This week saw the release of the final issue of Star Wars: Shattered Empire, written by Greg Rucka, with art by Marc Checchetto, Angel Unzueta, and Emilio Laiso. The four-part series is set during the months immediately following Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi, and is part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens marketing campaign.If you haven't heard of it, Journey to the Force Awakens is the name given to a lione of tie-in media Disney/Lucasfilm are publishing in the months leading to the release of The Force Awakens. It comprises a number of novels, children's books, and comics, all featuring new post Ep. VI content intended to set the stage for the events and characters of the new film.
Shattered Empire tells the story of Rebel soldier Shara Bey. Picking up right where Ep. VI leaves off, issue 1 introduces Shara, and her husband Kes Dameron (yes, Dameron) and immediately establishes them as key players in the Battle of Endor. As the story progresses, Shara and Kes are constantly called to opposite ends of the Galaxy, as the Rebel Alliance deals with the new threats posed by a broken and desperate Empire. Along the way, Shara teams up with Han, Luke, and Leia, all the while trying to cope with being away from her husband and new child (... yeah, that Dameron), as she continues to fight a war she already thought was won.
All told, there's a lot of good about this book. It presents more details about the time between Episodes VI and VII, which make it a no-brainer to any fans clamoring for any clues to The Force Awakens. But even to the casual Star Wars fan, there's a lot to enjoy. While uneven at times (I suspect a back-up artist was brought in to meet some deadlines), the artwork does a great job capturing the look and feel of the Star Wars universe. The ship battles feel dynamic yet clear, and read at a nice pace. The depictions of characters from the films aren't as photo-realistic as Phil Noto's covers, but are still familiar and natural.The writing is equally impressive. Rucka does a great job creating an interesting character with Shara Bey. A four-issue series leaves little time to flesh out a character, but still you feel for Shara as she faces this new conflict. Rucka also does a great job depicting the frantic environment of ship-to-ship battles, Rebel bases, and Imperial starships. The new material feels true to the Star Wars universe; the Empire reels from the the blow they suffered at Endor, but still present a very real threat to the Rebel Alliance and the Galaxy at large.
So far, the Journey to the Force Awakens line have done a great job setting the stage for the new film. With glimpses of new characters, looks at previously untold events set between and after the original films, and hints of the new status quo for old characters, the products have a found an enjoyable balance between being exciting stories and interesting additions to the canon, while still heightening the reader's anticipation of Ep. VII. If you've got a serious case of Star Wars fever, it definitely pays to read as much of the Journey to... products as you can, as they refer to the movies and each other in very interesting ways, and will definitely give you a satisfying Star Wars fix. But even if you're a casual fan, just looking for a good Star Wars read, Shattered Empire is a very enjoyable read.
Issues 1 through 4 of Shattered Empire are in stores now, and the collected paperback edition is scheduled for November 18.
