Marvel Comics’ run on Star Wars in the post-Empire Strikes Back era comes to an end this week with Star Wars #50. The epic extra-sized issue touches upon multiple eras, utilizes one of the coolest locations in Marvel Comics, and feels like a story that could easily have been a movie with all the classic characters. It’s a good sendoff by Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov.
Star Wars #50 opens with Luke Skywalker entering Ben Solo’s hut at the Jedi Temple. Luke aims to teach Ben a lesson by telling him about an adventure he was on when Han Solo was frozen in carbonite. To say the adventure is epic is an understatement. It involves Chewie, Leia, Lando, and their trusty droids R2 and C-3PO. It also involves a mysterious weapon and the entire crew making a hard choice.
The scenes with Luke and Ben feel impactful thanks to the recent movies and how we know it plays out with them. Seeing Luke as a teacher, and this story is in canon, is exciting while we read into Ben’s inner darkness. Musabekov does a great job capturing Ben’s subtle rage so that it’s not wholly apparent to Luke, but we, the reader, know it’s the start of something. It’s a good framing subplot that weaves in and out of the main adventure.
It’s neat to see this era of Luke and Ben’s life.
Credit: Marvel
The adventure takes Luke and Artoo to Gazian, the very same planet Luke went on a vision quest back in Star Wars #20. That issue was exceptional, mixing sci-fi concepts not often seen in Star Wars. The lesson learning Luke does continues on the planet, which involves letting mushrooms on the surface connect his mind to ancient Jedi, among other living things.
Like any good adventure there’s a McGuffin involved, which sets Luke and his friends on a course with a heist at a Empire location, and eventually a hard choice. From Lando schmoozing an Empire employee to Luke dodging Tie-Fighter blasts, there are a lot of cool moments to take in. If you had a checklist of things you want to see in Star Wars, this issue probably has it. That includes Palpatine being involved.
There’s something incredibly cool about ancient Jedi or Sith relics, and the one revealed in this issue is no different. Its incredible power suggests the heroes could win the entire war against the Empire but at a dire cost. This, in turn, acts as a solid lesson for Ben and a strong lesson that suits Star Wars.
All told, Soule has masterfully tied multiple aspects of Star Wars tightly into an entertaining story. This would have been a great start to a screenplay for Episode 5.5. My only gripe is the ending isn’t quite as impactful, but then again, this is a story set in between known events.
Star Wars #50 is a great tale that feels intricate and complex but once finished, the lesson is clear, and the results are compelling. Soule has captured different eras beautifully while adding to the larger canon.
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