After ten issues is the force still strong with this title?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles have infiltrated an Imperial Destroyer. But now nine thousand stormtroopers are searching for them, and Darth Vader is aware of their presence. Completing their mission and escaping with their lives may be an either/or proposition!

Meanwhile, the Rebel fleet prepares for an Imperial assault!

It’s a fair criticism for fans to ask: what’s the point of another in-between series bound by the continuity of the original trilogy?  In truth, there’s no real danger for our primary cast since we already know where their stories end up, but the creative team latches onto the context birthed through a cloak of transition.  In short: they focus on the narrative meat which was largely ignored in those fabled films.

Brian Wood does a tremendous job touching the emotional nuances of a costly war.  He uses Princess Leia to highlight the price of justice oppose to the cost of vengeance, while Wedge Antilles becomes the focal point of loss then regret.  There’s a lot of turmoil to mine here, and the author seizes on that fact in every way possible.  I was particularly captivated by the subtle revelations and human interactions, but there were moments when the dialogue came off a bit rigid.  These were few and far between but they did sully one or two sequences that should have carried more weight.

The art by Carlos D’Anda is just as solid as it has been.  The gifted talent breathes new life into the mythology by translating what we know while also yielding a fresh spin to this affair.  I have to say the best compliment I can give is that this is one illustrator that captures the design of Darth Vader in a way that actually makes the character imposing on the page.  On top of that he also has a knack for the ship designs that excuse any minor missteps along the way.

Star Wars #10 is another excellent addition to this classic intergalactic odyssey. Recommended.

4/5