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Star Wars (2015)
Star Wars, Vol. 8: Mutiny at Mon Cala
Collects Star Wars (2015) #44-49.
The Rebel Alliance sets its sights on strengthening its forces by growing its numbers. But with a greater number of recruits comes discord and dissidence. Can Princess Leia, with help from Han and Luke, forge one true alliance from the many factions? On a mission to liberate Mon Cala, Leia has a nearly impossible plan to ally the besieged planet with the rebellion — one that hinges on the unique skills and cultural know-how of the one and only C-3PO! While Han, Luke and Leia undertake a perilous rescue, Threepio must complete the vital assignment of…hobnobbing at the opera?! With the Empire temporarily weakened, the Alliance is poised to rise up in defiance. Could their ultimate victory be at hand?
The Rebel Alliance sets its sights on strengthening its forces by growing its numbers. But with a greater number of recruits comes discord and dissidence. Can Princess Leia, with help from Han and Luke, forge one true alliance from the many factions? On a mission to liberate Mon Cala, Leia has a nearly impossible plan to ally the besieged planet with the rebellion — one that hinges on the unique skills and cultural know-how of the one and only C-3PO! While Han, Luke and Leia undertake a perilous rescue, Threepio must complete the vital assignment of…hobnobbing at the opera?! With the Empire temporarily weakened, the Alliance is poised to rise up in defiance. Could their ultimate victory be at hand?
131 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2018
52 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Kieron Gillen
1,474 books1,909 followersKieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
April 29, 2019
Lets face it, these Star Wars tales set in between A New Hope and Empire are never going to be anything more than side quests. You can't grow characters to something more than they are already established in the future. That being said, this arc does have some meaning as Gillen brings Mon Calamarians into the book and establishes how they join the alliance. Gillen does a good job of making this a Oceans 11 type caper where they need to free a imprisoned king.
Larrocca seems determined to stick with the photo-realistic tracing of the main characters when it's unnecessary. He's a talented enough artist to not need it. At least Guru FX is getting better at coloring those faces more naturally.
Larrocca seems determined to stick with the photo-realistic tracing of the main characters when it's unnecessary. He's a talented enough artist to not need it. At least Guru FX is getting better at coloring those faces more naturally.
April 6, 2019
Routine sort of SW adventure, notable for showing how the Mon Calamari species (best personified by Admiral Akbar in Return of the Jedi . . . you know, the "It's a trap!" guy) and their galactic naval fleet became affiliated with the then-struggling Rebel Alliance. Also of interest was a cameo appearance by the fan favorite ace X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles, as he and cohort Luke Skywalker have a fitting moment where they raise their glasses in remembrance of the Red and Gold squadron members lost in the first Death Star battle. The main storyline - subterfuge involving a mercenary shape-shifting creature and a kidnapped Empire officer - was occasionally a little too slapstick-y for its own good.
October 16, 2021
This is a collection that explains how Mon Cala and its well reputed space cruisers join The Rebellion. If you are going to have a story with Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar has to be featured and he is.
I really liked this collection even though it is not epic in nature. Let's face it. These collections really cannot be epic in nature because they cannot conflict with the movies. You are going to get side adventures or stories that give the readers background information. That is what this collection is and the story was well done. We have a side adventure with kidnapping a Moff that provided levity but also provides tragedy and hope sprouting from this tragedy. We also have an epic space battle in the finale with a terrific cliffhanger. The story itself is worth five stars. Unfortunately we have to factor in the artwork into the rating. This time it was a mixed bag. The photo shopped faces are still present but they are toned down a bit. I cannot stand this artwork as it takes me out of the scene. The positive about the artwork is everything else. When there are no humans in a scene the artwork is fantastic especially the space battles.
I am not one that needs all the minute details of the different kinds of ships in this universe and how they come into being. So going into a story of how The Rebellion acquires the Mon Cala ships did not exactly excite me. This collection quickly swayed my opinion and I never knew I needed a story of the Mon Cala ships. Also, I might have to jump right into the next collection because of the cliffhanger. This had everything going for it besides the lousy artwork for faces and that didn't even bother me as much as it has been in the previous collections.
