Star Wars Saga (2019-) #1
Marvel Comics
Writer: Jess Harold
Artist: Various
Star Wars comics were what first got me into the medium. Superhero books were just as impenetrable ten years ago as they are now. But Star Wars didn’t have that problem. Dark Horse ensured that their comic line was accessible without just being extensions of the movies. The emphasis on miniseries that, while in continuity, could be picked up without much previous context was invaluable for someone starting comics. This varied from book to book but speaking from personal experience, it was much easier to pick up Dark Times than Spider-Man.
Unfortunately, Marvel’s tenure with Star Wars comics seems to have forgotten that lesson. Star Wars Saga #1 is a thirty-page recap of the main book and certain spin-offs, in preparation for the line’s upcoming relaunch. I’ve shared my thoughts on this kind of book before, in my Transformers Historia review. Star Wars Saga especially stings, as there was a time where a book like this wasn’t even necessary. For the sake of fairness, I’ll try to avoid further comparison to Dark Horse’s stellar time with Star Wars. Partially because even in a vacuum, Marvel’s handling of the franchise has been pretty lacking.
For some more context, I’ve read some issues of Marvel’s various Star Wars books but none of it ever caught my attention. I’m willing to give the newly announced series, Empire Ascendant, a chance though. As much as I disagree with it in concept, this recap is helpful in getting a sense of what I’ve missed. Secondhand information and Wookiepedia entries can give you the wrong impression, so I wanted to at least give Marvel a chance to make a case for their work. For better or for worse, Star Wars Saga has validated my decision to give most of Marvel’s Star Wars output a miss.
A common issue with recap books is the presentation. This book is a perfect example, as the art is a messy collage of panels and covers taken from various series. The mix of so many different artists on one page would be bad no matter who it is. That’s compounded by how badly Marvel handled the art on the Star Wars titles. Even good artists like John Cassaday produced some average to subpar work. At it’s arguable worst you have Salvador Larroca’s hideous traced artwork, in which Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia venture right into the uncanny valley.
Blatant theft aside, very little of what’s presented in Star Wars Saga looks like it belongs in Star Wars. Everything feels too clean or high tech. It doesn’t even have the “lost golden age” aesthetic of the prequels but rather generic contemporary science fiction or even a vaguely superhero look to it. You can instantly tell who’s a preexisting character and who was introduced in a marvel comic, even in the individual panels. None of these problems are new to Star Wars comics but Marvel seems to have made the issue worse.
Poor visuals aside, there seem to be some conceptual problems at play as well. Star Wars is no stranger to bad ideas, especially in the licensed material. But a lot of the concepts they throw out there sound downright laughable and the art doesn’t sell it either. A panel of Han, Leia, and Chewbacca wielding lightsabers in preparation to fight their way through a Jedi temple might be worst in terms of tone and appropriateness. I’m reminded of the crude photoshop fan art I pored over as a kid, albeit with higher quality execution. That doesn’t change how laughable the panel is, both in concept and the final product.
Another less amusing but more egregious example is the SCAR squadron. A band of elite stormtroopers with unique skills and equipment, they’re led by the lightsaber-wielding Sergeant Kreel. Aside from more blatant misuse of the franchise’s most iconic weapon, they also diverge from the traditional presentation of Stormtroopers. Legions of faceless, interchangeable soldiers led by singular, nightmarish figures have been a running theme of the franchise, established with Darth Vader and the seemingly endless battalions of Stormtroopers under his command. This Power Rangers style elite unit feels a lot less impactful and in some ways, more juvenile. Star Wars needs some fresh ideas but right now it’s stuck churning out ill-conceived takes on preexisting concepts, like the SCAR Squadron.
To Star Wars Saga‘s credit, Jess Harold does a good job unpacking four years worth of storylines and making them coherent. She tries to add some narrative flair, such as Yoda-style speak for his panel. On the whole, it doesn’t work that well but it’s nice to see this kind of effort and creative flair put into a recap. None of these concepts or storylines sounded any better when I had first heard of them, so I doubt Harold is misrepresenting them. The more recaps I read the more flawed they seem but Star Wars Saga is one of the better ones. The problems lie mainly with the material it has to cover more than the actual presentation. Regardless, if you want to get ready for Star Wars: Empire Ascendant, this book will get you up to speed.
