Star Wars: Revelations #1
It is a time of great struggle throughout the galaxy as heroes and villains battle for its control. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian and the Rebel Alliance work to thwart the Galactic Empire’s stranglehold on countless worlds, while the evil lord Darth Vader hunts for those who stand against the Empire.
Vader’s efforts are aided by Sabé–a former handmaiden of his lost love, Padmé Amidala–
and Beilert Valance, who has been conscripted by Vader to fight on the side of the Empire. While Sabé’s true allegiances remain a mystery, Valance finds himself on a collision course against his former partner T’onga and her crew of bounty hunters.But the most dangerous conflagration is the one planned by Lady Qi’ra, leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, who is plotting an ambitious offensive aimed at destroying the Sith and wrenching power from the hands of the Empire. Unbeknownst to Qi’ra, however, her plan is destined to collide with the Spark Eternal, an archaic technology that grants users Sith-like powers…and has taken control of archaeologist Doctor Chelli Aphra.
All of these seemingly disparate threads are actually woven into a singular tapestry, one which only the mysterious EYE OF WEBBISH BOG can see…
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Pencillers: Salvador Larroca, Pere Pérez, Emma Kubert, Justin Mason, Paul Fry
Inkers: Salvador Larroca, Pere Pérez, Wayne Faucher, Justin Mason, Paul Fry
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Colorists: Guru-eFX, Dono Sánchez-Almara
Cover artist: Phil Noto
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: November 23, 2022
For a one-shot that claims ‘The path to the future of STAR WARS starts here‘, Revelations has a lot to live up to. As the scroll-up explains, it aims to bring together the seemingly disparate threads taking place in the ongoing titles (Doctor Aphra, Darth Vader, Bounty Hunters and Star Wars) as well as the third and final mini series in the Qi’ra’s trilogy, Hidden Empire. That’s a lot of moving parts to acccount for, but under the guidance of writer Marc Guggenheim they are indeed pulled together in a most unique way.
We open as Vader is summoned by the Eye of Webbish Bog, visions of the future displayed as uncertain potentials, while the past is set in stone. We flash briefly to Anakin during the Clone Wars, fighting alongsode Yoda as the vision focuses on a droid, confusing Vader. As the Eye explains, ‘first it comes for the metal, then it comes for the muddle.’ Here we step into one of the coolest nods to the past in recent times as we head to Kligsons moon – aka Droid World for fans of early 80’s Star Wars – and the droid Ajax Sigma, who many years before started a droid revolution only to be struck down by the Jedi. Defeated, the core of ther droid was passed down through the centuries before coming into the unlikely possession of Han Solo, who buried it only for it to be dug up by a droid who takes it to the world of Mechis III where the mind of the old Ajax Sigma is transplanted into a new body.
We cut to Doctor Aphra and Triple-Zero in the cockpit of her ship as Chelli – trapped inside her own mind, a prisoner of the Spark Eternal – battles to break free, numbing the arm of her own body using her electro tattoos and unleashing a barrage of energy. At the mention of Aphra, Vader has had enough, igniting his blade and demanding an end to the riddles of the Eye. However, while weakened the Eye is still powerful enough in the Force to halt the incoming red blade and return it to Skywalker. His impatience simmering, the Eye reveals how the Spark Eternal is connected to the Fermata Cage (from the current Aphra run) and shows vader a vision of him communing with his Emperor who instructs him just how important finding the Cage is, given its power: it can place things outside of time, meaning a Fermata cage could be a tremendous threat to the Sith.
Another vision, Vader instructing Lieutenant Haydenn to find and eliminate Valance, and we see Inferno Squad put on his trail as the metal and the muddle combine to as vision of Valance taking out Zuckuss, 4-LOM and Bossk, as we move to Luke and Artoo on the Falcon, a disturbance in the Force taking them to an ancient world where a droid army was defeated. Of course, it’s Kligson’s Moon and Luke is soon in conversation with the new body of Ajax Sigma who has no patience for organics and attacks Luke. The Eye shows Vader another vision, of the galaxy falling around their ears and warns of the end, of the Force and a revolutionary…
Mustafarians attack Vader, defeated by the dark lord before the Eye once again warns Vader that this is a threat to the whole galaxy and to heed his warnings and we end with Vader meeting with the Emperor, exactly as the Eye foretold, to be commanded to find the Fermata Cage.
A fascinating one-shot from writer Guggenheim and the art team of Salvador Larroca, Pere Pérez, Emma Kubert, Justin Mason, Wayne Faucher and Paul Fry. As with all in this Empire to Jedi era, we know where it’s headed, and while Charles Soule’s Star Wars run tends to do the heavy lifting on that connective tissue, this one-shot has effectively brought all the four series threads together, while also folding in another element of The Rise of Skywalker and the Eye of Webbish Bog, first seen in comic form in the latest volume of the Vader run. More than anything it underlines the arrogance of the Sith and the impatience of Vader. Palpatine appears unqwilling to put stock in anything outside of his own machinations, while the uncertainty caused by the presence of Sabe in the Vader run has clearly unbalanced the dark lord.
Oh, and be sure to make note of Palpatine’s ‘helmet nod’ when reading to confirm the veracity of the Eye’s future-seeing talents.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Guggenheim, Marc (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 42 Pages - 11/23/2022 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