I really liked this collection even though it is not epic in nature. Let's face it. These collections really cannot be epic in nature because they cannot conflict with the movies. You are going to get side adventures or stories that give the readers background information. That is what this collection is and the story was well done. We have a side adventure with kidnapping a Moff that provided levity but also provides tragedy and hope sprouting from this tragedy. We also have an epic space battle in the finale with a terrific cliffhanger. The story itself is worth five stars. Unfortunately we have to factor in the artwork into the rating. This time it was a mixed bag. The photo shopped faces are still present but they are toned down a bit. I cannot stand this artwork as it takes me out of the scene. The positive about the artwork is everything else. When there are no humans in a scene the artwork is fantastic especially the space battles.
I am not one that needs all the minute details of the different kinds of ships in this universe and how they come into being. So going into a story of how The Rebellion acquires the Mon Cala ships did not exactly excite me. This collection quickly swayed my opinion and I never knew I needed a story of the Mon Cala ships. Also, I might have to jump right into the next collection because of the cliffhanger. This had everything going for it besides the lousy artwork for faces and that didn't even bother me as much as it has been in the previous collections.
November 25, 2024
In Volume 10 of the Marvel Comics’ Star Wars series, “Mutiny at Mon Cala”: the gang is on Mon Cala, hoping to recruit, with Admiral Ackbar’s help, the Mon Calamari fleet, but the king is missing; Luke runs into a familiar face in the mess hall, and one that every die-hard Star Wars fan will recognize (hint: he may not be part of the original crew, but he survived all three of the original trilogy films); the Rebels find a use for a shape-shifter named Tunga; a daring attempt is made by the Rebels to stage a rescue mission for the Mon Calmari king, Lee-Char; and Queen Trios finally shows her true colors.
Excellent writing and some of the most beautiful comic book artwork, ever, make this series one of the best comic book titles currently running. Thanks, Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca, for keeping the spirit of Star Wars alive and well...
Excellent writing and some of the most beautiful comic book artwork, ever, make this series one of the best comic book titles currently running. Thanks, Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca, for keeping the spirit of Star Wars alive and well...
January 6, 2021
Okay, wow, I did not expect to love this one so much!
There are some comics where I'm like "oh that was a fun Star Wars romp" and then there are ones like this.
I laughed out loud three times.
Han trying to salvage an Imperial situation with his charm ("It's fine! Trust me! Really! This is fine!"), joking about getting Luke a cup of milk at the bar, and "TURN OFF THE DAMN SABER" all really got me. It felt really different than the standard Aphra-style humor - this all feels so genuine to the original movies and characters. I loved it.
Also... there was a glimpse of Hera and Zeb in one of the Rebellion meetings...
Luke also has some great moments in here that are more introspective, about the people they've lost and his own growth. Also, since the focus of this book is Leia trying to recruit Mon Cala to the Rebellion, she, as always, is amazing here.
And that ending!!
5/5 stars. I had so much fun with this - it felt so genuinely original Star Wars. The newer books and movies aren't bad, but it's really nice to go back to the basics.
There are some comics where I'm like "oh that was a fun Star Wars romp" and then there are ones like this.
I laughed out loud three times.
Han trying to salvage an Imperial situation with his charm ("It's fine! Trust me! Really! This is fine!"), joking about getting Luke a cup of milk at the bar, and "TURN OFF THE DAMN SABER" all really got me. It felt really different than the standard Aphra-style humor - this all feels so genuine to the original movies and characters. I loved it.
Also... there was a glimpse of Hera and Zeb in one of the Rebellion meetings...
Luke also has some great moments in here that are more introspective, about the people they've lost and his own growth. Also, since the focus of this book is Leia trying to recruit Mon Cala to the Rebellion, she, as always, is amazing here.
And that ending!!
5/5 stars. I had so much fun with this - it felt so genuinely original Star Wars. The newer books and movies aren't bad, but it's really nice to go back to the basics.
April 7, 2024
4.25 stars
February 17, 2019
This was mediocre at best. Some of the issues just felt like filler, espcially all that ballroom disguise stuff. Hopefully the next is better.
June 14, 2018
I was going to give this 3 but the last few issues brought it up. Pretty good arc. Excited for what comes next
August 22, 2025
WTF Trios!
