‘The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.’
Ram Jomaram embodies this spirit and Older shows his full heart through his characters and stories. The artwork by Caio Filipe here is simple and clean but gives us great character designs and action pieces. The detailed style of cover artist Harvey Tolibao is missed on the interiors but the overall effect of the action pieces and sharp color work by Michael Atiyeh lifts this issue. Color is so vitally important to this issue and the cascade of colors against the backdrop of the dark night emphasize the themes of this story perfectly.
The story here takes place in Lonisa City in Valo. Its local hero Ram Jomaram recalls his childhood training and the invasion of its peace by the Nihil who now occupy the city. He takes us through the events of his prior tales repairing Crashpoint tower and sending out secret transmissions for the resistance. The Scarlet Skulls lead the resistance in the style of V for Vendetta. Gavi is a young Jedi Padawan who has been manning the resistance communications from the Jedi Temple.
The Nihil threaten him and the other temple Jedi and force Padawan Gavi to transmit a call for hopelessness and surrender. The parallels here are to social media operatives being threatened or bought to change their accounts and messaging to serve apartheid and the military state. Farzala, Ram and the rest of the rebels strike back with a strategic battle and takeover of the communications station.
Ram sends out a call for action to all the rebel Skulls to ignore those advocate for complacency. He calls on the rebels to fight even harder against the darkness until every planet and every people are free. As the Jedi coordinate sneaking into the temple they learn the Nihil are about to use the communication tower to call in reinforcements. Rather than allowing the occupiers to take back the means of communication, Ram finishes his message and destroys the tower. Older closes Ram’s speech with a simple refrain ‘The Occupation demands our silence…so we must never shut up’. Rebellion comes from all of us shining out individual lights to create a beam powerful enough to become the dawn of a new day.
The art cascades perfectly with this speech as Ram’s and the rebels bring light into the dark night with an explosive effectiveness. This is a simple story with a dramatic point on the nature of unity in fighting oppression. As our own hearts sink under the growing darkness of military control around our own world, Older reminds us through Star Wars that the light of hope will always defeat the forces of hate.
Writing: 5 of 5 stars
Art: 4.5 of 5 stars
Colors: 5 of 5 stars
Overall:
4.8 of 5 stars
Writer: Daniel Jose Older
Artwork: Caio Filipe
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Author Profile
- 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.
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