Comics Star Wars #68-75: Rebels and Rogues (8/8 Released)

@The2ndQuest @AdmiralNick22 @Sinrebirth
6 of 8 released

I can't believe I missed this three weeks ago. I was prepping for my trip to Orlando, so it must have slipped through the cracks.
Re: 73

Spoiler

• I don't 100% why Warba gave Luke his lightsaber back.
• I'm also semi confused what's going on with the whole Leia/Han/Dar plan. I know they changed it last issue but I guess they were found out so they're just going to battle the Empire head on and bring them to Chewie not knowing that he's not gonna be able to blow the planet up and the Empire with it, so things don't look good for them.
• Also, Vader accuses C3P0 of lying, but he can't lie so I'm guessing the rock monsters were able to use the Force against him as he's made of the same minerals/rock/ore/etc so they have a special connection or something.

With reading #73 three weeks late, and we're tentatively getting #74 next week is the only bonus that's its not a long wait for the next issue from my POV.

 

Spoiler

Why can't Threepio lie?

 

Spoiler

He never has and I'm assumed he's programmed not to. I can't think of a time that he has lied. We know it's against his programming to impersonate a deity, so he couldn't lie about his own identity to save his friends against the Ewoks.

 

Spoiler

He lies in A New Hope quite a bit. Like when stormtroopers find him on the Death Star.

 

Good point!

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-star-wars-74-exclusive

Spoiler

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-75-exclusive

Spoiler

 

I love Han calling Dar Champion "Champ." I'm going to be very sad to see this series go.

 

It's not really going. They're just resetting the numbers. (Of course, we're not gonna be seeing Han for a while)

 

It'll be 'celebrate this 100th issue with us' before you know it.

 

@The2ndQuest @AdmiralNick22 @Sinrebirth
7 of 8 released

re: 74

Spoiler

So I guess Warba doesn't real know anything after all? Kind of scratching my head on that whole thing. I kind of forgot Luke's whole mission as he was mostly distracted by her, but then I guess it kind of worked itself out that he was able to join the others in this penultimate issue.

The Han/Leia/Dar thing makes sense I guess. They're doing the dirty work for the crime boss on Dar's planet and drawing the Empire away to protect Dar's people and have the Empire all in one place to blow up the planet, but they're not going to blow up the planet, so not sure what's going to happen next with the commander of that vessell and Ozzel in Vader's ISD.

Lastly, we get some Vader vs Chewie action. Why the rock people aren't helping, I don't know. Are them drained from their EMP-esque attack against the detonators? The issue ends with Vader choking Chewie, but then in the preview above for the final issue Vader is attacking with his saber. Seems a little bit of a disconnect between the issues.

 

So apparently there is a TPB (Volume 12) releasing today collecting the first five issues of this arc, and another TPB (Volume 13) coming in March that will include the final three issues plus Empire Ascendant. I'd rather have had all nine issues in a single TPB, but six of one, half a dozen of the other, I guess?

 

Looking at the last two trades, Vol 10 contains #56-61 (6 issues) and Vol 11 contains #62-67 (6 issues) @ $17.99 each, so I guess it made sense to release Vol 13 now with 68-72 (5 issues) and mark it at lower cost of $15.99. I would expect Vol 13 to be $15.99 or lower and hook readers in 2020 for the next/new arcs.

 

@The2ndQuest @AdmiralNick22 @Sinrebirth
8 of 8 released

re: 75

Spoiler

I guess everything worked out somehow. Kind of a lack luster end. Destination Hoth is next, but I hope we get the Ord Mantell story at some point, right?

Anyway, I like that we kind of get a canon explanation why Chewie's hair is a little darker - burnt by lava by Vader; I also liked that we saw why Vader is tired of Ozzel by the time of ESB.

 

Spoiler

Hoo boy, got a real Vector Prime flashback for a sec there.

 

Spoiler

Crying Mountain and Zonama Sekot had a lovechild it seems...

Someone write up a complete genealogy of all stone-races, giant or small and other living planets!

 

i loved how crazy this issue got and Vader supercharging his suit that sent out a shockwave that rebooted the electroics is kind of a bugnuts big Force idea that I quite dig. Took 73 issues for Vader and Luke to face off again, I wish there had been a least a few more (Well they had a TIE/X-Wing battle in the middle there)

but yah this went bonkers and felt very old school Marvel which I always enjoy when this book gets nuts. Mite disappointed that the 2nd to last page just started with them at Hoth, would have liked to hear how they found it.

 

I'm very pleased we're getting back to some original Marvel weirdness like rock people punching out Star Destroyers.
I don't think anything irritates me as much saying goofiness like Jaxxon or the Riders of the Void, or Cody Sunn-Childe or the Hoojibs don't belong in the setting, because they're very much a part of the genre's pulp-fiction, for kids, roots.
Without that, Star Wars is just Warhammer 40k's slightly more upbeat brother.

 

I am going to say, Threepio never got his one leg painted gold by the end of this issue which I was kind of hoping would happen. Maybe Empire Ascendant!

 

I was hoping he would lose the leg at some point and have it be replaced.

 

Later in that scene he tells the Ewoks he has magic powers.

 

It's also noteworthy that he kept Anakin and Padme's a relationship a secret for three years.
Several time in TCW he is shown explicitly covering for them.
Not to mention that time he bluffed his way past a group of Storm Troopers on the First Death Star.

My general interpretation is:
1. He is not programed to lie. He can do it, just not usually by default, or without specific instruction to do so. (Or, debatably, to protect his own metal carcass)
2. He's not very good at lying when he does. (Can anyone say they were convinced by his "They are madmen!" remark?)
3. When he's not specifically focusing on doing so, he tends to blab. (He basically sells out R2 after being tortured by Cad Bane, and it was framed as a complete accident on his part)

All of which contributes to Bails decision to wipe is memory in episode III.

 

Only because Luke forces/commands him to do so.

 

Just finished reading the whole arc. I feel like this story probably reads better binge reading it than it coming out monthly, because I can definitely see how it'd probably feel like it was dragging if this was being read on a monthly (or twice a month) basis. Compared to the early issues of Jason Aaron's run, not enough excitement happened in these issues that would make you very excited to see what happens next(which clearly shows in how sales have slowly decreased a bit over the years since the run started.)

I am really hopeful Soule will get the book on a solid direction since it seems like the writers were just tired of this particular time period since there wasn't much else that could be done without ruining the films continuity.

 

I second all of this. I bought the series together on comixology sale and I enjoyed it perfectly fine but it did not need to be eight issues at all, and you could definitely feel the book running out of steam. I think it's ending at just the right time, and overall it has honestly maintained a pretty high level of quality for seventy-five issues which would likely have deteriorated if it had continued.