Leia has been captured, Lando is cornered, and Luke is knee-deep in garbage. Just another day in the life of the Rebellion. Spoilers for Star Wars #4 follow.
Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz’ Star Wars run so far has been nothing short of great. It’s been low-key in the best ways possible, exploring an era and place that has barely been explored at all in the Star Wars universe. Amidst all of that, they have still managed to create high stakes for the characters involved, as well as organically show the start of the growth of the characters. Star Wars #4 is no different than the previous issues in this regard and it is another excellent issue.
What I really love about this story so far is how small in scale it is. In Star Wars, I personally feel like the larger stories should be within the shows and films and that’s what this series has been doing. So far, it has been focusing on questions that have been raised by the time jump between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. None of these questions necessarily need to be answered, but they’re answered satisfactorily regardless.
Plus, these answers allow for an organic build of character between the films. How does Luke truly start his Jedi journey? By giving up his search for his old lightsaber. Why does Lando become a Rebel? By saving Cloud City. These are all things that don’t really need to be answered, yet Soule and Saiz do so in fun and character-defining ways. And while she doesn’t get the most play in this issue, Soule writes a damn phenomenal Leia.
Saiz’ art is once again phenomenal as well. His pacing throughout the issue is fantastic. He knows exactly when to go for a wide shot and when to go for a close-up, giving the audience the full effect of the scene. His linework is clean like always and his inks really capture the bright nature of Cloud City. Each figure looks distinct and carries weight behind them, each with different mannerisms though. Saiz was a great choice to take over art duties on the main Star Wars book for a reason and he shows it every issue.
CHECK OUT: Star Wars #3 Review: Imperial Motivations and Loyalties