Review: Star Wars Adventures #4

Star Wars Adventures #4 is a lost opportunity. This issue includes two stories. The first deals with a canon story that celebrates Life Day in the prequel era. This is clearly a massive event in the mythos of Star Wars but here it is simply a backdrop to a tame story of Obi Wan using basic force skills to save Qui Gon from Trandoshan captors.

All of the familier elements are here with snappy banter, lightsabers and Wookiees helping out without firing a shot, but the story feels dull, predictable and rather pointless. If Michael Moreci and artist Megan Levens have the leverage to bring Life Day to comics than surely they should capitalize on the opportunity with something more powerful than this. Obi Wan rescuing Qui Gon is handled dully enough, add to that the fact that Qui Gon clearly could have freed himself and is called out on this and the entirely story feels like fluff just to create a low stakes story to match the original feeling of the Holiday Special.

Unfortunately there is no Boba Fett here to make the rest of the proceedings worth sitting through. And the final celebration does not feel earned or important. Add to this the the art feels entirely wrong with Qui Gon especially not looking anything like himself and the Wookiees looking like giant Ewoks. This is simply a lost opportunity from all perspectives.

The second story written by Jordan Clark and with art by Yael Nathan is a much better crafted visit Tobias Beckett and Val prior to the Solo film. This is a couple we simply don’t see enough of and their banter rings absolutely true of a couple living a high stakes life. They work their way past deadly security droids in a jailbreak before recruiting an old friend Tu-Wane Jipps lead them to the penthouse where Rio blasts his way in with his ship for a daring escape.

The art by Yael Nathan is pitch perfect, capturing the character and action perfectly without being photo-realistic. Nathan really knows how to capture the action and pacing of Star Wars. The story ends with the revelation that Tobias set the whole thing up to extract Tu-Wane to play music for Val at a romantic dinner.

The entire story is just a romp with rogues and exactly something crazy enough for Tobias to do. It’s a smart use of action to build on this great relationship that ended so tragically.

Overall it’s tough to recommend a book that spends the majority of its pages spinning its wheels on a weak tribute to a classic concept. The second story shows just how much a book like this can do to add to the characters and mythos of Star Wars. Here’s hoping we get more of Tobias and Val in the future.

Writing: 3 of 5 stars
Art: 3.5 of 5 stars
Colors: 3.5 of 5 stars

Overall: 3.3 of 5 stars

Writing: Michael Moreci and Jordan Clark
Art: Megan Levens and Yael Nathan
Colors: Charlie Kirchoff and Yael Nathan

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.