If Star Wars is good at anything it’s creating mysterious masked figures who end up getting super lame deaths. Just think of Boba Fett and Captain Phasma and you’ll at once remember their awesome scenes but also their absolutely depressing ends. Enter the comic books which tend to give these fantastic looking characters better stories. Can Tom Taylor breath new life into Phasma? We find out today!
So what’s it about?
Read the preview.
Why does this matter?
Tom Taylor is bringing his style to specific Star Wars villains. What is not to love about that? This also gives us a taste of who Captain Phasma is who is an often underlooked character.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
This issue revolves around a battle on the iron planet Demir in “unknown regions” and it’s a setting we don’t see a lot of in the movies. We’re talking No Man’s Land style chaos of war stuff with Stormtroopers lying in piles and men getting their heads blown off. Enter Phasma, calm and cool as she manages to give orders and stay alive. The conflict at hand doesn’t matter so much as a key Stormtrooper who quickly shows she has a knack for staying alive. We soon learn she has a conscience, but also ambition. Through this Stormtrooper we get a good idea of who Phasma is on and off the battlefield.
War is hell.
Credit: Marvel Comics
There’s definitely a reason Phasma is one of the most badass soldiers in the First Order’s army and this issue proves why. Taylor has a good handle on Phasma’s voice and it was hard for me not to hear Gwendoline Christie’s voice as she spoke. This issue also digs a bit into the culture of Stormtroopers and how some may have hopes and dreams. They just can’t escape the violent churning of the First Order.
The art is by Leonard Kirk with inks by Cory Hamscher and colors by GURU-eFX keep the chaotic action interesting and clear. There are a few cases where Stormtroopers literally come out away from the panels and it draws your eye very well. There are some rather cool vehicles in this too showing off how advanced some cultures are in the galaxy. Interestingly they chose not to show Phasma’s face under the helmet, although we do get to see an eye and her hair. It keeps the character from getting too humanized which suits the story well.
It can’t be perfect, can it?
The main point of this issue is hammered home nicely, but it doesn’t tell us much we probably couldn’t have guessed about Phasma. It’s nice to see her ruthlessness in action, but she’s a bit of a phantom here.
Is it good?
A good issue that reveals how evil runs deep with some. Or at the very least, survival is key to live a long life serving the First Order.
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