“Lockdown Legends” isn’t just about the Expanded Universe (EU), so I am reviewing the modern canon Star Wars: Forces of Destiny. The reason for this is because Forces of Destiny is all about the little things that make people everyday heroes. Not lightsaber battles, dogfights or destroying super-weapons, but simple acts of kindness and compassion. Right now, in these difficult times, we need to celebrate our everyday heroes, and be inspired by those in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny was a series of animated shorts that originally aired on the Star Wars YouTube channel, and the episodes were fun for fans of all ages. If you have Disney+ you can now watch them on the holo-computer of your own starfighter – or use a tablet or TV. There was also lots of tie-in merchandise, from a figure range with varying degrees of success in likenesses (the Ahsoka doll was the best, although I try not to think how much I paid for mine), costumes and this fabulous comic mini-series published by IDW.
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny really brought the girl-power, which makes me the perfect choice for reviewing these comics, and I’m excited to write about the morals and messages we can all learn from these stories. While many of us are self-isolating like Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine (although perhaps trying not to scare the neighbours with weird noises), it’s a time to find these stories for the first time, or rediscover forgotten favourites. So, join the Jedi News team on our journey through ‘Lockdown Legends’ from the comfort of your own Millennium Falcon galley – or kitchen – in a galaxy not so far, far away.
May the Force be with you!
Published: January, 2018
Writer: Elsa Charretier & Pierrick Colinet
Artist: Elsa Charretier
Colourist: Sarah Stern
Letterer: Tom B. Long
Cover Artist: Elsa Charretier
The synopsis;
The Star Wars Forces of Destiny initiative celebrates the inspiring stories of iconic heroes from a galaxy far, far away….
Star Wars Adventures has joined the festivities with an exciting weekly series of comic books that explores all corners of the Star Wars universe, showing how choices both big and small ultimately shape the destinies of beloved characters, such as Princess Leia, Rey, Padmé, Ahsoka, and Hera along with your soon-to-be favorites from The Last Jedi, Rose and Paige!
Fans will be excited to discover these stories told by talent from across Star Wars novels, comics and animation, including Delilah S. Dawson, Elsa Charretier, Beth Revis, Jody Houser, and Devin Grayson!
The review;
After witnessing the destruction of her home-planet, escaping the evil clutches of Darth Vader, and surviving against the Empire, Princess Leia is extremely frustrated that she can’t wrangle a tauntaun over the icy plains of Hoth. No matter what she tries, the beast just won’t co-operate, and Leia can’t understand why she can do so much that’s challenging, but the supposedly simple act of riding is proving difficult. However, when her mission to find vital supplies leads Leia into the lair of a hungry wampa, an uncooperative tauntaun is the least of the Princess’s worries.
Reading this comic honestly feels like watching an actual Star Wars film, because Charretier and Colinet’s story truly captures the heart of Leia’s personality. They’ve taken an iconic character and made a story that just feels so right – it’s hard to describe in words but read the comic and fans will understand. Leia is a leader who always puts others first, never complaining about her own problems, and throughout Forces of Destiny #1 she’s selfless and strong.
Another aspect that both authors have captured perfectly is Leia’s relationship with Han. The banter between the two feels so organic, and never forced for the sake of comic-relief, which is a difficult balance to strike. Han’s arrogance is brought down a notch or two quite a few times by Leia and these scenes are just hilarious. Seeing Leia with Hera Syndulla though is really special, and it makes perfect sense for the twi’lek rebel to be on Hoth, as it’s easy to imagine The Ghost parked in another hangar under the ice. If anything, it would have been nice to see a bit more of these two strong women together, but Forces of Destiny #1 is quite rightly all about the Princess of Alderaan.
Charretier’s artwork of Leia is wonderful throughout this issue, and the Princess’s determination comes across through brilliant posing. A surprising standout though are actually the tauntauns! In The Empire Strikes Back the tauntauns are rather static, using only noise to communicate, which was simply because of the limitations of creature effects back then, which were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are now in modern Star Wars films. However, in Forces of Destiny #1 their eyes, noses and ears all lend themselves to creating emotive faces that help to tell the story. Leia’s tauntaun looks dejected when his reins are being yanked around, sneaky when he’s trying to run off, and scared when the wampa attacks. The humble tauntaun is taken to new heights in Charretier’s artwork.
Leia might not be a natural tauntaun rider but in one line from Forces of Destiny #1 she snaps to Han that she learned to ride thrantas in her youth on Alderaan. Now this links to another part of the canon – a very brief moment in Moving Target by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry, in which Leia explains she was a junior steeplechase champion, presumably on thrantas, although they were not named at that time in the novel. It’s a single line yet it’s these small connections that make the galaxy feel so big.
No matter how strong a person is, whether in physical strength or tenacity of personality, it is impossible to be good at everything. This is the lesson Leia learns in Forces of Destiny #1. It’s not about being good at everything, but getting back up when you fall, and to keep getting up even when you feel like you can’t. It’s a profoundly inspiring message that will resonate with many readers.
Forces of Destiny #1 may be aimed at younger readers, but the wonderful story combined with its powerful morals will engage fans of all ages. If fans are looking for a quick, lighter Star Wars read or maybe a different style of artwork to enjoy, then Star Wars: Forces of Destiny #1 hits all the right notes and definitely in the right order.
Availability;
The original IDW Star Wars: Forces of Destiny mini-series ran in 2018, encompassing 5 issues. Star Wars: Forces of Destiny #1 is currently available in digital format from the IDW Publishing, and comiXology. A physical copy can be found in one of the trade paperback releases from IDW Publishing. Please check with Amazon or your local comic bookstore for availability.
