Comic Review: The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #1 (of 4)

Noto’s direct cover for The Battle of Jakku: Insurgency Rising #1 could be a movie poster. Luke Skywalker is brandishing his lightsaber, surrounded by his friends, while the evil Grand Moff Adelhard looms behind in threatening gloomy tones. Reis’ variant is also very dramatic, focusing on Vader’s melted helmet and clearly inspired by the introspective scene during The Force Awakens when a tormented Kylo Ren tries to connect with his grandfather.

At the Battle of Endor the Empire fell. But that was only the beginning. While the Rebel Alliance has achieved a massive victory, the Imperial remnants are desperate to keep control of the galaxy or seize power for themselves. It’s a time of unrest that will push the newly emerging New Republic to its limits. It’s also an area that has been explored in quite some depth during the Journey to the Force Awakens publishing, including the Aftermath series and Shattered Empire.

So, what can Insurgency Rising add to this time period? A lot of the storytelling will feel familiar to fans who have read Life Debt or Alphabet Squadron. An Imperial sector is refusing to bow to the Republic and is continuing the fight. Brave Rebels are trying to get them to surrender. Where Insurgency Rising feels different is its main character.

Grand Moff Ubrik Adelhard. He debuted in the Star Wars: Uprising mobile game from 2015, and was the villain that players had to usurp in order to free the Anoat sector. This first issue sets up basically the same story as Adelhard tightens his grip on the Anoat sector, though his characterisation is explored in greater depth. This is a man who has had to fight his way to every promotion, from stormtrooper to officer. He’s ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes.

He’s obsessed with upholding the ideals of the Empire. So much so that he states that whispering about the deaths of Vader or the Emperor is high treason. While other Imperials took this opportunity to seize power for themselves, like Gallius Rax, that is not Adelhard’s mission. He seems to be determined to crush the Rebels and continue the war. Seeing where he goes and whether his obsession will lead him deeper into delusion will be interesting to find out.  

And then we cut back to the forest moon of Endor. I absolutely loved this moment as not only does it set up how the Rebel Alliance will be vital to this story, Segura decides to focus on Leia. She walks up to her father’s pyre to talk to his mask. This is such an incredibly powerful moment as Leia has a very complicated relationship with Vader. This is the man who tortured her. He stood by while her home planet was destroyed. But how would Leia react to his death?

Leia is a very forgiving person, but she can’t forgive her biological father. She’s angry. And she wants nothing to do with his legacy. This really ties in with her feelings towards him in Bloodline by Claudia Gray, as well as contributing to why she keeps her lineage hidden. There’s a great moment where Luke tries to get her to understand, but she completely shuts him down. Leia is determined to work through her feelings by herself.

However, the Skywalker siblings aren’t given long to speak as they’re soon interrupted by a new arrival. A survivor has escaped the Anoat sector and is desperate to warn them about the Imperial threat. Adelhard has a lot of firepower at his disposal and very little left to lose. While there is a lot of scene setting in Insurgency Rising #1, Segura really keeps the pace up and it never feels jarring when switching between the perspectives of the Empire or the Rebels.

And the artwork by both Kirk and Raffaele is incredible. Kirk illustrates the main storyline ‘Last Resorts’ and really focuses on the emotion required in a scene. There’s detail to the dog fights as debris flies everywhere, but then the moment between Leia and Vader is so much simpler to draw you into how the characters are feeling. The second part ‘The Rising’ is done by Raffaele and is so dramatic. There are bold compositions of Adelhard framed by his mentors, or a close shot of his determined expressions. It’s a great contrast and helps to suggest his totally different outlook on the galactic war.