This review of Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 contains minor spoilers.
OK, let’s be frank and to the point: What Marvel’s Poe Dameron #1 does to Star Wars comics — and canon — is nothing less than spectacular.
Charles Soule and Phil Noto have taken the Star Wars Saga’s comics to a new level, a higher level, setting a new standard for not just this series, but others based on characters and events that we know are key components of The Force Awakens and Episodes VIII and IX.
The fill-in: Poe Dameron takes place ahead of the seventh film, setting the stage for the opening scenes of that film and giving readers — nearly all of whom are already viewers — more detail on Poe Dameron’s backstory, the rise of the First Order, the struggle by the Resistance and, looming over all, the disappearance of Luke Skywalker.
Poe and Gen. Leia Organa begin the search for Lor San Tekka and readers are re-introduced to some familiar faces from Black Squadron, namely Snap Wexley, Jessika Pava, Kare Kun and L’ulo, the Duros who served with Poe’s mother, Shara Bey at the Battle of Endor and in the pages of the Shattered Empire mini-series. From there the comic roars into adventure, intrigue, mysticism and mystery with a cliffhanger ending worthy of a 1930s radio serial.
The creative team is at an apex here and this is just the first issue. Poe Dameron, clearly, is likely to be a stalwart among Star Wars comics titles, one that may drive not only existing fans to new titles, but draw in new readers, too.
Capping it off is the backup feature by Chris Eliopoulos and Jordie Bellaire that sees BB-8 play matchmaker between a Resistance pilot and flight tech.
It’s light, breezy and oh so charming. It also features a cameo by popular astromech R2-KT, too. While it’s not certain this will be a regular part of the book, it definitely should be, of that there is no doubt.
Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 is in comic shops now, selling for $3.99, and on Comixology.
(For more detail and discussion, tune in to the next episode of Comics With Kenobi.)
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