STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS ADAPTATION #3
Writer: Chuck Wendig
Penciller: Marc Laming
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Release Date: 8/24/16
Price Tag: $3.99
Marvel’s Force Awakens adaption continues! Readers are in for a treat this issue, with the plot continuing fast, Rey and Finn are joined by Han Solo and Chewie for a full issue – finally! Taking our heroes to Maz Kanata’s Castle in Takodana, things surely won’t stay nice and dandy for long.
Plot: Rey and Finn joined together with Han and Chewie, things seem great right? Except for the fact that last issue left our heroes with the terrifying Rathtars! Escaping fast with the wit of Finn and Han, they make their way to Takodana. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren and General Hux have a terrifying encounter with Snoke. Issue #3 features a lot of set up for what is sure to be an action packed #4. Finn is faced with a difficult personal matter and Rey hears a young girl crying for help. Not to mention the Dark Side seems to be planning something throughout this issue and that lightsaber at the end….
Story: Wendig begins to bring more to the characters with issue #3. They have more conversations with each other that build them up and through higher stakes they naturally become more interesting. Even though Wendig is adapting Force Awakens, he still manages to bring something new to dynamics that were already loved in the film.
One of my favorite moments came from this brief panel – Han Solo being his witty, quick spoken self. Able to throw a slight jab at BB-8 followed by a real compliment to Chewie, it’s this panel that shows that Wendig knows what he’s doing with these characters. Maybe it’s knowing the tragic end of Force Awakens but the moment Han showed up the comic series picked up in enjoy ability.
Another great relationship highlighted more in this story is Rey and Finn’s. With Finn’s decision to leave the group, Rey is faced with yet another loss. With Laming’s art to help, the pain in both their faces is heart wrenching. The tear and the “last” goodbye within this panel, contrasted with the rest of the issue makes some good stuff.
Art:
Since this is an adaptation and the character’s actors are known, Laming’s art just feels weird. They are drawn very realistically, to a point that’s uncomfortable. This seems to be Laming’s way of handling something like Star Wars. Not every Star Wars title has the hyper realistic feel to its art. Terry Dodson, the artist of the Leia Organa comics, makes the art not so focused on appearing realistic and this works. These are new characters for the most part and Laming could’ve given them a new look in the comics rather than focusing solely on making them appear realistic. Definitely a downfall to this adaptation.
Verdict: While the first few issues of this adaptation felt flat and simply a repeat of the film, this issue began to change that. While it remained pretty close to the film, there were little moments that proved it could do its own thing successfully. The build up within this issue was essential as well and issue #4 could be a make or break for whether this adaptation is worth it. Issue #4 is going to bring the most exciting and mysterious part of the film to the pages – it’ll be interesting to see where they go with it.