Return of the Jedi – The Rebellion (2023) #1
THE KILL SHOT
On the eve of what could very well prove to be a turning point in the brutal conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, a lone assassin prepares to undercut the Rebels with one pull of a trigger.
But the Alliance comes prepared, as ADMIRAL ACKBAR receives an urgent message from the Rebel spy network warning him of an attempt on the life of Rebel leader MON MOTHMA.
Unable to refuse vital information, MOTHMA pushes forward with the meeting–forcing ACBKAR to enlist two of his most trusted allies to uncover the mystery of her would-be-assassin before it’s too late….
Writer: Alex Segura
Artists: Matt Horak, Brent Peeples, Rafael Pimentel
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Colorist: Jim Campbel
Cover artist: Ryan Brown
Editor: Danny Khazem
Release Date: July 19, 2023
We open the latest tribute to Return of the Jedi in its 40th year with a question – how often are you asked to take down the entire Rebellion with one blast? It’s a weighty question, especially when you consider that the person in the assasins sights is none other than Mon Mothma, and we swiftly step back 6 days to the Headquarters Frigate and Admiral Ackbar as he takes an urgent coded message from a rebel agent who tells him of an attempt to assassinate Mothma. Ackbar takes his concerns to Mothma, who wonders if the intel may be wrong, that the resources to protect her could be better used for the Rebellion. The Admiral makes it clear that he believes the intel to be true, but Mothma reiterates that she won’t spent a credit on her protection over using it for the war. The Empire cannot end the movement with the death of just one person.
We later see Ackbar communicating with an unknown confidante, explaining how Mothma won’t accept that her life is in danger, and making clear that the best chance the Alliance has ever had to end the Empire is near as we swing to Green Squadron on Kellgar Six and watch as Shara Bey and Kes Dameron are reunited, both asked by Ackbar to be on this vital mission. Shara has acquired a light freighter from Kijimi, and with that we cut to high above the ice world of Destina as a crew of Kijimi spice runners make it very clear that they know who stole their ship and are able to track them. Aboard is the Arcona assassin we spied at the top of the issue, and again we return to the rebel fleet as Mothma thinks to herself about the impending battle, the fights of the past and her weariness. Another shift, this time to the Outer Rim and the planetoid of Jalucaz and Shara and Kes shake down a ganglord for information just as Stormtroopers find them and a firefight erupts. Their target Alfris Sotin makes a break for it with the information they need, and Shara tears after him, getting the datapad but being under no illusion that Mothma is in deep trouble.
Back on Destina, the Arcona assassin walks into the storm as he pats himself on the back for Shara and Kes taking the bait, and back with the two rebels we see Shara realise that while they haven’t gathered all the details they need, the information she has does hold within it the location. We see Mothma waiting for her meeting, and from the shadows of a starship walks Kijimi spice runner Tomasso, who is confused at Mons cautious tone. Suddenly a rumble and an incoming ship as a laser blast fires and Tomasso leaps infront of the shot, taking the hit for Mon, who this time is the confused one. He was genuinely there to give her information that would be helpful to both sides, but just as the Arcona lines up the kill shot Kes and Shara leap in to stop him. He manages to power them both aside, having them in his sights and explaining the whole endeavour in classic Bond style, giving Mon and Tomasso time to regroup and sneak up behind him and gun him down. His information was sound – not only will the Death Star be vulnerable, but many of the Imperial top brass will be onboard, striking a hammer blow to the Empire.
Fantastic stuff, a rare solo adventure for Mothma showing her steel and resolve and from Poe Dameron: Free Fall author Alex Segura the opportunity to link this pre-Jedi plot with his own pre-The Force Awakens storyline. The art by Matt Horak, Brent Peeples and Rafael Pimentel is uniformly crisp and smart, the script by Segura tight and informative and here we sit with yet another entry in this Jedi 40th celebration run of single-shot issues nailing it. Great stuff, and please Marvel, can we have some more?
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Older, Daniel José (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 33 Pages - 08/09/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)