Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Star Wars #6
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Cassaday & Martin
"Star Wars" pits Luke Skywalker against Boba Fett in an action-packed issue. The comic also dovetails with the "Darth Vader" series as Vader finds out in each book that the kid who blew up the Death Star is named Skywalker. As if that weren't enough, the mystery bounty hunter is revealed to have a deep connection to Han Solo. Overall, the comic book is an exciting read that is worth a look.
The bulk of the comic book is Luke fighting Fett. This is not nearly as exciting as watching Obi-Wan fight Jengo Fett in the Attack of the Clones film. This is because Luke is totally untrained and he's been blinded by a blast from Fett. However, being in the close quarters of Obi-Wan's shack and with Luke having access to a lightsaber, Luke is dangerous enough to fight an even fight with Fett. The scenes are a little clunky in the art department but the fight is generally a good one.
The rest of the book is mostly devoted to Solo and Leia. Alone on a planet with an atmosphere that the TIE Fighters are incapable of penetrating, they are safe. Han wants to have a picnic with some booze and get the Princess to loosen up a little bit but Leia is still pretty mad at him. Then the surprise character shows up and shakes things up some more. This is a new character but it alters Han's past and is something that hasn't been touched in any of the previous Expanded Universe material. This is an interesting development.
Finally, Vader finding out there is a Skywalker out there provides him with some extra anger. Particularly aimed at the Emperor. This was a good development but one that might not see much more action because of the constraints of The Empire Strikes Back.
The artwork is okay but not great. The details vary from page to page and some of the fighting between Luke and Fett are just so hard to make out. The comic seems to have some brilliantly colored sketches rather than sharp inks to help hold the colors together. The visuals do excel in some panels, especially rendering Luke visibly helpless during parts of his fight with Fett. The comic book is not as clean artistically as it has been in previous issues.
"Star Wars" is an exciting read each and every issue. The comic provides plenty of action but doesn't risk too much with the battles. Knowing which characters survive takes some of the drama out of the fight scenes. This issue has some great moments, especially the Solo reveal. The artwork could have been more polished but is generally good. Overall, this is a quality read and worth checking out.
3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
