I will now offer a brief and almost completely spoiler-free recap of the last issue. (Think back of the book details, not spoilers from that jerk on Twitter.) Our heroes are Luke Skywalker (who is the Obi-Wan in this version), along with Annakin Starkiller [Luke Skywalker (Well, he’s filling the same role in the plot. (I know it’s confusing (but not as confusing as these parenthetical asides)))], Han Solo (who isn’t a pilot but is big and green), Princess Leia (), two princes (who adore you) in stasis, the droids you were looking for, and another guy. The group has escaped a Sith Knight and are on the run in a stolen imperial ship, when the equivalent of TIE fighters show up to stop them.

This issue finally introduces us to the noble wookiee and answers the question, "Can a Jedi hear a droid in the vacuum of space?" I won’t get into any details, but I can assure you that s**t goes down. New characters are introduced, the party is split, and someone tries to swim in space.

The story in this comic shows just how mind-meltingly brilliant and odd George Lucas really was. J.W. Rinzler’s adaptation feels like Star Wars, which is one of the most difficult things to accomplish. Just ask The Black Hole, the original Battlestar Galactica, and the prequels. He manages to keep the action moving along, while showing some interesting character details. Mostly, he keeps it fun and exciting.

Mike Mayhew’s pencils and Rain Beredo’s colors are wonderful. They bring a sense of clarity and speed to the action scenes, while highlighting the freaky aliens and environments. This is the part of the review where I wish I was better at describing art. Unfortunately, you will just have to take my word that it is fantastic and does justice to this new version of my favorite sci-fi universe.

I had a blast reading this comic. It hits all the right notes for a good adventure story and is just a ton of fun.


Four and a Half Wookiee Gladiators from Yavin out of Five