 2018.
