Star Wars Rebels
In this collection of short comics stories, the crew of the Ghost dodge criminals, monsters, and the agents of the Galactic Empire as they cross the galaxy in search of aid for the young Rebel Alliance.
Featuring 43 rarely-seen comics, this collection is a must have for any Star Wars fan!
Collects Star Wars: Rebels Magazine #1–#35, #37, #39 and Star Wars: Rebels Animation Magazine #1–#4.
Authors: Martin Fisher, Jeremy Barlow, Alec Worley
Artists: Bob Molesworth, Ingo Römling
Page Count: 504 pages
Release Date: 16th August 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5067-3301-2
This is a Star Wars comic fans best dream. Not only is this the triumphant return of Dark Horse Comics to the Star Wars universe, taking over the younger reader content from IDW, but it collects Star Wars: Rebels Magazine #1–#35, #37, #39 and Star Wars: Rebels Animation Magazine #1–#4, all of which were only previously released in Germany.
Boasting an impressive 500 pages this high quality collection is a beautiful celebration of one of Star Wars‘ strongest and often overlooked chapters. Initially aimed toward younger viewers, evident in it’s animation style, and released in the midst of the Disney takeover and seen by fans as a replacement for the revered The Clone Wars, Rebels always faced an uphill struggle. Much like the Prequels fans have since embraced and come to love the show and it’s characters and it’s a vital chapter in Star Wars canon and the “Filoni-verse”.
So does this collection of comics live up to the cult show it ties into? It really does and in more than just the quality of the stories. As you read through these strips you start to realise that these must have been released alongside the show as each story seems to progressively follow the characters journeys across the four seasons. Side characters like Hondo and Lando show up where you’d expect them to and the crew of the Ghost display the same development and character depth that they gain throughout the series. The first few issues even feel quite juvenile and frothy like the show’s first season did. Please don’t misunderstand me though; this is not a negative. The characters are spot on accurate and the tone is perfect. You’d be excused for thinking they were written by Filoni himself.
Each character is well represented here and each has the spotlight thrown on them multiple times. There’s even some particularly good Chopper stories here with “Escaping the Scrap Pile” being a highlight of the collection. Other stories of note here include “Assessment” that features the Imperial Academy on Lothal and fan favourite Zare Leonis and “Ocean Rescue” that follows Ashoka and Sabine as they respond to a distress call from under the depths of ocean planet Quila. That’s only three stories out of 39 and I bet you’re already foaming at the mouth from just those descriptions. This is essential for all Rebels fans and a huge dose of nostalgia for a small part of the expansive history of Star Wars.
The art is primarily done by Bob Molesworth and Ingo Römling with a few appearances by other artists like Eva Wildermann, Chris O’Halloran and Cosmo White. It took a little while to get used to, but is absolutely in keeping with the show if a little simple. As the book progresses I grew to love the style and could feel the warmth and love for the subject material through the pages.
I urge you all to support this release and Dark Horse for three reasons. Firstly the content in these pages is bloody good and any Rebels fan will be over the moon. Secondly they didn’t have to translate and collect these issues, this is for the fans and not about the money, and lastly because I’d love new Rebels content, even if it doesn’t follow the Ghost crew and focuses on Zare Leonis or Agent Kallus.