MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
ART: Mike Mayhew
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Marco Checchetto
VARIANT COVERS: Caspar Wijingaard; Movie Cover
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2018)
Rated “T”
“Storms of Crait”
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait #1 is a one-shot comic book. It is a tie-in to Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), the second film in the “sequel trilogy” (after 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens). The story is set on the planet of Crait, which plays a pivotal role in the last act of The last Jedi and which is also a setting of the 2017 novel, Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Leia, Princess of Alderaan (Claudia Gray, Disney Lucasfilm Press). The Storms of Crait is written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker; drawn and colored by Mike Mayhew; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait #1 is set after the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (2017). The leaders of the Rebel Alliance are looking for a new location to establish their secret base of operations. Princess Leia Organa suggests Crait, a “dead planet,” a mining planet. There, she hopes to make a deal with Trusk Berinato, an old friend of her late father.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, the hero of the Battle of Yavin, is struggling with what he sees as mundane duties. What he seeks is action and adventure, not tasks that are similar to the old farm boy chores he did on his former home of Tatooine. Also, Han Solo does not realize how much he has become protective of Leia. Perhaps, Luke and Han will discover their true feelings when their mission on Crait suddenly turns complicated.
I am a fan of Mike Mayhew, especially of his Star Wars comic book art. His photo-realistic style is perfect to capture the likeness of actors who have played classic Star Wars characters for comic book art. In The Storms of Crait, his Princess Leia is the perfect likeness of a young Carrie Fisher. Mayhew's Luke Skywalker and Han Solo don't capture young Mark Hamill and younger Harrison Ford, respectively, in the way he does Leia/Carrie Fisher. Still, he is quite good at making Luke and Han's emotions and facial expressions seem genuine. It is as if Mayhew captured those expressions in photographic images.
Mayhew's seeming dedication to Leia makes sense as writers Ben Acker and Ben Blacker make Leia the centerpiece of this story. This scripting duo does a good job capturing the established personalities of Leia, Luke, and Han, and their scripts offers plenty of Star Wars battle action and even a surprising lightsaber duel.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait #1 is not a great comic, but it is an entertaining Star Wars comic book. Marvel continues to do a good job publishing Star Wars comic book stories that take place in the time between Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Thus, regardless of how you might feel about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, dear readers, The Storms of Crait #1 is for classic, original trilogy era fans.
7.5 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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