Published: June 7, 2023
Writer: Jody Houser
Artist: Jethro Morales
Colourist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: Ryan Brown
The synopsis;
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THE EMPIRE TOOK OVER?
• As operations begin to take shape on the moon of ENDOR, a technician must figure out how to live under the control of THE EMPIRE.
• But if he can’t stay out of trouble, what will the Empire do with him?
• Continuing the 40TH ANNIVERSARY celebration of RETURN OF THE JEDI, JODY HOUSER & JETHRO MORALES pull back the curtain of the Empire like never before!
The review;
Faceless. Nameless. Replaceable. That’s the image conjured by Brown’s direct cover as a squad of stormtroopers stand at the ready. Yu and Riley’s variants are somewhat similar, though this time the troopers are in action, and Riley focusses on different angles for scout troopers. Meanwhile Garbett’s connecting variant is Boba Fett himself, looking very menacing in the shadows of Jabba’s palace and surrounded by his bounty hunting colleagues. As part of the ongoing anniversary for Return of the Jedi, these covers ask readers what they would do if the Empire took over. It’s a difficult question, and Houser’s story is a bittersweet tale of one man just trying to do his job.
Rilo Grenth has been assigned to the forest moon of Endor. Employed to test the new communication systems, it’s his first time away from home and he’s excited to be working for the Empire. He’s also desperate to prove Granth Technologies is happy being requisitioned by Imperial forces. Trying to make the best of a difficult situation, Rilo puts all his effort into being the perfect employee, determined and reliable. Shunned by troopers and officers alike, he finds himself in an isolated position, with no one to help when the ISB come calling.
While Star Wars is about the rebels fighting the Empire, that’s only one part of the galactic picture. There are plenty of everyday people who just want to keep their heads down, their families safe, and to get on with everyday lives. How does that make for a good Star Wars story? The Empire #1 shows how injustice comes for everyone, even those keeping their heads down. It’s brilliant storytelling. In only a few pages Houser makes us care for Rilo. He’s a young man excited to see the galaxy and help his family. With Granth Technologies under the Empire’s fist, he wants to keep the company from being liquidated as just another Imperial asset. It’s not that Rilo wants to work for the Empire, but he does want to keep his family legacy safe.
And so, he pours everything he has into trying to be a model employee. He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t take breaks. Rilo keeps going through it all. Being outside military conscription, he’s shunned by everyone else on Endor’s base, from troopers to officers alike. It’s impossible not to feel empathy for his character as he sits alone, trying to conform, yet not able to fit in. As Rilo tries to make friends, a pretty alien concept for the Imperials, he only gets himself into worse situations.
So, he has a brainwave. If the Imperials won’t accept him for himself, then Rilo will prove himself through the strength of his work. Testing each communications network over and over, Rilo wants to ensure that everything is working at maximum efficiency. Even if he has to break through a few virtual security walls. Unwittingly he stumbles onto the systems for the second Death Star, which can’t currently be seen from Endor’s base. Although Rilo is a little awkward and bumbling on times, even he realises the seriousness of this information.
For a time, it seems that Rilo’s error has gone unnoticed. Yet the Empire sees all. Before Rilo can leave Endor for his next assignment, he’s detained by the ISB. Interrogated and confronted with the evidence of his so-called guilt, Rilo’s attempts at friendship and improving efficiency are reframed as sabotage. Condemned as a rebel spy, he’s given no chance to plead his innocence. Rilo’s struggles are a glimpse at the Empire’s total control, from seizing businesses to rigging the justice system to their favour. No matter what Rilo says, it falls on deaf ears because the Empire can do what it wants. Each panel with the ISB is chilling because they are so willing to condemn Rilo just with circumstantial evidence.
This is a great time to mention the artwork Morales, which really captures Rilo’s uncertainty. He’s got a lot of nervous ticks on page, continuously ruffling his hair and generally being awkward. While the Imperial base on Endor is only seen briefly on screen, here it’s expanded, but still claustrophobic as Morales suggests how the Empire has tightened its fist around Rilo’s life. His room is tiny, barely accommodating the bags the young man arrives with. Then there’s the constant sense of loneliness, the halls emptying when Rilo walks through and having to eat alone at the mess hall. Even without Houser’s lines, the gist of the story is carried by this amazing artwork.
During Rogue One, Jyn Erso says the Empire doesn’t matter if you don’t look up. Whether that’s at the Empire’s flags or a Star Destroyer in orbit. Houser proves it does matter. Whether or not you’re looking up, the Empire will come for you, and they don’t care if you’re a loyal citizen. If the Empire can win and maintain control, then they will sink anyone in their path. If you think that reading about an Imperial technician isn’t interesting, then think again. The Empire #1 is one of the best Star Wars one-shots ever from Marvel Comics.
Availability;
Star Wars: Empire is a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available via ComiXology and from all good comic book stores.