February 6, 2021
Vol 8 of Star Wars covers a very interesting and important topic- how the Rebel Alliance was able to get the Mon Calamari fleet to join their side. A story that has it all- action, violence, humor and an important event in the Star Wars timeline.
The Rebels must join with the Mon Cala to try to free their King from Imperial prison. In order to do this they use a shapeshifting alien to help them. The parts where the alien, impersonating an Imperial Moff, and 3-PO are on Mon Cala were truly amusing.
In the background, the Rebel's actions for the King will lead to the powerful Mon Calamari fleet coming over to the Alliance. This was a very interesting story and one that has huge repercussions for the Star Wars universe as we know it.
Good art, good story and an amusing side story of an Alien playing an Imperial Moff made this is a really good volume.
The Rebels must join with the Mon Cala to try to free their King from Imperial prison. In order to do this they use a shapeshifting alien to help them. The parts where the alien, impersonating an Imperial Moff, and 3-PO are on Mon Cala were truly amusing.
In the background, the Rebel's actions for the King will lead to the powerful Mon Calamari fleet coming over to the Alliance. This was a very interesting story and one that has huge repercussions for the Star Wars universe as we know it.
Good art, good story and an amusing side story of an Alien playing an Imperial Moff made this is a really good volume.
April 10, 2021
This review is adapted from my weekly Star Wars column over at The Grimoire Reliquary!
peshifter Tunga Arpagion’s trite portrayal of an Imperial Grand Moff was not one. It’s generic–and I know for a fact Gillen can be strikingly original when he wants to be. An actor incapable of showing off…we’re all familiar with that story beat, aren’t we? It’s a trope and a half, it gets cheap laughs but Mutiny at Mon Cala might’ve been better off with–no, you know what, it’s fine, I expect too much. Come on, Filip, why the high expectations? This isn’t John Allison’s Giant Days we’re talking about.
Now, for the elements I did enjoy – and there were several. C3P0 navigates the line between amusing and cringy in just the right way, and that’s where old goldbucket works best. Seeing Lee-Char, a character so hopeful and lively in The Clone Wars series reduced to this:
This, my friends, is the stuff of nightmares, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Mutiny has its moments – memorable, excellent moments, far better than . Its beginning is a little slow, but I appreciated Gillen taking a moment to allow Hand Lonely and Lukas Spacetalker to socialize with some Rebellion pals, while Leia is out and about making plans with the big wigs, trying to attract the Mon Cala trading fleet to the cause.
Larocca’s art once again does bizarre photorealistic things here, and I wish it didn’t. He’s so good when he’s drawing properly; there really is no need to be this faithful to the source material.
peshifter Tunga Arpagion’s trite portrayal of an Imperial Grand Moff was not one. It’s generic–and I know for a fact Gillen can be strikingly original when he wants to be. An actor incapable of showing off…we’re all familiar with that story beat, aren’t we? It’s a trope and a half, it gets cheap laughs but Mutiny at Mon Cala might’ve been better off with–no, you know what, it’s fine, I expect too much. Come on, Filip, why the high expectations? This isn’t John Allison’s Giant Days we’re talking about.
Now, for the elements I did enjoy – and there were several. C3P0 navigates the line between amusing and cringy in just the right way, and that’s where old goldbucket works best. Seeing Lee-Char, a character so hopeful and lively in The Clone Wars series reduced to this:
This, my friends, is the stuff of nightmares, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Mutiny has its moments – memorable, excellent moments, far better than . Its beginning is a little slow, but I appreciated Gillen taking a moment to allow Hand Lonely and Lukas Spacetalker to socialize with some Rebellion pals, while Leia is out and about making plans with the big wigs, trying to attract the Mon Cala trading fleet to the cause.
Larocca’s art once again does bizarre photorealistic things here, and I wish it didn’t. He’s so good when he’s drawing properly; there really is no need to be this faithful to the source material.
