Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia (2019) No. 1 review

Leia wants to rescue Han Solo, but to do this she has to become something else. In the first Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion issue, the Princess becomes a Scoundrel.

Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia (2019) No. 1

Writer: Greg Pak

Artist: Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Will Sliney, Marc Deering

Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia cover (Credit: Marvel Comics)

With the conclusion of Star Wars: Age of the Republic, the series moves on to revealing the tales from the Age of Rebellion. We kick off the series with the hero that launched the franchise – Princess Leia. Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia No. 1 takes place after the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Leia is on board the Millennium Falcon; her sole mission is to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt.

When the Rebellion contacts Leia to make a detour from Tatooine, the Princess has to make a drastic decision to ensure she has what it takes to infiltrate Jabba’s palace and free Han.

Let’s begin this review with the one big negative in Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia No. 1 – the fact that it deals with Leia and Han’s relationship rather than another part of Leia’s story. The story could have been set just before the Tantive IV was captured by the Empire or before the Battle of Hoth. It’s not like previous Star Wars books haven’t dealt with this particular part of Leia’s life. What made Jody Houser’s Age of the Republic so refreshing was the unique angles she gave to each story, which is missing from this comic.

That being said, it is hilarious and glorious to see Leia on a mission to rescue not one, but three different male characters in this issue. Leia’s strength and perseverance are evident in every panel in this comic; she isn’t written as a lovesick teenager, but as a leader who must right a great wrong. Greg Pak and team really do justice to her character.

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The other niggling issue in this installment was the treatment of Lando Calrissian. He didn’t deserve to be kicked around that often. To his credit, though, he takes each hit on the chin and with a flash of a smile.

The camaraderie between Leia and Lando is still developing in Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia No. 1, making their tetchy interaction all the more believable. It was also fun to see Chewie and Leia getting along. Condensing the main players in this issue to three established heroes and recognizable villains from the films made for a great read. Good thinking on the part of the writing and editorial team to go down this route.

Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia (Credit: Marvel Comics)

Despite having a number of artists working on this issue, Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia No. 1 didn’t feel disjointed. The art is very faithful to the on-screen representation of the actors, an aspect that Age of the Republic veered away from. Here, the art makes the reading experience immersive due to its accurate recreation of the characters. The close-ups of Leia’s eyes inside her mask especially added to the cinematic look of this issue.

Tamra Bonvillain’s colours are outstanding – the muted beige palette of Arkanis contrasted spectacularly with the blaster fire. Capturing the feel of Star Wars on page can’t be easy, but this team has done a fantastic job.

Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion – Princess Leia No. 1 ably reclaims Princess Leia’s heroism, which is a fitting tribute to the character and to the late Carrie Fisher, who was as much a hero to fans as Leia. Here’s hoping the final installment in the film series will give General Leia the credit she deserves.