Comic Review: The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #3 (of 4)

Noto’s direct cover for The Battle of Jakku: Insurgency Rising #3 brilliantly captures the main players on this galactic game board. Moff Adelhard determinedly stares off into the distance flanked by his Imperial cronies, yet Luke Skywalker looms behind as a light in the darkness. McKone’s variant also features Luke in a moment that could be straight out of The Mandalorian but is actually a hint at one of the surprises in this issue. And finally, Sprouse’s anniversary variant for The Phantom Menace will have you yelling, “Now this is podracing!”

At the Battle of Endor the Empire fell. But that was only the beginning. While the Rebel Alliance has achieved a massive victory, the Imperial remnants are desperate to keep control of the galaxy or seize power for themselves. It’s a time of unrest that will push the newly emerging New Republic to its limits. It’s also an area that has been explored in quite some depth during the Journey to the Force Awakens publishing, including the Aftermath series and Shattered Empire.

So, what can Insurgency Rising add to this time period? A lot of the storytelling will feel familiar to fans who have read Life Debt or Alphabet Squadron. An Imperial sector is refusing to bow to the Republic and is continuing the fight. Brave Rebels are trying to get them to surrender. Where Insurgency Rising feels different is how it’s tying together some stories that have previously been limited to Star Wars gaming titles.

After the Spice Runners of Kijimi fail to capture the Rebels aboard their freighter, Adelhard is furious. They represent a potential threat to his tight control on the Anoat sector. He’s taunted by Reyna, one of the Acolytes of the Beyond who briefly appeared in the first issue. It’s a little strange that she’s here as Adelhard clearly has no belief in anything except military might, but considering his obsession with power it’s possible he wants to subconsciously emulate Vader or even Thrawn by having an ally who’s attuned to the Force.

But luck doesn’t hold out for the Rebels. While appearing to be captured gets them aboard Adelhard’s Star Destroyer, it doesn’t work out the way they planned. Rather than sneaking out of the cells to search the ship, they’re intercepted by Reyna and Commander Bragh. This is a brilliant fight scene illustrated by Kirk and Morales, with the use of blurred motion and silhouettes adding a raw sense of frenzy to it.

It also allows for a brilliant comic panel transition between two cloaked characters. One a villain. The other a hero. Segura is fantastically weaving a fast-paced story using new and old characters that’s got just enough nostalgia to feel like Star Wars yet with an exciting array of fresh faces that makes it harder to predict where the story may be going.

There’s also another cut to Chandrila, which are some of my favourite moments in Insurgency Rising. Getting to witness the struggles of the nascent New Republic is fascinating and something that hasn’t been explored much outside of the Aftermath trilogy. There’s an incredibly powerful moment between Luke and Leia as she tries to process her feelings of exhaustion over the ongoing battles. Leia feels there is no end in sight and Luke’s response is an important message:

‘Even in complete darkness, we just need to look. We’ll find the light.’

It is this resiliency that will eventually ensure the success of the Rebels, even tying into Cassian’s belief that ‘Rebellions are built on hope.’ It is the indomitable spirit of the Rebel Alliance and the enduring hope of its members that is what makes them different from the Empire.

With so much action happening throughout Insurgency Rising #3, Kirk and Morales’ art is a riot of details, colours, and composition. There is so much to take in on every page, which makes the character moments stand out even more. When Luke is speaking to Leia, or even when Adelhard is contemplating on the bridge, the backgrounds are deliberately simpler to let the expression and emotion of the characters come through. It’s absolutely incredible and makes you pause when reading.

Insurgency Rising #3 is really driving this plot forward and doesn’t take many breaks from the action. While there’s more focus on the dogfights and brawls rather than the machinations of Adelhard, it’s refreshingly different from the previous two issues. Plus, the little interlude on Chandrila sets up the next twist in this story perfectly. Next issue will see Luke Skywalker coming to help save the day… again.