Published: August 2, 2023
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Luke Ross
Colourist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Leinel Francis Yu and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
The synopsis;
“SCOURGE OF THE DROIDS!” A STAR WARS EPIC LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
• Who or what is THE SCOURGE, and why is no droid safe?
• As a corruption spreads from one droid to the next THE REBELLION and THE EMPIRE face chaos!
• What role does AJAX SIGMA play in all of this? And whose side is he on?
• Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away!
Charles Soule continues his legendary run on STAR WARS with the most ambitious event in STAR WARS comics history! Joined by his WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS collaborator Luke Ross, the superstar team carves a new path for the future!
The review;
Crossover events. They are very hit and miss. Some can be wonderful, bringing together all the different series in a way that really appeals to fans and welcomes newcomers alike. Or they can be so hyped up that you then read the event and think, why? In Star Wars we are getting use to crossover events and to be honest, the last trilogy has been nothing short of spectacular. Well written, well-illustrated and well throughout. These weren’t stories that weren’t carefully thought about. Thank goodness for this next round, Marvel have brought back the same team. Charles Soule. The name should mean everything to Star Wars fans. Not only are his comic series’ some of the most highly regarded ones out there, but his work on The High Republic has helped to show the huge potential Star Wars still has. Along with Luke Ross, who’s artwork I adore, then surely this is the event that we do want next. So, this time it’s to do with droids, and something called the Scourge. If you haven’t read the Han Solo and Chewbacca series, you might want to read that first, I think it may be important as we delve into the opening issue of Dark Droids!
I’m not too sure where to begin. Charles Soule and Luke Ross have written and drawn in perfect unison for this issue. It’s very difficult to separate the two as they have to be able to work together to get this issue write. From the very start there is a creepy atmosphere that just keeps getting creepier and creepier. At one point, I had chills running up and down my spine. The story is following on from the aftereffects of the Crimson Dawn Trilogy, of what happened to the Spark that made a brief appearance in the trilogy and was a huge part of the Doctor Aphra series. Although I thought both series ended their arcs well, there was a part of me that wanted more from The Spark, I’m pleased to see that there is!
The whole issue is narrated by the Spark as it has become a machine. The opening of it recognising what it is, and isn’t, is both interesting with a bit of a terrifying atmosphere. Like a virus, it gets larger and larger, the atmosphere getting darker and darker. How it expands and grows is nothing new. We can see things like this in Ultron form the Avengers, in The Matrix, in Battlestar Galactica. But just because it’s been done before, doesn’t mean that Soule and Ross haven’t captured something truly dark and fearsome. That’s the real trick here, that you start to fear what is coming. We know all the major players are safe, they make it to Return of the Jedi, yet even knowing that you can’t help but be afraid of what they’re up against. That’s the skill that Soule and Ross show us.
And again, I can’t separate the two. Soule creates the emotionless words that really help to set the scene that this is like nothing we’ve come across in the Star Wars universe. But then there are times that there are no words, that the images that Ross produces have to carry the story, carry the atmosphere, carry that terror that seems to come out of every word and every panel. Together, Soule and Ross aren’t letting up. They are going to make sure that you are truly and utterly freaking out by the end of the issue, and it’s fantastic!
Soule brings in all the series’, all the different elements of Star Wars by showing us just how widespread droids are. I have mentioned for the regular Star Wars series that Soule writes, that he is one of the few that never forgets the droids, I’ve mentioned it for years of reviewing his different works. Here, it takes on a completely different meaning. These droids are everywhere and that should be something to fear. In Star Wars he shows us Artoo with Luke, in Darth Vader he shows us the training droids, in Bounty Hunters he shows us 4-LOM, in Doctor Aphra, he shows us – well let’s be honest Triple Zero and BeeTee are already maniacs at the best of times – but you get the gist. This is something that is very easy to crossover to the rest of the works currently being released because they all have droids. We know this anyway, but the way that Soule and Ross present us with this, with the narration of the Spark over the top, makes it a far more menacing affair.
Amongst all this darkness and terror, we do meet up with Ajax. A droid religion of sorts, looking for enlightenment within droids and presenting us with a good versus evil. I’m not too sure where Soule is going with this (can you ever be with Charles Soule), but I like the dynamics that are been presented. Are these going to be the ultimate saviours for the galaxy? Are they a red herring that are simply going to be assimilated by The Spark, end of story? It’s in the issue for a reason, but only time will tell how important the inclusion is.
This hasn’t been an easy review to write. Not because the issue is lacking, not because it isn’t well written or because it isn’t well illustrated. But because it has surpassed all of these in such an incredible way. Soule and Ross show time and time again how they are the perfect duo. Soule trusts Ross to move the story on so many times and every-time Ross is able to show just how capable he is. After the Crimson Dawn Trilogy, I had expectations – very high expectations – but they have all been shattered to what has to be one of the greatest first issues I have ever read. To say that the duo has set an incredibly high standard for the rest of this series is an understatement. That atmosphere, that sense of isolation as this thing spreads, it’s akin to The Thing or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. If this is the sign of things to come, then this is going to be a series that really stands out, a crossover event that is going to be talked about for years and years to come. Whatever I was expecting, it was not this. This is a series that you are going to want to jump on, that you are going to want to experience as it happens. For me, I’m still trying to process what I’ve just read, this is a darkness to Star Wars that I never knew that I wanted! Soule and Ross, how dark are we going to go?
Availability;
Dark Droids is a 5-part mini series published by Marvel comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available via ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
