Poe Dameron #21 review: The quest for Luke Skywalker continues
By Thomas Bacon
Poe Dameron’s story is coming to a head – in the lead-up to The Force Awakens!
Poe Dameron #21
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Angel Unzueta
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Marvel’s Poe Dameron series has proved to be a strong run, and it’s increasingly important to the Sequel Trilogy. Poe’s Black Squadron have been on a long-standing mission to find the mysterious Lor San Tekka. As fans of The Force Awakens will know, San Tekka is a member of a mysterious cult known as the Church of the Force. He’s also the only man in the galaxy to have a clue where Luke Skywalker could be.
Black Squadron have been seeking San Tekka out for months, with no sign of success. Last issue though, San Tekka resurfaced on the planet Cato Neimoidia. There, he’s broken into one of the Neimoidians’ prized vaults in order to look at an ancient Force artifact. Unfortunately, he was captured, and is on trial for his life.
The Resistance know they need Lor San Tekka alive. That’s why Black Squadron, under Poe Dameron’s leadership, are launching a desperate attempt to rescue him!
Poe Dameron to the rescue
Lor San Tekka is in serious trouble. [Credit: Marvel Comics]Let’s face it, Star Wars has always had a tradition of rescues like this. That tradition runs all the way back to 1977’s A New Hope, when Luke and Han launched a desperate plan to rescue Leia. This time around, it’s Leia who’s running the rescue operation, and it’s a smart one. The Princess of Alderaan launches a complex, subtle plan that manipulates the Neimoidians perfectly. Let’s just say she’s clearly learned a few smuggling tricks from her husband!
At the same time, Poe Dameron #21 takes the time to continue the ongoing character arcs. Readers have grown to known and love Dameron’s Black Squadron through Charles Soule’s run. A romantic subplot between two of the secondary characters has currently taken a disturbing twist, and Soule enjoys developing that further. He also uses this to give us a brief action sequence between the character beats and plotting. A training run goes wrong because a pilot is distracted, to near-fatal effect.
Tremendous artwork from Angel Unzueta and Arif Prianto
The quality of the issue’s artwork is tremendous. It opens with a glimpse of Paw Maccon’s prison, and Prianto uses light and shade beautifully. Even though several of the scenes are effectively “talking heads,” Unzueta and Prianto manage to create a sense of drama and grandeur.
Unfortunately, the weakest point of the issue is its’ treatment of General Organa. Something about the lines on Leia’s face just doesn’t quite feel right. It’s true that this is a Leia who’s far older, but something about her appearance feels a little too old, aged beyond The Force Awakens.
Teases and hints for the Star Wars universe
Lor San Tekka pleads for his life. [Credit: Marvel Comics]Meanwhile, Poe Dameron #21 drops some fascinating teases as to the future of our beloved Star Wars franchise. This is effectively the first time we’ve really gotten a chance to know Lor San Tekka, for example. He’s quickly revealed to be a historian of the Force, one who believes there is no light or dark side at all. In fact, San Tekka’s goal is to unify the Force.
That dovetails perfectly with intriguing hints that Luke headed to Ahch-To, site of the first Jedi Temple, in pursuit of a “balance.” We can presume that Luke’s quest for Force knowledge ultimately led him to Lor San Tekka, and it’s possible the two worked together for years.
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The clock is ticking down to the events of The Force Awakens. The timing couldn’t be better, as The Last Jedi is sure to reveal more of the galaxy’s hidden secrets. We’ll have to wait and see how this ongoing story fits in to Marvel’s build-up to the next Star Wars blockbuster.