September 4, 2018
This volume is far from perfect but compared to most of the others in this series so far this one is a standout. The story line was well put together and had real weight to it. Unfortunately the artwork was still distracting at times but the space battle sequence looked pretty good (vehicles are definitely Larroca’s stronger area). I hope this is a good sign of things to come for this series as things begin to move into the Empire Strikes Back era. 4.5 out of 5
September 1, 2018
Just when I was going to give up on this run along came a very enjoyable volume.
August 10, 2018
The Empire is weakening after the destruction of the Death Star and the drill on Jedha, so now is the time for the Rebel Alliance to strike. To do that, they want to enlist the aid of the Mon Cala fleet, but Admiral Ackbar’s people are reluctant to resist any further. If Leia and her companions can rescue their king from Imperial captivity however, they may just change their tune. Only one thing for it – it’s time for a prison break.
After a rocky first arc, Kieron Gillen hits the sweet spot with this second Star Wars storyline, throwing our characters from a blaster fight into a caper before culminating in a space battle; it’s everything you want from Star Wars, basically, and it’s delivered perfectly. The pace is kept up across all six issues, and just when you think the story may be over, there’s a little bit more to keep you going, all the while drawing on previous threads from both the movies and Gillen’s Darth Vader run.
I think the issue with the last arc was that it focused too much on Luke; he’s the character that changes the most across the original trilogy, so for stories set between A New Hope and Empire, he’s kind of stuck in a holding pattern. He can only learn so much about the Jedi without contradicting his future actions, so having him play a supporting role instead makes far more sense, while Leia takes centre stage.
There’s a delicate balance of action and humour here, with Threepio and R2 providing the much needed comic relief as always while the world collapses around the other characters; Gillen knows how to write sarcastic droids, we know this already, and he continues to display that skill here, albeit with less murderous dialogue than his previous contributions to the Star Wars mythos. Meanwhile the situations Gillen puts the crew into are outlandishly bonkers, and a perfect example of why budgetless comics are a great way to continue a high budget movie franchise.
The only issue with this story is Larocca’s artwork, which continues to be extremely photorealistic, to the point where it just looks weird. Some character faces look as if they’ve been copy-pasted from movie stills, and there’s a complete disparity between the comic book world and these random heads floating on top of bodies. I’m not sure if the colouring helps either, because some of Guru eFX’s choices for skin tones make the human characters look downright creepy. Larocca is great at space battles, droids, and aliens, and the underwater segment of the volume is amazing, but his human-looking characters leave a lot to be desired at times.
Despite issues with the artwork, I feel like this arc really deserves the full five star rating. It’s everything you’d want in a Star Wars story, and even some things you didn’t know you wanted. If this is a sign of what the rest of Gillen’s run on Star Wars is going to be like, I think we’re all in for a treat.
After a rocky first arc, Kieron Gillen hits the sweet spot with this second Star Wars storyline, throwing our characters from a blaster fight into a caper before culminating in a space battle; it’s everything you want from Star Wars, basically, and it’s delivered perfectly. The pace is kept up across all six issues, and just when you think the story may be over, there’s a little bit more to keep you going, all the while drawing on previous threads from both the movies and Gillen’s Darth Vader run.
I think the issue with the last arc was that it focused too much on Luke; he’s the character that changes the most across the original trilogy, so for stories set between A New Hope and Empire, he’s kind of stuck in a holding pattern. He can only learn so much about the Jedi without contradicting his future actions, so having him play a supporting role instead makes far more sense, while Leia takes centre stage.
There’s a delicate balance of action and humour here, with Threepio and R2 providing the much needed comic relief as always while the world collapses around the other characters; Gillen knows how to write sarcastic droids, we know this already, and he continues to display that skill here, albeit with less murderous dialogue than his previous contributions to the Star Wars mythos. Meanwhile the situations Gillen puts the crew into are outlandishly bonkers, and a perfect example of why budgetless comics are a great way to continue a high budget movie franchise.
The only issue with this story is Larocca’s artwork, which continues to be extremely photorealistic, to the point where it just looks weird. Some character faces look as if they’ve been copy-pasted from movie stills, and there’s a complete disparity between the comic book world and these random heads floating on top of bodies. I’m not sure if the colouring helps either, because some of Guru eFX’s choices for skin tones make the human characters look downright creepy. Larocca is great at space battles, droids, and aliens, and the underwater segment of the volume is amazing, but his human-looking characters leave a lot to be desired at times.
