Do we really need “the force of others” to compel us to buy into this concept?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

The Empire is poised for an attack on the peaceful world of Aquilae, and only Jedi General Luke Skywalker seems concerned. When King Kayos is killed, Jedi in training Annikin Starkiller is ordered to find Princess Leia, while Skywalker sends his only squadron against the Empire’s powerful new battle station!

Whether you’re a hardcore fan of the original intergalactic odyssey or not there’s plenty to love in this series.  Despite it being based off of a stalled iteration of a movie that never saw the light of day the creative team finds a way to balance a familiar feel with the wonderment of the new.  The end result: is something that’s magnificent to behold.

The text by J.W. Rinzler is chock-full of the life that made the world fall in love with the adventures of a farm boy, a smuggler, a princess and all the remaining members of their ever growing gallery of friends and enemies.  From the first page to the final panel there are so many references and changes it’s hard to keep track but suffice to say, for the most part, these are welcome.  The author, in my book, succeeds in building up this variation as something more than a concentrated mini-series but rather a property that has legs all its own.

Mike Mayhew handles the art yielding designs that meld what we already accept with what we haven’t seen.  By taking familiar looking ships, switching their placement and slightly altering designs he keeps the audience on their toes.  It’s truly a visual affair that’s second to none, whether we’re dealing with people, places or things this talent has a knack for implementing a soft but realistic pallet.  The illustrator blends the world of the real with additional elements while maintaining enough nostalgia to sell it.

The Star Wars #2 is a must own that comes from such high caliber stock that it deserves to be on everyone’s pull-list.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5