These days, if I were to pick up a Star Wars comic book and hope for a new storyline, I would expect to read about tales during the currently popular Clone Wars. Naturally, you’ll feel my surprise and excitement when I asked to read Star Wars Volume 3: Rebel Girl and learn all about what happens to some of my favorite original characters from a galaxy far, far away.

In this issue — which takes place approximately 5 years after the destruction of the first Death Star — we find Princess Leia about to marry for political gain. But, she’s not marrying the hero we all know she loves. At this point in the storyline, Leia doesn’t yet know that Luke is her brother, so even he is showing his teenage angst throughout this comic book.

What I really enjoyed about this read is the depth put into characters we’ve grown to love through film. Script writer Brian Wood gives a darker edge to these characters, particularly Skywalker. There’s a scene in which he’s flying an X-wing with his squadron but won’t take orders from his leader. This isn’t the Luke I’m familiar with. Even Leia shows a different side I personally never knew about, when we see her fixing up an X-wing.

Following Wood’s darker story, artists Stephane Crety with pencils, Julien Hugonnard-Bert with inks, and Gabe Eltaeb with colors do a fantastic job at portraying an angrier side of our main characters. In some comic panels, I thought Luke was going to join the dark side. I mean, after all, his master, Obi-Wan, died not too long ago, and even his love interest is about to marry. Crety, Hugonnard-Bert, and Eltaeb did a wonderful job, if their intentions with Luke were meant to make me feel as if I was back in high school again.

All that being said, of course I’m going to recommend Star Wars Volume 3: Rebel Girl to any diehard nerf herder. For those of us getting a little tired of The Clone Wars, it’s nice to read a new story about our first Star Wars heroes.

Until next time . . . May the force be with you!