Star Wars is always on the verge of collapse. Or at least it is to the legion of naysayers constantly trying to convince everyone that all new Star Wars is bad Star Wars and the only good stuff was decades ago. It was always from before, with most new stuff getting pushed to the side to the side. However, Marvel has been putting out great comics starring the best characters from the galaxy far, far away. Creators have gotten to play with the coolest heroes and villains in fiction and have given readers some memorable tales, the latest of which is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Echoes of the Empire.
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This story takes place on the theme park-inspired planet Baatu, and unites two generations of heroes. This first issue from writer Ethan Sacks and artists Jethro Morales and Roi Mercado is something of an action-packed good time. This is crowd-pleasing Star Wars at its finest; the series doesn’t seem like it’s going to be very deep, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a fun ride.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Awesome fight between Luke and Boba Fett | This issue is as deep as a puddle and kind of feels like banging action figures together; fun but a little inane |
| Sacks tells a standard but fun Star Wars story | |
| Morales and Mercado give the book just the right artistic feel |
Sacks Plays the Hits With the Best Star Wars Characters
So, I’m going to start with the book’s only problem. If you’re looking for some kind of unique Star Wars experience that is going to take the franchise in an exciting new direction, this probably isn’t going to be the comic for you. However, if you just want the equivalent of Star Wars junk food, then this one is just right. The story starts with Rey visiting the theme park… I mean planet and hearing a story about Luke Skywalker from the days after Empire Strikes Back. It’s pretty standard fare: Vader and the Imperials showing up, Boba Fett out to collect the bounty on the Rebels, the droids bickering, and the like. When done right, it can be a lot of fun. This is done right.
I’m not going to pretend that Sacks told some amazing tale. It’s everything you’d expect from this kind of story. It hits all the right notes, telling a story that has been repeated over the history of Star Wars comics and books. It sets up a confrontation with Darth Vader, which is fun if that’s the kind of thing you like. There’s definitely the feeling of someone playing with action figures in the best play set you can imagine, but that’s part of the fun. The fight scene feels a little indulgent at times, but it works with the kind of big crowd-pleasing story this issue is.
Morales and Mercado’s Art Has the Right Feel to It
Star Wars is a franchise that lives or dies by its visuals and this issue is an example of great Star Wars visuals. One of the things I really enjoyed about Morales and Mercado’s art is that it didn’t feel like standard Star Wars art. Numerous times throughout the issue, I felt like I was a reading a superhero comic starring the Star Wars characters. There’s something about the way it’s drawn that just looks more like a superhero comic. Maybe it’s Rachel Rosenberg’s colors, but this issue’s art just has a vibe to it that I really enjoyed.
The fight between Luke and Boba works very well. It looks more like Mercado’s art, and there’s a sort of Pepe Larraz-feel to the whole thing. There’s something about the way Luke’s drawn; he has this sort of waifish quality that makes the fight so much more impressive. There’s an energy to these images that makes the whole thing pop. One of the problems with having two artists is that things aren’t exactly stylistically consistent throughout the whole thing, but that’s okay. The art fits the issue like a glove.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Echoes of the Empire #1 isn’t going to redefine what Star Wars means. It’s paint by numbers for this old Star Wars fan, which usually is a bad thing, but here it’s fun and comforting. Sometimes, you just want a really fun Star Wars story, something to just read and have fun with for a little bit. This is that kind of comic and it won’t disappoint.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge –Echoes of the Empire #1 is on sale now.
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