Star Wars: Allegiance

Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance #1-4

by Ethan Sacks, Luke Ross (Illustrator)

BEFORE THE EXCITING EVENTS OF STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER! Hounded by the FIRST ORDER across the galaxy, the RESISTANCE is in dire need of ships, weapons and recruits to make a final stand against KYLO REN'S forces. Desperation drives a delegation led by GENERAL LEIA ORGANA and REY to entreat the Rebel veteran's one-time allies, THE MON CALAMARI, to join the fight - but decades after Imperial occupation enslaved their planet, there are those willing to stop at nothing to prevent another war from bloodying the waters of Mon Cala. A system away, POE DAMERON and FINN have their own mission: to hunt down a weapons cache on the remote moon of Avedot, unaware that they are being hunted by the most notorious criminal gang in the galaxy!

Collecting: JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - ALLEGIANCE #1-#4

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2019

About the author

Ethan Sacks is a writer and journalist from New York, who is currently writing the ongoing series Star Wars- Bounty Hunters for Marvel as well as other various Star Wars titles. He is also know for his Marvel works that take place in the iconic Old Man Logan wasteland, Old Man Hawkeye and Old Man Quill.

Reviews

[Michael Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marco Checcheto’s covers are phenomenal, but Ethan Sacks’s story and interior art by Luke Ross never do them justice. Meant to serve as a bridge between the fallout from The Last Jedi and the forthcoming film, The Rise of Skywalker, the story doesn’t do as much as it potentially could with its four issues, and that likely comes down to editorial mandates from the Lucasfilm story group.

The book as a whole, right up through its anticlimactic non-ending, is largely an unsatisfying appetizer for the main course that will be Episode IX due out in a couple more weeks. The story is paper thin, revolving around General Organa’s attempts to bring the Mon Calamari to the side of the Resistance. Finn and Poe, meanwhile, are trying to secure an old Rebel-era weapons cache as they’re being tracked by bounty hunters.

We do get some neat scenes illustrating just how evil The First Order has become under now-Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, who carries out acts of violence against neutral worlds where not even the Empire stooped so low, but there’s not much else happening here. Sacks’s dialogue doesn’t always ring true, and Ross’s art is largely unformed, giving his characters shape but little in the way of actual definition. Poe, for instance, is largely unrecognizable and there are times where Chewbacca looks more like the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz than a threatening Wookie. For the most part, Ross’s pencils give us rough approximations of each of these characters, but there’s nothing visually interesting or engaging to really latch on to, and sadly the same is true of Sacks’s script work. It’s almost as if Sacks was told to stay away from anything conceptually interesting or plot points with definitive weight, so we don’t get to see Rey really engage with her Jedi training beyond anything we’ve already seen in The Last Jedi, right down to a riff on the ‘moving rocks’ climax of that film, only here it’s some cargo crates Force-pushed to create a timely barrier.

I kept hoping something meatier was going to happen story-wise, and then, wouldn’t you know it, I hit the last page of the fourth issue and the book was done. My advice? Skip this book and instead pick up Rebecca Roanhorse’s prose novel, Rebellion Reborn for your Journey to the Rise of Skywalker fix.

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO much fun, I adored every panel of this! There were some...odd choices about how Rey was written (also are we just gonna ignore her TLJ outfit's existence? That was her best look, no I'm not open to criticism) but this gave me much warm, fuzzy feelings that I'm willing to overlook it. Top-tier Rose content, excellent Leia, Finn, and Poe as well. It sort of felt like a mini family reunion, and I wish that I'd read this before seeing The Rise of Skywalker. Ah, well. Better late than never.

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta serie de 4 cómics vendría a ser el preludio a la última película de la más reciente trilogía de Star Wars que ya se estrena pronto en Diciembre. Además de ello también han salido algunos cómics de Héroes y Villanos que cuentan acontecimientos, a mi parecer más interesantes y se viene el Diciembre el cómic de Kylo Ren.
Aquí se cuenta la misión de la Resistencia para poder recomponer su flota, para lo cual van a la ciudad de Mon Cala a tratar de tener nuevamente la alianza que tuvieron en tiempos del Imperio. Por otro lado Finn y Poe son destacados a otra misión.
Aventuras bastante tibias que se quedan justo en eso cuando la primera Orden con el General Hux llega a plantarles cara. Lo que sigue se verá en la película.

