Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Echoes of the Empire #2 – Shadow Over Batuu

Darth Vader is on the hunt for a special artifact that the rebellion is also after. Will Princess Leia and the rebels be able to outmaneuver Vader while on Batuu?

Creative Team

Ethan Sacks (Writer), Jethro Morales / Roi Mercado (Artists), Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorist),
Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Jay Bowen / Anthony Gambino (Designers), Mikey J. Basso (Assistant Editor),
Mark Paniccia / Grace Orriss (Editors), Robert Simpson (Senior Editor), C.B. Cebulski (Editor-in-Chief)

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Shadow Over Batuu

Issue two of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Echoes of the Empire continues to tell the story of a special artifact that the rebels are searching for. Little do the rebels know, Darth Vader is also on Batuu searching for the same artifact. According to context clues, this artifact holds some sort of power that both the rebellion and the empire want.

This issue does an outstanding job of taking readers into the streets and underground compounds of Batuu. Readers will see iconic characters getting involved in Star Wars situations. As if this were a movie that was transferred to panels and pages. One aspect of this is the visuals of C3-PO and R2D2 sharing a moment during the middle of a battle causing R2-D2 to make signature noises and whistles. A sound every Star Wars fan knows immediately.

The Writing

Ethan captures the pure essence of a Star Wars adventure in this issue. It seemed as though every page and every panel we had a place or character that had me feeling like a living version of the Leo meme. I loved that he found a way to continue the adventures of our OG heroes while bringing them face-to-face with Darth Vader once again. He is on a rampage, looking for what appears to be an egg or something vital, while the Black Spire Outpost bands together to resist him defiantly.

Throughout the story, Ethan’s ability to unfold the narrative made it easy for me to transport myself into the story, having been to Galaxy’s Edge a ton of times. Seeing these characters come to life in a place fans can visit has my imagination going wild, hoping to see them in the parks myself one day.

The Artwork

The artwork captures every single detail of Galaxy’s Edge, making me feel as though I were standing in Batuu watching this issue for myself. The details inside of Oga’s Cantina had the booths detailed to perfection, and even the placement of the Falcon was where it would be found if we were visiting for ourselves. The art team gave me an even bigger fun surprise, and one I never thought I would see, and that was Chewy landing a hit on Darth Vader! It’s a quick action sequence; however, you can feel through his helmet the surprise Vader felt in that moment. The final page was colored so beautifully as we see Vader ignite his saber, leaving us on an epic cliffhanger.

Variant Covers

Final Thoughts

I had an incredibly fun time with this issue, having been to these exact locations at Disney many times. Ethan, Jethro, Roi, and Rachelle transport us into this issue seamlessly and build an adventurous tale that captures the heart of what makes Star Wars so great. If you are at the parks for a visit, you may be able pick up Ethan’s Galaxy’s Edge comic. It even comes with various covers and figures as well!

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

Links

Comic Book Reviews & Entertainment News: Nerd Initiative
Previous Galaxy’s Edge Review: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Echoes of the Empire #1 – Brawl at Black Spire
Matt’s NI Portfolio: https://nerdinitiative.com/author/hopsgeeknews/
Matt’s Personal Content: http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews

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