MTFBWY #6: Star Wars: Leia #1 Review, Rebels Season 1’s Biggest Reveals

Welcome back to May the Force Be With You, the all Star Wars column here at ComicBook.com. This week we’re doing things a little differently, as two significant Star Wars events hit in the span of just three days, both focusing on wonderful women of a galaxy far, far away.

First up, Princess Leia #1, the first of a five-issue mini-series from Marvel Comics by Mark Waid, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and Jordie Bellaire. We’ll have your easter egg hunt later, but I wanted to take a moment to review the issue.

Leia is a hard character – she’s probably the most underserved of the “main” characters from the original trilogy; while she has her own strength, which definitely comes across, her backstory as a Rebel leader and key figure is left untold. Especially mysterious is how she goes from passive Rebel spy and princess in Episode IV to active leader, giving orders in Episode V. Enter the Leia comic.

The Dodsons, for their part, only have about 3 pages of “action” to illustrate here. Most of the issue is Leia talking with the various supporting castmates, trying to figure out who everyone wants her to be. It’s only after these conversations that she decides for herself and jumps into high gear. There’s nothing boring about these conversations, however, thanks to the expressive faces on the titular princess. In fact, Leia steals ever scene she’s in – from carefree to subtle dismay to outright disdain, it’s always clear what’s on her mind, even if she’s not outwardly certain herself. Bellaire’s color palette and rendering style makes the book fit in well with the other two books in the line, both of which take place in this same interim time. She accurately delivers a more cinematic tone to the images than we normally see from the Dodsons.

Leia’s supporting cast is highlighted by known commodities, all of whom want her to be and act a specific way, and the addition of fellow Alderaanian, Evaan. It’s clear from their first meeting that Evaan will give us another look into Leia’s thoughts, hopes, and aspirations. Evaan is a regular girl who feels at peace with her place in society (and the rebellion), while Leia wishes she could just serve that way on her own.

This is a tougher read than the first two releases, Star Wars, and Darth Vader, but purposely so. Leia’s struggle is deeply personal, and it’s hard to see anyone going through those emotions. The issue certainly has me intrigued, and while it doesn’t have the instant excitement of the other two books in Marvel’s new line-up, it does have more heart than either.

The Secret Rebel

Meanwhile, Star Wars Rebels saw its season finale this week, with a rip-roaring finish that brought everything together quite nicely. SPOILERS ON, folks.

The big news out of the Rebels finale, of course, was the identity of Fulcrum, the mysterious agent known only to Hera, that was giving her targets of interest and coordinating the Rebels’ collective movements.

And it’s Ahsoka freaking Tano.

Yes, this rumor/news leaked out a few weeks ago, taking the sting out of the surprise for anyone who does too much internet reading for their own good (what’s that like, he asks sheepishly), but it was an incredible, exciting moment no matter what. Ahsoka climbing down the ladder of the ghost and introducing herself was a “jump up and nearly throw my laptop across the room” moment. But upon further analysis, what the finale did, pulling the whole season so coherently together, was the most impressive feat.

There were obvious points, like the TIE fighter from episode 3, or the identity of Fulcrum, or even just the seamless way the team worked together. There was the call-back to the exploding TIE landing field with Sabine, and to Ezra crawling through air ducts. But there were more subtle, thematic links, as well. In the first episode, Kanan used his lightsaber for the first time, clearly, in quite awhile; certainly for the first time in front of Imperial agents. In the finale, his keeping things hidden was called into question, with cowardice being the real reason for his hiding. There was the link to the Inquisitor being a symbol of fear, and declaring his own fear just before (seemingly) dying.

Everything came together, and the whole of the season became one, definitive chapter in the overall Star Wars saga. With links to the past in Ahsoka and Kanan himself and links to the future in Darth Vader, Lando, and others, Rebels is a part of this timeline that is as necessary as any other.

So where does it go from here? Well the new inclusion of Ahsoka out in the open certainly gives us a lot of story telling possibilities. She could train our nascent Jedi, she could cross paths with, say, Leia and share some insight into her past. Oh yeah, and can anyone say AHSOKA VERSUS DARTH VADER? Because that’s all my wife and I talked about after the episode – it’s just too awesome of a possibility to pass up, right?

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as awesome as it was, was clearly a serialized story. There were over-arcs, but the episodes were individually contained. Star Wars Rebels, with its tighter focused cast and clear connections from the first to final episode of the season, feels more like the entire thing is an episode, and that’s an impressive accomplishment.

What was your favorite moment of Star Wars Rebels season 1? Sound off in the comments below!