Princess Leia (Marvel Mini-Series)
Mark Waid, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, 2015
Premise: After the destruction of the first Death Star, Leia is at loose ends when she hears that the Empire is targeting Alderaan citizens on other planets. Collects Princess Leia #1-5.
I have heard nothing but good things about most of the Marvel-branded Star Wars comics, and after some recent sales, I'm finally getting around to them. This one I found enjoyable, but not amazing.
I really liked the characters. Evaan is a brash Rebellion pilot who respects the royalty that Leia can claim but doubts her commitment. Tula is a girl they pick up early on who doesn't know her sister is working for the Empire. Jora is the leader of a paranoid splinter group who doesn't trust Leia's intentions. All these ladies also have fun, big hair, which makes Leia's various styles seem more like her heritage and culture.
The art is overall great. I've been an off-and-on fan of the Dodsons' style for years. They can stray too far into cheesecake, but there's none of that here: it's just clear, colorful, and kinetic.
Unfortunately, I didn't think 5 issues were enough to convey any sort of real character growth or development. We know what characters are feeling when they tell us, and while there are a few poignant moments, the story moves along too quickly for any real depth. Most notably, the potential emotional weight of the destruction of the planet is almost entirely sidestepped. There was some real potential for nuance and intriguing questions (such as digging more into Leia's feelings of guilt, or her responsibility to Alderaan vs. her responsibility to the Rebellion), but they're skipped for easy twists about secret transmissions or bigotry against mixed heritage.
It was fun, though, and Evaan is a fun addition to the tradition of kick-ass Star Wars women. It does give you that warm, fuzzy Star Wars feeling.
4 Stars - A Very Good Book
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