Comic Review: Star Wars (2020) #40

Onto the story itself, Soule opens with a recap for new fans who have only just found the series (if you have, I highly recommend going back and catching up!). He uses the talky droid to do this, and I absolutely adored this opening scene. Yes, it catches us up as a recap, but it also provides us those key quiet, character moments that Star Wars is so famous for, as well as Soule himself. It allows the story to take a breath, to allow readers to collect their thoughts. It shows us just the sort of character Lando is – in case we didn’t know- and shows that with so much lying and weaving those lies with other lies, that Lando has got to now face the music… or at least that is what Soule wants us to think. Hearing the talky droid explain it all, you can’t help but be impressed by Lando, how he’s actually managed it!

To reinforce the point, Soule takes us in a flashback to Alderaan. Here, Lando and Lobot are together after another job and Lando is explaining how lying works. I love how much Lobot idolises Lando, you can see it in the way he talks to him. Beneath all that, is a character who is also concerned because he loves Lando so much but is afraid that it is all going to come crashing down. It’s refreshing as well to see true love based on friendship rather than something more. This is a friendship that is so true and real. It allows us to understand just what Lobot means to Lando, why Lando will go so far for his friend and how much Lobot grounds Lando. It is really touching. I’m praying that this isn’t setting up Lobot’s demise. I mean, story wise, it would be fascinating to see how Lando responds, but oh the heartbreak!

Lando gets back to the Rebellion, and we think we know how it’s going to go. In my introduction, I said you just can’t predict Soule, the red herrings are everywhere! We think Lando is going to face the music, but by telling the truth, Leia will support him… Nope! Lando just lies, lies, lies, with some element of truth so he can still not face the music. It’s so Lando! At some point, surely, he is going to have to come face to face with all the lies. There’s another part of me thinking that maybe Lando just takes all this deceit with him through Return of the Jedi, I mean, that would be unexpected!

Suffering no repercussions, Soule is able to launch a mission with the heroes. I don’t know why; I wasn’t thinking we’d be able to see the team reunited with all these problems. I love the mention, that the Rebellion is almost crippled with no droids. It’s a huge advantage of the Empire to run ships that don’t require an astromech at this point. We usually see the Rebellion ships as having an advantage over the Empire, yet here we see the limitations. As Luke, Leia, Lando and Chewie go off to track Lobot, Lando also has to mention the droid core of the Falcon. At the start of the issue, I had wondered if it would come up, and I’m so pleased Soule doesn’t ignore this fact about the beloved ship.

We finally get to see what the Scourge is doing. This issue focuses heavily on Lando and feels much more of a Star Wars issue than a Dark Droids comic. I think it was the right time to do that, to catch up back with our characters, to have those thoughtful moments. It makes you sort of forget just what a dire situation the galaxy is in. Until we see the rows and rows of creatures, ready for experimenting on by the Scourge. Talk about hitting the reader over the head with, “We’re doomed!”. It’s brilliantly done, and you can’t help but think that our heroes are a little out of their depth, as well as having no ideas how they will save the galaxy and Lobot!

There is doom and gloom in the galaxy, yet Soule and Musabekov create an issue that still feels so much like it can slot in with the Original Trilogy. The conversations, the quiet moments, the familiar settings, the old team back together, I mean the list is almost endless to how the duo create this amazing recipe for Star Wars. We think the story is going to go in one direction until Soule throws us somewhere completely different. And then it’s back to Dark Droids! It feels like this was the breather issue, the issue that takes some time to regroup, to get the characters ready for the finale. As much as I can’t wait for this series to end, to see what will happen (well, a little frightened too), I don’t want it to end. This crossover event has really shown what a crossover event can do, and I want more. One thing is for sure, our characters are not going to be the same after it and with only a few issues left across the Marvel catalogue, the ending is in sight.