Star Wars #9 Review


This complicated adventure continues to expand a classic era, but does it really deserve to exist?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

On her own, out in the wide galaxy, while her friends struggle to escape the Empire and evade bounty hunters, Princess Leia steers her X-wing toward the heart of all her grief—a place she longs for, but should probably never revisit: the shattered ruins of her homeworld of Alderaan.

When it comes to the exploits of everyone’s favorite intergalactic saga there’s certainly been a lot of tales that toyed with the original trilogy and its primary characters.  But only some of them have been able to update their history in a way that didn’t cheapen or insult their already documented exploits.  This creative team is able to do that with only a few missteps.

Brian Wood pens the script and to be honest this outing is quite thin when it comes to subtext.  What we have is a continuation of several emotionally potent scenarios that are all building toward a fever pitch that’s sure to capture the attention and awe of any devoted fanboy or fangirl.  The author handily uses dialogue to keep a steady pace but sacrifices giving depth to what occurs as he inter-cuts between some very intriguing scenes.  The description would have you believe we have one focus here when if fact we have several.

The art by Ryan Kelly for the most part nails a specific style that’s very befitting but there are some moments where elegant designs give way to some rushed panels. The ships and players get appropriate attention but there was several instances where faces seemed a bit mixed as an overabundance of detail and quick strokes lead to some poor renditions.  But for the most part I found the talent’s skill to be up to the task at hand, as his vision supported the weight of the narrative.

Star Wars #9 is another really good entry that may be little more than a collection of teases but it entertains nonetheless as it earns a recommendation.

3.5/5

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