STAR WARS #17
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Leinil Francis Yu
Inks by Gerry Alanguilan
Colors by Sunny Gho
Letters by Chris Eliopoulos
Release Date: March 23, 2016
Plot:
Princess Leia and Shana Solo must work together to stop a group of bounty hunters from releasing all of the Rebellion’s recently captured imperial prisoners. Does the rebel princess of Alderran have what it takes to stop a large scale prison break?
Story:
The story is divided into two separate stories. The main story involves Leia and Shana dealing with a prison break being attempted within the newly established rebel jail. The second story follows Han Solo and Luke Skywalker as they go on a smuggling mission. The use of two stories make the book feel disjointed. Leia’s story is serious and tense, while Han and Luke’s story is very lite and comical. I understand that Aaron wanted to use Han and Luke’s story as a way to break the tension from Leia’s adventure, but in my opinion it really throws off the pacing of the comic. Don’t get me wrong Jason Aaron has mastered writing in these character’s voices and Han and Luke’s story was fun, but it really felt out of place to me.
Leia is the character that gets to shine. You really get a sense of her skills as a leader and strategist. I loved her banter with Shana. They have developed a really fun friendship. Leia and Shana get several action scenes that are well done. I don’t know about you guys, but I love seeing ladies in the Star Wars universe kicking major ass. However, I felt like having her go up against some random bounty hunters and droids didn’t really help me feel the gravity of the situation. Also, I’m not a fan of Dr. Aphra so I wasn’t interested in her story, and the cliffhanger didn’t have the intended effect on me. If you are a fan of the character you may feel different.
Art:
I think we’ve been spoiled by all the great art that this series has had. The character designs is always impressive. Each character bears a stunning resemblance to their movie counterparts, which is something I’ve always felt was important when it comes to doing a comic based on a famous movie franchise. The colors are very bright and vibrant. They really help to make the art pop, especially during the action scenes. I also love all the wide shots of Leia standing like a badass with her blaster ready to fire. If I had to pick one major flaw in terms of the art it would have to be facial expressions. I feel that the characters’ facial expressions are the most important part of the art. They help sell the dialogue as well as convey character’s emotions during important situations. I felt that in this issue the facial expressions were really lacking detail, especially when it came to Leia’s eyes. Overall these flaws were not enough to keep the art from looking solid.
The Verdict:
I’m enjoying this arc so far. Princess Leia is one of my favorite Original Trilogy characters, and seeing her have a chance to be in the spotlight is a pleasure. She shows a lot of initiative and leadership skills, and reminds us that Han isn’t the only one who’s good with a blaster. This princess can hold her own, which is something that I’ve always admired about her. My only big issue is that the Han and Luke story really threw off the momentum of the Leia story. It felt really out of place. Don’t get me wrong I love Han as much as the next guy, and it’s cool seeing him and Luke bond but this story really wasn’t needed here. Overall I’m interested in seeing where Rebel Jail goes from here. I’m rooting for Leia, and I recommend that if you’re a Star Wars fan or Princess Leia fan you should go pick up Star Wars #17.