With all their missions compromised, the Rebels must now find a way to come back together to defeat the Empire. Minor spoilers for Star Wars #73 follow.
For being so close to the end of the series, it really feels like Star Wars would’ve ramped up its pace massively with this issue. However, for the best, this isn’t the case. It’s paced exactly the same as the others, except now each separate is converging and affecting the others. Han and Leia’s leads to Chewie and C-3P0’s which leads to Luke’s. Really issue is a great continuation of the style that has been established, while also setting up the end of the story and series.
Since Greg Pak and Phil Noto took over the series, there’s been a resurgence of fun within the title. While Kieron Gillen’s run wasn’t bad it was often way too serious for its own good. Pak and Noto though, they channel a tone that’s in the vein of Return of the Jedi, which is arguably the most light-hearted Star Wars film in parts. While personally, I think the best tone within Star Wars is in The Empire Strikes Back, the tone within the series has been solid. It creates for fun adventures that still have menace and stakes to them.
What this issue does best though is its use and deviation from the structure previously laid out. It takes what has been set up and really begins to weave the plot threads together. It’s so Star Wars, but is telling a story that isn’t fitting for a feature film. So that makes it perfect for comics. Smaller stories are what should be told in the comics medium when it comes to Star Wars. Smaller stories that still feel consequential to the larger universe, which is exactly what this story is.
Phil Noto’s art really helps sell this fun, adventurous vibe within this story too. Really, what else is there to say about his art that hasn’t already been said. He manages to combine his style so perfectly with how each character looks in live action, making for such an authentic visual style. His world designs feel both fresh and nostalgic. And above all else, his art really is a joy to look at, no matter what is occurring on the page. One thing that is much more noticeable in this issue is his use of white backgrounds as emphasis for Luke. It creates this feeling that Luke is connected to the Force instead of everything around him. It’s such a great visual cue that’s much more subtle than most visual cues.
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