Published: September 17, 2025
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Alex Segura
Artist: Phil Noto
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Phil Noto
The synopsis;
THE PAST RETURNS!
• As LUKE, RYNN, HAN and VALANCE race to find a group of stranded traders – they uncover a startling, and deadly, relic from the past – and have to face off against a horde of BATTLE DROIDS!
• LEIA and MON MOTHMA face an unexpected and powerful attack!
• Who is the new leader of the Nagai resistance?
• Cornered on a desolate planet, our heroes are left with one shocking option to survive!
The review;
Roger! Roger! Last issue we were promised that our heroes of the Rebellion would be having to face off the prequel menace of battle droids. There has been a lot of foundation setting in this series, it inevitably had to explain to readers the political climate that is ensuring after Return of the Jedi. Yet, at times, it has meant that the story is very weighted down. An all-out battle perhaps with everyone joining in? Could it be a lighter issue to allow readers to catch their breath? It might be just what this series needs. Part four had brought our heroes back together, had good pacing and was just what you should expect from this sort of series. Leading the charge is writer Alex Segura, whose task to bring us the chaos that is this era is not easy. With him is artist Phil Noto, who can guide us through the story with a steady flow in a style all of his own. With the groundwork laid, prequels and originals meeting, I’m rather optimistic about this comic!
A lighter comic this is not. While what is happening with Luke, Han, Valance and Rynn on Loradil takes up much of the comic, it is interspersed with what else is happening in the galaxy. Unlike the departure that was taken in issue three and seemed pointless, the diversions here show exactly what chaos is erupting around the chaos. We go to Kaltrais to see that the Nagai are rising up against their oppressors. They’ve had enough and after the intervention of Leia last issue, are ready to do something about it. It’s almost funny, the Rebellion has defeated the Empire, yet Leia is still inspiring the oppressed to rise up, even though they’ve already taken the shackles of the Empire away. I think Segura has done this to show that there are so many battles still to be fought, still so many people to save. The Empire was the tip of the iceberg for a much more deep-seated issue that is prevalent in the galaxy.
This is then further enforced by another tangent that Segura takes us on. We see Mothma and Leia talking, trying to deal with the issues around the Fenril Consortium. Mothma is there, wondering when it will end, wondering when the fight for freedom can stop and peace reign. They have stopped when tyrant, yet more seem to show their faces. When you look at the previous divergence from the main story, it shows that they are still inspiring. Yes, they’ve defeated the Empire, but they were not the only ones that needed defeating. The victory against the Empire inspires others to also take action. While Mothma wants to see peace reign, it can’t yet, that inspiration will cause more unrest in the galaxy rather than peace. At least for now. These two subplots work really well together, cementing their reasoning for taking us away from the main story.
Oh, and how I love the main plot. I would have been very happy to read a story just about this. It starts very quietly, too quietly. It’s here I need to pause to mention Noto. He works his magic here. The panels themselves are sparse, with not much to see. By doing this however, he makes the locations seem quiet. It’s a great little cue for the eyes that leaves us a little unsettled, that something isn’t right. The panel of our four heroes, with Luke taking point, his lightsaber lighting the dark interior of the carrier is fantastic.
What ensues is that our characters are trapped by battle droids. Nothing more. Yet it’s the perfect sort of Star Wars battle that I could watch or read again, and again. The droids come out with a tactical droid at the lead. Perfection. Now while we know droids aren’t that great, George Lucas always intended that it was their numbers were the real issue. We see here our heroes doing their best to defeat so many battle droids, yet the numbers make it extremely difficult for them. And when the first wave is gone? Another comes, this time with different types of droids. The reaction of one of the tactical droids to a Jedi is perfect, really cementing that Luke has joined the ranks of old. While there are a lot of droids, we see Luke have that confidence again. Confidence in himself, in his abilities and in the force. This is Luke we never see much of in the films, but it is one that I always like to read about. This is Luke at the height of his powers, almost unstoppable.
While the story here is simple, it almost needs to be. The two tangents that we are led down could drown the reader in the political nature of it all. This part of the story allows for a break from all that, for the reader to immerse themselves in the simple joy of Star Wars. The promise for issue six? Our heroes in clone armour? I wouldn’t say no!
While I was hoping for a simplistic issue, Segura clearly understands that his readers need some sort of break. While the main story is heroes versus droids, he can intersperse all of that with little fragments of the events in the galaxy that link up, that show us that rebellion breeds rebellion and that while we think the galaxy should now be in peace, it’s just begun to descend into complete anarchy. It’s a very realistic approach to the events of the films and I am becoming very curious where this is going to head.
Availability;
Star Wars (2025) is an ongoing series published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available from comiXology and your local comic book store.
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