From its very inception, Star Wars has focused on the idea of good versus evil. Whether it’s the battles between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire in the original trilogy, the Clone Wars in the prequels, or the clash of the Resistance and the First Order in the sequels, there has been a clear line between sides. But as time’s gone on, certain projects – most notably Andor and Star Wars: The Clone Wars – have started to blur those lines, showing that some “heroes” are often willing to go to extremes to take down their foes. Star Wars: Rogue One – Saw Gerrera #1 is one such example.
In the same vein as the other one-shots celebrating the 10th anniversary of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Saw Gerrera #1 turns its focus toward the titular leader of the Partisans. Previous Star Wars projects established Gerrera and his Partisans as extremists willing to cross any line to win, causing friction with the rest of the Rebellion. The question is, what exactly led to the break between Rebels and Partisans? According to Marc Bernardin and Gabriel Guzman, a mission Gerrera undertook on the planet Gydine gave the Rebellion a tactical advantage over the Empire, but resulted in immense casualties.
It’s this moment that leads to a conflict between Gerrera and Bail Organa, but also a defining character moment for Gerrera. In the opening pages, he states, “You will not judge me, or my actions. Because you can’t. You’re not qualified to.” We revisit this line of dialogue later, but with context that lends the weight of tragedy to Gerrera’s actions. It’s also balanced with the tension of a spy thriller, as Gerrera infiltrates the innards of an Imperial facility by faking his own death using a well-placed grenade and a mysterious herbal concoction. Bernardin is no stranger to adding this level of depth to the Star Wars universe, especially with his story “Diplomatic Impunity” in Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White & Red. It’s the kind of depth that Gerrera has needed, especially since previous Star Wars stories have only given a glimpse into his mindset.
Marvel
The artwork by Guzman also matches the depth and grit of Bernardin’s script, especially in its opening pages. Readers will be treated to images of Stormtroopers’ corpses being hauled into a medical vehicle, with dust and scorch marks staining their seemingly pristine armor. The only light comes from the reddish-orange flames of explosions, which light up Gydine’s surface courtesy of colorist Federico Blee. Guzman also perfectly captures Forest Whitaker’s facial expressions when drawing Saw, to the point where certain panels feel like a lost episode of Andor. Topping things off is Ariana Maher, whose lettering gives a distinct Star Wars feel to droids’ speech and the dark blue captions containing Gerrera’s thoughts.
While Saw Gerrera #1 is a great character study, I do feel the ending is somewhat rushed. We see that Gerrera is responsible for spiriting Jyn Erso and her parents off world, but it lacks impact because I haven’t seen how they know each other. Likewise, the argument between Gerrera and Organa touches upon a group of Partisans Gerrera knew in his youth, and I would have liked to see more of their bond.
Star Wars: Rogue One – Saw Gerrera #1 is a solid study of one of Star Wars‘ most controversial characters, and a hard look at the actions one takes to win a war. It also contains plenty of the grit and moral dilemmas that fueled Rogue One, which should make some fans happy.
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