Star Wars (2020) #10 - Comic Review

Check out the review of the previous issue before moving on!

This is the aftermath of the excursion the small Rebel group of Pathfinders went on behind enemy lines of Coruscant to find a droid that could translate the ancient language of Trawak. Tensions are high as not everyone made it back from the mission and the Rebels are forced to rely on See-Threepio to activate the long dead droid.

Shortly after the return of the Pathfinders, Lando, and Threepio from their mission to Coruscant, we find the protocol droid and Artoo-Deetoo tasked to reactivate the long obsolete “Talky” droid in order to have someone that can create and translate codes for the Rebel Alliance in an ancient language that would prove nearly impossible for the Empire to crack. They are able to reactivate the droid, but are subsequently attacked by it until Lobot steps in to help the droid settle down. Lobot and the Talky have a sort of shared connection through their technology that helps the droid calm down and function normally. The Rebels think everything is all well and good until the Talky droid realizes it will probably be discarded after giving them access to the Trawak language and instead forces them into a deal: the droid helps create these much needed codes if Lobot continues to help the droid function normally. On top of all this, Leia sends out a new squadron team Starlight Squadron to help locate other hidden Rebels and Lando’s past deal with Jabba comes back into his life!

Writer Charles Soule brings more tension and character moments here as he slows down the action and turns this issue into a time sensitive drama. He really makes us feel just how desperate the Rebels are in getting these codes figured out as soon as possible from frantic judgements to making deals with long gone droids. He also continues to reference the story-line he started way back in his Lando (2015) comic series between Lando and his best friend Lobot. It shows how well the interconnected stories work within the Star Wars universe, and I for one cannot wait to see how this plays out. Artist Jan Bazaldua and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg continue to impress with their beautiful work in this issue. Bazaldua gives us a fantastic contrast between the Talky droid’s menacing appearance early in the issue when it’s more of a threat due to system corruption compared to the much softer and intrigued demeanor after it decides to start working with the Rebels. And Rosenberg again stuns us with her beautiful colors, especially during the reactivation scene with the droid, Threepio, and Artoo as well as the later Starlight Squadron sequence. Her use of reds and magenta makes the menacing and intense scenes really feel that much more of a threat.

While the story here has minimal action sets, this issue still continues the intense and time sensitive threat to the galaxy as the Empire is right behind the Rebel Alliance who is trying desperately to get access to the long gone language of Trawak to create secret codes and tip the scales back in their favor!