Despite issues with the artwork, I feel like this arc really deserves the full five star rating. It’s everything you’d want in a Star Wars story, and even some things you didn’t know you wanted. If this is a sign of what the rest of Gillen’s run on Star Wars is going to be like, I think we’re all in for a treat.
October 12, 2018
The reused character images from the films are completely distracting. Whenever I see Han, Leia, or Luke in these graphic novels, I immediately think of the line they say at that point in the movie, not about whatever is happening in the graphic novel story. It's a really weird art choice to keep making, book after book.
The story is also bland. It doesn't feel to me like this series is bringing the characters where they need to go between the end of the first film and the beginning of the next. There's little forward movement—just endless little side stories that don't mean much. Luke is particularly useless in this volume. The glimpse of Hera and Zeb only made me think, "I'm sure whatever they're doing right now is more interesting than this story."
The story is also bland. It doesn't feel to me like this series is bringing the characters where they need to go between the end of the first film and the beginning of the next. There's little forward movement—just endless little side stories that don't mean much. Luke is particularly useless in this volume. The glimpse of Hera and Zeb only made me think, "I'm sure whatever they're doing right now is more interesting than this story."
January 24, 2020
What an excellent series this is. These Star Wars stories from the 2015 run. Via Comixology Unlimited and Amazon Prime, I have been able to catch up on this run. One more volume to go via the Comixology Unlimited route (Vol 9). I think I just missed a sale on Volumes 10, 11, and 12. Maybe they will go on sale again when the current Star Wars movie comes out on Blu-ray.
I love all the adventures that our favorite classic SW characters are having. Filling in the gaps between the movies. Interesting adventures and the art is top notch. Ranging from okay to very good.
I love all the adventures that our favorite classic SW characters are having. Filling in the gaps between the movies. Interesting adventures and the art is top notch. Ranging from okay to very good.
October 28, 2018
Forget The Last Jedi; this is what Star Wars should be.
January 23, 2020
A solid origin story for the Rebel Mon Calamari cruiser fleet with plenty to do for all Our Heroes, some legitimately funny stuff involving C-3PO and a shapeshifter alien and a shocking final page reveal that sets much of what we learned in the previous volume The Ashes of Jedha on its head.
Also, I only just rewatched the Mon Cala episodes of Clone Wars so it was nice to see the connections that go all the way back to that arc.
Also, I only just rewatched the Mon Cala episodes of Clone Wars so it was nice to see the connections that go all the way back to that arc.
June 17, 2019
This volume contains Star Wars: Mutiny at Mon Cala Part I-VI (Star Wars #44-49). The water world of Mon Cala, home to the Mon Calamari and Quarren people, is under the Empire's rule. Leia, in hopes to gain a strong ally and add numbers to the Rebel Alliance, takes her team to Mon Cala to liberate its people. C-3PO has been tasked to watch the opera, and delay the audience as necessary while Leia, Han, and Luke search for Mon Cala's king, taken by the Empire. What they find may not be what they expected for their plans, but they do what they can to save the lives of those living on the planet. Another Alderaan must be avoided at all costs. And of course, we have a nice closure with Trios setting up the events of Star Wars: Hope Dies.
While not quite as exciting as some of the volumes, Mutiny at Mon Cala once again has outstanding artwork. I love seeing the different colors and sizes the Mon Calamari come in, as well as the various creatures that lurk in their watery depths. The political aspect of this volume really picks up more toward the last two issues, which is the main point of this arc: to gain numbers among the Rebel Alliance. The lead-up at the end is a great cliffhanger, as the reader is left with Trios, the ruler or Shu-Torun who bends to Vader's will.
While not quite as exciting as some of the volumes, Mutiny at Mon Cala once again has outstanding artwork. I love seeing the different colors and sizes the Mon Calamari come in, as well as the various creatures that lurk in their watery depths. The political aspect of this volume really picks up more toward the last two issues, which is the main point of this arc: to gain numbers among the Rebel Alliance. The lead-up at the end is a great cliffhanger, as the reader is left with Trios, the ruler or Shu-Torun who bends to Vader's will.
