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Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: Shattered Empire
Collects Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Shattered Empire #1-4, Princess Leia #1, Star Wars (1977) #1.
For the first time in the new Star Wars canon, journey with us into the time after the end of Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi! Writer Greg Rucka (PUNISHER, WOLVERINE, Gotham Central) and artist Marco Checchetto (AVENGERS WORLD, PUNISHER) take us past the destruction of the second Death Star — and into the chaos of a Shattered Empire. It's the explosive lead-in to this winter's blockbuster big-screen Star Wars revival, and everything you need to know is right here!
For the first time in the new Star Wars canon, journey with us into the time after the end of Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi! Writer Greg Rucka (PUNISHER, WOLVERINE, Gotham Central) and artist Marco Checchetto (AVENGERS WORLD, PUNISHER) take us past the destruction of the second Death Star — and into the chaos of a Shattered Empire. It's the explosive lead-in to this winter's blockbuster big-screen Star Wars revival, and everything you need to know is right here!
123 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2015
88 people are currently reading
2226 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,493 books1,924 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
December 27, 2015
Ugh, there are Ewoks in this thing - AND Naboo! Wait, come back, they’re only brief appearances (at least they didn’t show us any Gungans)!
Set directly in the final scenes of Return of the Jedi, Shattered Empire follows Rebel pilot Shara Bey as the Rebellion continues to fight the suddenly leaderless Empire. Who is Shara Bey? Her hubby is Kes Dameron. That’s right, these are the parents of Poe Dameron, Oscar Isaac’s character in The Force Awakens. Pretty tenuous link for a “Journey to The Force Awakens” tie-in but then such is the nature of cash-grabs!
There’s no real narrative to this one, just a series of fragmentary stories involving Bey and characters from the original trilogy. She joins Han and Chewie on a mop-up mission on Endor which is ok but I felt it was only there because people love Han and Chewie and any excuse to put them in a comic!
The Empire hatch a dastardly plan to create extreme weather on Naboo in an effort to destroy it. Is it bad that I was rooting for them to succeed? (No more Gungans!!) Leia and Bey go to stop them. Meh. Then to finish, Bey, Luke and Artoo (in yet another superfluous role) go to save a couple of magic Jedi trees - ooo! Yeah, it was pretty lame.
The stories are completely disposable but they underline the basic (and obvious) premise of the new movies, that just because the Emperor and Darth Vader were killed doesn’t mean that the Empire was defeated. And even though we meet Poe Dameron’s parents, that’s about the only real link to The Force Awakens here and it’s not even relevant to the movie!
While Greg Rucka’s script was decidedly workmanlike and forgettable, Marco Checchetto’s artwork was absolutely stunning. All the classic Star Wars designs are rendered beautifully along with the characters and the book looks absolutely amazing throughout (even if I got awful Phantom Menace flashbacks from the Theed Palace and the Darth Maul vision Leia has there).
Also included in this volume is Mark Waid’s Princess Leia #1 (the worst of the new Marvel Star Wars titles) and Star Wars #1 from 1977 which is just ok - we all know the story!
Shattered Empire isn’t a memorable narrative but it’s a perfectly satisfactory Star Wars experience for fans thanks to Marco Checchetto's stellar artwork.
Set directly in the final scenes of Return of the Jedi, Shattered Empire follows Rebel pilot Shara Bey as the Rebellion continues to fight the suddenly leaderless Empire. Who is Shara Bey? Her hubby is Kes Dameron. That’s right, these are the parents of Poe Dameron, Oscar Isaac’s character in The Force Awakens. Pretty tenuous link for a “Journey to The Force Awakens” tie-in but then such is the nature of cash-grabs!
There’s no real narrative to this one, just a series of fragmentary stories involving Bey and characters from the original trilogy. She joins Han and Chewie on a mop-up mission on Endor which is ok but I felt it was only there because people love Han and Chewie and any excuse to put them in a comic!
The Empire hatch a dastardly plan to create extreme weather on Naboo in an effort to destroy it. Is it bad that I was rooting for them to succeed? (No more Gungans!!) Leia and Bey go to stop them. Meh. Then to finish, Bey, Luke and Artoo (in yet another superfluous role) go to save a couple of magic Jedi trees - ooo! Yeah, it was pretty lame.
