Star Wars #9 Review

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Finally, a Hutt who can punch! Also, an Oppo appearance!

This review contains spoilers for Star Wars #9.

Star Wars #9

Writer: Jason Aaron | Artist: Stuart Immonen | Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger | Colorist: Justin Ponsor | Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos | Cover: Immonen, Grawbadger, Ponsor

After having his lightsaber stolen by a mysterious thief in a cantina on Nar Shadda, Luke Skywalker pursues the thief across the Smuggler’s Moon. After catching up with the thief, Luke realizes that the cantina ruffians that had been pursuing him are nowhere to be found. The reason is that Luke has ended up in Hutta Town, which is under the control of Grakkus the Hutt. Grakkus is there, and he proclaims Luke’s lightsaber and Luke himself to be his property. Elsewhere in the galaxy, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo continue their standoff with Sana Solo as the Imperials arrive planet side. Sana’s plan to turn Leia over for the bounty on her head falls apart when Han breaks the news that he too is a Rebel on the most wanted list. Sana reluctantly returns Han’s blaster to him, and the trio attempts to escape on Sana’s ship. Meanwhile, Luke is subdued by Grakkus and his Magnaguards, and when he comes to, he finds himself if Grakkus’s warehouse full of Jedi artifacts. Grakkus is a collector of Jedi antiquities. Under the threat of death, Luke manages to open multiple Jedi holocrons through the Force. Grakkus intends to add Luke to his Jedi collection, but R2-D2 manages to send a distress call to the Rebellion. Returning to Han, Leia, and Sana, we find them fleeing from Imperial TIE Fighters before the action quickly turns to the Rebel fleet where Mon Mothma, General Dodonna, and Admiral Ackbar are discussing the distress call from R2-D2. The trio reluctantly determines they cannot move in force into Hutt space to assist Luke, and they cannot send a covert team without support to rescue Luke. However, the issue concludes with a brave warrior stepping up to volunteer.

This issue was high on the classic Star Wars goodness quotient. It featured panels that could have been snatched right out of a movie. The establishing shot of Nar Shadda is reminiscent of similar shots from the films of both Coruscant and Mos Eisley. Luke’s pursuit of the thief is exactly something Anakin would have done, and in fact did in Attack of the Clones. Luke’s bravado in responding to the thief that he wasn’t insane, he was a Skywalker even brought a feeling of familiarity. One could almost hear the Force theme as the holocrons came to life in Grakkus’s warehouse. Although it received a scant thee panels, the TIE Fighters chasing Sana’s ship felt like scenes out of The Empire Strikes Back where Han and Falcon were evading Imperial pursuit.

Han makes a potentially bold proclamation to Sana in this issue. As the fighter pilots fire on Leia, Han implores Sana to return his blaster to him. She isn’t having any of it until Han declares that he is a Rebel too and that he is on the most wanted list. This declaration under fire can potentially go one of two ways. First, this could just be Han being Han. Prior to the Battle of Yavin, Han famously declared to Leia that he wasn’t in it for the Princess or the revolution, he was just in it for the money. By declaring to Sana that he was on the Empire’s most wanted list, he could be falling back on his old self-preservation routine. In other words, they weren’t just after the Princess, and if Sana wanted him to survive, she had better give him back his blaster. However, he also declares, “I’m a Rebel too!” That is a statement of belonging, a statement of identification and inclusion.

Leia asked Han why he willing put his face in front of the Empire and identify himself as one of the Rebels back in the first issue of this series. At the time, Han pleaded that he was just a smuggler with a price on his head, and some ulterior motive was hinted at. In issue four, when Han couldn’t acquire the parts he needed from the Rebellion to repair the Millennium Falcon, he agreed to accompany the Princess on this mission in exchange for the parts. He actively attempted to parlay his assistance in the past for the things he needed then.

That isn’t what Han does here. He proclaims himself to be a Rebel. Technically, one could interpret that as anyone that stands against the Empire. However, he could have just as easily stated that he was an “outlaw” or “a wanted man.” Instead, he included himself in the larger group that includes Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Mon Mothma, General Dodonna, and Admiral Ackbar. Perhaps this is the defining moment where Han ceases to be the loner and officially aligns himself with the larger cause. Perhaps not.

Art and Favorite Panel:

Stuart Immonen has turned in excellent art in his first two issues as the lead artist for Star Wars. The cityscape of Nar Shadda that opens the issue is excellent and portrays a city that is bustling and polluted. The action sequences that follow with Luke tracking down the thief are easy to follow and convey the sense of Luke’s urgency as he attempts to retrieve his lightsaber. This may be a minority opinion, but the portrayal of Grakkus was excellent. Immonen has illustrated a Hutt that is unmistakably a Hutt, and yet at the same time, very unique. Did you notice the lightsabers hanging around his neck? How about the mechanical legs that Grakkus was using for mobility? Moving on to the panels with Han, Leia, and Sana, the illustrations of the TIE Fighter Pilots were exceptional. The perspective of the lead pilot as he advanced on Leia was intimidating. Immonen also draws a mean Princess Leia, and perhaps the best of any Marvel artist so far.

As for favorite panel, there was one that said the most. Once Grakkus forced Luke to open the holocron, Luke overcame his doubt, perhaps motivated by fear, and not only opened the holocron in Grakkus’s hand, but all the holocrons stashed in the warehouse at once. In one panel, Luke bears an expression of awe and wonder as a Togruta Jedi, perhaps Shaak-ti, implores the viewer, “Whoever is seeing this…it’s up to you now. Don’t let our deaths have been in vain.” It is an amazing panel once you realize that Luke had been desperately looking for any clue as to how to continue his training as a Jedi and what his heritage as a Jedi-to-be was. He had spent the last several issues frustrated and lamenting his lack of a mentor and any instruction on what to do next. He was even planning a desperate trip to Coruscant, into the lion’s den so to speak, to try and find answers. His wide-eyed response to the messages pouring from the holocrons says it all, and that is the favorite panel of this issue.