Force Matters: Leia Shines In The Spotlight of ‘Star Wars’ #4
by Austin Gorton
Star Wars #4 by Alex Segura & Phil Noto
When the Pirrosi threaten Kaltrais, a staunch member of the old Republic, Leia charges into action as the conflict with the Fenril Sector intensifies!
- Garlev’s assassin from last issue is revealed to be Reyna Oskure, who has allied herself with the Pirrosi. An Anzati and high ranking member of the Acolytes of the Beyond, she was one of the major villains in Segura’s Battle of Jakku maxiseries.
- Luke places the Crown of Verity he retrieved in issue #2 in some kind of museum on Chandrila. It’s not clear if these are Luke’s quarters or not. There are other objects on display, but none of them jump out at me as being specific items of note.
- Great design on President Shoirin of Kaltrais.
- In the kind of scene we don’t get often enough in serial fiction, Han and Luke discuss their recent experiences and connect the dots on Garlev, which is the kind of thing that would usually get dragged out interminably long.
- Leia rescuing herself and then busting out the person who betrayed her is peak Leia.
- It also helps make Shorin’s later sacrifice hit a little harder, an impressive bit of writing for a character we just met, appeared in all of a dozen panels, and betrayed one of the main characters.
- Seeing Valance in the co-pilot seat of the Falcon is cool and all, but it makes me miss Chewbacca.
- At one point Leia tells Han to go home to Ben, which is a reminder that the future Kylo Ren is around at this point in the time. It also begs the question of who is watching him while his parents are off being Star Warriors (which in turn makes me think of Winter from the old Expanded Universe).
Leia was the last of the Big Three to get her spotlight issue in this new series, and this issue makes it worth the wait, as we get a nice slice of classic “aggressive negotiations” Leia who isn’t afraid to take action and do the right thing even if it’s also the hard thing.
Cover of the Week
Great little action showcase for Leia from Simone Di Meo.
