Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Star Wars #9
Dark Horse Comics
Wood, Kelly & Parsons
Star Wars continues to be one of the best reads month in and month out. Wood's approach doesn't lend itself to self-enclosed reads with each issue but it tells a dramatic and suspenseful read nonetheless. This comic book continues to slowly advance all four plots forward ever so slightly, but this issue introduces a new character that should be an interesting exploration in the coming issues. This is a great comic book to read
Wood devotes only a few pages to each of the four plots in each issue which might make it hard to jump on in any one issue but the book reads extremely well in that it leaves you wanting more.
The plot that takes center stage in this comic is Leia as she boards a Clone War era destroyer. She meets an ex-imperial officer and learns he was aboard the Death Star when it destroyed her home world. The snag here is that this person also designed the laser array that made the weapon possible.
This sequence is fantastic as the new character is deep and intriguing right from the start. Wood has a strong command of Leia and her reactions to discovering this information. The only downside here is that the continuity masters will know this is probably the third Death Star weapon's designer that's appeared between the comics and books. It's not that difficult to reinvent a character like this again and again but it seems too cliché to me.
The other plots involve some of Han and Chewie running from Boba Fett, Luke and Wedge playing coy on the Star Destroyer and Darth Vader using his plant on the Star Destroyer to further his own agenda. Some are better than others in this comic.
The artwork is stellar. While Star Wars is at its best when presented with a greasy, used look to the universe, this comic stays polished and vibrant and it works. Some of the images are tremendous. The Falcon chase through the capital city are probably the highlight, but the final sequence of the immense Star Destroyer with the little X-Wing attached is so finely detailed that it might rank above the chase scene. No matter how you look at this it is a fantastic visual comic book.
Wood is working a lot of plots at the same time and it seems to be paying off. Separating the characters seems to be more of a fresh approach than normal for the Star Wars universe and I am definitely liking the execution. While I would like to see a single plot take ahold of an issue or two there is something to be said for constantly keeping all the plots in the reader's minds each issue. No matter how you look at this is a great read and has been each and every issue.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
