Published: November 29, 2017
Cover Artist: Derek Charm
The Trouble at Tibrin
Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Tales from Wild Space: Mattis Makes a Stand
Writer: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
Artist: Annie Wu
The synopsis;
A young Mattis Banz dreams of one day being like his heroes, Luke and Leia. Little does he know that in days past, the famous siblings once made a royal mess of an important mission with the easy-to-provoke Sarkans!
The review;
Last issue was an absolute joy to read, much joy and light in what has become an increasingly darker world. This was mainly due to an incredible story by Landry Q. Walker and drawn by Eric Jones and it was with much delight to see that they were back for this issue (I still can’t look at a light switch without laughing). The second tale in this comic is by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, who are known in Star Wars for the Join the Resistance stories. I was eager to see what they would bring to the table alongside artist Annie Wu….
After last issue’s Pest Control, I had very high expectations from Walker and Jones. The comedic value the two brought by working one another was superb and I was eager to see what they would do as their follow up. They did not disappoint. The story is set in the original trilogy, my favourite of the eras. That’s not to say I would have been disappointed with a different one, Walker proved in his last story, that no matter the era, he’ll make sure the reader has a good time. You can tell however, that this is the era Walker loves. The references to the wider Star Wars universe our superb. The ship the Rebels are travelling on being called Breha, the Ishi Tib being the contacts, there’s lots of little nods to fans.
The show is stolen by Tadd and Liddle, two rookies who are in absolute awe of Luke. The two provide the comedy with their misconceptions of the galaxy, of the Rebels and of Luke. Walker writes it wonderfully, using them to take full advantage of their naive nature. Walker is also able to show us, through them, the hopes of the normal soldier, and their view of the state of things. Like most viewers of the original Star Wars, the two think that with the Death Star blown up, the Rebels will win, that the Empire will slink back. We know that this is not the case, but it’s easy to see why they think that and why the Rebels would use it as a propaganda tool to help recruit more people to their cause.
Leia knows different and even in this short space, Walker really adds a lot to this character. With Tadd and Little being so optimistic, we see that Leia is far more grounded. She isn’t spirited away in the excitement but has a far more realistic view of what will happen, and far more accurate. Throughout this entire story, she is so like her mother Padme. From visually taking her cue from her, to the way she acts. This is the Leia from the first film, all guts and diving headfirst into danger.
It is Luke that for me, has the biggest pay off. The hero worship from Tadd and Little works so well, as we see how they interpret the events we all know. They don’t know about the force, or at least Luke’s connection to it, so all his accomplishments seem even more impressive. Like his sister, Luke is far more grounded, and you can tell he is uncomfortable with how people are now treating him. He knows the journey he has been on wasn’t an easy one, yet from the outside, that’s not how it looks at all. I really like Walker’s take on this, I don’t think we have seen such naive worship before and I think it adds a lot to the image of Luke and how he would appear to others after A New Hope. I also like that we get to see Luke finding Leia attractive. Yes, they are brother and sister, but at this stage, they don’t know that yet. Luke still has these feelings for Leia that he doesn’t understand. Walker doesn’t shy away from it but embraces it. What you get, is a character that feels so much like the one from A New Hope, that hopefully, somewhat naive boy we all grew up with.
Eric Jones, I don’t know why I haven’t yet discovered his art, but I’ve become a fast fan. His artwork is wonderful. It’s very minimalistic, focusing on exactly what needs to be on the page, with nothing else. It allows the characters, the ships, the settings to really pop out of the page and draw you in. The action shots are very easy to follow through and the emotion he is able to convey on faces, really helps to add to the story being told by Walker. A great duo.
The second tale in this issue ‘Mattis Makes a Stand’, follows the early life of Mattis Banz. For those who don’t know, Mattis is the main character in the Join the Resistance series. Although you don’t need to have read the books to enjoy this story, I do feel it added something to it, to know where this character ends up. The one thing that comes through this story is the humour. Crater is sarcastic as ever yet there are a few wonderful laugh out moments. When thinking of heroes, Mattis goes from Luke, to Leia, to Ackbar. Now I’m not saying Ackbar isn’t important, but to put him up there with Luke and Leia I thought was hugely entertaining. The last laugh, which I won’t say for those who haven’t read the issue yet, took me by surprise and put a huge smile on my face.
The main message of this story is how important stories can be. It’s a great message for younger readers, particularly at this time when a lot fo them will find they have extra time on their hands, time that could be spent reading. Hopefully a story like this will prompt them to pick up a book, perhaps even the Join the Resistance series and carry on following Mattis.
Wu’s style for this story feels very vintage and works well with the tale being told. It doesn’t feel like youre in space, but on a ranch in good ‘ol America. It is a very different style to what we’ve seen so far in Adventures but works very well for this story.
Going back to these comics is simply wonderful and it’s great that we have the time at the minute to do that. There are some real gems out there that we may have missed, and I’m realising just how many good stories I’ve not read! The early issues of Adventures are one of those. The duo of Walker and Jones is a match made in heaven, something light-hearted and enjoyable. I was disappointed to see the story in this issue end half way through, yet I’m thrilled that I will get to see more of their work in issue five. To see a prequel to the start of Mattis’ story was also a thrill, as I have read the Join the Resistance series. To link it with Wild Space was unexpected but very welcome. I’m sure I must be sounding like a broken record these days, but if you have not yet read any Star Wars Adventures you are doing yourself a disservice. Issue after issue is full of incredible stories, incredible writing and incredible art that never lets quality faulter. So, what are you waiting for?
Availability;
Star Wars Adventures is an ongoing series that began in 2017. Star Wars Adventures #3 is currently available in digital format from IDW Publishing and comiXology. A physical copy can be found in one of the trade paperback releases from IDW Publishing. Please check with Amazon UK and US, Forbidden Planet in the UK or your local comic bookstore for availability.
