Ricky Church reviews Star Wars #50…
Marvel has reached a fairly important milestone with it’s Star Wars brand as the title reaches its 50th issue. Not only is it a celebratory issue, but it’s a fairly big one as the story takes a turn for the worse. With an arc named ‘Hope Dies’, you’d expect it to be bleak and it certainly lives up to that as Darth Vader gives the rebels a reminder of just how powerful the Empire is.
One of the big questions in the franchise is how did the Rebellion end up in the state they were in at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. We’ve seen in the comics recently Luke, Leia, Han and the rest of the Rebellion gain victory after victory against Imperial forces and their fleet grow fairly strong, especially after gaining support from Mon Calamari and Shu-Torun. It was almost enough to make the Empire look a little too weak and foolish, but writer Kieron Gillen pulled the rug out from under us in a huge way.
Star Wars #50 is a fairly intense issue, which is surprising given the fact that this is a story we know the ultimate end to. But once Darth Vader shows up on the scene and demands they raise the rebels’ fear to his satisfaction, the terror of the situation really sets in. Gillen succeeds at this by making readers guess at just how much the rebels are being played and who is in danger. There’s some nice bit of continuity here as several figures affiliated with the Rebellion, such as General Dodonna, Rogue One‘s General Draven – even Star Wars Rebels‘ Hera gets a quick cameo – are featured and in danger. Given the fact that we know so little fates of many supporting leaders, there’s a fair bit of suspense with them and just how Leia and Luke will get out of this predicament.
Gillen’s handling of the characters are all well done. He captures all the qualities that make Leia a great leader and paints an interesting parallel to Queen Trios of Shu-Torun. Both are young leaders with the responsibility of their worlds on their shoulders, yet they each come at their goals very differently. And though his appearance is somewhat brief, it should come as no surprise Gillen’s portrayal of Darth Vader is spot on. After all, Gillen did write the first volume of Darth Vader and knows just how to make Vader an imposing and threatening figure, even when he’s just standing still and on an entirely different starship to the rebels. Gillen also does well with the story by building that sense of hope up right at the start, allowing you to feel the high of all the characters, before crashing it all down. The script really captures the sense of imminent dread.
Speaking of Vader, the issue has a back-up story that features Vader with Admiral Ozzel and General Veers planning their new attack. It revolves around a fairly major plot point from earlier in the issue, but it sheds new light on Vader’s relationship with his Imperial colleagues and others. Again Gillen nails Vader’s personality and his intelligence, showing how he has learnt from his past dealings with Leia and the Rebellion and adapted his strategy. It’s a nice reminder that as Anakin Skywalker, he was usually an out-of-the-box thinker and its the one thing that Vader has carried over. It’s also funny to see his disdain for Ozzel shown and how it only grows here given Ozzel’s fate in Empire; you feel Ozzel’s nervousness when he unintentionally insults one of Vader’s schemes.
The one sticking point in the issue is Salvador Larroca’s art. For the most part its fairly good and he really does a good job of making Leia look like Carrie Fisher and Luke Mark Hamill. However, that’s where the sticking point is as his photo-realism on his illustrations look like they could be ripped right out of a screen grab or, alternatively, they just look a bit bland. There’s a moment towards the end where the rebels are dealt a terrible blow to their fleet and several panels capture the reactions of various rebels, look expressionless or not shocked enough.
Larroca’s ships, however, look pretty great, particularly the splash page of the Empire’s arrival, and Guru-eFX’s colours give the story a vibrant look and feel, from the elegant party the rebels throw to the destruction reigned down on them. The same can be said for the back-up story and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art. Though brief, he also captures Vader’s imposing figure whether he’s meeting with other Imperials or a royal dignitary. Their facial expressions to Vader’s presence definitely captures the fear and uncertainly they feel in the moment.
Star Wars #50 is a great turning point for the series as we get further away from A New Hope and edge closer to The Empire Strikes Back. ‘Hope Dies’ looks to be like a fairly intense arc that will put our heroes to the test, but also make Vader fans very happy. Gillen nails the characters and does well building the tension within the story while Larroca illustrates some good, if sometimes flawed, artwork. This is as good a time as any to be reminded of the Empire’s threat and power.
Rating: 9/10
Ricky Church
