Review – The Star Wars #3

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Jonathan Rinzler
Artist: Mike Mayhew
Release Date: 6th November 2013

Part 3 of this adaptation of George Lucas’s rough draft script for Star Wars initially feels a little like filler, but it is actually a welcome break from the full-on story building of the first two issues.

Set on the planet of Aquilae for the most part, we get to spend some time with Annikin, Leia, Artwo, and See Threepio, and for most of the issue, the tone is a little lighter, building more dynamic between Leia and Annikin, and providing light comic relief in the interaction between the droids.

This issue still manages to keep the main story moving along though, and there is some action to be had, but generally things are kept fairly grounded, and the pacing here allows the reader to take a bit of a breather. There seems to be a lot of dialogue to get through in this series, and it sometimes feels as though ‘The Star Wars’ could falter under its own weight, but writer Jonathan Rinzler is managing to keep this adaptation from feeling like a chore to reed, and Mike Mayhew’s artwork has a very classic sci-fi feel that means this book is certainly no chore to look at.

The great thing about ‘The Star Wars ‘is that it’s a strong enough story on its own that, even without the character familiarity, it would still be a decent comic book. As long as the pacing keeps up, and the book doesn’t get weighed down by its script, this could be a cracker come the third act.