Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Stéphane Créty, Julien Hugonnard-Bert
Release Date: 11th June 2014

The progression of this series’ storyline has been problematic for me. In the aftermath of the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebels need to find a new base of operations. They’ve found one, but in order to stay there, Princess Leia has to marry the planet’s Prince. This annoys me for two reasons: first, it’s a bit of a simplistic and an almost fairy-tale style plot twist, secondly, it has already been done!

In 1995’s The Courtship of Princess Leia (Dave Wolverton) Leia is offered military resources and the hand of Prince Isolder of the fabulously wealthy Hapes Consortium. Complications arise along the way and she eventually chooses Han Solo over the money and Star Destroyers. It could be that Brian Wood and Dark Horse chose attempted nuptials as a nod to the 90s bestseller, I don’t think so though, it seems this time the plot device is a marriage of hasty convenience.

Furthermore, in order to truly enjoy the story, one must suspend one’s knowledge that the rebels will escape to fight another day. It is no easy task to come up with new ways for the heroic rebels to defeat, thwart and outwit the Empire, but at times it’s tough to forget that everyone survives until Return of the Jedi.

Fortunately, there are some positives that allow one to do so; wonderfully drawn ground fire fights, air battles and vistas of the rebel and imperial fleets in space are extremely eye catching. This issue is also well paced, and by that I mean rapidly, Star Wars works best when blaster bolts fly!

While the script is traditionally clunky (as per Star Wars regulations) there is some decent dialogue between Leia and Mon Mothma, who score some major points for feminism with their cool massacre of a palace guard using their fists and a pistol and an Imperial fleet with, you guessed it, a TRAP! Han and Luke to the rescue? Not today boys.

Rating: 3/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Lewis “Daft Vader” Campbell
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