Writer: Jaso Aaron / Artist: Salvador Larroca / Marvel Comics
One thing that fascinates me about comics as an art form and an industry is that I can’t imagine the degree of hubris it takes to write a book based on some of the most beloved characters ever in geekdom. I mean, it’s a book, a universe, a story that might be one of the most famous ever told in pop culture. One wrong plot twist and the fandom will come after you for life. So when the comic rights to Star Wars returned home to Marvel, I was in awe that Jason Aaron had the courage to handle such a huge task. And issues like this one put me even more in awe that his script succeeds at every turn.
I cannot geek out enough about how wildly entertaining issue #36 was. This might be one of the top five best issues of the series and it was all about R2D2. The book reaches back a volume or so to follow the captured astromech during his time aboard Darth Vader’s star destroyer. Only someone as innovative as Aaron could use R2’s user manual as his internal narrative and be engaging and hilarious. I believe this is the comic book equivalent of a singer being so good, they could sing the telephone book and still wow the audience. R2 and C3PO’s chemistry is just as fun and in the panels as it is on screen. Aaron is a master at mining the magic of these characters and putting it to the page as if he lifted deleted scenes from the original movie scripts.
Salvador Larroca’s artwork isn’t nearly as distracting as it’s been from time to time during his run. Each panel does well playing upon the subtle comedy of Aaron’s script, conveying so much range from two main characters that don’t even have facial expressions in the first place.
Bottom Line: Of all the solo character issues so far, this one ties with the Luke/Leia issue as probably the best of Aaron’s final issues on this title. Whether you’re a decades old Star Wars fan or have only ever watched Rogue One, this book has something awesome going on for you.
Reading Star Wars? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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