Comics Poe Dameron #1-6: Black Squadron, Lockdown (6/6 released) & SaBBotage

I would guess that L'ulo is truly with the Resistance, he just wants war so he is working with elements in the FO to trigger it. Once he gets his war, he would cut off his connection with them.

 

Lu'lo will die before TFA I'm sure of that. If he's a seasoned rebel pilot he SHOULD have been present during that starkiller attack

 

How do we know that he wasn't and we just didn't see him?

Though I like @The_Forgotten_Jedi's theory some, because it makes a lot more sense than him being a spy, and it being him would have more impact on both Poe and the readers than random Abednedo guy would.

 

Given that Farlander is "the Y-wing pilot that survived" - he was present.

Hobbie, while at Yavin, didn't participate in the actual battle due to illness. The other "ill pilot" was Jal Te Gniev from Vader's Quest.

 

Unless his A-wing was destroyed before TFA leading to him piloting an X-wing, then he wasn't present. No A-wings at the SKB battle!

Lu'lo being the one would definitely have more impact as you said...

Maybe he's what others accuse Leia of being, an old vet who can't let the war go and needs to drum up any reason to continue fighting. Maybe he's even more sick of how ineffectual the Republic had become in later years than Leia was, how it hasn't lived up to the ideals of the Alliance he once proudly served, and so he wants to tear it all down. Maybe he's loyal but just wants to accelerate things as The Forgotten Jedi suggests.

Or it could be Oddy, the guy who personally went over the Black Squadron X-wings; not sure what his motive'd be thus far. But I kinda hope it isn't him, and that he's the Abednedo X-wing pilot from the end of the film & the Force for Change video, the one people mistakenly identify as Ello Asty surviving after all.

 

There is something that I believe has not been mentioned about the last issue. In Bloodline, we learn that in the times of the New Republic, the Hutt Clan is not as powerful as used to. And now we see a New Republic prison full of Hutts. Maybe in some point in the history of the New Republic, there is a direct initiative of the centralized government to stop the Hutts as a criminal organization once and for all. That's a story I would really like to see. Just imagine the New Republic fleet in a full scale invasion of the Hutt space, doing what the Old Republic and the Empire never dared to. I think there is a lot of potential there.

 

Book I, Part V - Lockdown (#5)

Consistent art looked good. I enjoyed it, but it felt like more of a setup issue to the events of next time.

Spoiler

Agent Terex has no plans to break out Grakkus but partners with 3 other powerful inmates in the prison: Kan Be, Papa Toren, and Isin. He promises them their freedom if they kill those loyal to Grakkus and Black Squadron. He plans to torture Grakkus for the information he needs.

Black Squadron doesn't do much but complain this issue. The plan relies on BB-8 and fellow Black Squadron droids (a pink R3, a green R4, and a blue R6) to tamper with the field generator on deck 12 of the Megalox ship. Unfortunately, after disabling some guards, and setting off a security alarm, they are confronted with a large "Iron Giant" esque droid. It crushes the blue R6 in its hand easily. BB8 sheepishly threatens it with his lighter as it laughs and prepares to attack as the issues ends.

 

Nice continuity with the lando series including Papa Torren

 

... and his translator elves.

 

Good issue. This is turning out to be a bit of a slow moving series (and I suspect that we won't go past the Lor San Tekka storyline until after Ep. VIII comes out next December) but I am really enjoying the development they are giving to the other members of Black Squadron. We are getting to know characters like Jess Pava and an adult Snap Wexley.

 

It is described as a private prison, not a New Republic prison. This is an important distinction.

--Adm. Nick

 

Just read this, and also finished "Tarkin" this week....so why the hell can't I figure out why Terex would be using the Carrion Spike?

 

This is the one thing that's been consistently preventing me from enjoying this series quite as much as I did the original X-Wing comics - as I've said before, it's clearly more of a byproduct of the modern era of writing comics for the trade paperback.

 

This book keeps getting better. I did not feel like it was really a good new eu equivalent for the Rouges but now they really feel like a team and once again Jess keeps being my favorite character. she talks about ships and engines in the previous issue which is something I miss so much. And overall she is just a total bad a** who is finally getting some depth. I always latch onto one pilot in each squad and while I have a Poe collection she might be my new main pilot to obsess over if only cause she acts like a pilot more then anyone else.

It is like Soule is starting to get the hang of writing a fighter squadron even when on the ground the same way Stackpole and Allston did. It is nice to see him getting better each issue.

I actually asked Charles Soule on twitter a while back.
https://twitter.com/CharlesSoule/status/730728041161367552?cn=cmVwbHk=&refsrc=email
He has a plan but I guess we are gonna have to wait and see for the time being.

 

#6: Book I, Part VI Lockdown

I really enjoyed this issue compared to last month. I don't know how many more stories there are going to be, but I hope they keep coming.

Spoiler

The action shifts between BB-8's fight on the Megalox Beta and Poe on the planet's surface as they both fight to stay alive. BB-8 wins and he and his fellow droids successfully turn off the gravity field, essentially crushing all the criminals to the ground from the weight of the planet's natural gravity.

Poe and team activate their portable gravity belts, remaining immune to the planet's effects. They take Grakkus and a ship from the warden, and promise to return control back to her once they are safely away.

As they are about to depart, Terex used his ship, the Carrion Spike, to not only escape the gravity, but fly right though the Megalox Beta complex. Black Squadron decides to attack Terex and he is forced to retreat. Later he speaks to Captain Phasma via hologram who orders him to return to the First Order for debriefing and he ends the transmission mid speech (essentially making himself an enemy of the First Order now).

Back at the Resistance Base, Poe and Leia meet. The intel from Grakkus appears to be good, but the hunt for Lor San Tekka is put on hold as Poe's new mission from Leia is to find out how Terex knew they would be at the prison...

 

Of all things, what really sparked my interest is

Spoiler

the fact that Lor San Tekka may have gone to Hosra after leaving Ovanis. As those who have played Star Wars: Uprising know, Hosra was home to the Force-using advisers of the Noble Court.

 

Absolutely liked this issue (#6), I also hope they'll find a work around instead of L'ulo dying, it'd be cool to see him in episode 8 or something.

Spoiler

Going to be exciting to see who the spy in the resistance is, also what takes Terex further and if the First Order is after him or if it just means a personal beef with Phasma.

Anyways.. just a month and a half till next issue, ey? What's funny though is that the issue after that (if not changed) comes out only the week after.

 

This was a very good issue. It will be interesting to see how long of run this series has as it does look like it is mainly going to stick with the pre-TFA stuff. I'd say it will probably go for about twenty four issues. Biggest thing I will take out of it is the fact that it gave characters like Snap, Lu'lo, Jess, and Kare a lot of development that they never would have gotten otherwise.

 

I think some people maybe overthinking the Terex ending.

Spoiler

During TCW how many times did Grevious get a call from Dooku after he'd ****ed up without ever having to pay for the consequences. I mean at the end of the Malevolence trilogy Grievous cuts off a communication with Dooku, but he didn't immediately desert the separatist movement. So therefore I don't think Terex is going rogue he's just been defeated and he's huffy about it that's all.

 

Also related to this:

Spoiler

When I told Charles Soule that I hoped we'd see Hosra and its Force-user in the comic, he didn't answer anything, but liked my tweet. And when I asked Alexander Freed (who writes most of SW: Uprising's missions) how these Force-users aére called, he said "Still can't answer that one, I'm afraid! (But good try.)"

Could it be that it's all building up to something?