POE DAMERON #9
Writer: Charles Soule
Penciler: Phil Noto
Colorist: Phil Noto
Inker: Phil Noto
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 14, 2016
Plot: Poe Dameron and Oddy head to Kaddak with C-3PO to track down and retrieve an operative. The issue also takes a look into Terex’s past and develops the idea that he might have a bigger plan up his sleeve.
Story: Soule continues to really add depth to Poe Dameron with this issue. One of the biggest questions with this book is always how it will continue to bring new layers to it while already having pre-established characters from the movies. It’s been a ton of fun to see characters like Poe and Snap in the comics, but a story really needs more than that to have a long-running tenure. While Poe’s plot continues to be fun, it’s still mission based, but issue nine shines as it explores Terex more and more.
The first time Terex pops up in this issue is when a child on Kaddak attempts to steal from him, unaware of who Terex is. The expectation would be for Terex to immediately enforce the law against this child or at least teach him a lesson in some way. The boy’s mother is incredibly scared in this moment to the point which says a lot about the situation; however, Terex does the complete opposite and actually gives the kid some money or something else. 
Soule definitely takes advantage of getting to explore Terex and really give the readers a well developed antagonist character. Terex is a gigantic mystery right now and someone fans haven’t seen before, so the character really comes off as a wildcard throughout each issue. On top of this, Soule has also started dipping into flashbacks of Terex’s origins, which provides only more depth to the villain.
Terex actually seems hopeful and more lively in the flashbacks, which clearly reflect upon a younger man during a different time period. He has so much hope in the Empire and the idea of bringing it back which is a different and unseen side to the character. Terex has been interesting, but Soule continues to make him really compelling through the duel storytelling of present and past timelines within the single issue.
Art: Phil Noto has really controlled the Poe Dameron series as much as Soule has with his artistic style. Being the only artist on the book has allowed him to set a tone for the artwork that feels really fitting for a Star Wars related comic. Noto has a very sketch like and minimal feel to his artwork but there is still a ton of great detail and facial work as well. In plenty of scenes the artist brings a great amount of detail to background character’s faces and fills out scenes immensely. The Star Wars series has an infinite amount of aliens to create and choose from, and Noto really takes advantage of that in Poe Dameron.
The scenes in the comic just feel fully complete with Noto’s artwork attached to Soule’s storytelling ability. Each scene and panel gives translates the Star Wars feel from screen to page nicely and helps the book to flow by allowing readers to visually grasp the emotion and feelings being expressed by the characters. Poe Dameron has the opportunity to really explore the new reaches of the Star Wars universe as this new era of characters and stories continue to be built upon. Having Noto aboard this book as the artist just continues to expand the background of the story while bringing everything to life.
Verdict: Poe Dameron is a really fun read for anyone who wants to continue exploring the Star Wars universe. It just adds to the new era of the universe and focuses on a fun character who has the logical ability to explore the universe. The book’s political aspect adds interesting conflict to the story but continuing to explore Terex as an antagonist is what elevates Poe Dameron to the next level. His backstory and motives are really interesting and change the story’s dynamic going forward.