The stories are completely disposable but they underline the basic (and obvious) premise of the new movies, that just because the Emperor and Darth Vader were killed doesn’t mean that the Empire was defeated. And even though we meet Poe Dameron’s parents, that’s about the only real link to The Force Awakens here and it’s not even relevant to the movie!
While Greg Rucka’s script was decidedly workmanlike and forgettable, Marco Checchetto’s artwork was absolutely stunning. All the classic Star Wars designs are rendered beautifully along with the characters and the book looks absolutely amazing throughout (even if I got awful Phantom Menace flashbacks from the Theed Palace and the Darth Maul vision Leia has there).
Also included in this volume is Mark Waid’s Princess Leia #1 (the worst of the new Marvel Star Wars titles) and Star Wars #1 from 1977 which is just ok - we all know the story!
Shattered Empire isn’t a memorable narrative but it’s a perfectly satisfactory Star Wars experience for fans thanks to Marco Checchetto's stellar artwork.
January 26, 2019
The only bad thing, really, about Shattered Empire is that the main story is too short. It's only four chapters / issues, and the rest of the volume is padded with a preview of the then-new Princess Leia solo book and, for nostalgia purposes (I guess), the debut issue of Marvel's original SW series from 1977. While the latter is very faithful to first movie, some of the artwork is just atrocious. Luke Skywalker, for example, looks to be middle-aged and resembles He-Man from the 80's cartoon (?!).
Anyway, Shattered is set in the final moments of Return of the Jedi and the weeks later aftermath of the Empire's downfall. Our protagonists are ace A-Wing pilot Lt. Shara Bey and rugged strike force trooper Sgt. Kes Dameron, both in the Rebel Alliance. (These are the parents of the Poe Dameron character in the newest movies.) This insanely attractive - it's no wonder they have a love scene early on, a rarity in the 'Star Wars' universe - and capable couple mesh very well with the known established characters, who play supporting roles. The plot is pleasantly action-heavy if not terribly deep, but it fits just fine with the durable SW canon. More adventures with these two, please.
Anyway, Shattered is set in the final moments of Return of the Jedi and the weeks later aftermath of the Empire's downfall. Our protagonists are ace A-Wing pilot Lt. Shara Bey and rugged strike force trooper Sgt. Kes Dameron, both in the Rebel Alliance. (These are the parents of the Poe Dameron character in the newest movies.) This insanely attractive - it's no wonder they have a love scene early on, a rarity in the 'Star Wars' universe - and capable couple mesh very well with the known established characters, who play supporting roles. The plot is pleasantly action-heavy if not terribly deep, but it fits just fine with the durable SW canon. More adventures with these two, please.
April 2, 2020
The book kicks off during the battle of Endor and focuses on Shara Bey and her husband Kes Dameron, yes Poe's parents. The book does feature all of the main Star Wars characters but only in how they interact with Shara and Kes. Greg Rucka is a great writer and that trend continues here. Marco Checchetto provides some top notch art. It meshes very well with the Star Wars look. The only negative I have is a 3rd of the book is reprints. It contains the four issues of the series plus Princess Leia #1 and Star Wars #1 from 1977.
January 23, 2018
I'm a great fan of Checchetto's art and this volume of Star Wars new comics started good, sadly it turned out being the "how I've met your mother" SW tale of
Not bad at all, but Poe Dameron is not much one of my most favourite characters ever and his parents too.
May 8, 2021
For this they retconned Truce at Bakura?
I mean, the art is good, but there's really no story. Just a bunch of fancy illustrated Star Wars cameos with no real point.
Not an impressive start for the Disney-verse...
I mean, the art is good, but there's really no story. Just a bunch of fancy illustrated Star Wars cameos with no real point.
Not an impressive start for the Disney-verse...
March 13, 2017
Very strong addition to the SW canon tacked onto the back of the conclusion of Ep VI. Starts with the events moments before the ewoks started blowing off fireworks and playing their victory music in the trees of Endor.
That's how real this book is.
I've got to hand it to Mr. Rucka, the storyline is tight and the pencil work of Marco Checchetto is fantastic. The combination of compelling story (especially one set in a world I adore so dearly) and art that screams to be admired reminds me of the reaction I had with Lee's artwork in Hush and Staples' work on Saga.
Definitely have to give full marks for weaving some interesting set pieces into the story (Naboo, the Pathfinders, Han's role, etc). Speaking of Han's role...
