Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Lost Stars
Publisher: Yen Press
Writer: Yusaku Komiyama
Artist: Yusaku Komiyama
Release Date: 2019
Crimes catch up…
The Empire has fallen with the destruction of the second Death Star and the surviving Imperial agents are struggling to pick up the pieces. Finding herself assigned a ship, Ciena Ree questions how she can keep fighting for the Empire but also not being able to turn away. Suspecting Ciena is dead, Thane Kyrell mourns his friend and true love, but Thane is about to discover that Ciena’s death might have been the easy answer when it comes to traitors.
Written and illustrated by Yusaku Komiyama, Star Wars: Lost Stars—Volume 3 is a Yen Press Star Wars manga adaptation. Following Star Wars: Lost Stars—Volume 2, the graphic novel concludes the adaptation of Claudia Gray’s 2015 young-adult novel Star Wars: Lost Stars.
Star Wars has always revolved around the Skywalkers to a fault. The family has affected the course of the universe and cost countless lives. Star Wars: Lost Stars takes a look at the individual caught up in the “Star Wars” and sees how the war between the Rebels and the Empire affects the every man.
What is nice about this collection, is that this is the fallout from war. Though the struggle of Thane to keep Ciena from sacrificing herself as her training told is dramatic, it feels more like this collection is the winding down…the destruction of the second Death Star was the peak. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi basically ends with the celebration with no repercussions or explanation of what comes next. Star Wars: Lost Stars—Volume 3 tries to bridge that gap.
Together again?
What is different for Star Wars: Lost Stars is that it has the framework for what comes next. The Empire falls but the First Order arises. The story begins to explore the founding of the First Order and with shows like The Mandalorian, Star Wars fans are getting the gaps filled in between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens…but Star Wars: Lost Stars keeps it personal and tied to individual.
Yusaku Komiyama’s art and storytelling are pretty slick, but they are also in many ways classic manga. That doesn’t always sit well with everyone and someone who reads Marvel’s Star Wars comics might find the stylistic change and approach jarring. Fortunately, the story is strong enough that even fans of American style comic books can enjoy Star Wars: Lost Stars. It is a good gateway manga.
Star Wars: Lost Stars—Volume 3 is an ending, but it also feels rather like an open ending. You have Ciena in jail, but presumably looking toward some sort of future with Thane. You also have a very angry Nash Windrider vowing to avenge the presumably dead Ciena. With a solid outing and a decent story I hope Claudia Gray continues the story and if she does, I also hope we’ll see Yusaku Komiyama return to adapt the sequel.
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