Published: March 8, 2023
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Justina Ireland
Artist: Pere Pérez
Colour Artist: Jay David Ramos
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez
The synopsis;
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS!
• The Starros clan are on a collision course of a lifetime!
• What mysteries from Sana’s past are coming home to roost
• And whose party are they about to crash?
The review;
Opening issue was a gamble, would there be enough support for a supporting character? Justina Ireland showed us exactly why we should care, why we should read and what sets this series apart from Doctor Aphra. A story centred around family makes this already very different from the other series, lots of small things to add dimension to Sana Starros. It also helped that the artwork, by Pere Perez, was incredible, really drawing you into this story. After a somewhat peaceful start (well it felt peaceful compared to Doctor Aphra!), I’m expecting Ireland to really start using the pace. Sana crossing swords with the Empire, it can’t go smoothly, can it?
This is definitely a story of two halves. The first is the story following Sana; the other is following Aryssha as she’s with the Imperials. I have to admit, it’s the latter that really interested me. Her husband, Officer Ehllo, is the kind of Imperial who you just hate. Ireland has created an officer that is just awful to everyone around him. He looks down on his troops and affords them little in the way of luxuries. You can hear his troops complaining about the food, yet he and his wife eat some of the finest meals that the galaxy has to offer. Yet, even though they are treated as such, the troops still follow their orders and worry what the officer will think if they do something wrong. It shows just why the Empire is able to maintain control: through fear. There is nothing special here, this is what we expect from an officer, and I like that. Ehllo isn’t some super, deep-thinking officer, or someone who has special skill, he is just typical. It sets the tone that this story is just that, a story that isn’t (nor should it) have galaxy defining events. Interestingly, Aryssha is a lot kinder to the troops, although this could just be because she’s been sneaking around. I can’t help but think that Ireland is throwing the question out, if the troopers were treated with a bit more respect, would they be more productive?
The other half of the issue is focused on Sana, and we learn a lot about her and her family. We see some flashbacks that focus on Sana and Aphra, I love that the latter isn’t ignored. Aphra is a big part of Sana and Ireland pays homage to that, as well as using it as a way of bringing humour in. The exchange with the bounty hunter had me laughing, as it is something Aphra would most definitely do! Even though she is not there physically, Aphra is still getting Sana into trouble. We learn more about an individual from Sana’s family called Avon Starros that studied crystals, and the heirloom they are trying to recover is based on this knowledge. Now crystals in Star Wars could mean several things: lightsabers, Death Star arrays or something we’re not even aware of! It’ll be interesting to see how Ireland plays this in future issues.
It is the flashback of Avon that really made me go wow at Perez’s artwork. Usually there is so much detail to his work, but for the flashback he pulls back and keeps it almost entirely focused on the character with a subdued background; it works very well! But all through this issue there’s panel after panel of incredible shots. The dual page of the ion cannon between the two ships is just filled with detail. The realism of every panel just screams out and really envelops you in the story. I’m so glad Perez is a part of this project, and I can’t wait to see what else he has up his sleeve.
Ireland also gives us more information on Sana’s gran, who use to be a sniper for Enfys Nest. talk about a surprise. That certainly shows some links to Rebel like activity and makes me want to find out far more about her character. The only part of the Sana history that didn’t really come as any surprise was the last page and were introduced to Deva Lompop. The way it’s shown, I think this might have supposed to have been a reveal, yet with her on the front cover, I feel this was taken away from the story a little. Lompop has been cropping up over several publications in the last couple of years. We know that she was a Nihil from The High Republic, which as Ireland has written a book in the era, shouldn’t come as a surprise. She has also appeared in The War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event. She’s a character who is immediately recognisable and if you’ve absorbed everything Star Wars, will probably be looking forward to finding out a lot more about her.
This is an issue that is still setting itself up, establishing who everyone is and what’s actually going on. I’m really enjoying it! Having followed Doctor Aphra since it started from seeing Sana for the first time in the main Star Wars series, I have always been fascinated by the character. Unfortunately, as a sidekick, there’s never been much time for much delving into Sana. The more Ireland shows us, the more I want to see, and it is this that makes me continue reading. Coupled with this artwork, this is a relaxed look at a non-movie character, and I like that it is off the main path of the galaxy timeline.
Availability;
Sana Starros is an ongoing series available from Marvel Comics and retails at $3.99. This issue is available via the Marvel App, comiXology and all good comic book stores.