[minor spoilers ahead if you haven't already seen Ep VII in theatre]...
seeing him close with Leia in this book now gets me wondering when they eventually connect. And when, of course, "Ben" comes around. Really looking forward to seeing how that all shapes up in future graphic novels/novels/movie tie-ins.
Worth the read, Star Wars fans... definitely worth the read.
That's how real this book is.
I've got to hand it to Mr. Rucka, the storyline is tight and the pencil work of Marco Checchetto is fantastic. The combination of compelling story (especially one set in a world I adore so dearly) and art that screams to be admired reminds me of the reaction I had with Lee's artwork in Hush and Staples' work on Saga.
Definitely have to give full marks for weaving some interesting set pieces into the story (Naboo, the Pathfinders, Han's role, etc). Speaking of Han's role...
[minor spoilers ahead if you haven't already seen Ep VII in theatre]...
seeing him close with Leia in this book now gets me wondering when they eventually connect. And when, of course, "Ben" comes around. Really looking forward to seeing how that all shapes up in future graphic novels/novels/movie tie-ins.
Worth the read, Star Wars fans... definitely worth the read.
April 20, 2025
Pretty good
December 5, 2015
It was ok, I guess, but it felt sort of fragmentary and inconsequential. I guess I was expecting more out of it than it was able to deliver. But hey, there are X-Wings, and I love X-Wings.
January 2, 2016
This volume was supposed to bridge the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. It picks up right at the battle of Endor and shows what happens immediately after.
I was little disappointed. To me this story didn't really add anything. We did get to see some of the characters, but really it just came across as a typical Star Wars comic tale rather than something that is supposed to be movie canon. It's basically the story of Poe's parents, so I guess it sort of is important to canon, but I dunno, it seems iffy.Poe is a big character in The Force Awakens, but I'm not sure how much the story of his parents adds to things other than showing they were veterans of the rebellion. Maybe my expectations were too high, but this seemed more like a gimmick than something important to the mythos.
However, I really did still enjoy it, the art's decent and if you compare it to the average Star Wars comic, it's not bad. I was just expecting a little more.
I was little disappointed. To me this story didn't really add anything. We did get to see some of the characters, but really it just came across as a typical Star Wars comic tale rather than something that is supposed to be movie canon. It's basically the story of Poe's parents, so I guess it sort of is important to canon, but I dunno, it seems iffy.Poe is a big character in The Force Awakens, but I'm not sure how much the story of his parents adds to things other than showing they were veterans of the rebellion. Maybe my expectations were too high, but this seemed more like a gimmick than something important to the mythos.
However, I really did still enjoy it, the art's decent and if you compare it to the average Star Wars comic, it's not bad. I was just expecting a little more.
April 18, 2016
This was a pretty solid little story set immediately after Return of the Jedi. It had nice art and the characters from the movies felt right. I'm probably not the target audience, though, as I don't really care about Poe Dameron's parents, even if he was my favourite character from The Force Awakens.
Apologies for the short review; I'm still feeling very ill.
Apologies for the short review; I'm still feeling very ill.
February 5, 2016
If you go by what many fictional stories tell us, when the bad guy is defeated, you mourn your dead and then you throw a party. That's not how reality works. Just ask the soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq and so many other places where the war never ends, even when it's over.
Of course, we don't want our entertainment reflecting that reality. We don't want to sit through Frodo moping around in the burning Shire, or Ender raging against that genocide he was tricked into causing. So what if this is the culmination of the heroes journey according to Joseph Campbell. We don't want to see the sad parts.
Return of the Jedi ended with a party at Ewokville and we were all invited. Yub nub, bitches!
But in Shattered Empire, Rucka reminds us of the harsh truth: the war isn't over till the fat ewok sings (which we see hasn't really happened 30 years later in TFA). And he also reminds us that the faces at the front aren't the only heroes.
Shattered Empire drops us right outside the Emperor's door as Han's team struggles to collapse the shields around the Death Star and the pilots desperately try to protect the rebel ships from the trap they've flown into. On the ground, we meet Kes Dameron, but the focus of the series is above, on pilot Shara Bey.
Each issue features a mission starring one of the Star Wars faces we know, and Bey is swept along or volunteers. She is the quintessential soldier who does her job and does it well, and wants to fight the good fight, but she also struggles with her desire to leave it all behind and the subsequent guilt that brings.
