To win the battle against the Empire or to save a species? The choice should be easy for the Rebels. Spoilers for Star Wars #74 follow.
Star Wars has been slowing headed toward the end of this volume of comics, so now that it’s at the penultimate issue, it really needs to ramp up. And in this penultimate issue, that’s exactly what it does. However, this creates another problem in this issue that takes away a part of why this story has been working so well. There’s still a lot of good in this issue that makes it a fun read.
What really works in this issue is what has worked in every issue since Greg Pak and Phil Noto took over the series, the character moments. There aren’t as many of them as there have been in previous issues, but the ones that are here are fantastic. Whether it’s Luke dealing with his naivete or C-3PO’s potential sacrifice to save an entire world, this issue tugs at the heartstrings. That’s really where Star Wars in general shines though. Not the plot which, when great, is incredibly compelling. Not the lore, which is wonderfully odd. But the small intimate moments with the characters that endears us to them. Pak and Noto understand that, and it has shown in every issue, which is no different here.
The problem with this issue lies in the pacing though. There’s a lot to be done with the plot and seemingly not enough pages to do, so it feels like everything is jammed together. The story up until this issue has been relatively slow-paced, so the sudden change in pacing in this issue is jarring. It doesn’t adhere to the style that had been previously set-up throughout the past several issues, which doesn’t help with the pacing at all. The pacing is much too fast for its own good.
Noto’s art is as good as ever though, managing to effectively keep the quieter character moments in this otherwise bombastic issue. His quiet moments are the highlights of the issue and there are plenty of times where a simple change in facial expression between two panels tells a complete story in of itself. His action is good, but it’s really in his quiet moments where his art shines and the issue excels.