Comics Star Wars #50-55: Hope Dies (6/6 Released)

I actually expected they'd reveal the Super Girl from the prequel comic would effectively be Gaia to the her insane counterpart being Cronos meaning the Titans were of Kryptonian descent!

 

Star Wars #48 preview.

Spoiler

 

Star Wars #52 solicit.

Spoiler

STAR WARS #52
KIERON GILLEN (W) • SALVADOR LARROCA (A)
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
Action Figure Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
GALACTIC ICON VARIANT COVER BY ROD REIS
“HOPE DIES,” PART THREE
• The MILLENNIUM FALCON versus the whole IMPERIAL FLEET? No problem.
• A certain TIE ADVANCED STARFIGHTER piloted by a certain SITH LORD? Problem. Big problem.
• No human can save the day. But maybe a droid can…
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

You know, for a time I was looking at that cover and going: Fett?

Then I worked out the angle and, of course, Vader.

 

Well, after several years of disinterest, the main Star Wars comic series has drawn me in again. Stay in attack formation.

 

I love the title of this arc so much. Whenever Vader strikes back it's always a joy. Those darn Rebels have had it too easy the last few arcs!

 

They’re knocking it out of the park with the cover art. It’s a shame the panels aren’t holding up.

 

Some nice looking variants for issue #50:

 

The variant for #50 is that Charest cover.

 

This is all Ackbar's fault. He should know that as soon as you say "All ships, prepare for jump to hyperspace", Vader arrives and wreaks havoc.

 

I'm still so very curious how this upcoming "loss" will have a true impact. The whole arc, per an interview with Gillen, was to explain how the Alliance's navy got access to MC80's and to explain how the Rebel Fleet was much larger at Endor. So... even if we see some of those ships lost... we already know that the impact won't be THAT huge in the long run.

My gut says that the loss of their space station base and some of their new fleet forces the Alliance to scatter... which is why by Hoth they are on the run. Of course, this should already be explained by the Mid Rim Campaign... but we'll see how this all ties together... hopefully.

--Adm. Nick

 

If they do that, I suspect there's a cut scene from ROTJ.

"It's a trap!"
A few second s later cue mini-speech:.
"Another ****in' trap, a-****in' again, from ****in' Imperials - 'K, kill 'em all!"

 

Fair enough. It does invite the question: is "Die, ****heads" canon or not? ;-)

 

Hmm, the Wook places the mutiny at Mon Cala as occuring right before the "Mid Rim Retreat". There is a "several months" time jump at the end of #49, I'm already putting together a theory as follows:

1 or 1.5 ABY +/- = Mutiny at Mon Cala
1.5 or 2 ABY +/- = Mid Rim campaign undertaken, in part supported by newly expanded Rebel Fleet
1.5 or 2 ABY +/- = Vader attacks Rebel base at Mako Ta, scattering High Command and damaging part of the new fleet
2-3 ABY = Mid Rim campaign collapses, Rebel Fleet is scattered, Echo Base is established and falls to Imperial forces

It all will work... I can sense it. One way or another!

--Adm. Nick

 

That seems like a good timeline. I'm hoping Vader attacks the Rebel fleet before the Mid Rim campaign. That campaign was mostly infantry based. So maybe before Vader attacks, the Rebels were planning on using the fleet more openly. After this next arc, they adapt their strategy and use the fleet in a limited capacity to support their campaign. I think something like this would allow Vader's attack on the fleet to alter Rebel strategy and impact the course of the war without tying to closely with ESB. Doing something like this will also provide more time to see the main characters become more integrated in the war effort before ESB and have Vader play a larger role in the series.

I hope the series, at the minimum, has an issue or two transitioning between this arc and the mid rim campaign. Then an arc for the campaign, one for the retreat and an issue or two leading into ESB. This would be nice because it would conclude right before EP9 come out. Also, I think this would work nicely for the idea of the Empire striking back before the film. They start to strike back with Vader attacking he fleet, the Rebels adapt and launch a campaign and then the Empire strikes back more intensely, pushing the Rebels to Hoth. In this scenario the Rebels have tried all of their options and so they'd alreadybe out of options after Hoth which makes the defeat more grave and emphasizes Endor as a last ditch effort.

 

I was more riffing that in the new comics Ackbar is this grouchy, grumpy Admiral, who isn't in the least bit hesitant in ripping his subordinates a new one!

 

Yeah at this point with now having several multiple month time skips I don't see any way that at least one year hasn't passed since Yavin. It would probably be safe to say we are at least a year and a half post Yavin to.

 

A year has definitely passed. I'd say we're probably about 1.5 give or take. I like to think of it as the halfway point because it would create a nice balance between the arcs feeling like an ANH sequel, and the parts feeling like an ESB prequel. Everything before Ashes of Jedha felt very ANH. We had a couple Rebel victories, but it was focused more closely on Luke's journey as a Jedi. That's a logical place to go if you're picking up with ANH. These last two arcs have been about Rebel victories which fits with ANH, but the way they have used the main characters feels more ESB. Now with the next arc they're getting into ESB prequel territory. I feel like they can, and should make it as long as the ANH arcs.

 

Star Wars #53 and #54 solicits.

Spoiler: Star Wars #53

STAR WARS #53
KIERON GILLEN (W) • SALVADOR LARROCA (A)
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
GALACTIC ICON VARIANT COVER BY ROD REIS
Action Figure Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
“HOPE DIES,” PART 4
• HAN SOLO...admiral?
• PRINCESS LEIA leads a squad to try and recover the secret that can save the rebel fleet...
• Unfortunately, it’s aboard the EXECUTOR.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd.

Spoiler: Star Wars #54

STAR WARS #54
KIERON GILLEN (W) • SALVADOR LARROCA (A)
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
Action Figure Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
“HOPE DIES,” PART 5
• THE EXECUTOR? Bad.
• PRINCESS LEIA aboard the Executor? Worse.
• DARTH VADER pursuing Leia aboard the Executor? WORST OF ALL.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

Interesting... those solicitations give us a bit more of a hint about this next arc and what it means. Of course, given that we've all seen ROTJ, we know that the fleet escapes.

--Adm. Nick

 

If nothing else, they're aiming high.

 

It would be SOOOO easy to tie this to the Mid Rim campaign. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed. Even a simple line like "the loss of Mako Ta and the scattering of the fleet has stalled our recent campagins" would be welcome.

--Adm. Nick

 

It would, and id be surprised if they don't mention it. I'm still hoping the next arc is the mid rim campaign. That would be perfect to continue bringing the characters to where they are in ESB. Jedha and this arc provides two large battles, but I'd like more. We still need to see Han to be cemented as a leader and for Luke to work with Rogue Squadron. And we have hardly gotten to see Leia help run the Rebellion which would be fun.

 

I think the Jedha arc was supposed to show Han in leadership position, but I agree we barely saw anything about Leia leading the Rebellion or Luke being the leader of the Rogue Squadron.

Most of the SW comic series have been independent adventures of the main trio plus Chewie, Sana and the droids. I feel like they're constantly trying to replicate the feeling of ANH with each arc, mainly focusing on the interactions of Han, Luke and Leia, with the larger Rebellion only providing a narrative background for their adventures.

 

You're right about the Jedha arc, but I think they still need to develop that role for him. In ESB Han is made to seem kmpprimpo to the Alliance and a couple battles isn't enough for that. Leia and Luke definitely need to perform more of their Rebellion related tasks.