The stories themselves are a bit sparse, but I'm happy to fill in the blanks of Poe Dameron's backstory, especially as it complements his story in Star Wars: Before the Awakening. I read the latter first and was particularly moved by Poe's story because of how painfully bittersweet it is. We know Poe as the fun, passionate uber pilot, but these stories give him a bit more depth and sadness through his parents' fears that everything they fought and people died for was for nothing. The series started with A New Hope, but, despite the ewok party, hope might not be enough. With all the flash and fanfare of TFA in the theatre, scratch the surface and you find a war that hasn't ended, even after 30 years. Is there still hope? Is there still a point to hoping? Of course there is. The good guys always win, right?
The collected edition also includes Star Wars: Princess Leia #1, where Leia finds herself without a home or a role in the rebellion and the few of her people that remain don't think too highly of her ice queen persona. Why doesn't she grieve, they wonder? As if everyone must grieve in the same way. Leia imposes herself on an Alderaanian pilot named Evaan with whom she wants to be friends, though the woman keeps herself at a carefully caustic subservient distance.
When I was younger, it never dawned on me that Leia might be a little messed up after watching her entire planet destroyed. She got over it and went on to be awesome, right? Now, I'm quite happy that books explore her PTSD or apparently lack thereof.
And finally, there's the 1977 original Marvel retelling of Star Wars: A New Hope where Luke Skywalker looks a lot like He-Man and stormtroopers are a lot more acrobatic.
www.bibliosanctum.com
Of course, we don't want our entertainment reflecting that reality. We don't want to sit through Frodo moping around in the burning Shire, or Ender raging against that genocide he was tricked into causing. So what if this is the culmination of the heroes journey according to Joseph Campbell. We don't want to see the sad parts.
Return of the Jedi ended with a party at Ewokville and we were all invited. Yub nub, bitches!
But in Shattered Empire, Rucka reminds us of the harsh truth: the war isn't over till the fat ewok sings (which we see hasn't really happened 30 years later in TFA). And he also reminds us that the faces at the front aren't the only heroes.
Shattered Empire drops us right outside the Emperor's door as Han's team struggles to collapse the shields around the Death Star and the pilots desperately try to protect the rebel ships from the trap they've flown into. On the ground, we meet Kes Dameron, but the focus of the series is above, on pilot Shara Bey.
Each issue features a mission starring one of the Star Wars faces we know, and Bey is swept along or volunteers. She is the quintessential soldier who does her job and does it well, and wants to fight the good fight, but she also struggles with her desire to leave it all behind and the subsequent guilt that brings.
The stories themselves are a bit sparse, but I'm happy to fill in the blanks of Poe Dameron's backstory, especially as it complements his story in Star Wars: Before the Awakening. I read the latter first and was particularly moved by Poe's story because of how painfully bittersweet it is. We know Poe as the fun, passionate uber pilot, but these stories give him a bit more depth and sadness through his parents' fears that everything they fought and people died for was for nothing. The series started with A New Hope, but, despite the ewok party, hope might not be enough. With all the flash and fanfare of TFA in the theatre, scratch the surface and you find a war that hasn't ended, even after 30 years. Is there still hope? Is there still a point to hoping? Of course there is. The good guys always win, right?
The collected edition also includes Star Wars: Princess Leia #1, where Leia finds herself without a home or a role in the rebellion and the few of her people that remain don't think too highly of her ice queen persona. Why doesn't she grieve, they wonder? As if everyone must grieve in the same way. Leia imposes herself on an Alderaanian pilot named Evaan with whom she wants to be friends, though the woman keeps herself at a carefully caustic subservient distance.
When I was younger, it never dawned on me that Leia might be a little messed up after watching her entire planet destroyed. She got over it and went on to be awesome, right? Now, I'm quite happy that books explore her PTSD or apparently lack thereof.
And finally, there's the 1977 original Marvel retelling of Star Wars: A New Hope where Luke Skywalker looks a lot like He-Man and stormtroopers are a lot more acrobatic.
www.bibliosanctum.com
January 31, 2016
3.5 stars, really. I liked the art a lot, and the writing was pretty good as well. Poe's mother Shara Bey is the main character of this one, although his father Kes Dameron makes appearances, too. It takes place in the month after the destruction of the second Death Star, as Shara goes on missions with all of the Big Three, and as the characters in this comic all keep saying, the Empire doesn't seem to have realized they lost. The first issue and Bey's mission with Han was just meh, but I really liked the Leia and Luke issues, mostly because both Leia and Luke got to kick serious ass. I actually really liked returning to Naboo, as well, but it bothered me that nobody brought up that Leia is the daughter of their former queen. Did she not know at this point? Luke was just a badass throughout his entire appearance.
