A Comic Panel Far Far Away: The Lost Adventures Of ‘Star Wars V1: Skywalker Strikes’
by Tony Thornley
Today is May the Fourth. A day to celebrate all things from a galaxy far, far away. And, as Star Wars has such a long and successful history in comics, so we thought it would be fun to visit some classic stories from the past, present and future of the franchise.
Star Wars’ return to Marvel Comics after over two decades away was a huge deal. Both Marvel and Lucasfilm made a massive fanfare. The series would feature A-list talent, the story would be developed with Lucasfilm, and serve as the in-canon story of what happened in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. It followed through as Marvel brought in Jason Aaron, John Cassaday, Laura Martin and Chris Eliopoulos to tell this story.
As the Rebellion sends Luke Skywakler, Leia Organa and Han Solo on a key mission that will interrupt Imperial manufacturing for years, things get complicated. The Empire has sent Darth Vader to negotiate with the criminals they were impersonating. Naturally chaos ensues as the heroes strike at the heart of the Empire, but it’s at the cost of Vader realizing there’s more to the lightsaber-wielding young man at the center of the attack…
Skywalker Strikes is actually two smaller arcs, but for the sake of discussion, I’m just taking a look at the first half. Aaron comes in with guns blazing, telling a breathless action story. However, he takes the time to build on the characters, beginning Luke in particular down the path that he needs to not just to become the confident hero of Empire but also the noble warrior Jedi of Return of the Jedi. It’s a path that the story would more confidently follow once it has a chance to breathe a little, and it’s great to see that start here.
I cannot think of any other time that Cassaday has done a licensed comic, but he was clearly the perfect choice to launch the series. His hyper realistic style captures the characters wonderfully, but isn’t so photoreal that it distracts from the story being told. Every panel is packed with detail, and his splash pages are stunning. It’s not absolutely perfect (there’s a small handful of moments where Vader feels slightly off), but with Martin’s masterful colors, it’s an excellent book to get readers on board with this new era.
This series is just as exciting to read as it was when it launched. It knew that it had to get from point A to point B, but it does it in a way that truly keeps the reader guessing.
Single issues of Star Wars #1-3 are available at your local comic store, as well as digitally from Kindle and Comixology. The series is collected in Star Wars Volume 1: Skywalker Strikes from Marvel Comics, available at bookstores, comic stores and your favorite digital retailer.
We’d like to ask, on behalf of our friends and colleagues that own and are employed by comic shops, that you first try to get these books at your local shop. This is a very uncertain time for owners, employees, and their families. Show some love for your community and friends by buying from your regular shop when possible and safe.
