Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Marco Castiello
Release Date: 28th May 2014

For the second instalment of Matt Kindt’s Rebel Heist – a series which takes a look at the iconic heroes of the Star Wars universe through the eyes of the lesser-known Rebels who fight alongside him – we take a closer look at Leia Organa as she works alongside a young Twi’lek dancer to help retrieve a vital code.

While not quite packing the same dynamic awesomeness of the first issue (competing with Han Solo is always going to be a tricky proposition), this second part of the story does manage to do an equally admirable job in conveying the emotions and preconceptions that the Rebels would have had for these larger-than-life, Death Star-destroying characters. However, whereas the first issue saw our ‘insignificant Rebel’ viewing Solo with star-struck awe, this issue goes the opposite direction and has Leia greeted with scepticism and a faint amount of disdain, with the Twi’lek spy wondering quite what she’s done wrong to have a mere “Princess” sent to aid her.

Once again, writer Kindt’s clear affection for the Star Wars Universe shines through, and he does a terrific job of injecting a little cloak-and-dagger espionage into a world normally associated with frantic blaster combat and epic space battles. Leia comes across extremely well, with the Rebel Spy’s slow realisation that there’s more to this “princess” than meets the eye contrasting with Jan from issue one’s gradual disillusionment with Solo. Marco Castiello once again helps keep everything feeling distinctively ‘Star Wars’, from the alien races to the distinctive architecture, and he manages to keep his depiction of Leia recognisable enough without hampering himself too much trying to illustrate a photorealistic Carrie Fisher.

This is an issue that stands on its own as a small, self-contained chapter of Star Wars lore, but which also fits into the larger four-part story that Kindt is telling. Everything is clearly building to something bigger, and the final couple of panels pretty much guarantee that the next issue is going to continue the strong momentum that this mini-series has built up so far.

A brilliantly creative take on a (potentially) over saturated franchise, Kindt manages to breathe fresh life into the characters we all know and love, and gives us the opportunity to see them in a whole new light.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says