Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars (Volume 2)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Kieron Gillen/Cullen Bunn
Artist: Salvador Larroca/Giuseppe Camuncoli/Ario Anindito/Roland Boschi/Marc Laming
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 2018
Star Wars (2) #52
Reprints Star Wars (2) #50-55 and Annual #4 (July 2018-December 2018). The Rebellion is flying high after the destruction of the Death Star and other recent successes in their attempts to overthrow the Empire. As they plot their next step, they don’t realize there is a snake in the grass and someone among them is planning to betray them. With Vader and the Empire secretly closing in, the Rebels find their victories could be short lived…and the Rebellion might be crushed once and for all.
Written by Kieron Gillen and Cullen Bunn, Star Wars Volume 9: Hope Dies is a Marvel Comics action-adventure comic book collection. Following Star Wars Volume 8: Mutiny at Mon Cala, the collection features art by Salvador Larroca, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Ario Anindito, Roland Boschi, and Marc Laming.
Star Wars is in a weird and tricky place. Solidly locked in by the movies, the writers are faced with telling compelling stories that “could” have happened between the films, but also that doesn’t change the status quo so completely that the films aren’t canon. This volume of Star Wars does a nice job keeping up the energy, but also telling a decent tale that feels individual.
For issues and issues, the Rebels have been winning. The series falls between Star Wars and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and you know that the Rebels were in a poor position at the beginning of the film. This collection seeks to “bring balance to the Force”, by having the Rebels having a very bad day.
Star Wars (2) #54
Though it should have been a red flag, Queen Trios betrays the Rebels (who in true Rebel fashion are too trusting). The sabotage is similar to Lando Calrissian’s actions in Empire Strikes Back so it does make it a little more unlikely that the Rebels would fall for another ruler “promising to help them”. The collection tries to give Trios a bit of rounded personality by showing her actions are simply loyalty to her people and an attempt to appease the Empire at any cost.
The collection ends with the annual which is a stand-alone story involving a near meeting between Luke and Sana Starros. It is a fun little adventure and introduces some of the danger of “Sith Relics”. I also like that Luke gets to try-out pod-racing, and his dad Vader gets to watch him…it’s like a nice family outing.
Star Wars 9: Hope Dies is a fun entry in the Star Wars runs which have had their ups and downs. This one does a nice job setting up future collections by doing what Star Wars and other fantasies do…separating the main characters and forcing them to get back together. With Chewbacca out of the loop and the Millennium Falcon in bad shape, we’ll see how the cast of Star Wars gets themselves back into a position to take on the Empire…before it strikes back. Star Wars 9: Hope Dies is followed by Star Wars 10: The Escape.
Followed by:
