292 reviews for:

Star Wars, Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes

David Marquez, Mike Mayhew, Stuart Immonen, Chris Eliopoulos, Jason Aaron, Jorge Molina, John Cassaday, Kieron Gillen, Laura Martin, Terry Dodson, Ángel Unzueta, Leinil Francis Yu, Mike Deodato Jr., Salvador Larroca

4.03 AVERAGE

maverickminty's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

tapx100's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

coruscant's review against another edition

4.25

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This was the volume that kicked off Marvel's takeover of the Star Wars comics line and you can definitely sense that whilst reading it.

Skywalker Strikes takes place immediately after the events of A New Hope. The Galactic Empire finds itself in dire need of resources to sustain its operations in the Outer Rim following the devastating loss of the Death Star. Out in the wilds, beyond the easy reach of Coruscant, it seems their best chance of securing these materials is by cutting deals with the established crime lords in the region. Enter Jabba the Hutt.

Having learned of the Empire's plans to align with the Hutts, The Rebellion sends a team headed by Princess Leia to Cymoon 1, the site of the Empire's largest weapons manufacturing factory where negotiations are due to take place between the two parties. Han, Leia and Luke, joined by R2-D2, manage to gain entry to the factory by posing as Jabba's negotiators. Things start getting a little spicy when an unexpected figure shows up in the role of Imperial negotiator.

This book runs alongside the first volume of Gillen's Darth Vader line which, for better and for worse, impacts the delivery. Of course, it would be very easy to overcomplicate the storytelling with so many different agents operating in the region for different sides with different motivations. It is clearly advantageous to the pacing of both books for them to be so tightly knit and goes a long way towards making the events feel grander.

Vader in particular has a very strong storytelling perspective at this time in the Star Wars timeline, as does Luke. As the two are forever interconnected, Vader having his own line definitely gives the writers space to be bolder with their narratives and tell not just good but great Star Wars stories.

However, to its detriment, the most powerful moment of the book is a scene that is also delivered in more detail and with more feeling in the Vader line. Is this an understandable result? Yes, the scene is much more relevant to the plot of the other book and, yes, it is also a necessary scene to establish in both runs. And despite this, it hard to get away from the fact it kills the ending of an otherwise really great book.

Overall this is a very strong opener from the team. Aaron accurately captures the voices of the beloved protagonists of the Star Wars saga throughout – not an easy thing to do for any writer. This truly feels like an extension of the films we know and love when taken in combination with Cassaday’s striking cinematic artwork (on this it beats Vader by a considerable margin). Even during this re-read I do think the book is screaming for new blood and that’s why the entry of Han’s mystery friend feels like a welcome breath of fresh air towards the end. 

hallowwolf's review

4.25

adventurous emotional lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

nowturtle's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

dmcke013's review against another edition

4.0

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Flagship entry in Marvel's take-over of the Star Wars comics, this is set between the events of 'A New Hope' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' and, I have to say, is also a pretty enjoyable read!

It probably helps, of course, that the opening panels start with the iconic crawl, before moving to an expanse of space, with a spaceship then passing overhead - as close, in short, as you can get to the opening of the films in comic form! It also helps that all the main character - Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, C3PO and R2D2 all make a return, all looking pretty much as they did on the screen back then

OK, it's not perfect, with the reveal of Han's secret past (in particular) for me falling a bit flat, and with the story losing it's pace after the somewhat spectacular early pyrotechnics, but if this is anything to go on? We're in good hands.

ryodragon20's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fozzy33's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jlynnelseauthor's review

5.0

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Well done story that brings back the original trilogy's magic

Excellent adventure for Luke, Leia, and Han that brings back the original trilogy chemistry, emotion, and humor. Very well drawn, though Han sometimes looks a little goofy. The adventure of classic good versus evil was great with enjoyable surprises. I look forward to more.

gkiara23's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated