Galactic espionage hits the Empire- hard!
Eneb Ray has been undercover in the Imperial bureaucracy for years…but now, he’s the only chance to save Rebel sympathetic senators!
The Review
Star Wars Annual #1 takes a break from the big three to showcase the unsung heroes of the Rebellion. In this issue we get a look at Eneb Ray, a Rebel agent buried deep within the politics of Coruscant. When a bunch of pro-Rebel senators are taken prisoner for execution, Princess Leia calls on Eneb to save them. It’s up to him to infiltrate the prison, save the senators, and make it out alive all on his own. But things never go simply.
This one shot follows Eneb’s adventure to rescue the senators and a dangerous run in with the Emperor himself. While the story and art work aren’t bad, it’s also not exactly ground breaking. We’ve seen agent story done before, and it just makes me sad that John Ostrander isn’t doing more Agent of the Empire comics. For those who read the Agent of the Empire series, Eneb really doesn’t compare to Jahan Cross. The surprises tucked within aren’t enough to boost the wow factor, and even tossing in the Emperor doesn’t really elevate the fun.
First off, we all know the Emperor can’t be killed, so it’s always a matter of what else you can do. In the case of this story, they play it completely safe and nothing happens to the Emperor at all other than him winning a total victory. Without the surprise, without stunning characters, and without any truly memorable moments, Star Wars Annual #1 is sadly just another comic to bide your time. I like what Kieron Gillen is doing in the Vader series, but this one felt like a waste. A much better one shot would have been a Dr. Aphra adventure.
Artwise, there isn’t a whole lot to comment on. The cover is something I just can’t find it in my heart to like, thought hopefully there’s some fans out there who did like it. The interior art is by Angel Unzueta with colors by Paul Mounts. Their artwork is much better than the cover but it’s not the drop dead gorgeous kind that would warrant a must buy. There’s lots of glossy colors, vibrant lighting effects and a decent arrangement of the panels. It’s good, but flipping through it, there aren’t too many panels that really stand out.
As is, I give Star Wars Annual #1 a three out of five
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