40 years of „Return of the Jedi“. There’s an extra thick comic book to celebrate the anniversary, reviewed by Tom Götz.
The diverse collection for the 40th anniversary of „Return of the Jedi“ brings together stories focusing on the main characters of both sides of the conflict, while the villains struggle to survive between the lines! The protagonists of these stories include Jabba the Hutt and his court, the Ewoks, Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca, Admiral Ackbar, and Max Rebo and his band.
It’s hard to believe, but „Return of the Jedi“ is already 40 years old. That’s why this thick volume has been released, providing us with some stories to celebrate the anniversary. The heroes on the cover, like the group around Luke and Han, are not actually featured. Exceptions are Lando and Chewie, who at least have one story dedicated to them, but overall, the focus is on characters from the sidelines. The underdogs of Star Wars, so to speak. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
In terms of artwork, there’s nothing to complain about; the panels are on par with other Star Wars series. This allows for a clear overview during battles, the characters have good facial expressions, and overall, everything is quite colorful with no dark scenes. The Ewoks‘ part is worth highlighting, as it is partly done in the style of the old 80s animated series. A nice homage and a little Easter egg for fans, even though the Ewok part is considered the weakest, but we’ll get to that.
The volume contains a series of one-shots, all set just before Episode VI. Starting off with Jabba the Hutt and his palace intrigues, where the familiar interpreter from the film is manipulated by Silvan Kaan. It’s nice (even though it doesn’t reach the quality of Princess Nampi – fans of the 90s Jabba comics will know what I mean) and fits well into the scenario character-wise. The story sets a good tone and leaves you wanting more.
However, the second story is about the Ewoks and offers three small Ewok tales. The peace treaty with the Duloks around Kneesa’s group is a nod to the old animated series. Then there’s Paploo in the thicket, dealing with a Gorax. This story, resembling Little Red Riding Hood, is the best in the Ewok episode. The story is depicted in black and Paploo wears a red cap to enhance the contrast. There’s also a short story about an Ewok trying to repair a crashed spaceship.
What’s not so great about the Ewok episode is that it’s presented purely as a visual story. There’s no text, which would be challenging in the Ewok language. On the other hand, in the 80s comics, the Ewoks also had normal speech bubbles. Therefore, this part about the (not very popular) Furballs unfortunately is the weakest.
Next is a story about Lando, which is fun and shows the gambler in old tradition and in conflict with a smuggler. It’s entertaining and witty, although not exactly at the level Han would probably have brought. The story about Rhilo Ghrent, who works as a technician on the second Death Star, is quite funny. He behaves completely incompetent, fitting in somehow with the Imperials, and ends up in jail for it. Funny and enjoyable to read.
Lastly, there are stories about an assassination attempt on Mon Mothma and Max Rebo. The one about Max Rebo, addressing a band conflict in the final moments of Jabba, is weaker again because the characters are not as familiar as the others. Perhaps it would have worked better if Max Rebo had the same food trait as before.
In the Mon Mothma story, Poe Dameron’s parents reappear and showcase their skills. The story about the information on the second Death Star is a bit thin (and should already be known because of the Empire’s trap), but the action and especially Mon are impressive. It also raises the question of how Mon became who she is. Will her family perish in the second season of Andor? Well, it remains intriguing.