The final issue included in here was actually the first issue of Mark Waid's Princess Leia series. It was okay. I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the rest.
The final issue included in here was actually the first issue of Mark Waid's Princess Leia series. It was okay. I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the rest.
December 26, 2015
Ties together the 3 film trilogies fairly neatly, focussing on Poe Dameron's parents with ample guest appearances from Original Trilogy main characters.
If you were hoping for Big Reveals related to plot points from The Force Awakens, however, keep looking because apart from the Dameron family story and how it touches on the events shown in ROTJ and its immediate aftermath, cards are kept pretty close to the vest here.
Nice art, though a bit crowded on some pages- for me, the epic battle sequences from Star Wars are better shown on the occasional big splash page, not transitioning across 18 different panels. But that's just my preference.
If you were hoping for Big Reveals related to plot points from The Force Awakens, however, keep looking because apart from the Dameron family story and how it touches on the events shown in ROTJ and its immediate aftermath, cards are kept pretty close to the vest here.
Nice art, though a bit crowded on some pages- for me, the epic battle sequences from Star Wars are better shown on the occasional big splash page, not transitioning across 18 different panels. But that's just my preference.
October 16, 2016
Realistically includes conflict after the battle of endor, which finally makes sense (an empire takes a while to fall apart), Bey and Mr. Dameron are adorable, and LEIA, BEY, AND THE QUEEN OF NABOO TAKE ON AN IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER.
January 14, 2016
This was the kind of quality content I'm here for.
POE'S PARENTS.
LEIA ON NABOO. FLYING A NABOO STARFIGHTER.
POE'S PARENTS.
LEIA ON NABOO. FLYING A NABOO STARFIGHTER.
April 28, 2016
Shara, Leia and Soruna are my dream team. Loved it!
July 20, 2016
5 stars
Good comic. Nice to see Poe's parents, Shara Bey and Kes Dameron. Also nice to see what happened after Return of the Jedi. Nice to see everyone in action.
Can't wait to read more Star Wars material!!!!
Good comic. Nice to see Poe's parents, Shara Bey and Kes Dameron. Also nice to see what happened after Return of the Jedi. Nice to see everyone in action.
Can't wait to read more Star Wars material!!!!
October 22, 2015
I didn't not enjoy it.
It's just lacking in, how do we say... content.
A handful of stories that could easily be one-shots does not a good Star Wars collection make.
It's just lacking in, how do we say... content.
A handful of stories that could easily be one-shots does not a good Star Wars collection make.
December 2, 2015
3.5 stars if I could.
Basically, it's the origin story of Poe Dameron. Sorta.
So if you want some history on where or how he came from before the new movie hits - this is the ticket.
April 12, 2017
somewhere between three and four. im not sure yet. hmmm.
July 26, 2016
Shattered Empire is a comic collection that showcases the continuing fight between the Rebel Alliance and the evil Galactic Empire following the Battle of Endor. We get to see what the original version of the Star Wars Expanded Universe referred to as the "Big Three" (Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia) as well as cameos from other classic characters from the original trilogy such as C3PO, R2D2, and Lando Calrissian. The comic focuses on the parents of Poe Dameron, the awesome new pilot brought to life in The Force Awakens by the always excellent Oscar Isaac.
The trade paperback also includes the first issue of the Princess Leiaminiseries. I will eventually acquire a copy of the trade paperback and review the series but the first issue was quite weak.
It also includes one of the issues of Marvel Star Wars from the 70s that retells the first Star Wars film, but I only skimmed it over because it was not very interesting.
THE STORY: Shattered Empire stars Shara Bey, Poe Dameron's mother, as she and her husband, Kes Dameron, fight the empire alongside Star Wars icons like Luke, Han, and Leia. In the meantime, Shara worries about Kes, constantly wondering if he will survive as she only gets to see him very rarely. The first issue focuses on the Battle of Endor and the victory celebration from her point of view, as she fights with the rebel fleet against the second Death Star. Kes is down below, fighting to destroy the shield generator alongside Han Solo and Chewbacca.
The next three issues feature Shara going on missions with Luke and Leia, with a portion about Kes going on a mission with Han. The overall arc is about Shara's conflict between what she sees as her duty to fight against the empire and the pain of not being there for her husband and son.
THE BAD: Shattered Empire's short length really hurt it. There were two elements competing for panels in a mere 4 issues and neither of them really got a chance to shine. Elements for really good stories were here, but with the first issue already retelling the last moments of Return of the Jedi from the point of view of a new character, the moments after the last film in the original trilogy were rushed and haphazardly thrown together.
We could have had a really touching story about Kes Dameron and Shara Bey, but it had to compete for panels with the classic characters from the original trilogy. This also could have just been a fun montage of separate but thematically similar stories featuring classic characters but the story was instead about Kes and Shara. We also could have just gotten another big three team up like what was common in the original EU, but that does not seem to be the direction the new canon is going with their books/comics. Also, the fact still remains that writer Greg Rucka still wanted to tell a story about Shara and show off a montage of post Return of the Jedi battles against the Empire.
Shattered Empire could have been much better if it went in one of two directions: either increase the length, or decrease the number of elements to focus on. If Rucka was still stuck with only four issues to explore the events immediately following Return of the Jedi, he should have focused more on either the classic characters or the new characters. It would have given the opportunity for more character development for Shara and Kes, or we could have gotten an opportunity more of Luke/Han/Leia or other classics kicking imperial butt. As is, neither element got enough time to stand out.
I think the better solution would have been to just make the series longer. This is a fantastic idea for an ongoing comic series. We always want to know more about the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. Since the dawn of the expanded universe it has been a compelling era to explore. If the series were longer Rucka would have gotten more time to develop the potentially fascinating story of Shara and Kes, and we would get to see more of their hopeful, heartwarming relationship. They would have also been able to give us more of Luke, Han, and Leia, as well as other characters like Lando, Ackbar, and R2/3PO. Overall the pacing would have been much better and not feel so rushed.
For what the comic actually does have, I was dissapointed overall.
Kes Dameron is forgettable, and comes off as a mere prize that Shara fights for. The only thing that sticks out about Kes in this comic is that he is Poe's dad. The author showcases him, but it comes off as a pointless excuse to show off Han and take away precious time to develop Shara because he is not given any real character development.
Shara Bey is not completely bland, but she could have been much more interesting. She has a really interesting concept, being a mix of that wife longing for her soldier to come home as well as the soldier that longs to make it home to see her family again. However, both of these elements, like the rest of the comic, felt rushed.
THE GOOD: I can admire Shattered Empire for the elements that were there, even if they weren't fully realized. And even so, there are some good things in it.
Shara and Kes have a heartwarming and touching story arc even if it isn't developed enough. I wanted to see the two characters make it out alive in the end so they can enjoy the victory over the empire together.
It is also fun to see Shara interact with Leia and Luke, and the missions she goes on with them are very enjoyable. The girl power showcased on Shara's mission with Leia was great and the conversations she has with Luke are both fun and deep. We also got some interesting callbacks to The Phantom Menace, and it was not forced.
The dialogue was also quite good. We get outrageously funny meta humor from a line spoken by a rebel soldier during the celebration on Endor that takes a jab at fan speculation regarding the Ewoks, and Luke's dialogue in general was very snappy and entertaining. In that respect, Rucka did an excellent job with Luke's character. I also think he did well portraying the characters of Han and Leia from this time period.
Finally, I can't go without rejoicing in Marco Chechetto's return with his fantastic artwork. I loved the artwork in Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it looks great here too. The action is excellent and the worlds and characters look great.
THE VERDICT: Shattered Empire has enough good things in it to warrant a solid three star rating. However, I think everything was constrained by the mercilessly short length and a story like this needed to be a lot longer to be fully realized. Overall, I think this comic is ok. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I was glad I read it, but I don't know if I would pick it up again. As for my recommendation, I don't think Shattered Empire is a must read, but you'll probably be satisfied if you decide to give it go.
The trade paperback also includes the first issue of the Princess Leiaminiseries. I will eventually acquire a copy of the trade paperback and review the series but the first issue was quite weak.
It also includes one of the issues of Marvel Star Wars from the 70s that retells the first Star Wars film, but I only skimmed it over because it was not very interesting.