December 14, 2020
Od doby kdy Star Wars převzal od Jasona Aarona Kieron Gillen jsem se začal zase bavit. Je to dobrý popcorňák a na pár místech jsem říkal, že tohle je fakt super včetně cliffhangeru který mě vážně nalákal. Co mě ale prostě neskutečně vytáčí je kresba která je prostě z hlediska obličejů zločin. Plus pár takových rádoby hehe scén u kterých jsem si říkal "máš to Gillene za potřebí?".
Sumec Sumárum spokojenost.
Sumec Sumárum spokojenost.
May 28, 2019
Je to škoda, ale takhle ne :(
Zajímavý nápad, dobrá myšlenka. Ale to je tak bohužel všechno.
Velmi špatné provedení, nudné dialogy.
A opravdu otřesná kresba.
Zajímavý nápad, dobrá myšlenka. Ale to je tak bohužel všechno.
Velmi špatné provedení, nudné dialogy.
A opravdu otřesná kresba.
August 1, 2022
Trios you bitch
March 27, 2019
Following the "reboot" of sorts for the flagship star wars canon comic that was Vol. 7: The Ashes of Jedha, Kieron Gillen continues as the lead writer with the eighth volume in the series.
"Ashes of Jedha" was a necessary change-up for me when it comes to this very long-running series. After stagnating in filler for more than three volumes and what feels like forever, I finally got an interesting story and characters with a backdrop that offered some interesting worldbuilding and connections with the rest of canon.
"Mutiny at Mon Cala" gives us more of the good stuff from the previous volume, but also reduces or even fixes many of its problems.
THE STORY: The rebel alliance may be searching for a new base, but that doesn't stop them from launching daring operations against the evil galactic empire. One of these operations involves Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO traveling to the occupied planet of Mon Cala. When regent Urtya does not agree to help them out, the gang decides to break King Lee Char out of prison. They recruit a clawdite criminal to impersonate the local moff so they can use his biosignature to break through the security of Lee Char's prison.
THE BAD: The biggest problem remains the artwork for the characters' faces- on the classic trio, the faces still look terrible. While not as bad as they were in Volume 7, it was still distracting enough to reduce my enjoyment of this comic. The Mon Calamari's faces don't look much better, as they're sometimes drawn pretty weirdly too.
THE GOOD: Most of the strengths that were from the previous volume were here as well.
The story is fantastic. Not only does it take some twists and turns I didn't see coming, it also has plenty of rewarding connections. Not only do we get connective tissue between Episodes 4 and 5 when it comes to the composition of the rebel fleet, those of us who read Star Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith, Vol. 3: The Burning Seas get rewarded too. These two volumes came out at around the same time, so I think this was intentional, but the connection was very well thought out and pretty tightly woven.
The characters work well too. Luke doesn't get as much of a spotlight in this volume as he did in the last, but I like the dynamic among the ensemble and their characterizations are consistent with the rest of the original trilogy time period. Urtya was an interesting new character that played against type- I liked how he demonstrated that not every mon calamari was eager to rebel against the empire. Tunga Arpagion, the Clawdite shapeshifter, was pretty entertaining as well.
This leads me into my next praise-worthy element of this comic, the writing. I was surprised by how good the comedy is. C-3PO had some really funny lines and the scenes with him and Tunga were really fun.
Even the artwork looks better overall. Yes, the character faces don't look good but the action and the backgrounds got an improvement.
THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is 4 stars.
Mutiny at Mon Cala was a good solid entry into both the flagship star wars comic and the canon as a whole. Its entertaining, has rewarding connections to other parts of the canon, and is just a good story with great characterization overall. Between these past two volumes, the main star wars comic may very well be the greatest story of redemption the canon has had yet. After a pretty long slump, the series seems to be back on track and doing better things again.
"Ashes of Jedha" was a necessary change-up for me when it comes to this very long-running series. After stagnating in filler for more than three volumes and what feels like forever, I finally got an interesting story and characters with a backdrop that offered some interesting worldbuilding and connections with the rest of canon.
"Mutiny at Mon Cala" gives us more of the good stuff from the previous volume, but also reduces or even fixes many of its problems.
