Published: July 18, 2018
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Charles Soule
Penciler: Angel Unzueta
Cover Artist: Phil Noto
The Synopsis;
Where were SNAP WEXLEY, JESSIKA PAVA and the rest of BLACK SQUADRON during the events of THE LAST JEDI? Fighting for the very survival of THE RESISTANCE, of course. Now, at last, their story can be told…
The Story;
The Awakening part four opens with Poe Dameron watching a recording of Jess that has been intercepted by the Resistance. Before watching too much, Poe asks C-3PO how the tape ends. The protocol droid explains that the video simply cuts off, that Poe will not know the fate of his squad.
We are then launched into Jess’ recount of events, beginning with Black Squadron leaving D’Qar, while the rest of the Resistance is evacuating. The squad heads to the planet Pastoria, where the King (King Siroc) has a lot of sway over several systems that could help the Resistance. The pilots notice that there has been some damage to parts of the planet, as if there has already been fighting.
When Black Squadron land, they are greeted personally by the king. Explaining why they are there, the squad is surprised that the King so willingly agrees with them. However, the King quickly points out that he isn’t in a position to help as he is dealing with terrorist attacks that need to be solved first. Snap agrees that he and his pilots will fly escort for a transport that will be flying through a region controlled by the terrorists as it will help the King and therefore the Resistance.
While flying escort, Black Squadron encounter a group of ships that are poised for attack. Although Snap argues that they never agreed to fight, he soon finds himself swept up in the battle with himself and the squadron defending the transport. As the enemy pull back, the squadron is horrified to find the King’s ships shooting down an unarmed transport.
Once landed, Snap confronts the King, demanding to know what they’ve just helped with. The King explains that the transport was carrying his primary rival, who will now no longer be a rival. His rival would have resisted the First Order and got them all killed, whereas he will deal with them and keep his people safe. The King then tells Black Squadron to get as far away from the Resistance as they can. With no doubt in their minds, Black Squadron leave the planet, moving onto their next destination that could help the Resistance…
The Review;
Although I have enjoyed the retelling of the sequel movies from different perspectives, I was eager to read the story of Black Squadron and where they were during The Last Jedi. As soon as the issue starts, there is a worry for each and every member of Black Squadron. With Episode IX over a year away, there is no knowing the fate of any of these pilots, which for me, makes the whole storyline even more exciting. Not knowing what limitations Soule is under when writing this, I thought it an excellent move to have C-3PO explain that there was no conclusion for the fate of Black Squadron. I do wonder whether this was for Poe’s benefit or the readers. We assume that when the comic concludes in a couple of issues, that as a reader, the fate of the squadron will be known. Reading this issue though, I’m not so sure. Is Soule going to have to leave their fate up in the air to allow Episode IX a chance to utilise these characters if it needs to? I hope not, but that is the burden of having a film released after the comic.
Poe only appears in this issue for a few pages, and yet his portrayal is near perfect. We finally see Poe bought down to his lowest point; his squadron. In all the storylines, I don’t think we have ever seen Poe seem as down as he does here. Yet all it takes is one tiny piece of hope for him to come back from the brink. His faith is put to the ultimate test and Poe passes. It is such a small scene, but from the previous issues, it feels far grander.
The actual story of Black Squadron, well, it was slightly disappointing for me. Having waited so long to see their story, this fell flat. The idea of a monarch having sway over systems I like. However the ignorance of Snap to what was actually going on seemed a little far-fetched. It is obvious that the King is hiding something, yet the squadron never stop and question it. You could argue that they are in a rush to get help for the Resistance, but that almost seems to undermine the pilot’s intelligence. These pilots are some of the best and have been on many missions, they don’t just rush into an obvious set up, particularly without Poe.
I hold this series to a very high standard as it has shown time and again that the writer is one of the best; his attention to detail and deeper meanings is excellent. In any other series, I would have perhaps enjoyed this issue more, but for the last few issues of Poe Dameron I must admit, I want a bit more. I’m hoping next issue that I can apologise for my slightly negative stance, as the next issue will show me something to make me rethink this opinion (and if anyone can do it is Soule!). And this is not to take anything away from the artwork by Unzueta, which is breath-taking as ever. Here’s hoping that Soule can end the series on an all-time high, because if any series deserves it, it’s this one…
Availability:
Poe Dameron is an ongoing series available from Marvel. This issue is available via the Marvel App and all good comic book stores. This issue retails at $3.99.
