Published: July 15, 2020
Cover Artist: Arianna Florean
The Battle for Horizon Base
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Arianna Florean
The Lost Stories Part 3
Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: David M. Buisán
The synopsis;
Learn more about the heroes and villains of The Rise of Skywalker! In this issue, the spotlight falls on Finn!
The review;
In my last regular review for Star Wars Adventures, I complained about the wait of six weeks seeming so long to be able to read more of these fantastic stories… well, I’ve learnt my lesson and should be very grateful of a wait time of six weeks! It has been four months since we last had a new Star Wars Adventures! Thankfully, we have had Michael Moreci’s The Clone Wars: Battle Tales to fill the void and if you haven’t already read it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Fortunately, Moreci still has time to write for the regular series and I can’t wait to see what he and Arianna Florean come up with. Our second tale is by Cavan Scott, and I’ll be honest, I had to recheck what had happened in the first two parts as it has been such a long stretch! Yet I can’t wait to read the conclusion of this arc. Even with having to wait so long, I’m sure it will be worth the wait, with this issue providing us with two of the very best writers in not only Star Wars Adventures, but in the entire Star Wars galaxy…
The issue opens with ‘The Battle for Horizon Base’. The first thing that really struck me was the art by Arianna Florean. She has done a vast amount of work and, most recently, part illustrated the first issue in Moreci’s The Clone Wars series. The animated style she brings always work and the first page really made me go wow. The wide shot opening it up, with the right amount of detail to give you a feel for the place. And Poe Dameron, my goodness, Florean draws an animated version so perfectly. The mannerism in a single panel is as close to Oscar Isaacs as I think you are going to see. It really helps to envelope you into the world Moreci is creating.
To the story. It focuses on Finn as well as an old Moreci character, Ducain. Ducain was seen in the Flight of the Falcon story that could be seen in Star Wars Adventures and was a very memorable character. His appearance is wonderful to see. There are several Star Wars authors who create their own little universe within the Star Wars universe. The same characters show up and the author is really able to develop them. It feels like Moreci is starting to take this step, to create his own little Moreci galaxy, where each story feeds onto the next. For someone as gifted in writing Star Wars, I can only see this as a huge positive.
Ducain also works as a comparison to Finn. Ducain was a ship thief who has joined the Resistance. Through him, and Finn as well, we get to see the kind of people who are attracted to the Resistance, that the Resistance doesn’t discriminate to any, that all are allowed a fresh start. It doesn’t matter if you were part of the First Order or the wrong side of the law, you still have a place next to generals and Princesses. Moreci really pushes this further, showing that no matter who you are, you are important and can make a difference. With everything going on around the world, this could be applied to all manner of situations. My first thought was COVID-19, that wearing masks, following the guidelines; it might seem small, but it can make a big difference to everyone. For younger readers, this really demonstrates to them the importance of self-worth and doing what is right. When it comes down to it, most people in the galaxy view Finn and Ducain in the same light, that they are both bad people. Yet through them, they are achieving so much to try and free the galaxy. And on a side note, the bickering between the two is also exceptional!
If you read my previous review of Battle Tales, you will know how much I think about the voices that Moreci is able to give his characters. The flow, the language used, fits each character perfectly and this tale is no exception. When Moreci writes Poe, you can hear Oscar Isaacs, when Moreci writes Finn, you can hear John Boyega. It feels so natural that you are not even conscious of adding these, Moreci’s writing does it for you. It adds more and more to this feeling of being fully submersed into the galaxy and the story that Moreci is presenting.
The issue finishes with the final part of ‘Lost Stories’ by Cavan Scott. There’s a lot here I won’t spoil for any who have yet to read the issue, but what a story. From the first instant, you can tell that David Buisán has a huge amount of fun illustrating this part. We get to see Obi-Wan, podracers, Thrawn, Snoke, even…. Jaxon! It really is a feast for the eyes with lots of little nods to every area of Star Wars. What really made me laugh, was the expressions on Noni’s face when she is interacting with Crater. The look of indignation at one point is perfectly timed.
Being the final part of the story, there is little I can say without giving anything away. Yet the message to always look forward to a brighter future fits so well with the world presently. The real surprise for me, is that this is the last Tales from Wild Space, at least for the moment. I have loved this part of Star Wars Adventures, being such a fan of the book series. To have the characters in some shape or form come back, has been wonderful and a real treat for my son and me. I’m very glad it’s Scott who gets to end it and I really hope it returns!
It has been a long wait but one worth waiting for. The stories in this issue are very well written, particularly with the current climate we find ourselves in. Although these comics can be enjoyed by all ages, I do think that the messages in this issue are very important for children to read and understand, to allow them to apply them to our world. Whether on purpose of happy coincidence, both Moreci and Scott have been able to commentate on the world as it is but presenting it in a galaxy far, far away. Along with the beautiful art by Buisán and Florean, it should be easy to see why I love this series so much. This is the ending of this series, with a brand new one following soon after. Clearly with Tales from Wild Space ending, there is going to be a very different format and just like Scott makes clear in his story, I find myself very much thinking forwards to what this new series from IDW will look like.
Star Wars Adventures has had an incredible run. With our Lockdown Legends feature, I have been able to go back to the very first issues and see, even back then, the quality that is held in each and every page. Every issue is filled with lessons for younger readers and stories to enthral fans both old and new. This is the type of Star Wars I always want to read: light-hearted, enjoyable, and most importantly fun. The calibre of both writers and artists is astounding, some of them are amongst my favourites from across the entire galaxy. To see it restarting can only bring even more fans into the fold of the work done by the people who make up this incredible team and I can’t wait to see what that will look like. I will end on a heartfelt thank you to everyone at the team at IDW and the writers and artists who have given us such an incredible series…. may the force be with you…always….
Availability;
Star Wars Adventures is an ongoing series available from IDW Publishing. This issue is available from all good comic bookstores in the USA and from Forbidden Planet in the UK. This issue retails at $3.99.
