Star Wars, perhaps more than any other franchise, has found a way to elevate characters plopped in the background to add visual flair into fully developed individuals, complete with their own backstories and character arcs. Maybe the strangest creature yet to get that treatment is Max Rebo, the blue, elephantine keyboard player fronting the house band at Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Return of the Jedi. I’ve always had a soft spot for Max and his bandmates; they were some of the most insane puppets to come out of Star Wars saga, and it seems that I’m not the only one to have a fondness for the armless musician. While the Max Rebo one-shot doesn’t add anything novel to the Star Wars mythos, it’s a focused and surprisingly optimistic attempt to bring purpose to the titular character.
Much like the other Return of the Jedi one-shots Marvel has published to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary, this comic takes places during the events from the film, specifically the movie’s first arc involving the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba’s smarmy hands. Max Rebo, noticeably recognizing that his life choices have brought him to a terrifying place, reflects on what led him to this den of infamy. Haunted by a fellow musician who met an unfortunate end, Max recalls his line “Music—it’s worth dying for.” After witnessing the death and violence we all saw at the start of Return of the Jedi, Rebo decides to act, targeting Jabba himself. Little does he know a serious of events would interrupt his deed.
Writer Daniel Jose Older does a fine job of giving us a self-contained story, offering added lore to existing characters while directly connecting it to the existing film. Paul Fry is a solid artist, letting the framing of each scene communicate a great deal of the plot. The emotion he instilled into Max Rebo was convincing, especially considering the blue puppet outfit from the films was not intended to communicate the emotional toil this story required.
My one fault with this comic is a problem I see with many Star Wars comics, novels, and books. Rather than digging into Max Rebo’s profession as a musician, this comic gives his band action-oriented roles, which is a missed opportunity. It would be fascinating to develop our knowledge of the music culture that exists in this galaxy, rather than simple nods to the genres that exist. Max Rebo doesn’t need to be thrown into a murder scheme; having him deal with shady club managers and parasitic record contracts would worthwhile and may fill in some of the gaps that exist in the lore of Star Wars. Perhaps I’m the only one who feels this way, but I would be happy to have Star Wars stories that provide more of the slice-of-life within the universe.
Overall, Max Rebo is a fine addition to the Return of the Jedi one-shots Marvel has released for the film’s 40thanniversary. It’s a joy to see Rebo getting an adventure of his own, while giving readers insight into how he went from Jabba’s sail barge to the club in The Mandalorian.
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