Disney's big-shot acquisition shenanigans over the last few years have allowed Star Wars to return to the Marvel Comics stable. While the move from Dark Horse was understandably on the controversial side, I feel it's best to give new iterations of beloved franchises a fair chance. That's a big part of what Castle Geek-Skull's Number Ones feature is all about! As such, let's dive in and see what the new Marvel Star Wars #1 has to offer.
The book kicks off with a Star Wars trademark opening crawl. The arrangement of the first few pages accurately matches the paces of the movies' opening moments. So far, so good.
The story takes place shortly after the end of A New Hope, with Han Solo leading a surprise attack on a major Imperial weapons factory. The plot unfolds much like the original film's lengthy Death Star sequence, with new perils awaiting our ragtag Rebel crew at every turn. Nothing goes exactly as planned, often leaving you wondering how the hell they're going to get out of the mess they've found themselves in. To me, that's Star Wars at its best.
The book also has a bit of the movies' worst aspects, namely the occasionally clunky dialogue. There are several examples, but I found the one above particularly irksome. Darth Vader stiffly proclaiming "it was a Wookiee" while just standing there is an incredibly flat moment, especially since it directly follows the story's most exciting action sequence. It doesn't get much better as he suddenly shifts his focus to Luke Skywalker. There's no good reason to reiterate "I can feel his presence" after having already stated "he's here." I understand what writer Jason Aaron was going for, but this is far more wooden than it needs to be.
It isn't all bad however. I was initially put off by the use of C-3PO as a wordy off-panel Mr. Exposition, but it ultimately lead to some fun banter with Han. The core cast is all given a chance to shine. Luke even has a semblance of personality beyond his would-be Jedi stoicism. I really hope to see the characters honored to this extent as the series continues.
John Cassaday's artwork also has its ups and downs over the course of the issue. The first thing that leaps out is that he elected — or was directed — to honor the likenesses of the movies' actors. As you can see above, the end result is almost dead perfect early on. An unfortunate inconsistency sneaks its way into the pages that follow however.
Otherwise, the illustrations are mostly top-notch. This issue has a slightly longer page-length than most comic books, and Cassaday uses the extra space to give us several chunks of elaborately staged action. He cuts back and forth between closeups, character POVs, and all manner of dramatic angles. Some scenes are laid out beat by beat, storyboard style. The effort pays off, leaving the wavering quality of the likenesses easy to let slide.
While I knew Star Wars comics were once published by Marvel, I grew up much more familiar with those from Dark Horse. It really does feel bizarre seeing the licensing rights revert back. I'll always root for this franchise however, and I'm happy for the positive effects the move might have.
When judged purely by its own merit, Star Wars #1 shows promise despite the wrinkles in its artwork and dialogue. There are some fantastic character moments and the overall feel lands on a pleasantly familiar note. As long as future issues focus on adventure and keep the clunkier moments at a minimum, the series might be worth keeping up with.
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