Report Card for Marvel’s Star Wars Comics

PRINCESS LEIA

Princess Leia, oddly enough, seems to have been the most hotly debated series in the lineup on the internet. Some steadfastly love and defend it, while others would easily call it (and do call it) the worst of the new Star Wars comics. While in the beginning I was one of the champions of the series, by issue #3 or #4 I had fallen more into the company of the latter category.

“…one of the gems of this series was Evaan… [she] is delightful and unique.”

One of my biggest issues is with the main character, which is never a good sign. I feel like Marvel missed a real opportunity to dig down deeper into Leia, into her grief, her anger, her sorrow for the loss of her people. I can understand her desire to channel these feelings into reuniting the lost people of Alderaan; in other words, into accomplishing something instead of wallowing in negative emotions. Still, the result fell somewhat flat for me.

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On the other hand, one of the gems of this series was Evaan, who is one of the first new canon Star Wars characters original to the comics (and also one of few canon female Rebel pilots). Evaan is delightful and unique, and makes an excellent companion for Leia on her (rather, their) adventure. Issue #5 left her in an interesting position, and I hope to see more of her as a result.

Another bright spot happened when Leia arrived on Naboo, the homeworld of her mother (unbeknownst to her, of course). Whilst there, she has a kind of vision which I can only assume originates in the Force. It’s a beautiful callback to the prequels.

I would have liked to see more, but once again, we didn’t really get to see into Leia too deeply. Apart from a few flashbacks, she’s focused completely on her mission; and then in the end, she just kind of leaves all the Alderaanians she’s gathered together and goes back to the Rebellion. And that’s it. All that work, and then she leaves, with no one except perhaps Evaan, who has become her loyal friend throughout the series, protesting.

Overall, I give this series a C+. While it was enjoyable, it was also more boring than the other series. Also, there were times when Leia seemed out of character. I did enjoy the art, though it didn’t always help that Leia, in addition to not acting like herself, didn’t really look like herself, either. The ending, while somewhat satisfying, felt too short and neat. I hope to see another go at a Princess Leia miniseries in the future; but I hope the plot they give her has higher stakes and is more mature.

Next: Kanan: The Last Padawan & The Best Comic