Star Wars #19 (2020)
DANGEROUS TURN
After scattering following the battle of Hoth, the Rebel Fleet is once again reunited and must plan their next steps carefully.
Luke Skywalker, after having a near-death encounter with Darth Vader, realizes he must continue his training if he is to become a Jedi and defeat the Dark Lord of the Sith….
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Marco Castiello
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: December 8, 2021
One of the many satisfying elements of Star Wars storytelling is when threads begin to loop together, stitching different parts of the story into a unified whole and as we continue our journey to Return of the Jedi, the opening of Star Wars #19 not only continues to steer the fleet towards its ultimate flight to Sullust but shows just how disruptive the recent War of the Bounty Hunters has been for the Alliance. Just as the Empire have been colluding and dealing with the underworld, so have the Rebellion thanks to the actions of Captain Holdo, and as that galaxy-wide skirmish begins to ease, finding fuel and provisions is hard. So, the stage is set for our 19th issue of volume 2 but Luke Skywalker is decidedly distracted, to the point that the briefing of Mothma and Ackbar fades into the background as Luke asks Artoo to compile a list of Jedi sites and leaves with the blessing of Leia, his own journey as vital for the galaxy as the huge efforts of the Alliance.
More connective tissue lies ahead as Luke wearily scans the list of possible worlds. First he heads to Ilum, the future home of Starkiller Base – and the future death site of Han Solo – which is already being excavated into that familiar trench from The Force Awakens, over three decades in the future. He slips beneath the blockade to Arashar, also heavily blockaded, and then to Lothal (good grief, he’s doing some lightyears here, literally from one side of the galaxy to the other) where he senses he needs the Force to unlock…something, but frustratingly he doesn’t yet have the skill. Onwards to the River Moon of Al’doleem, where he lands and masks himself, heading into the town and abjectly failing to use the Jedi Mind Trick on two Stormtroopers.
Here, another sattisfying call back as Artoo recognises a hull panel from a Jedi starfighter, a vessel he flew in the Clone Wars. Meeting a mechanic named Colli in the town who spots Luke’s lightsaber and aks if he is a Jedi, the man reminisces about a Jedi he once knew called Kirak Infil’a, a brave man who fought Darth Vader and died, giving Colli and his sister time to escape before the dam above the city failed. Colli tells Luke about Mount Pasvaal, an ancient Jedi site with endless tunnels that the Empire have been pulling artifacts out of for decades and fuelled with intent Luke gathers his thoughts, focuses, and heads in. This time, the Mind Trick works and Imperial troops bring him the most important artifact, a holocron that he unlocks with the Force and is greeted by an image of none other than Master Yoda.
Yet another satisfying issue, this really did touch on a ton of things from the present, the past and the future. A nod to Lothal, a glimpse of Starkiller Base, a Yoda presumably from the era of The High Republic, the various divisions of the Rebel fleet coming together. All from different corners of the wider story, but folded in so smartly it feels perfectly organic, a tricky thing to pull off. Charles Soule really has this journey to Jedi in his pocket right now, tightening and slackening off plots as the focus changes, moving the characters to be in just the place they need to be by the opening fanfare of Episode VI. Interior artist Marco Castiello does a spot-on job, visually conveying the frustration of Luke as he faulters in his training without a master to guide him, while the smart script gives Luke the scope to find some of the answers himself.
There’s a world of change in the Luke we left at the end of Empire – still largely the uncertain youth who left Tatooine three years before – and the capable, able Jedi-in-waiting who we meet in Return of the Jedi, and this title is leading the charge in showing us how Luke became the man who marched into Jabba’s Palace and took on a rancor. That’s a big, big task to take on and Soule deserves all the credit in the world for not only giving it a go but – so far – making such a good fist of it.
Star Wars #20 (Christopher Action Figure Variant) @ ForbiddenPlanet.com
