Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars (Marvel Volume 2)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Salvador Larroca
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2018
Star Wars (2) #41
Reprints Star Wars (2) #38-43 (January 2018-April 2018). Having been largely destroyed by the Death Star, the planet of Jedha is in its dying throes, but the Empire isn’t finished with it. With a large supply of kyber crystals on the planet, the Empire wants it raised, but the people of Jedha led by the Partisans fight on. Led by Princess Leia, the Rebels hope to woo the Partisans to the Rebel cause, but the Partisans’ beliefs and methods might be too much for the Rebels. The Empire’s attacks are getting stronger, but the Rebels might have a secret ally they never expected.
Written by Kieron Gillen, Star Wars Volume 7: The Ashes of Jedha is a Marvel Comics Star Wars collection. Following Star Wars Volume 6: Out Among the Stars, the collection features art by Salvador Larroca.
I love Star Wars, but Star Wars comics can sometimes be hit or miss. Largely, the Marvel takeover of the Star Wars comics has been successful, but I do worry about some repetition in the storytelling (something I felt Dark Horse really suffered from). This volume however has some interesting aspects to it that give it a bit bigger appeal than some of the previous volumes.
The story is largely tied to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in that Jedha was the planet destroyed by the Empire as the “test run” for the Death Star. The planet was used as a hideout for Saw Gerrera and in this volume, the Empire is trying to desperately mine kyber crystals after the destruction of the Death Star. The remains of Saw Gerrera’s men (called Partisans) are continuing to fight the fight.
Star Wars (2) #43
The Partisans provide an interesting flipside to the Rebels in that the Partisans believe in winning at all costs. Saw Gerrera was supposed to be a kind of Che Guevara and this Rebel are along the line of Guevara’s guerrilla forces. This creates interesting moral issues in the question of how far are the Rebels willing to go to topple the Empire…will they sacrifice potentially innocent people to do it?
The collection also ties heavily to the Star Wars: Darth Vader collection Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: The Shu-Torun War which introduced Queen Trios who proves to be a valuable part of this storyline and potentially stories following it. Having read that collection I found Queen Trios’s behavior a bit odd through the collection though it does pay off in the end.
Star Wars continues to track on and has the problem that the previous Marvel Star Wars series has in that it is locked into the movie timeline. As of now, events of the series take place between Star Wars and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back…but how long until it is unrealistic to keep up this timeline? It also poses the problem in that if you go after Empire Strikes Back, you lose Han Solo as a viable character since he’s in carbonite until Return of the Jedi…at some point, it probably will have to be dealt with, but until then, the Star Wars stories hopefully will keep bringing the fun. Star Wars 7: The Ashes of Jedha is followed by Star Wars 8: Mutiny at Mon Cala.
Preceded By:
Star Wars 6: Out Among the Stars
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