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Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! And this week I’m going to be reviewing the 1st issue (9th overall) of Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku: Last Stand from Alex Segura & Marvel Comics!
Since this issue is releasing on Christmas and not all comic shops are going to be open, I’m going to go ahead and put a SPOILER WARNING at the start of this issue for those of you who won’t be able to get their copy until a later date.
This series is reaching the homestretch, with this being the 9th overall out of 12 issues. The story overall has been hit or miss, but things have gotten very interesting in the last few issues.
Obviously, we know how things are going to end but there is some room for some surprises before things are said & done. So without further ado, let’s jump into it!
Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku: Last Stand #1 is by Alex Segura (writer), Jethro Morales (artist), Leonard Kirk (artist), Jim Campbell (color artist), VC’s Joe Caramanga (letterer), E.M.Gist (cover artist). The issue turns up the heat on the tension between the fledgling New Republic, Ubrik Adelhard & the remaining Imperial Forces.
The issue is a solid start for the final arc of the series, but it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to the formula. The story focuses on the usual point of views you should expect by this point. Leia’s perspective is particularly interesting because it demonstrates just how much time has passed and also gives a glimpse into the New Republic government, which we still haven’t seen all that much of to this point.
Luke’s perspective is pretty standard for how he’s been shown in recent years. There isn’t really anything too surprising here. Adelhard’s perspective is the most interesting part of the issue. It further demonstrates just how determined he is to see his goals fulfilled. We get to learn a little bit more about his backstory and just why he’s so motivated. It feels like there’s more there. I could be entirely wrong, but it feels like we still don’t know Adelhard’s full backstory and just every detail on what motivates him. Time will tell of course.
The ending of this story is interesting. It sets up nicely for the next issue with a little bit of intrigue and mystery. My only hope is that we don’t get the big payoff and resolution in the final issue. This is the Battle of Jakku after all. It’s the official end to the war between the Empire & the Rebel Alliance. And as such you really should give this a proper ending.
The other story in the issue is called “False Histories”, and much like the main story this one is fine. It fills in a little bit more with Adelhard but it still feels like the creative team is holding back. I’m not saying that I want to see him go full tilt destruction. Let’s just lay it all out there.
Go ahead and give us his full back story. Maybe it’s better suited for a novel, but I really want to know what makes this guy tick. Maybe something like the Captain Phasma novel from Delilah S Dawson. I really feel like they might have something with Adelhard, and I’d hate to see him used for one comic series and then tossed aside.
FINAL POINT: Overall, the issue is a good one. It’s one that you’ll enjoy if you’ve been keeping up with the series. The mystery & intrigue continues to build to a battle where we already know what the outcome is. Just what the finer details will be are unknown. This is an issue you definitely should pick up when you get the chance.
SCORE: 8.0 out of 10
Thanks for checking out my review on Nerd Initiative. For more of my content, check out ODPHpodcast.com, follow me on Twitter, and check out more of my reviews here on Nerd Initiative: https://nerdinitiative.com/author/padawanj/!
