Star Wars #34: Saberquest

A new story arc starts on the heels of the last. Finally, back with the Rebel fleet, Luke Skywalker doesn’t stay for long. This series has nailed the point down over and over that Luke must keep training to confront Vader eventually. Early on, soon after The Empire Strikes Back, Luke can find a lightsaber that he has been using ever since. Very recently, it got taken out of commission. Replacing his hand was easy, but losing his saber felt like a step back for him. Any Star Wars fan who knows how close this story is to Return of the Jedi will undoubtedly know that he eventually gets a new lightsaber. This is the origin story for it. Luke constructing his green-bladed lightsaber in many ways, marks his final test to become a Jedi knight. A famous deleted scene from the film shows him constructing the hilt just before Artoo and Threepio open it walking to Jabba’s Palace, which only adds to that idea.

In a way, the end of the yellow blade saber is sad. Even in Anakin’s time, they were exceptionally rare, used only by temple guards. The Rise of Skywalker ends with Rey igniting her yellow blade. The color type was once prevalent during the High Republic and further back in the old canon’s Old Republic. It has a history. The most exciting and oldest version of the yellow blade appeared in toys based on the original Star Wars film. Luke’s toys and toy versions of his lightsaber featured yellow blades instead of Kenobi’s blue saber. The toy line was mainly based on black and white photos, leaving Kenner to make some guesses.

Additionally, in the original version of the film, Luke’s blade looked white compared to the blue blade of Obi-Wan. It was in Empire Strikes Back where Luke’s blade is unmistakably blue. Future editions of the original film would recolor the blade in a similar shade to the sequels. Marvel did a remarkable job finding the right spot in time to give Luke a yellow blade to complete that circle. In the context of the movies, he has had it for almost a year, which isn’t much less than the three years he had his father’s. It is sad to see it go, but as they have already shown, Juke is his now signature black robe; he will need the right blade to complete the look.

This issue was heavy with Luke’s characterization, as has been a few issues in this series. The art needed to capture Luke well and show him as he would have looked in this era. The writing needs to match as well. Readers need to be able to picture young Mark Hamill speaking the lines. The issue doesn’t entirely create that illusion but makes a great effort. It does a better job of capturing Luke than most of the issues in this series. The use of Luke’s black Jedi robe and clothing sell this portrayal of him as well. The story is almost basic but is filled with great conversation and narrative. The issue even adds a colorful new and dangerous ally, giving Luke a guide and someone to share a dialogue with. To make this issue feel like a proper entry into the saga, it manages to sneak in a massive action-packed giant alien monster for flavor. Luke will inevitably find a green kyber crystal and build his new saber, but luckily, that quest will be quite adventurous.