Star Wars #16 (2020)
WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS:
Missing in Action
Luke Skywalker joins Starlight Squadron to rescue Alliance leader Mon Mothma from an assault led by the Imperial Star Destroyer ”Ultima II”.
During the mission, Luke has a vision of Darth Vader, which leads him to believe Vader is coming for Han Solo.
Now Luke must make his way to a planet called Jekara….
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Ramon Rosanas
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover artist: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, Rain Beredo
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: August 18, 2021
We open with Luke and Artoo en route to Jekara as the young Jedi remembers his battle with Darth Vader at Cloud City, describing to his droid companion how the fight was far more than a simple lightsaber duel but a torrent of attacks, assault and lunges that kept him constantly on the backfoot until he was too exhausted to resist. Despite noting that he learned while he was in combat, he is under no illusion; a rematch right now would end exacrtly the same way, with his defeat, or worse his death.
Luke knows Vader waits on Jekara, and that Leia, Chewie and Lando are no match for him, but as he tries to commune with Ben Kenobi his fear blocks their connection as we swing to the Crimson Dawn ship Vermillion on Jekara we watch as Qi’ra and Vader clash, nothing inhibiting her actions. As Leia, Chewie and Lando wait in the shadows, other emotions are evident. Chewie is cautious after his close encounter with Boba Fett, while Leia is desparate to recue Han, calling Lando a coward for not diving into the snake pit to get him out of there, and for once Lando comes off as the cool head, pointing out that there’s a room of gangsters who would happily take them down to say nothing of Vader and Qi’ra hacking and slashing at each other. Calrissian has endured months of being told he’s a coward, treated like an enemy when he put everything on the line at Bespin. It’s a rare case of Leia’s short-sightedness; she can’t see beyond her personal connection to Solo, and Lando takes the brunt of the blame when it’s obvious to all that caught between Vader, Fett and his responsibilities to the people of Cloud City he literally had no choice….and he still helped.
While grudgingly accepting Lando’s logic, she pulls out another card, calling Luke who is near the planet. There’s a telling panel as she asks for his help, then a silent panel of Leia waiting, and Luke responsing positively – of course he will help, if not for the SSD Executor and an fleet of underworld organisation vessels waiting above Jekara.
As Admiral Piett orders the X-wing captured or destroyed, Luke swoops through the phalanx of TIE Fighters, managing to turn some of the underworld fleet against the Fighters and aiming for Jekara as Vader overpowers Qi’ra only to pause as he senses Luke above. Piett is surprised when Vader orders no more TIE’s be sent out after the X-Wing and orders that a line be established between Vader and the Rebel. Luke freezes as he hears Vader speak, telling him to come to him now or he will cut Solo in half, and sorrowfully apologies to Leia, telling her he’s not ready to face the dark lord and swooping away as the issue ends.
It’s another great issue, delving deep into the aftermath of the Luke vs Vader battle in The Empire Strikes Back. Luke’s understandable fear, Lando’s scapegoating and Leia’s blinkered determination to rescue Han, and what’s so attractive is it’s all perfectly logical and consistent with how these characters would react to this scenerio. Luke isn’t ready, Lando had no choice and Leia – for a rare moment – isn’t thinking with her head but entirely with her heart. It fits in neatly with the events of War of the Bounty Hunters #3, and raises the stakes for the next wave of issues. Great art from Ramon Rosanas and pitch-perfect characterisation by Charles Soule leads us into the back half of the storyline, and Crimson Reign is just around the corner. Good times.
Star Wars #17 (Wobh) @ ForbiddenPlanet.com