THE STORY: Shattered Empire stars Shara Bey, Poe Dameron's mother, as she and her husband, Kes Dameron, fight the empire alongside Star Wars icons like Luke, Han, and Leia. In the meantime, Shara worries about Kes, constantly wondering if he will survive as she only gets to see him very rarely. The first issue focuses on the Battle of Endor and the victory celebration from her point of view, as she fights with the rebel fleet against the second Death Star. Kes is down below, fighting to destroy the shield generator alongside Han Solo and Chewbacca.
The next three issues feature Shara going on missions with Luke and Leia, with a portion about Kes going on a mission with Han. The overall arc is about Shara's conflict between what she sees as her duty to fight against the empire and the pain of not being there for her husband and son.
THE BAD: Shattered Empire's short length really hurt it. There were two elements competing for panels in a mere 4 issues and neither of them really got a chance to shine. Elements for really good stories were here, but with the first issue already retelling the last moments of Return of the Jedi from the point of view of a new character, the moments after the last film in the original trilogy were rushed and haphazardly thrown together.
We could have had a really touching story about Kes Dameron and Shara Bey, but it had to compete for panels with the classic characters from the original trilogy. This also could have just been a fun montage of separate but thematically similar stories featuring classic characters but the story was instead about Kes and Shara. We also could have just gotten another big three team up like what was common in the original EU, but that does not seem to be the direction the new canon is going with their books/comics. Also, the fact still remains that writer Greg Rucka still wanted to tell a story about Shara and show off a montage of post Return of the Jedi battles against the Empire.
Shattered Empire could have been much better if it went in one of two directions: either increase the length, or decrease the number of elements to focus on. If Rucka was still stuck with only four issues to explore the events immediately following Return of the Jedi, he should have focused more on either the classic characters or the new characters. It would have given the opportunity for more character development for Shara and Kes, or we could have gotten an opportunity more of Luke/Han/Leia or other classics kicking imperial butt. As is, neither element got enough time to stand out.
I think the better solution would have been to just make the series longer. This is a fantastic idea for an ongoing comic series. We always want to know more about the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. Since the dawn of the expanded universe it has been a compelling era to explore. If the series were longer Rucka would have gotten more time to develop the potentially fascinating story of Shara and Kes, and we would get to see more of their hopeful, heartwarming relationship. They would have also been able to give us more of Luke, Han, and Leia, as well as other characters like Lando, Ackbar, and R2/3PO. Overall the pacing would have been much better and not feel so rushed.
For what the comic actually does have, I was dissapointed overall.
Kes Dameron is forgettable, and comes off as a mere prize that Shara fights for. The only thing that sticks out about Kes in this comic is that he is Poe's dad. The author showcases him, but it comes off as a pointless excuse to show off Han and take away precious time to develop Shara because he is not given any real character development.
Shara Bey is not completely bland, but she could have been much more interesting. She has a really interesting concept, being a mix of that wife longing for her soldier to come home as well as the soldier that longs to make it home to see her family again. However, both of these elements, like the rest of the comic, felt rushed.
THE GOOD: I can admire Shattered Empire for the elements that were there, even if they weren't fully realized. And even so, there are some good things in it.
Shara and Kes have a heartwarming and touching story arc even if it isn't developed enough. I wanted to see the two characters make it out alive in the end so they can enjoy the victory over the empire together.
It is also fun to see Shara interact with Leia and Luke, and the missions she goes on with them are very enjoyable. The girl power showcased on Shara's mission with Leia was great and the conversations she has with Luke are both fun and deep. We also got some interesting callbacks to The Phantom Menace, and it was not forced.
The dialogue was also quite good. We get outrageously funny meta humor from a line spoken by a rebel soldier during the celebration on Endor that takes a jab at fan speculation regarding the Ewoks, and Luke's dialogue in general was very snappy and entertaining. In that respect, Rucka did an excellent job with Luke's character. I also think he did well portraying the characters of Han and Leia from this time period.
Finally, I can't go without rejoicing in Marco Chechetto's return with his fantastic artwork. I loved the artwork in Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it looks great here too. The action is excellent and the worlds and characters look great.
THE VERDICT: Shattered Empire has enough good things in it to warrant a solid three star rating. However, I think everything was constrained by the mercilessly short length and a story like this needed to be a lot longer to be fully realized. Overall, I think this comic is ok. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I was glad I read it, but I don't know if I would pick it up again. As for my recommendation, I don't think Shattered Empire is a must read, but you'll probably be satisfied if you decide to give it go.
