At the beginning of the new issue of the flagship Star Wars comic-book title, out today from Marvel Comics, I was dubious of the idea that Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca would take a vacation in the middle of the Galactic Civil War, especially when they have yet to rescue their friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt.
But when it quickly turned out that the “Little Break” (also the title of this month’s story) was instigated by none other than future Resistance Admiral Amilyn Holdo– played by actress Laura Dern in Star Wars: The Last Jedi– it all began to make perfect sense.
Yes, the gang is ostensibly on the upper-crust Galactic Core planet of Spira for some rest and relaxation between battles, but Holdo does also have an ulterior motive up her sleeve. It seems there’s a Nihil spacecraft from the High Republic era (love that synergy– I mean, interconnectivity… whichever, it’s still fun) up for sale in an auction on the planet. Holdo wants its Path Drive technology to track down a centuries-old lost fuel ship, but the Imperial Museum curator from Coruscant (love seeing that character again) has deep pockets when it comes to the bidding. Luke’s Force powers are on the fritz thanks to a nearby dark-side presence, so our heroes must covertly infiltrate the Nihil ship after the curator wins it in the auction. One showdown against some stormtroopers later, and our protagonists are sitting pretty in space with a genuine Path Engine, though it doesn’t quite seem to work right off the bat. It takes an attack by Imperial TIE fighters and an accidental jump into hyperspace to kick the engine into gear and deliver the crew to a wonderful cliffhanger of an ending that also ties in with a familiar location from The High Republic.
Again, when I picked up this issue at my local comic shop this morning I was a little worried it would feel like a fill-in story while writer Charles Soule and his collaborators at Marvel and Lucasfilm Publishing prepared for the beginning of Star Wars: Hidden Empire, but I’m very happy to report that there’s a great reason for the mislead. The titular “Little Break” now seems as though it will spiral into an arc that may see Luke, Leia, and Lando (not to mention Chewie and Holdo) crossing paths– no pun intended– with some of the ghosts of High Republic past. I was also pleased to see artist Ramon Rosanas back in action, as I feel like his particular style, coupled with the coloring talents of Rachelle Rosenberg, really lend a lot to the playful mood and tone of this comic. Plus, I enjoyed spotting the little-seen Star Wars species known as the Troid (remember Fode and Beed from The Phantom Menace) as the auctioneers, and I dug the little moments like Luke allowing himself to have just a bit of fun during the gang’s poolside respite. I don’t have much to complain about here, which tends to be the case with Soule’s work, so I’ll just say I’m looking forward to seeing the direction this is headed in the next issue.
Star Wars #29 is available now wherever comic books are sold.