Let the year of Star Wars begin! 2015 will surly go down as a major year for the franchise that has transcended screen and print into a way of life. In December we have Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and from Marvel has Princess Leia #1 out this Spring, Darth Vader #1 in shops soon, and starting it all off was this week's Star Wars #1.
*SPOILER ALERT*
If you're anything like me, you're a sucker for Star Wars nostalgia. I can't even hear the name without following it up with the classic booming John Williams score. So I was thoroughly pleased with how much this book felt like I was watching the original trilogy. The story was by Jason Aaron who as of late has been shaping the world of Thor in Thor: God of Thunder and the current ongoing Thor, and it takes place after the events of Episode IV: A New Hope. The book opens with the classic word crawl getting you caught up with what's been going on, then it's on the Han Solo. The dialogue is written in a way that you can hear the character's voice flawlessly in your head, as if Harrison Ford were whispering in your ear. They quickly lay out the plan for the issue having Han meeting for negotiations on behalf of Jabba, with two masked guards at his side, as well as R2D2. without revealing too many of the specific story details, I'll say it was a really full story, in a good way, there was good dialogue, suspense, the beginning hints of romance, some humor, and a lot of action, with each character getting their own moment to shine. A feeling that the original trilogy always conveyed for the group was an out-of-the-fire-into-the-furnace sense of danger, and this book really gave that feeling, just as it looks like they have a way out on the Millennium Falcon hiding in a dump, some scavengers begin to dismantle the ship with only a reluctant C3PO and a blaster gun in the way. Darth Vader makes a menacing appearance, and uses his powers in interesting ways that wouldn't have been possible with the technology of the time such as levitating Stormtroopers and using them as blaster fodder. As for the art by John Cassaday, I found it strong and fluid, bright, without being cartoony. He strongly based the character designs off of the actors which I found made it easier to get sucked right into the universe. The book closed with previews of Darth Vader #1 and Princess Leia #1 which both look promising as well.
All in all I thought Star Wars #1 was a truly great read, that did a great job of transporting me back in time and set up what looks to be a fantastic addition to the Star Wars zeitgeist.
5 stars *****
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