[Heaven Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good short story. It didn't add too much to the actual storyline but I liked seeing Finn and Poe's interactions and Rey is always a delight to read about.

[A.J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty simple tie-in to TROS, but also a completely uninteresting one. Everything that happens here feels pointless, and the only noteworthy moment was the bounty hunters from Galaxy Edge showing up and going like “Hey we need to go be in that better book!” after they fail to capture Poe and Finn.

Not recommended unless you really liked Episode 9, which I sadly didn’t:( The Marco Checchetto connecting variant covers are cool at least.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not terrible. The story is mundane—the only detail that Disney is showing in the lead-up to The Rise of Skywalker is that the few Resistance people are frantically traveling around the galaxy trying to find more people and resources. That's all Resistance Reborn had to say, and it's all this graphic novel series has to say. Also in both of these books, Rey comes across as a petulant teenager, which isn't how she seems in the movies.

However, this book reminds me more of the classic Star Wars comics than most of the current graphic novel series have. The adventuring is a bit silly, and it has a momentum to it that works well.

I also really like the artwork. Finally, a Star Wars artist who isn't afraid to draw characters in different costumes than they wear in the movies, and in different poses. I appreciate that Luke Ross is confident enough to draw the characters as he sees them. They don't have to look exactly as they do in the movies. The story flows across the pages really nicely.

I don't understand why Admiral Ackbar was was so uninvolved in his son's life. He was really that busy with Resistance stuff that he couldn't take some time off here and there to be with his family? That's a disappointing trait to add to a beloved character.

[Václav · Rating 2 out of 5]

(3,2 of 5 for pretty weak broth from "Last Trilogy's" timeline)
I don't know why, getting anything set in the New Order trilogy is pretty weak. New Order is Empire, only borderline psychopathic ruthless and the new characters are more clones (of the old characters) than clone troopers. So even the filling side stories feel "second hand". Like this one.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly fun story set between VIII and IX, which also ties a little back to the main Star Wars comic when Leia was previous on Mon Cala looking for ships. Though how much it'll tie into the movie remains to be seen.

[Angèle Dbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je penche pour un 3,5.
Un comics pas foufou, mais plutôt agréable à lire. J'avais envie de retrouver l'univers de ce dernier star wars, vu que je suis un peu en deuil maintenant que la saga est terminée. J'ai beaucoup apprécié la partie autour de Leia/Rey/Rose (où il y avait de la politique) mais j'ai été un peu indifférente face à la partie Poe/Finn (où c'était plutôt de l'action). Et gros + sur les couleurs, c'était visuellement magnifique je trouve.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The stakes felt high in this book, but never enough that I actually cared a ton about the characters or what was going on. Very middle-of-the-road book and just okay art.

[Nicis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Leia-Rey-Rose side of the comic was good. The Finn and Poe one wasn't. It balances out i guess.

Kudos to the art, tho. It's weird for a Star Wars comic to have constant good definition on the faces of the characters so I really appreciate it here.

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it needed more Kylo Ren in it. Also, why is Rey so weird in this one?

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel suffered for its weird personality characterizations, especially of Rey.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Combine diplomatically pig-ignorant blunders with truly retarded military tactics for a track record of truly impressive failure. Leia and her squad of acolytes is unaccomplished and woke enough to be hired to run Lucasfilm.

[RG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually surprisingly liked this

[Jorge Figueroa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skip this, this is terrible, this is the thing deserving the hate

[Bryan Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing happens.

[Christopher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inconsequential offering nothing new or interesting.

