Star Wars Poe Dameron #2 Review: Black Squadron Part 2

By D. Goodman | May 7, 2016

The excitement cools down a bit with Poe Dameron #2 and the introduction of the most annoying First Order officer ever.

Star Wars Poe Dameron #2
Written by Charles Soule
Art by Phil Noto
Colors by Phil Noto
Published by Marvel Comics

Last time in Poe Dameron: Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the Resistance, assembles a crack fighter squadron to find Lor San Tekka, the man who may know the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker.

The debut issue of Marvel’s first series based in the time period of The Force Awakens was a fairly standard by-the-numbers affair. While I wouldn’t call Poe Dameron the most daring Star Wars series by a long shot, it was entertaining enough to make picking up the second issue a foregone conclusion.

Unfortunately I’m not sure that is going to still be the case for issue #3.

Because while Phil Noto’s artwork is still on point and easily the best part of the book, everything else took a serious step backwards for me.

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First off, nothing really happens in Poe Dameron #2. For the majority of the issue, our hero stays hidden in a cave while the rest of Black Squadron try to take out a landing platform. Twenty pages of Poe saying variations on “I have a bad feeling about this.” Not fun.

Second, while the members of Black Squadron seemed interesting in the first issue, here they seem like a bunch of idiots who seem incapable of doing anything without their fearless leader Poe Dameron.

Say what you want about Wedge Antilles, but at least the man had a backbone and could make a decision.

But what I disliked more than anything in Poe Dameron #2 was Agent Terex.

Agent Terex is a new character to the Star Wars mythos and is seemingly being set up as Poe’s nemesis for the series. He apparently worked for the Empire previously and has a penchant for knowing all kinds of information, including information he shouldn’t be privy to.

And by page 3 I wanted to see him trampled by a herd of bantha.

Most adversaries have qualities that make them good villains. A sinister edge, an air of mystery, undisputed power. Agent Terex has none of those. It would appear his main ability is to state the obvious, be as condescending as possible and just annoy the hell out of the reader. I knew what Terex was going to do well before he did it and found what he did when he eventually got around to it incredibly unoriginal.

Lastly, the Star Wars saga is filled with an amazing array of aliens and species to chose from. Why writer Charles Soule would create a group as seemingly silly as The Creche, a race that worships a giant egg, is beyond me.

If this is the best Soule can do, Poe Dameron could be in serious trouble.

Related Story: Star Wars Poe Dameron #1 Review: Black Squadron Part 1

The Bottom Line: Poe Dameron #2 is a huge letdown after a first issue that showed a series with some promise. By the time I finished the issue I felt like I just spent 20 pages reading something that could have been covered in five. And if Agent Terex is going to be a regular in this series, I may just have to jump ship now.

Yes, he is that annoying.