Ricky Church reviews Star Wars #51…
At the end of Star Wars #50, Darth Vader ordered hope to be the next thing to die for the Rebellion. That order continues to a great degree in ‘Hope Dies Part 2′ as the Rebels’ chances of escaping an Imperial trap and onslaught lessens with each turn of the page. Kieron Gillen delivers on the promise of doom in a tension-filled issue that builds off the big twist from the previous issue while delivering some great character moments for Princess Leia, Queen Trios and Han Solo.
The story moves at a brisk pace with little room to breath as Leia and her cohorts try several desperate ideas to escape, from going after Trios before her escape to a near suicidal plan to launch their trapped fighters. The stakes are played very high and even though we know for certain Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie make it out of there, along with other significant characters like Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar, the tension is still successful. There is also the inclusion of other characters from the canon, whether they were introduced in the comics or Rogue One, who are here that we have no idea on their survival, making it it all the more compelling to who gets out alive.
Some of the best character work in the issue comes from Leia’s brief conversation with Trios. Ever since Gillen introduced her in his Darth Vader series, she’s been a dark reflection of Princess Leia. She has all of the devotion and responsibility to her people that Leia has, but none of Leia’s morals as she is willing to do whatever it takes to insure her planet doesn’t end up like Alderaan. Nothing puts that into clearer perspective than their goodbye as Trios commented on Leia’s hubris in placing her own ideals above that of her own people. It’s an interesting comparison of just what these two royals are willing to do in the name of their people and what’s right. Hopefully Leia and Trios will get some more time together, whether in this story or another arc down the line.
The rest of the focus is placed on Han Solo as he, Chewie and Threepio come back in the middle of the Imperial attack. There’s a quick humourous moment when they arrive that gets straight to business after. It’s a fun action scene as Han dodges Star Destroyer blasts and outflies TIE Fighters. Han is well written here as a flyboy who wants to save the Rebels, yet still hopes it can be enough to impress Leia with his daring and skills. The banter between Han and Leia, as well as him, Threepio and Chewie, shows the chemistry and history between them in fun and endearing ways.
Salvador Larroca’s art is again something of a mixed bag. Most of his character renditions are great and the action with the Falcon is well choreographed. The scene between Leia and Trios is one of the best looking scenes thanks to Larroca’s close-ups on their faces and the detail he gives them. However, it’s a bit more problematic later in the issue on the emotional side. I mentioned this in the review for the previous issue, but sometimes the emotions on Larroca’s faces just aren’t there. There are two moments with Luke and Leia respectively where the resolve or despair they’re feeling just isn’t there, but comes off looking rather bland. The moment with Leia is particularly lacking in emotion as she just witnessed one of their best pilots die and laments his death, but the look on her and Mon Mothma’s face just doesn’t convey the feeling and their lack of hope.
Overall, Star Wars #51 is still a great issue. The character moments are captivating and continue to build off what we know while the tension is amped up and doesn’t let go. You feel the despair the Rebellion is going through as Vader continues his merciless assault. Larroca’s art could be better, though, as the emotion in the characters faces just isn’t there in some of the images. It’s not enough to detract from the story, but still takes you out of it just a little bit. Despite that, ‘Hope Dies’ is still shaping up to be one of Star Wars‘ most memorable stories, both in and out of the comics.
Rating: 8/10
Ricky Church
