Star Wars #5 – Fighting With The Past

Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I’m going to be reviewing the 5th issue of the mainline Star Wars series from Marvel Comics!

Our heroes Luke, Han, Rynn and Valance have been sent on a mission to the planet Loradil to save some traders that have been stranded on the planet! But before they can even find them, our heroes have come face to face with none other than a group of Separatist battle droids! So what will our heroes do? Let’s jump into it!

Star Wars #5 by Alex Segura (Writer), Phil Noto (Artist) & VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer) is a fantastic issue that is sure to delight every Star Wars fan on some level!

The Story

Alex Segura is on an absolute roll when it comes to his storytelling in Star Wars. The issue picks up right where issue 4 left off, and it kicks right into high gear from the start. I loved seeing the various battle droids from the Clone Wars again, and getting to see them interacting with Luke, Han & company was such an added bonus I didn’t know I needed. This story really felt like one the writers from The Clone Wars 3D animated series would’ve done if they had an opportunity to work with the original trilogy.

Going along side this is the storyline with Mon Mothma & Leia as they struggle to get the fledgling New Republic on it’s feet and going. They’ve barely got through the Battle of Jakku and finally put the Empire behind them, and now they’re facing the Fenril Consortium. A consortium that directly opposes the New Republic and does NOT want to work with them. There isn’t a whole lot that takes place in this issue, but there is one moment that is sure to feature heavily in issue 6.

I really do love the political storyline Segura is writing, because we get to see something we thusfar haven’t seen in this new cannon post-Disney acquisition. Yes, there is A LOT of history in the Legends timeline, but this feels new and exciting. And personally, I do love a good political story in my movies/tv/comics.

The Artwork

Phil Noto might be my favorite artist in all of comics right now. To me, he is the PREMIERE artist for Star Wars across every title they have going right now. He does such a tremendous job at capturing the likeness of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. The action sequences are some of the best in all of comics & every panel means something. He doesn’t waste one single panel with filler and really elevates the story to incredible heights. If you see Phil Noto on the cover, do yourself a favor AND BUY IT! You won’t be disappointed!

FINAL POINT: This is a Star Wars story that is quickly climbing to the top of my must read list each time it comes out. Alex Segura is penning an absolute masterpiece, and the artwork from Phil Noto is truly some of the best you’ll see on the comic stands. There is a story that every Star Wars fan is going to love!

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

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/!

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