Comics Star Wars #18-19: Rebel Jail, parts 3 & 4 (of 4)

Mods, I wasn't sure where else to post this so I decided to create a separate thread. If the whole "one thread for the whole series" thing is happening, feel free to merge this one with that.

 

I love absolutely everything about those pages.

 

Heh, while I still think Han and Luke's plot this arc has been nothing but filler, that is some pretty good banter.

 

Ah, non-elf Luke

 

Only three more issues then we get the elite stormtrooper story......what's that? This arc? I don't care about this arc anymore I just wanna meet those elite stormtroopers!

 

You know this series is starting to wan for a me bit. Not as exciting as it use to be.

 

When you think about it, this series started off with the classic cast all fighting the empire together as a team (and it was awesome) and since issue #4 we've hardly ever had the main cast all together in the same room........

 

I want Luke to wear that jacket in Ep8. He'll be like "Oh I gotta be in public now better wear my nice ceremonial jacket, that's all I got on this island besides Jedi rags." And Leia will take one look at him and ask "Same jacket?" And Luke will answer "Same jacket." And then there'll be this awkward pause and she'll say "Burn it."

 

Is that cover a riff on a Batman and Robin one? I'm sure I've seen that exact pose with Batman and Robin, but I can't find it. My google fu is weak.

 

What's the next cover going to be Leia swinging in mid air with Han tucked round her arm with the caption

THE SENATE MAY MOCK YOUNG PRINCESS LEIA BUT SOON THE EMPIRE WILL MARVEL AT THE REBELLION'S GENERAL LEIA!

 

***Spoilers***

We don't get the reveal this week but whoever suggested that the enemy is

Spoiler

Eneb Ray from the Star Wars Annual 001 is probably right. It is revealed that the masked man knows that Palpatine is a Sith Lord AND he is teaching Leia something she once taught him so I'd say it's fairly likely to the point that it wouldn't make sense if it was anyone else.

I wasn't a fan of Sana and Aphra fighting the ENTIRE issue, but I guess tensions have to be high between the characters so it feels like more is at stake, when we kind of know the outcome, especially with Aphra since she's the one I think most of us care about. If Sana dies in the next issue or two, I wouldn't be surprised or upset.

So the whole gang is back together on the prison (for the climax I'm assuming) save for Chewy. Where is Chewy? Is this when he's on Andelm-IV with Zarro?

 

Well another possibility is:

Spoiler

Ezra Bridger.

 

Yeah, I think it was probably decided this would be a good place to put it. The story dynamic works well without needing to give Chewie something to do, and so to give him a break in the main series and have this be where his stand-alone adventure takes place makes sense.

 

This issue was a bit of a filler. Aside from the Luke and Han bit at the end I am not sure anything happened that progressed the story. Hm. Well I guess not every one can be a winner.

What I like: Aphra's evilness is really on display here, usually she seems more moderate than her counterparts.

 

It would have worked better with Vader in the Batman role in jmo

 

Is it just me or does Leia continue to become more of a b**** every issue. Her walking carpet line has got nothing on

Spoiler

EVERYBODY STOP YELLING EXCEPT ME!

 

No, that’s how Leia is under stressful situations.
Be thankful she never learned Force powers or she would be choking those two idiots. And then maybe Aphra would find herself a new crush.

Joking aside, I’m actually disappointed I’m not seeing enough snarky Leia comments in this arc. Loved that line though.

 

Daddy's little girl.

 

It is kind of like a daughter hanging out with Dad's new girlfriend, there are gonna be some issues

 

I'm just not taking to these new Marvel Star Wars comics very well. Now that we have

Spoiler

Han gambling with Rebellion money, it seems they are just really tearing down the Han Solo character any way they can. It wasn't enough he was deep in trouble with the Kanjiklub guys in TFA (undoing his classic trilogy character growth), now the timeframe where Han is learning to be a better person (original trilogy) is getting stepped over as well.

I guess he is desperate with a massive bounty from Jabba that maybe he'll resort to shady things when pressed in a corner. Yet somehow the old Star Wars newspaper comics handled Han better, and had a better grasp of his friendship with Luke (Han saving Luke from Vrad Dodonna; Luke volunteering to scout the Executor's construction with Han telling him not to volunteer, only for Luke to give a backhanded comment that this gives Han a chance to court Leia without his competition, etc.)

Han also had a legitimate excuse that Crimson Jack stole his reward money in Legends (ironically written by Marvel). I don't know if this story point has been recanonized in Disney.

Aphra is a good character. But she is not good as Vader's sidekick. It totally ruins his "solitary" mystique when he constantly lets her hang around him. Things like scouting Luke's locations on Tatooine in the Darth Vader series--it is just massively out of character that Vader would let Aphra tag along.

 

Seriously is it me or does Leia these days talk down to everyone whose not Luke or Mon Mothma?

 

She's an aristocrat, what do you expect? Leia's used to being in charge, you do what she tells you.

We only really start to see a different side to Leia later on in ESB and then ROTJ.

That said, Archie Goodwin balanced her aristocratic tendencies with her other traits better, even though Classic Star Wars was set in the same time period.