[pastiesandpages - Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars: The Journey to The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance
Written by Ethan Sacks
Art by Luke Ross

Official synopsis:

BEFORE THE EXCITING EVENTS OF STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER! Hounded by the FIRST ORDER across the galaxy, the RESISTANCE is in dire need of ships, weapons and recruits to make a final stand against KYLO REN'S forces. Desperation drives a delegation led by GENERAL LEIA ORGANA and REY to entreat the Rebel veteran's one-time allies, THE MON CALAMARI, to join the fight - but decades after Imperial occupation enslaved their planet, there are those willing to stop at nothing to prevent another war from bloodying the waters of Mon Cala. A system away, POE DAMERON and FINN have their own mission: to hunt down a weapons cache on the remote moon of Avedot, unaware that they are being hunted by the most notorious criminal gang in the galaxy!

Collecting: JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - ALLEGIANCE #1-#4

🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖

The synopsis tells you everything you need to know. It's a lightweight bit of fun with the main problem being that it doesn't add much to the characters as it was released prior to The Rise of Skywalker and acts as a taster without giving any of the film plot away.
The plot here is superficial and the excitement is undone with an anti-climactic ending where it says to be continued. In other words if you want to know what happens to the characters next then go see the film 🙈.

I'm sure if they tried they could have had a better story with a proper ending here and still left fans eager to see The Rise of Skywalker.

The advantage of having the single issues instead of the collected graphic novel is that the covers connect into a single image. Very cool.

The cover artist is better than the interior art. Luke Ross does a decent job and there are some great panels but the quality is patchy, especially with the rendition of Chewbacca.

Fun but probably only for completists.

[Megara Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So.

There were things I liked:
- ROSE AND REY INTERACTIONS AHHHHHH!!!!!!
- We're Finnpoeing, that's always good
- Wow, they hired an illustrator that can actually draw Kylo for once
- Return of the clawdites
- Mon Cala
- Did I mention ROSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And there were things I definitely didn't like:
- Rey is LITERALLY wearing her TFA outfit and hair and I hate it. I'm so mad they took her out of her Supremacy clothes and put her back in things like this for all of the time that we've seen her post-TLJ
- We are slightly Finnrosing and a few months ago I would have been excited but now I'm just bitter
- Kylo is acting so OOC, which, like Rey's clothes, seems to be a recurring theme for post-TLJ him, and I. Hate. It. This behavior would've been fine pre-TFA but not now.
- Listen, I love Admiral Ackbar as much as the next person, but I feel like this comic was built around the point of "We need to properly acknowledge and mourn his death" and if so, YIKES.
- Remember back when the first preview of this comic came out and there was an extremely tall figure with a black cape standing next to Rey and everyone went, "OMGOSHBEN!!" Well, it's actually Leia, who I guess is either using a new Force power we don't know about, or standing on some boxes.
- Continuing with being picky about the illustrations--- there's one panel with Leia's face in the foreground and the second one has her in the same exact position but she looks like she's been deflated like a balloon. As someone who draws, I know that nothing ever looks exactly the same twice, but they're right next to each other, and this is a published comic, and it definitely could have been touched up a bit more.

2.8 stars

[Adam Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" showed a Resistance abandoned by a galaxy. "Star Wars: Allegiance" shows the cost of why. As Poe and Finn attempt to get weapons for the supply-less Resistance, Leia, Rey, and Rose (with Chewie & 3PO) hope to heal old wounds and win the assistance of the Mon Cala.

Much improved from Sacks's previous series, "Galaxy's Edge", "Allegiance" fortunately succeeds in justifying why most would-be allies neglect the scrappy band of freedom fighters. Even neutrality is treated as treason and responded to with the destructive power of the First Order. The needle doesn't move much in terms of where the Resistance is from when the series starts to when it ends, but that seems to be the point. All victories are left with a dark asterisk, which gives this miniseries more staying power than it otherwise would.

However, for all its ideological strengths, the character work is lacking. It's fun to see Finn and Poe in action, and the pleasure of seeing the bounty hunters from "Galaxy's Edge" helps that disappointing experience not feel like a total wash. However, Sacks's Leia doesn't have the depth or gravitas she's had in other Resistance stories. Rey and Rose also feel like caricatures, even though it's good to see them on a mission together. Rose spends most of the series longing for Finn, perking up whenever she hears "Finn" and "danger" in the same sentence. It would be funny if it wasn't disheartening. Luckily, she gets her moment by Issue 4. The Rey here, though, doesn't feel like the Rey of "The Last Jedi" or "The Rise of Skywalker", spending most of her time complaining about many things. There is a hint of interest when she talks about not living up to her given legacy (which could have paralleled brilliantly with "The Rise of Kylo Ren"), but this nugget is mostly left behind once she departs for Mon Cala.