THE STORY: The rebel alliance may be searching for a new base, but that doesn't stop them from launching daring operations against the evil galactic empire. One of these operations involves Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO traveling to the occupied planet of Mon Cala. When regent Urtya does not agree to help them out, the gang decides to break King Lee Char out of prison. They recruit a clawdite criminal to impersonate the local moff so they can use his biosignature to break through the security of Lee Char's prison.
THE BAD: The biggest problem remains the artwork for the characters' faces- on the classic trio, the faces still look terrible. While not as bad as they were in Volume 7, it was still distracting enough to reduce my enjoyment of this comic. The Mon Calamari's faces don't look much better, as they're sometimes drawn pretty weirdly too.
THE GOOD: Most of the strengths that were from the previous volume were here as well.
The story is fantastic. Not only does it take some twists and turns I didn't see coming, it also has plenty of rewarding connections. Not only do we get connective tissue between Episodes 4 and 5 when it comes to the composition of the rebel fleet, those of us who read Star Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith, Vol. 3: The Burning Seas get rewarded too. These two volumes came out at around the same time, so I think this was intentional, but the connection was very well thought out and pretty tightly woven.
The characters work well too. Luke doesn't get as much of a spotlight in this volume as he did in the last, but I like the dynamic among the ensemble and their characterizations are consistent with the rest of the original trilogy time period. Urtya was an interesting new character that played against type- I liked how he demonstrated that not every mon calamari was eager to rebel against the empire. Tunga Arpagion, the Clawdite shapeshifter, was pretty entertaining as well.
This leads me into my next praise-worthy element of this comic, the writing. I was surprised by how good the comedy is. C-3PO had some really funny lines and the scenes with him and Tunga were really fun.
Even the artwork looks better overall. Yes, the character faces don't look good but the action and the backgrounds got an improvement.
THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is 4 stars.
Mutiny at Mon Cala was a good solid entry into both the flagship star wars comic and the canon as a whole. Its entertaining, has rewarding connections to other parts of the canon, and is just a good story with great characterization overall. Between these past two volumes, the main star wars comic may very well be the greatest story of redemption the canon has had yet. After a pretty long slump, the series seems to be back on track and doing better things again.
February 27, 2019
The characters are really the best part of this core Star Wars series - Leia, Luke, and particularly Han are well-written and true to their movie selves. Even good old Threepio gets to shine in this volume. The storylines in this series, though, are a mixed bag. Mutiny at Mon Cala is above average, to be sure, but it falls into the deadly stultifying trope of "we have to rescue someone so we can rescue someone so we can get that someone to do a thing." If you have read any previous prison break stories (many having occurred in the various Star Wars series!), you will not be surprised by the outcome here.
Still, Kieron Gillen keeps the pacing tight and produces enough satisfying character moments that I came away decently amused. Salvador Larroca's art was less egregious than usual - maybe I'm getting used to the photorealism after eight volumes. One can only hope.
Still, Kieron Gillen keeps the pacing tight and produces enough satisfying character moments that I came away decently amused. Salvador Larroca's art was less egregious than usual - maybe I'm getting used to the photorealism after eight volumes. One can only hope.
December 27, 2022
With the limitations that these comics could have taken given what we already know the future of Star Wars canon to be, I continue to love and really enjoy all of the quests the Rebels have gone on in these stories. It might be the Clone Wars show that gave me a greater appreciation for the people of Mon Cala, or maybe it was love at first “IT’S A TRAP”, but either way, I really enjoyed this story and enjoy any story involving the Mon Calamari.
September 21, 2018
More backstory-filler tales, but done competently and interestingly, so a marked contrast to certain projects in other mediums. And with a political/ethical storyline that is enjoyable for its complete lack of (to my reading) pollution with current real-world parallels.
February 27, 2021
5 🌟
The Rebels meet with the leader of Mon Cala to get ships for the Rebellion.
The Rebels meet with the leader of Mon Cala to get ships for the Rebellion.
May 25, 2023
this volume was very ho-hum imo. starting to think i just prefer comics that focus on one character rather than the ensemble cast.
