Published: November 23, 2022
Rating: T
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artists: Salvador Larroca (Pages 1-3, 36-40), Pere Pérez (Pages 14-19, 34-35), Emma Kubert & Wayne Faucher (Pages 12-13, 20-25), Justin Mason (Pages 4-11), & Paul Fry (Pages 26-33)
Colourist: GURU-eFX (Pages 1-3, 36-40), Dono Sánchez-Almara (Pages 4-11, 12-13, 14-19, 20-25, 26-33, 34-35)
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Phil Noto
The synopsis;
THE CAN’T-MISS STAR WARS ISSUE OF THE YEAR!
After WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS came CRIMSON REIGN…now in the midst of HIDDEN EMPIRE, Qi’ra has shaken the galactic landscape to its core! …But what lies beyond for the Rebellion? For the Empire? What role do the bounty hunters play? And what is happening to Doctor Aphra? Witness the next step in the legacy of heroes and scoundrels in the galaxy far, far away as Marc Guggenheim (HAN SOLO & CHEWBACCA) is joined by a ragtag team of artists to bring you an explosive tale you won’t soon forget! The path to the future of STAR WARS starts here!
The review;
Noto’s direct cover for Revelations is absolutely stunning, setting each of the main storylines into their own sections that flow into an overall composition. It’s so incredibly detailed and having the different characters have a signature colour makes it even more striking. Just as imaginative is Wijngaard’s variant, which has the Eye of Webbish Bog feeding off Vader’s helmet, possibly hinting at how the Mustafarian parasite is feeding off Vader’s own fears. There’s also an amazing Bounty Hunters inspired variant by Cheung, which will likely be highly collectible, alongside a very weirdly peaceful looking Doctor Aphra by Momoko.
Revelations. It’s a big word, but what does it mean? Revelations are a form of enlightenment, usually something surprising and previously unknown. Here in this special one-shot by Marc Guggenheim, revelations abound through each page in a spiralling plot that ties together the storylines of all the current Marvel Star Wars comics. It’s an incredibly ambitious piece of storytelling and highlights the immense planning that goes into these series. Guggenheim has revealed the needle that is threading them all together.
The metaphorical needle in this case is the Eye of Webbish Bog. A symbiotic organism that lives within the fiery lava lakes of Mustafar, it was originally intended to debut in Episode IX, but its scene was cut. From there Webbish Bog appeared in Darth Vader (2020) and it is hinted at that the creature possibly has some kind of Force sensitivity. It can see possibilities for the future and is the storyteller for Revelations. This comic isn’t what will happen, but what could happen. Like any good mysterious and mystical seer, Webbish Bog doesn’t make much sense, speaking in riddles that really annoy Darth Vader.
It warns Vader of what could come, and who is starting to pose a threat to the Empire. Webbish Bog does this by spinning a tale where past meets present and leaks into the possible future. It’s a confusingly genius story. As Sabé’s influence grows within the Empire, so too does her threat. The handmaidens are standing together against the tyranny of the Empire and will stop at nothing to avenge Padmé.
Meanwhile Doctor Aphra, taken over by the Master Spark, is trying to reclaim control of her body, her mind overtaken by the ancient soul. She’s always been a problem for Vader since her debut in Charles Soule’s run from 2017, and the Sith Lord is pretty much ready to be done with the rogue archaeologist. She’s on Vader’s long list of regrets and the Dark Lord isn’t much bothered by this particular revelation.
Much more pressing is Lady Qi’ra’s promise to unleash a long-forgotten Sith Lord, trapped within the Fermata Cage, to topple the Emperor. There’s been a lot of speculation about who this could be, and even more Legends fan-casting (one day Revan will be canon again), and there’s a real hint in Revelations, because it is revealed who the Fermata Cage was designed by – Lord Momin. So, it’s possible that Momin himself is within the cage, or possibly one of his acolytes, which is going to be a major part of the plot for Hidden Empire.
A Legends deep-cut then comes from Kligson’s Moon, also known as Droid World in that timeline. It’s been repurposed for the basis of an old droid revolutionary, Ajax Sigma, who wanted to lead other droids to freedom from servitude to organic lifeforms. However, he was stopped by the Jedi of The High Republic. This could just a little Easter egg to help tie the High Republic into the rest of the saga, or it could potentially be something that actually occurs or is mentioned in Phase II.
Overall, Revelations is bit like those quarterly email newsletters that pop into your inbox unexpectedly. It’s telling fans where each storyline is heading, and it does so in a way that makes Webbish Bog sound like one of the Fates from Hamlet. Is this an essential Star Wars comic? Not really. However, it is still a very clever piece of writing and the different art styles keep the pages really interesting.
Availability;
Revelations is a one-shot comic published by Marvel comics. This issue retails at $5.99 and is available via the Marvel App, ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
