Refighting the past.
Creative Staff:
Story: Charles Soule
Art: Giuseppe Camanucoli, Daniele Orlandini
Colors: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
What They Say:
As the Empire’s grip tightens, the stirrings of Rebellion begin in the Mon Cala system. Order must be maintained…a job which falls to Vader, his inquisitors…and a man named Wilhuff Tarkin!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Sometimes a Star Wars book can put so much into it that you don’t know where to start. A great part of the appeal for me is that Charles Soule is doing a great job of incorporating events that are playing out at the same time in this period as well as acknowledging where some character paths end up in the future. It also doesn’t hurt that with each issue it seems like CAmanucoli and Orlandini are just getting better and better, making this a more fully realized series in terms of locations and characters. The little details are a delight and the blending of various elements from all the films into the book feels very natural, something that each new film and project helps to expand on, especially the side story films.
With it now three years since the end of the Republic, Vader is still dealing with who he was in his dreams at least. The opening pages are a fascinating attempt in his own mind to rewrite history as he wanted it to be as we see his final stand against Obi-wan in reverse and with Anakin gone, revealing just Vader in that place. It’s brutal to see Obi-wan’s words while acting out the reality of what happened to Anakin at the time and it’s easy to imagine the range of emotions Vader would be feeling about this. But that’s cut short as he has a new mission from the Emperor, who is looking to move past the Empire being viewed as an extension of the Republic and a full force of its own right. And a lot of that really is just creating a stronger sense of control over individual systems while the same of Senate governance continues.
The first target of his new vision has Tarkin and his team on Mon Cala, a world we’re seeing in the main Star Wars book now showing events some fifteen years later with familiar characters, as they look to lock down the world under their control for the resources it provides. There are challenges to be had with pushing this through with an underwater world but Palpatine is leaving that to Tarkin and his group. What he’s sending Vader there for is that it seems like the King on Mon Cala is getting advice from someone else and the suspicion of Jedi interference is strong. That gives Vader a real goal to work with and one that the three Inquisitors he goes with can definitely engage in. With this being the opening installment we’re given more teases than anything else but it really does deliver some tantalizing moments.
In Summary:
With lots of teases of what’s to come, it’s the small moments that delight me. Knowing that at this time events are playing out elsewhere, such as Ahsoka’s storyline, this book covers a lot of different little bases. The nod toward Krennic and what he’s struggling in fits in with the Catalyst novel well while on Mon Cala we get some time with Raddus, who we know will join the Rebellion early once it really crystalizes, and some of Ackbar’s past as the chief of security for the king, including his first encounter with Vader. That adds a bit more weight to later battles that he’ll engage in as well. I also love that we’re getting this story as the main Star Wars book touches on events on Mon Cala after the Battle of Yavin as the Rebellion tries to draw them into the battle more. It leaves a lot of curiosity in seeing how far the Empire will make its intentions known here at this point in time.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Marvel Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: March 14th, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
