Comics Star Wars #33-37: Out Among the Stars & Annual #3 (6/6 Released)

Spoiler

Wouldn't it be quicker to photoshop the face on the characters rather than render them? (That might be what Larroca is doing here. Does anyone know?) It is strange to see this face on the same page we have deformed Stormtroopers lying on the ground in the bottom panel. Or maybe the Empire start suiting up kids to fight in their army?

Someone a few pages back used the word creepy to describe the faces. I think that is a good adjective.

Love the Mayhew cover.

 

The problem is a lack of consistency. They're using the colouring in one way on the rest of the panel, then go for a pseudo-photograph effect on one face, in the same panel, so it really stands out as an oddity.

If they used one consistent style, it'd probably look better.

 

Those look fantastic. Excited to read them.

Sent from Moto X-Wing

 

Spoiler

It was ok, but I wonder why no one notice R2. I mean i never saw an astromech like R2 on a Star Destroyer. The "shoot Vader on the back never gets old" joke was kinda over the top. I liked to see a security droid (an unlucky one). I'm hyped for the next issue. Do we know that planet? I don't have much memory about the older issues.

 

What happened please?

 

Loved it.

Spoiler

-I loved the R2 manual instruction and then you have R2's actions which contradict it.
- R2 Rampage! And the imperials being completely clueless about it.
- R1 connection.
- I love R2 and 3PO's relationship
- R2 piloting and X-Wing, being chased by Vader. Vader commenting about the droid being taught well by "someone".
- R2 wanting to kill Vader.
- Luke Han and Sana to the rescue. So they didn't forget about them, how long was it since last time we saw R2 in-universe?
- Did Scar Squadron put a tracker on 3PO?

Only weakness is Larroca's art, again. Especially the Captain's facial expressions.

 

I loved it. I agree about the art.

 

So... was this latest issue a parody?

 

Star Wars Annual #3 preview.

Spoiler

I'll say the background is more interesting than whatever is going on between Han and Leia, imo.

 

Is the art in the Annual going for a retro 70's look? Not a fan.

 

I think the art's pretty brilliant. Has an Allred look to it (who is definitely not a 70's artist--but also not the same ol' mainstream style that gets shoved down our throats). An Annual is a pretty good place to be a little more experimental and more atypical.

Sent from my Moto X-Wing

 

Looks fine to me, I would rather have consistent stylized art than fantastic stuff like Checchetto's hacked up and alternative artists spliced in because of schedule slips.

 

I greatly prefer retro art to 2010s photo tracing "art".


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If the regular issues of SW, Doctor Aphra and DV were drawn like this, I would not be interested at all. Now, if this were a comic strip in the Sunday paper...ok.

 

Now all I need is Allred himself to do a SW book and I am set

 

Hmm. I honestly don't have too much to say about Annual #3. I'll just mention two small things I enjoyed:

Spoiler

"Damn this floating gym locker you call a starship!" is a great description of the Falcon.

I really liked the color palettes used throughout, for example the sets used on this page:

 

I think the Han/Leia bickering dynamic has been overused so much in the last 40 years that the concept has become a little stale.

 

Okay I read it and it's not bad. Also I find this part funny

Spoiler

 

I thought this was actually pretty ok. There's a suddenness to the set up of climax that I didn't quite understand (see spoiler picture above) but overall I liked it. It's a fairly typical Han and Leia story, and I imagine that if you have read a few of these it doesn't seem to offer anything different but what really sets this one apart is the last couple of pages, what a fantastic way to end your story and what great dialogue for Leia.

 

Just finished it. Was ok. I'm just glad Gillen's run is almost here. What I took from this issue is simply that they are at the part of the timeline where they are about to set up a permanent base. From there they will likely start their offensive and then get pushed back. After that we will be at ESB.

 

I really enjoyed it. Reminded me of the old Marvel Star Wars series. Liked the look into an old smuggling job from Han's past.

Though I wish these Annuals would be double-sized like in the old days.

 

I only post rarely, but I enjoyed Annual #3 so much that I planned shortly after reading it last night that I would use part of today's lunch break to post about it. First, the art. Wow. I do prefer consistency within a series, or at the very least within an arc, but an Annual is a perfect opportunity to try something different. I really loved the art and use the colors throughout. Dr. Aphra has my favorite art overall, but I really got lost in the story in part because of the art herein.

More importantly, I thought this was a Han Solo/Princess Leia story done right. Maybe the bickering couple shtick is overdone, but at least it was done well here. I also thought the writing felt spot on for these characters. The entire book had a movie-like quality to it, and nailing the characters' dialogue is a huge part of that.

Mostly, I just loved watching these characters live and breathe in the GFFA. I enjoyed the deeper insight into Han's motivations for staying with the Rebellion through Hoth. Even the bounty hunters and villains felt great. I don't think it's easy to tell a really good story in one issue, but this issue managed to capture everything that I am loving about the Nu-Canon and Star Wars comics.

 

The Han and Leia bickering thing is ridiculous and overdone. The Polish franchise the Witcher takes this to more ridiculous extremes with Yen and Geralt always fighting and we're told this is healthy. While a lot of people are fans of this sort of thing, I am definitely not a fan due to having the misfortune of seeing this sort of bickering thing up close in real life and the severe emotional and psychological toll it takes on people involved and those around them (including me). It isn't pretty. This stuff is only romanticized in fiction because conflicts make for interesting stories.

 

The Marvel series really makes me question how in the hell Han and Leia ever developed feelings for each other. There's absolutely no romantic tension between them despite the constant nods and winks they like to throw at us.

I agree with the post above, the concept of two people constantly arguing with each other but secretly loving one another is cliché and not at all realistic.