October 6, 2018
In an effort to gain more ships to the Rebel Side, Leia and company (Han, Luke, Chewie and the droids) go to Mon Cala to attempt to gain a large portion of the their fleet. Met by Urtya, the Mon Calamari Regent commanding the people while their King Lee-Char is missing, Leia tries lots of diplomatic tactics, but Urtya will not commit to helping for fear of Imperial retribution. Back to the Rebels, at a council of her peers, Leia presents a plan to rescue Lee-Char (having found out that he is under Imperial lockdown), involving kidnapping an Imperial Moff, replacing him with a shapeshifter and breaking the King out. Her assumption is that Lee-Char will be able to convince his people to help. Shapeshifter Tunga does a great impersonation of the Moff (complete with drama performance assisted by Threepio LOL) and the plan seems to go perfectly until they discover Lee-Char on life support and he can't be moved.
Lee-Char makes a recording for the Mon Calamari asking for them to stand up to the tyranny of the Empire and is murdered by Stormtroopers at the end of the recording. Seeing this, the Mon Calamari become enraged and overthrow their Imperial oppressors, seizing several of the ships.
Space battle breaks out and a sacrifice allows many ships to escape blockade to join the Rebel cause. As Leia celebrates with recent Rebellion joiner, Queen Trios, we find out that Trios didn't defect at all but the Volume ends with her revealing to Vader where the Rebel Base is.
I always can't wait until the next Volume of this comic. Are we getting close to Empire Strikes Back?
Recommend.
Lee-Char makes a recording for the Mon Calamari asking for them to stand up to the tyranny of the Empire and is murdered by Stormtroopers at the end of the recording. Seeing this, the Mon Calamari become enraged and overthrow their Imperial oppressors, seizing several of the ships.
Space battle breaks out and a sacrifice allows many ships to escape blockade to join the Rebel cause. As Leia celebrates with recent Rebellion joiner, Queen Trios, we find out that Trios didn't defect at all but the Volume ends with her revealing to Vader where the Rebel Base is.
I always can't wait until the next Volume of this comic. Are we getting close to Empire Strikes Back?
Recommend.
May 20, 2019
3.5🌟's
Nothing overly fancy here. If you've made it to volume 8 likely you won't be disappointed. The main reason I reduced the rating is because it seemed to lack the excitement that star wars titles are known for. Not to say it was a fall asleep snooze fest, but I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat either.
Leia and the crew have landed on Mon Cala which is one of the predominantly ocean worlds. Leia is trying to convince Urtya to supply the rebellion with ships that can be refitted for war. However, wouldn't be much of a story if it were that simple. The crew of the millenium Falcon need to find a shape shifting clawdite with a knack for live theatre, kidnap an imperial high ranking officer, and break into an ultra max security prison, all the while fighting off storm troopers, alien flora/fauna, and taking on star destroyers and tie fighters. So ya typical SW stuff with some capers thrown in for fun.
One of the big plus since Gillen has taken over is we actually get some coherent story arcs. And seems like there is evidence of an overall spanning arc (see big reveal/cliffhanger at end of issue 49) For this run to have success I think they need to jump over empire strikes back and carry on. Seems to me like the timeline is becoming too bloated.
Nothing overly fancy here. If you've made it to volume 8 likely you won't be disappointed. The main reason I reduced the rating is because it seemed to lack the excitement that star wars titles are known for. Not to say it was a fall asleep snooze fest, but I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat either.
Leia and the crew have landed on Mon Cala which is one of the predominantly ocean worlds. Leia is trying to convince Urtya to supply the rebellion with ships that can be refitted for war. However, wouldn't be much of a story if it were that simple. The crew of the millenium Falcon need to find a shape shifting clawdite with a knack for live theatre, kidnap an imperial high ranking officer, and break into an ultra max security prison, all the while fighting off storm troopers, alien flora/fauna, and taking on star destroyers and tie fighters. So ya typical SW stuff with some capers thrown in for fun.
One of the big plus since Gillen has taken over is we actually get some coherent story arcs. And seems like there is evidence of an overall spanning arc (see big reveal/cliffhanger at end of issue 49) For this run to have success I think they need to jump over empire strikes back and carry on. Seems to me like the timeline is becoming too bloated.
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