The reimagined Star Wars Marvel Comic Book series has been a blast thus far. Adding a wealth of backstory to all of it’s heroes, the graphic novels have succeeded due to their character development and plot points that intersect perfectly into the films.
Back with the second volume of the main series, Showdown On Smugglers Moon, I continue to read through the tales from a galaxy far far away.
There will be heavy spoilers here so if you want to go into the book with fresh eyes then it may be worth skipping to the score for now and coming back to this Review at a later date.
With that out the way let’s dive into Star Wars: Showdown On Smugglers Moon!
Obi One Shot Kenobi
Opening on an Obi-Wan One Shot, the graphic novel gets off to a flying start. The last of his kind, he survives day to day on the harsh wasteland that is Tattooine. A guardian angel to Luke, it’s fascinating to watch the once almighty Jedi Master have to abstain from using his powers in order to keep a low profile and if Disney is still considering doing an Obi-Wan Solo movie (after the Box Office bomb that was Solo derailed that notion) then this would be an excellent place to start.
Han Solo’s Wife
Picking up immediately after Volume 1 is the Han, Leia and his apparent wife: Sana storyline. It’s a blast of an introduction and readers will lap up the banter between the three. The creative team really nailed the personalities of the Galaxy’s most famous couple and their back and forth is expertly mimicked making the work feel authentic and elevating it above the mere fan fiction that it had the potential to come across as.
Another element that the writers and artists nail is Luke’s journey to Smuggler’s Moon. The titular location doesn’t disappoint and when The Young Jedi In Training runs into a Hutt obsessed with the ancient order, it seems like it could be the end for Skywalker. Enslaved by the Gangster, Luke is forced to train as a Gladiator. Whilst it is rather par for the course and slowly paced, it adds the necessary backstory of how he became so talented with a lightsaber between A New Hope and Empire. This fleshes out the universe and once again makes the graphic novel required reading for hardcore Star Wars fans.
Showdown on Smuggler’s Moon
The finale of the book sees the two main storylines come to a head and neither disappoint. Luke really feels at his most vulnerable and there is an amazing cameo from one of the best bounty hunters out that I won’t spoil. It really is the highlight of the run thus far and had me gripped throughout.
This feels 100% Star Wars and ranks up there with some of the trilogies best moments. Capitalising expertly on the setup that had come before it, the climax is packed with drama, action and more. It sends the book off in stellar fashion and beautifully teases the big crossover event ‘Vader Down’ that is yet to come.
The Verdict
Star Wars: Showdown On Smuggler’s Moon is the best Star Wars Marvel Graphic Novel that I’ve read to date. Recapturing the feel of the franchise it reinvigorates the original cast and develops them in new and interesting ways. This is the kind of book I was desperate for when the series got announced and you owe it to yourself to check it out.
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