The rebels find themselves trapped in the pocket world of No-Space, where news dangers await the illustrious crew in Marvel’s Star Wars #30.
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Star Wars #30 (2023)
- Writer:
- Charles Soule
- Artist:
- Andrés Genolet
- Letterer:
- Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist:
- Rain Beredo, Stephen Segovia
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- 3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-01-04
- Colorist:
- Rachelle Rosenberg
The Stars Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back shows how formidable the Empire is, as they use their vast resources and workforce to build a second Death Star just years after the destruction of the first. In stark contrast, the rebel alliance currently has only three days’ worth of fuel left, after which it would be near impossible to outmaneuver the Sith Lords. Their current predicament prompts Amilyn Holdo to put her faith in the legend of the Kezarat Convoy and devise a plan to retrieve an abundant supply of fuel cells. Written by Charles Soule with artwork from Andrés Genolet and Rachelle Rosenberg and letters from VC’s Clayton Cowles, Star Wars #30 from Marvel Comics takes the rebels to the bowels of No-Space.
Following the clues left behind by the lost Kezarat Convoy over 200 years ago, the rebel heroes Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca, led by Amilyn Holdo, jump into hyperspace using a piece of Nihil relic. Star Wars #30 opens in No-Space, a once important sector in the galaxy that has now been forgotten and fallen derelict from negligence. The mysterious place makes the rebels temporarily forget about their mission as they soon find themselves in real danger when the droids in charge of security make their way toward the intruders. Their metallic hide and brute strength are too strong for the Force or the blasters to make a dent, forcing Amilyn and the gang into a corner.
Star Wars #30 takes the protagonists away from the usual cat-and-mouse chase and sets the series up for some new dangers. Confusion and anxiousness grip the crew as the exploration into deep space goes horribly wrong. Instead of opening on exposition, writer Charles Soule goes the mystery-thriller route, delving deep into the conspicuously dark nature of the floating rock that is ripe with eccentric characters and deadly droids. The rebels find themselves literally on the edge, but no one is more desperate than Holdo, who blames herself for the team’s misfortunes. This is where the dialogue comes in, as Soule reminds audiences of the different personalities in the ranks, with Lando’s playfulness and Luke’s stoicism making a callback to their onscreen chemistry. Leia’s words echo of sound leadership and have a ring of empathy, motivating Holdo to keep her wits. The uneventful scenes make for most of the interactions, leaving letterer Clayton Cowles to fill such panels in speech balloons to a fault. As a result, the issue feels lengthy to read even though not much information is conveyed.
Andrés Genolet captures the likenesses of the actors quite well, almost transporting readers to a nostalgic past. Lando and Luke particularly stand out from the group, with their faces expressing a range of expressions between them. Genolet’s style is also adept at contorting the characters’ movements to synergize with the animated situations, which gives much leeway to the character designs and allows them to express themselves freely without constraints. As for the colors, Rachelle Rosenberg does a wonderful job of alternating between darker and brighter shades to give the panels enough light while still fashioning a mysterious aura in the darkness of space. While beige seems to be the favored color for the costumes, there are splashes of primary colors in the background that signals the change of pace every time.
Star Wars #30 augments the mythos of the pocket world of No-Space in the galaxy far, far away, introducing some of the pivotal characters of the franchise to something that Soule has been building from the ground up for some time now. Suddenly, the horizons of the Star Wars universe seem broad enough for renewed inspection and exploration, which only increases the avenues of storytelling even more. The story arc that began with an off-kilter break is slowly becoming more interesting by the minute, and fans of the series will roll with the punches that this off-route adventure has to offer.
