Star Wars Adventures (2020) #1 - Comic Review

Star Wars Adventures—IDW Publishing’s Star Wars flagship series—is back with a new run of comics featuring the first part of a new sequel story, The Obstacle Course, and a special short story, Invasion of Echo Base, celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.

The Obstacle Course, Part 1

Author Michael Moreci writes a new fun adventure for the Resistance’s most beloved characters: Rey, Finn, Poe, and BB-8. On Noaxson, a moon on the Outer Rim, Finn and Poe decide to surprise Rey with a special obstacle training course. The thoughtful “gift” quickly turns to the worst as Rey and her friends are ambushed by a group of pirates, looking to capture Rey and deliver her to the First Order.

The artwork by Ilias Kyriazis and colors by Charlie Kirchoff match the lighthearted core of the story—with stylized character designs and rich hues. In particular, Rey’s facial expressions are emphasized when she is in trouble—her grin perfectly capturing the character’s personality established by Daisy Ridley on the silver screen.

The Obstacle Course is the perfect story to start a new run for Star Wars Adventures—which will conclude in the next issue. Will Rey manage to get through Finn and Poe’s obstacle course in time to catch up with her friends before the First Order arrives?

Invasion of Echo Base

To inaugurate the new Tales of Villainy part of the new Star Wars Adventures series, Nick Brokenshire takes the readers back to Echo Base as Darth Vader makes a bold entrance to capture Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebels’ leadership.

The short story is a little gem that retells the last minutes of the Rebellion’s base evacuation, this time from Vader’s point of view. It almost feels like a deleted scene from The Empire Strikes Back—showing how a little snowtrooper incompetence ultimately caused the Dark Lord to miss the capture of the Falcon’s crew. Another surprising moment was the mirroring of Luke and Anakin in Force visions—from bacta tanks to desperate calls for help—cleverly connecting The Empire Strikes Back to Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One.

Invasion of Echo Base is not just an adaptation of one of the most crucial scenes in The Empire Strikes Back, but an essential expansion of it—further enriching the storytelling while celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie.

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #1 is the perfect start to the new comic book run. What are you waiting for?! Support your local comic book store and grab your copy today and don’t forget to share your thoughts below or on social media.