Star Wars #68: Rebels and Rogues (Pt. 1)

“It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy.”

This is what the opening crawl of Empire Strikes Back says. It is also how Rebels and Rogues begins. The issue opened not just with the first line, but the entire opening crawl. It is clear that we are entering the second chapter from the original Star Wars Trilogy, but we are not quite there yet. The words from the beginning omit a key location from the original film’s opening crawl. The words “on the remote ice world of Hoth” are missing. This is because the rebels haven’t quite found it yet in the context of the series. This new story begins with a search for that new base that the Rebel Alliance can call home. Barely having time to rest from their last adventure, the Star Warriors are split up into teams and send out on missions to keep the Empire off the scent of their true goals. Luke and Artoo, Leia and Han, and Chewie and Threepio are teamed up and each duo heads for separate corners of the galaxy. It is interesting to note that this is how a handful of arcs in the old MARVEL run started too. The main characters are split up, and the story switches back and forth between them, until undoubtedly their stories will intertwine together later on.

The very best thing about this series from the beginning has been the art. The characters looked like they were ripped right out of the films. Naturally, new artist and writer means a new feel. Phil Noto’s art does not always make the characters look exactly like the characters in the film, but it’s in no way bad. However, the writing by Greg Pak captures the personalities and voices of the characters  well enough that they still feel like the old gang we know and love. The dialogue between Leia an Han is a typical mixture of insults and backhanded compliments. Luke and Artoo are all business.

The most unique thing about this arc is the teaming up of Threepio and the mighty Chewbacca. These guys don’t usually get a lot of time together, but as they work together, they begin to find they have professional respect for each other. There is a sweet moment where Threepio is genuinely surprised when Chewie compliments him on his work so far in the mission. He’s just not used to being thanked, or listened to, or noticed at all. This kinship seems to add to the scene in Empire where Chewie searched desperately for Threepio in Cloud City and tries to fix him. It seems this mission might be what caused Chewie to feel strongly for the golden droid. The one thing this series does very well that a lot of Star Wars tales miss, is the heavy inclusion of the droids. They are the backbone of the original films, and should be a big part of the story. This new arc seems primed to give us more of that. It will be interesting to see how their mission plays out.