Review: Star Wars #3

The period between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi is an untapped period full of potential. Many writers in the past have shied away from the era for the obvious reason that Han Solo is inaccessible, and the added reason that after the massive emotional resonance of the end of The Empire Strikes Back, its difficult to fathom how the team would navigate themselves to recover and mount an eventual rescue. It is clear though that much time passes between Episode V and Episode VI so it makes perfect sense to mine this period for a comic run.

Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz present a story that feels very true to the Star Wars universe but takes a sharp turn very quickly. They have already revealed that someone caught the lightsaber that fell along with Lukes hand at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke’s vision of a figure with his saber leads him, Leia and Lando to return to Cloud City in search for answers. Soule presents an Empire still rebuilding after the destruction of the first Death Star but determined to forge a new future.

One of the clumsier parts of the book involves Lando having continued control over Cloud City aiding the break-in. He has a wrist device that allows him to open and close various doors in the city. If this was a device with a series of codes it might have made sense, but artistically it is depicted as a few dials, which seems much too simple for control over such a complex city. There is also a bit too much exposition leading up to the break-in.

Once the group arrives on Cloud City things are much more interesting. In classic Star Wars fashion the group breaks up to address their individual goals. Leia to investigate the workings of the Carbonite Chamber, Lando to find Lobot and Luke with Artoo go to search for the lightsaber. The issue ends with a shock, Leia captured and encased in Carbonite.

The art by Jesus Saiz is a bit simple compared to his normal style. The ships, carbonite chamber and trash sequences are done wonderfully, but the characters themselves feel a bit rushed. This is not helped by the bland coloring job by Arif Prianto. Overall it is still a beautiful issue, but just not up to the usual standards for modern Star Wars books and Saiz’s usual style.

This book takes us into a fascinating period between Episodes V and VI. The character work and dialogue feel genuine. But the danger of telling stories in this period is robbing some of the energy of the cliffhanger episode V left us with. The fact that we clearly will see Leia’s Carbonite Freeze be reversed could also rob some of the power of seeing Han reversed in Episode VI. Telling stories in this era should be an opportunity to visit new places and have new adventures. By hewing so closely to the locations and events we just left behind, the story is in danger of feeling redundant and reduce the power of the original stories.

Writing: 3.5 of 5 stars
Art: 4 of 5 stars
Colors: 3 of 5 stars

Overall: 3.5 of 5 stars

Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Jesus Saiz
Colors: Arif Prianto
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics

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.