Published: October 20, 2021
Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Squad Goals, Part One
Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Manuel Bracchi
Colours: Bracardi Curry
Letters: Johanna Nattalie
Done Dirty
Writer: Anne Toole
Artist: Nick Brokenshire
Letters: Johanna Nattalie
The synopsis;
Commanded by Luke Skywalker, Rogue Squadron tangles with the Empire in the Outer Rim, but the young Jedi has more than Imperial TIE fighters to deal with. New recruit Myra Chimor just won’t listen to orders. Can the hot-headed pilot learn how to fly as part of a team or will her need to go it alone lead to disaster?
Cavan Scott joins Manuel Bracchi for the beginning of a two-part X-wing adventure, “SQUAD GOALS”!Then, in „BUBO’S ADVENTURE,“ by Anne Toole and Nick Brokenshire, Ree-Yees has lost Jabba the Hutt’s beloved pet, Buboicullaar! Explore every inch of the filthy Hutt barge with Ree-Yees as he races to find Bubo before Jabba can toss him off the ship!
The review;
Star Wars Adventures is back, and it sounds like an amazing issue. The first tale, by The High Republic author and collaborator Cavan Scott, takes us on a Rogue Squadron adventure. He is joined by Manuel Bracchi, who is no stranger to IDW’s Star Wars. The second tale, is by Anne Toole, well known for Horizon work and who has contributed to The Empire Strikes Back: From A Certain Point of View anthology. She is joined by Nick Brokenshire, who is making more and more appearances in this series (and I’m glad he is!). This one I’m very excited about, as a few years ago I had a focus vintage collection based around Ree-Yees and I can’t wait to see what this duo do with the character.
The first story, Squad Goals, sees Rogue Squadron with a new member, Ibti Myrak. From the very beginning, this story oozes with nostalgia on every page. From the pilots checking in and introducing themselves to the reader, to the target locking displays on the X-Wing. Both Scott and Bracchi know their audience and know those little pieces that really remind fans why they fell in love with the original movies. Going further into the television series, we see Blade Squadron flying with the Rogues. It is everything I could ask for from a Rogue Squadron adventure. This isn’t something that feels over the top, nothing that is noteworthy in terms of the battles between the Rebellion and the Empire. It feels like a day in the life of Rogue Squadron, which makes it feel even more special because of the mundane nature of it.
The story focuses not on the activities of Rogue Squadron but the actions of the rookie. Ibti Myrak is a very, very irritating character. Her hot headedness is infuriating at parts as she seems to think she knows it all and doesn’t need to listen to the older, more experienced pilots. Through her, Scott is able to introduce the main lesson of the story, teamwork. Myrak doesn’t like to work as part of a team, and it means she is a danger to the rest of her teammates. In the military, following orders is essential to making sure that battles can be won. Yet, even beyond this, Myrak has no respect for her teammates nor her commander. You can feel the disdain coming from her towards Luke who isn’t who she thought he would be. Rookie is the perfect way to describe her in every sense, she thinks war is pretty, where victories are won by one person, rather than the realities, that heroes aren’t all about glory. For younger readers, she’s a character to really reflect on, to realise that going it alone is not the way.
The artwork by Bracchi really brings the battles to life. There is a lot of action here and the ships look wonderful. From the TIE’s to the X-Wings to the B-Wings. This is a dream for any original trilogy fan. The pace is perfectly matched to that of the movies, along with the nostalgic elements already mentioned, Bracchi really helps to brings Scott’s story to life.
The second story, called in the issue Done Dirty although the synopsis has it as Bubo’s Adventure, is the shorter of the two stories and is very lighthearted and fun. Ree-Yees has a very special place in my fandom and Toole does a fantastic job of bringing this character to life. Nothing more than a pet sitter, she creates a very nervous character who always seems to find himself in trouble. Just like a lot of the other beings that inhabit the palace, Ree-Yees is extremely nervous of his boss Jabba. I’m sure lots of children will be able to relate with having a similar relationship with their teacher. Even though his life is on the line, Ree-Yees still can’t seem to stay focused enough to find Jabba’s beloved pet, the buboicullaar. As well as feeling sorry for Ree-Yees, you can’t help but cheer on the bubo as it runs amuck aboard the sail barge.
The artwork is done by Nick Brokenshire. As always, his artwork is full of detail on every panel, and you will find that you have to pause in your reading to take it all in. Ree-Yees looks particularly fantastic, with Brokenshire taking the outfit of the vintage figure and giving it life. With Toole, the pair are able to bring wonderful humour and light-hearted fun to this adventure.
This comic feels like a real treat for original trilogy fans. First a story about Rogue Squadron with then a tale following one of Jabba’s henchmen. Each is laced with nostalgic qualities that will please any fan. I can’t wait to see the finale to Scott’s tale, particularly as I’ve been listening to the newly redone Rogue Squadron audiobook by Michael Stackpole. After last issues return Galaxy of Fear and with a focus on a vintage character, it really feels like Adventures is tapping into the more obscure elements of Star Wars that are so rarely touched. For me, it is absolutely working, and I hope this continues in the issues to come…
Availability;
Star Wars Adventures (2020) is an ongoing series published by IDW. This issue was released on October 20, 2021, it retails at $3.99 and is available from your local comic book store and online retailers. In the UK, it is available to order from Forbidden Planet.
