Poe Dameron #3 Review

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Poe gets his next clue and a monster is born.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Poe Dameron #3.

Poe Dameron #3

Writer: Charles Soule | Artist: Phil Noto | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga | Cover Artist: Phil Noto

This review is going to be different than what I usually write. Normally, I attempt to review a comic for its themes and character development. When I do that, a style that isn’t so personal usually works best. However, I’m at a loss as what to do with Poe Dameron #3. I’m not entirely sure what happened in the comic I just read, and I cannot decide if I like it or not.

I’m going to cut to the chase, and this really is a spoiler for Poe Dameron #3. If you didn’t heed the warning above, I’m repeating it here. At the end of the previous issue, Agent Terex of the First Order had ordered the Flame Troopers in his unit to begin burning the giant, blue, glowing egg that was being protected by the Creche in their cavern. Not surprisingly, the egg hatched in this episode. The Creche were expecting a savior. What they got was a large…alien life form. It stood on two feet. It had wings. One might describe it as some sort of angel looking creature. It appeared to glow slightly in a fashion similar to the egg.

This creature was not what the Creche expected. After hatching, it attacked everyone. The Creche, the First Order Stormtroopers, anyone that got near it. It even tried to eat the leader of the Creche. Then, a similar looking being showed up and began fighting it. This being had a similar appearance accept that its skin was nearly black and it had red highlights. I have no idea why these creatures were fighting or why one creature came to the rescue of the Creche. In addition, the darker of the two creatures seems to have affection for the Creche, and after defeating its adversary it flew the Creche to some other haven.

I’m sure there is some sort of symbolism at play here. The Creche believed that the egg bore their savior. In a literal sense, it did not. However, the egg did reveal a savior in the form of the darker alien that came to their rescue (as an aside, I’d really like to have a name for this species). Exactly what these creatures are meant to represent is unclear. Sure, there are some generic interpretations. Things aren’t always what they seem, the will of the Force moves in mysterious ways, those that keep faith will be rewarded, etc. However, Lor San Tekka visited the Creche for a reason. He was trying to learn more about the Force. What could he have learned from the Creche and the egg?

If he learned that the creature inside the egg had malevolent intentions for the Creche, he either didn’t share what he learned, or the Creched ignored him. Was Lor San Tekka even sensitive to the Force that he could have learned anything? Or, was this all just some sort of McGuffin and Soule, the writer, didn’t intend any meaning to be attached to it? In the end, these creatures may just be a way to add some mystery to the Force. So much of what was there before has been set aside as Legends. If nothing else, these creatures contribute to the world building of the new Star Wars galaxy.

In the end, this part of the story is just part of the grander adventure that Poe and Black Squadron go through in their pursuit of Lor San Tekka and the location of Luke Skywalker. As for that part of the story, Poe’s standoff with Agent Terex continues throughout most of this issue. While the conflict with the creatures rages around them and Black Squadron faces off with First Order TIE Fighters in the airspace above the caves, Poe and Terex confront each other over the data Poe had intercepted from the First Order that reveals some of the First Orders plans. Although they wrestle, most of their conflict consists of one of them holding a blaster on the other.

The confrontation does provide some information about the state of the galaxy. For one, the notion that the Republic and the First Order are not formally at war is reinforced. Agent Terex labels Poe a thief and claims he could bring Poe up on charges in either a New Republic Court or a First Order Tribunal. If the two sides were at war, these possibilities wouldn’t exist. In addition, once Poe has gained the upper hand, Agent Terex boasts that Poe will not take him prisoner. Such action would give the First Order justification to launch an attack on the New Republic. In short, the two sides seem to be locked in a cold war. There is a fragile peace that may be broken by the slightest provocation. In some ways, the conflict between Poe and Terex, the Resistance and the First Order, reminds me of a James Bond movie. The adversaries spar and insult each other and each side is careful not to provoke an intergalactic war.

The other highlight of the issue is the dogfight between the forces of the First Order and Black Squadron. Noto does well with illustrating the battle in the skies above the subterranean caves. I’ve mentioned in previous issues that this series reminds me a lot of Rogue Squadron. The inventiveness and camaraderie of the squadron pilots reinforces that. The issue concludes with Poe telling his squad that he has learned of the next leg of their journey. In order to find Lor San Tekka, they need to head to prison. Rogue Squadron reborn, indeed.

Poe Dameron #3 Favorite Panel

What I find so appealing about this series is that it focuses on Poe and Black Squadron. Poe is very well done, and Soule has done an exemplary job capturing his personality from The Force Awakens. Noto has done a great job capturing the likeness of the pilots. So far, the dogfighting scenes have been my favorite. Therefore, I have selected a panel featuring a reaction shot of Jess Pava for this issue’s favorite panel.

Poe Dameron #3