Star Wars Adventures (2020) #13 - Comic Review

IDW has one final gift to give Star Wars fans as the year comes to a close, with Rey and Vader center page. The Tales of Villainy anthology has been a fun way to experience Star Wars Adventures this year, and issue #13 is no exception!

First up is Repair Stop written by George Mann with art by Butch Mapa and colors by Charlie Kirchoff. We’re immediately dropped into familiar territory, onboard the Millenium Falcon with our friends Rey, Finn, Chewbacca, and BB-8. They’re transporting a Togruta named Moebin Faltus, whose somewhat shady black market dealings are balanced out by helping people escape the First Order. A damaged portion of the Falcon changes their flight plan and the crew land on the planet Choss to seek aid. Little do they know they’re walking right into a trap set by bounty hunter Kief Varris who’s on a mission to capture Faltus. Panels of fast flying action follow as Rey attempts to help save Faltus from the First Order’s clutches but we won’t know his fate until next month’s issue. Writer George Mann does a stellar job of combining the familiar with the new. With two brand new characters on a brand new planet there could be potential for confusion, but he balances everything well by grounding readers with familiar faces we know and love. Butch Mapa’s art is crisp and sharp, I particularly love his use of outlines, the variety of thicknesses gives it a really comic book feel. Colorist Charlie Kirchoff shines too with Faltus’ costume color choices with all the action happening against some beautiful backgrounds.

Rounding out this issue is the appropriately titled, A Last Chapter, by Danny Lore with art by Simone D’Armini. Taking place on an unknown planet, Darth Vader is on the hunt for an item located on the planet’s Jedi archive. Told from the perspective of a young girl who’s part of a three person team and all that remains to guard the site, they must make a quick decision on whether to stay and fight or flee. The tale is filled with the fear and brutality only the Dark Lord himself can harness, and a catastrophe is left in his wake. While Vader may have succeeded, our young heroine’s work will never be done as she commits what remains of her life to continuing her team’s work. Lore’s choice to tell this story without any spoken dialogue goes a long way in showing the panic and fear that the Empire brings. Even in such a short story, readers immediately feel for the archivist team, even though all hope might be lost. Simone D’Armini’s art is an absolute stunner of a way to end Star Wars Adventures this year. His style is the perfect mix of cartoonish yet realistic, expertly capturing the doom and panic that Vader elicits. The washed out color palate he chooses, filled with gloomy ambers, tans and greens, also adds to the bleakness and despair. His Cover B artwork might tempt you to buy multiple copies of issue #13 as well.

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #13 is on shelves now, so end the year on a high note and pick a copy for yourself today!