"Allegiance" succeeds in theme and scope, but it unfortunately lets down its characters in the process.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

This one was kind of strange.

It's almost a side-quest in nature. Leia, Rey, and Rose head to Mon Cala to try to convince the people to join them, as Finn and Poe have a mission-gone-wrong of their own. I did like Finn and Poe's story, as the two of them are really cute and fun to follow, but it was a bit empty. Nothing of too much significance happens.

Leia and Rey's story isn't too much better. Rose has some good moments, as she deserves, and Rey uses the Force a bit, and Leia is a master at what she does, but still... it just wasn't the most interesting. They're building the Resistance back up, but a whole book about everyone just trying to get weapons isn't as fascinating as it could be. 3.5/5 stars.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic series filled in the gaps between the films THE LAST JEDI and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. It really doesn't have any big reveals but it does show what the characters were doing. There are two story lines. In one, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and Rey take a trip to Mon Cala in order to enlist the help of the Mon Calamari to battle the First Order. They encounter more resistance than expected. In the other, Poe Dameron and Finn attempt to secure a weapons cache for the resistance, but some bounty hunters have other ideas.

Overall a good Star Wars story with good art, but it really reads more like a regular Star Wars comic story rather than something bridging gaps between the films.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't expect much from these movie tie-in comics, but it is fun to note that this is the first time I've managed to read a book like this before watching the related movie. This mini-series had the various characters on separate missions again that were of some value to the Resistance as a whole while avoiding any risk of affecting the movie's story.

So it's largely okay but nothing amazing or significant. It's a collection of stories that you can live without reading before watching the movie. Even as a completist the series has minimal value.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

We get two concurrent stories here, with Rey, Leia, Chewie and Rose going to Mon Cala to beg for ships, while Finn and Poe are dodging bounty hunters while trying to find a weapons cache.
This book suffers in comparison to Mutiny on Mon Cala, which it loosely relates to (it also relates to a couple other Star Wars stories, but never really does anything with the references). Neither plot is particularly good, and the two never merge, so we've got two separate stories whose only plus is a decent read on the main characters' voices in their dialogue. The art is good for everything except the main characters (none of whom really resemble their characters), but the story doesn't do justice to any of the leads (Rose especially gets shorted, although it was nice to see Leia in diplomatic action).
Overall, I was really unimpressed with this book. It doesn't add anything particularly relevant to the overall story, and doesn't justify itself on its own merits. Unless you have to read everything in the new Disney Star Wars canon, you can safely give this a miss.

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sorry but I love the sequels. I’ll defend them until I die. I love reading content set in that era. Especially anything that takes place in that year between Episodes 8 and 9. This does a fantastic job at showing how brutally ruthless and desperate the First Order is when it comes to destroying the Resistance. And how beaten down and tiny the Resistance is now. It’s always nice to see Mon Cala, after the Clone Wars I feel a deep love for that planet and I am about to reach the Battle of Mon Cala in the original 2015 run of Star Wars comics which I’m excited for. I’d like to see more of what the First Order does to Mon Cala for siding with the Resistance though. The ending is kind of abrupt and bleak much like the end of The Last Jedi.

[Ren Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did this for you, Reyrose.

This was a fun read! I liked getting more Reyrose and Finnpoe interactions and getting the behind-the-scenes of the Resistance, so to speak. It also shows the reader what Kylo Ren is like as Supreme Leader, which was missing from TROS.

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 2 out of 5]

*in my Aretha Franklin voice*
Beautiful gowns, I mean covers.... but that’s where it ends. This didn’t add to the saga. But the covers were beautiful and it’s always nice to see Leia.

[Elaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5 stars~

[Tanner Reeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Finn and Poe we should’ve had all along. Why do they hate each other in Rise of Skywalker all of a sudden? Idk. At least Rose was somewhat bearable.