REVIEW: ‘Star Wars,’ Issue #10

While all the hype might be around Star Wars: The High Republic this week, it isn’t stopping Star Wars #10 from delivering the quality content we have to come to expect from the series. Published by Marvel Comics, Star Wars #10 is written by Charles Soule who is joined by artist Jan Bazaluda, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Star Wars #10 continues the Operation Starlightarc with “Part II: The Rebel Code,” as the Rebel Alliance desperately tries to regroup against the might of the Imperial Navy. 

Previously, in Star Wars #9, Leia Organa and the rest of the Rebel Alliance leadership were in search of a way to encrypt their communications from the Empire. The Pathfinders, an elite strikeforce unit, were dispatched to steal an ancient protocol droid from the Imperial Museum that possessed the only know records of an even more ancient language. While the theft was successful with help of Lando Calrissian and Lobot, the Pathfinders would end up losing a member and the Rebels were only left with the hope that they would be able to reactive the droid.

Star Wars #10 opens with R2-D2 and C-3PO attempting to fix the ancient protocol droid while members of the Rebel Alliance look on.  When the final connections are made, the droid, deemed a “Talky” by C-3PO, lurches forward speaking an unintelligible language and attacks our favorite droid duo. R2-D2 isn’t able to stop the Talky despite using his shock arm that Star Wars fans have seen work countless times. Luckily, Lando’s trusty friend and hydroid Lobot is strangely able to subdue the Talky by reorganizing its circuits.

While C-3PO believes the Talky to be obsolete, due to the power it exudes and a sense of individualism that rivals K-2SO from Rogue One, the ancient droid looks to be far from it. When presented with the Rebel’s blight, the droid refuses to help? without some promise of being sent to the scrapyard after its job is finished. Lando, being the scoundrel he is, is able to broker a deal with the Talky with the help of Lobot. The Talky is certainly different than any kind of droid we have seen before and I am interested to see what becomes of such a powerful yet ancient droid.

The rest of Star Wars #10 jumps back and forth between different groups and characters. This is where the issue lacks a bit for me. Each of the strands is interesting, there is A LOT covered in the back half of the issue. Between learning more about the Talky, issues with Poe Dameron’s parents, and shady things with Lando Calrissian, I found myself wanting to know more about each, but ultimately feeling I have way more questions than answers. This certainly makes for interesting storylines that will eventually converge (hopefully), but does not make up for how rushed the last third of the issue felt.

While I am not thrilled by how the story plays out in the last third of the issue,  Star Wars #10 continues the trend of excellent art. The way that the Talky comes to life and rampages is Frankenstinen’s monster-esque and lets the reader know immediately this protocol droid is nothing like C-3PO. Further, it very seldom we get to see Lando Calrissian exude a powerful presence. However, the art team makes Lando pop off of every panel he is in to be the main focus and live up to his title as general. The art more than anything leads me to believe that Lando and the Talky will have major implications in further issues.

Overall, I enjoyed Star Wars #10. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t counting the days until the next issue. As far as setup issues go, Star Wars #10 provides a lot forward to in Star Wars #11. I only hope that writer Soule is able to continue the threads that were pulled in Star Wars #10 to continue the compelling battle of wits between Commander Zahra and the Rebel leaders.

Star Wars #10 is available January 6, 2021 wherever comics are sold.