There’s a lot of territory to explore in the Star Wars universe that was never covered in the original trilogy. While the Star Wars Extended Universe spent decades via novels, comic books, audiobooks, and more documenting Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of the cast’s life past Return of The Jedi, said Universe is now defunct. Thus, Marvel Comics is taking the opportunity to further flesh out the time that transpired following the fall of the Empire and what immediately filled the void left by the deaths of Palpatine and Darth Vader. In this, The Battle of Jaku – Republic Under Siege finds its legs.
Our issue begins with Luke and Rynn finding themselves on the swamp planet Lehanis, surrounded by a troublesome new group known as the Acolytes of The Beyond. Readers also see Princess Leia struggling with the task at hand in not only fighting a new threat in the form of Governor Adelhard, but perhaps the much more difficult task of how to build a new Republic. Leia is working through her options in her story here and none of them appear all that appealing when all is said and done. Finally, Star Wars fans are able to see the inner workings of Adlehard’s new Empire, as the villain attempts to bring together what remains of the nefarious forces.
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An Empire In Shambles
The Battle of Jaku – Republic Under Siege works best in its “quiet” moments, where the likes of Leia and Adlehard are having to make difficult decisions that entail diplomacy and politicking to make sure their visions come true. In terms of the New Republic, Leia attempts to forge a new democracy for the universe but is slowly realizing that in order to maintain peace, she might need to get her hands dirty. This is an interesting take on Leia as a character, presenting her with difficult choices that aren’t nearly as cut and dry as blowing up a Death Star.
I also had a lot of fun when it came to Adlehard’s story here, as he takes a somewhat similar approach to Leia, albeit more than willing to do whatever is needed to build his new Empire. There were many moving pieces that made up Palpatine’s regime and he was able to keep said pieces in check not only thanks to his Sith abilities but his cunning intellect and cruel intentions. Oskure acting as the devil in his ear works surprisingly well here, adding a nice contrast to Adlehard’s character. The Governor is a “true believer” of the Empire, and while it’s always going to be difficult to create a new villain to match what has come before, Adlehard is a nice change of pace.
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The Republic Has Cracks in The Foundation
One of the biggest problems I had with this first issue is that it takes place in the middle of a major storyline at the halfway mark. If you jump right into issue #1 here, you’ll definitely be more than a little confused as to what is happening for the characters involved, as I was. There’s a decent enough primer at the start but a first issue, to me, should always give some incentive to new readers.
Luke and Rynn’s story also feels weak in comparison to Leia and Adlehard’s respective ordeals, even with the inclusion of comic book favorite Dr. Aphra in the final page. Skywalker and his current ally mostly have one big fight scene and said scene somewhat falls flat amidst the other interesting tidbits that make up the premiere issue.
Star Wars: The Battle of Jaku – Republic Under Siege has some interesting things going for it, but has some chinks in its armor from making it a truly great comic. The series might have felt more worthwhile were it rolled into an ongoing Star Wars series rather than being a first issue but the overall arc is a fascinating one. This issue is a good one for Star Wars’ diehards but might not be a recommend for those unfamiliar with the inner workings of Marvel’s Star Wars universe.
Published By: Marvel Comics
On November 20th, 2024
Written By: Alex Segura
Art By: Stefano Raffaele & Jethro Morales
Colors By: Alex Sinclair & Jim Campbell
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