December 26, 2024
(4 of 5 for a nice "aftermath" story)
Rucka created something thrilling, balancing both big and old main characters with some new small ones with small hints to Poe, of course. I liked the story, I liked the art, it's all good work. What I didn't like is that there are 4 issues worth the story, and they just slapped it in with the first issue of a different story and some other issue of an "old" SW comic and pushed it out as a full book. Yeah, it's as disappointing as socks in bra or pants...
Rucka created something thrilling, balancing both big and old main characters with some new small ones with small hints to Poe, of course. I liked the story, I liked the art, it's all good work. What I didn't like is that there are 4 issues worth the story, and they just slapped it in with the first issue of a different story and some other issue of an "old" SW comic and pushed it out as a full book. Yeah, it's as disappointing as socks in bra or pants...
August 7, 2019
"These are all that remain of the tree that grew at the heart of the Jedi temple on Coruscant."
A great mini prequel to The Force Awakens. We got some.of Poes back story and a little look at what happened after the Battle of Endor. I would have liked more but this was good...4 🌟
A great mini prequel to The Force Awakens. We got some.of Poes back story and a little look at what happened after the Battle of Endor. I would have liked more but this was good...4 🌟
December 23, 2015
a decent story but nothing really good to brag about. In fact the last part is really the best. like most people already said its a Poe Dameron origin story but a small story at best. The beginning RotJ recap is not needed and is actually boring considering most people want new story with a title like " shattered empire". The air battles are messy and not very fun and I only really got interested when new material was introduced or old characters appeared. The art is OK it gets confusing at times and the digital faces got strange especially when compated to how life like Leia looked vs the Shara. SPOLIERS : at the end luke finds two trees that where from the orginal jedi temple and give one to Shara to watch over while he takes the others.
October 22, 2015
Not that great art. Ok story. This follows what I think are the parents of Poe Dameron in TFA and how they were at Endor fighting. It gives a nice but short view on those final moments and the weeks after that, but not too much info. I'm starting to see these nice winks at other characters from novels being mentioned (Alecia Beck) for we see that this new canon is expanding and getting denser and denser. We get to see Luke and Han and Leia but they're not central to the story which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on what you're expecting. I wasn't thrilled with the characters but liked the insight it gives about the state of the Empire and Rebellion. Could've been better.
January 15, 2016
Aww yiss, Poe Dameron's parents are badass! Princess Leia is badass! The Queen of Naboo is badass! I feel like all the new SW books I've read have done a lot of work to point out how important Leia's skillset is and how many sacrifices she's had to make, and this book was no exception.
Also, the art is gorgeous and so is Shara Bey's hair.
this vol also includes #1 of Star Wars: Princess Leia and a reprint of a 70s Star Wars comic, the latter of which is notable mainly for how Luke looks weirdly like He-Man and how unfortunate Biggs' mustache is.
Also, the art is gorgeous and so is Shara Bey's hair.
this vol also includes #1 of Star Wars: Princess Leia and a reprint of a 70s Star Wars comic, the latter of which is notable mainly for how Luke looks weirdly like He-Man and how unfortunate Biggs' mustache is.
November 5, 2015
This is the most fun part of the Journey Into the Force Awakens I've read so far. Love the first issue, especially seeing the Battle of Endor from the POV of some new characters. I really need to get a new X-Wing comic series ASAP!
The later issues are fun, although Marvel really seems to like bringing Leia back to Naboo...
The later issues are fun, although Marvel really seems to like bringing Leia back to Naboo...
December 16, 2020
Journey to The Force Awakens která je zbytečná? Očekával jsem, že dostanu příběh který mě víc přiblíží událostem ze sedmé epizody, ale spíš jsem dostal krátké akční příběhy které na jeden sešit nemají správný drive protože se vše děje strašně rychle. Jediný co je zde nového tak je setkání s rodiči Poe Damerona které ale nefunguje tak jak by mělo protože postavy dělají pořád někde bum bum. Je určitě fajn vidět co se dělo po epizodě šest protože toho materiálu je pořád málo, ale takhle jsem si to jistě nepřál. Bonusy potěšily.
June 22, 2018
Si algo han logrado hacer los cómic de Star Wars (marvel) es que me interese un poco por Poe Dameron, su escuadrón y ahora su familia, cosa que no habían conseguido las películas :D
August 29, 2019
Nothing great but not that bad. Art is cool at times
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