Captain America: Sam Wilson Vol. 1 - Not My Captain America

I seem to have gotten into a little bit of a routine in these past few weeks.

First I seem to have a week where I read very little, followed by a week of reading a great deal. Then it seems to go back to a week with a feeling of reading nothing.

This week appears to have reflected the latter now as once again I felt like I got a fair bit read. Of course, a six issue trade sure helps with that.

After my recent enjoyment of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, I found myself really wanting to read something Sam Wilson that was related. Now, as I only had two titles in my to read list to choose from, I thought I'd pick the earliest produced as well as the one that seemed to most directly influence the series.

The first volume of Captain America: Sam Wilson sees Steve Rogers' partner dons the Stars and Stripes for the first time as he attempts to be a different kind of Cap, much to the general public's apparent chagrin. However, when a request for help sends Sam on a search for a missing person, the new Cap and his team find themselves locked in a heated battle with a new look Serpent Society as social ideologies do battle.

As I started reading this, as much as I had been looking forward to it these past few weeks, I found the first couple of issue to be a real struggle and not really my thing. I think the problem with it was that it was too heavy handed regarding the politics that it inserted. That's not to say that this was a bad decision, as I, A. agreed with Sam's stance and B. think comics is as good a place as any to put forward political commentary (just to clarify my position). However, with these first two issues, it just felt like too much too soon in the context of the story.

Of course, this wasn't my only problem with those first two issues as I also struggled with Misty's presence. I'm a big fan of Misty Knight as a character and any appearance is a welcome one with me. However, I didn't understand how she wound up in this story or even her overall role beyond sidekick. Also, her personality (for the most part) seemed in conflict with how I knew her previously (and what ab earth was she wearing?)

Of course, these issues had their good points, such as the Sam/Crossbones stand off (which seemed to imbue a lot of inspiration from their Wknter Soldier scene) as well the depiction of the Sons of the Serpent as a bunch of rather pathetic bigots in my eyes (were they always this way). Unfortunately, this good struggled to outweigh the bad with me.

Thank God for the remaining four issues though, as the vibe seemed to seriously change up, changing the focus from the political atmosphere to the more traditional 'beat the bad guy' focus. Of course, the political overture was still there but I thought it was so much more subtle from here as the story focused more on the mission.

But this wasn't all i like about these last issues as everything about it felt different. There was a central face (or faces) set up as the main bad guy and puppet master behind everything, who felt very competent and was a perfect Antithesis for Sam as they worked with a contrasting viewpoint, giving them an interesting place in the plot. Meanwhile, the mad scientist, Dr Malus, was a brilliant inclusion and was written so over the top but just reigned in enough to feel menacing compared to the rest of the story (and who knew Villains hideouts could be found on Airbnb?)

Meanwhile, i have to confess that I really loved the art for all six issues of this arc. The first three issues, by Daniel Acuna, reminded me a little of Dan Panosian's Slots series, although the flashbacks had this air about them which made me think of the pages of Superman: Red and Blue that I had been lucky to see on the Internet. As for the remaining four issues, Paul Renaud (4-5) and Joe Bennett (6) seemed to have a more house style but with a twist in mind as it all just looked off centre slightly (but that'd not to its detriment). In fact, these styles reminded me a lot of Vault's the Blue flame (which I'll get to later)

In the end, while the first two issues weren't really my thing, the final four I really liked. Therefore, averaging them out, I'd say that Sam Wilson's first arc as Cap was good. I enjoyed the resolution to the arc and felt that, while not perfect, Sam was at least able to acquire some semblence of victory. It was a very shades of grey win in a world that isn't (realistically) black and white.

So, with that, the second volume has been added to my wishlist because Sam Wilson's first arc as the Star Spangled Man with a plan did enough to convince me to read more. However, this is where my concern kicks in as the next arc is an event tie in...

... And we all know how those often go!

Oh, and before i forget ...

I did manage to get some review reading for Pipedream Comics done this week as well.

First up of these was Vault Comics' the Blue Flame #1 (I did say we'd get to it later). Now, as the review proper will attest to, I really liked this issue and although I was a little confused by the change from one story focus to the other, I still found both of these tales to be really intriguing. As a result, I was totally hooked for the next issue when the end revealed the connection of these two stories.

As for the art, I thought it was just gorgeous in this style as it resembled Marvel and DC's house style but with a slight change, causing the vigilante art to look more modern while the adventurer art looked a little more classic or silver agey. Therefore, I absolutely adored this art and thought that it pulled off both sides of the coin perfectly in this issue, leaving me looking forward to seeing more.

So if my words are any indication (both here and in the review)  this was totally my kind of book and I sure am glad I staked my claim in order to review it. I'm now looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story unfolds.

Next up, I also wrote a review for the Grayham Puttock and Adam Jakes comic, Longpig #1 (which, as I write this hadn't been posted yet). Now, like Blue Flame, I really liked this opening issue. There isn't much of a story to it as it is almost entirely set up and 'meet the characters' but it's there where this issue shines. The players in this story are really intriguing in regards to their actions as they unfold and their dynamics within the family. Also, there's something about them which is just 'off' adding to the sense of mystery.

Meanwhile, the art is gorgeous and heightens that mysterious, almost creepy vibe that the writing implies. The best comparison I have is that they look like those CG strips from newspapers but this work is far better than those. In short, I'm regretting not pledging to the first issue kickstarter, but I think that's something I'll have to rectify the next time round. That's how much I enjoyed this read.

Finally, while not a review, I also got around to reading Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 after picking it up last Wednesday. Now, I have to say that this was a good read, made all the better by getting to see Sean Isaakze's art in an FF book again. I enjoyed the story, although I am u sure about some of the liberties taken with the character dynamics. Still, it was a cool read with lots of references to 60's events. I'll probably delve in deep once the whole series is done but, for now, I certainly look forward to the next issue.

So, another week is finished and I'm really starting to get into a groove with this whole 'reading, blogging and reviewing within a week's thing. Sadly my other writing projects aren't getting as much love because I barely managed any time on them.

However, there is always next week.

Nathan Sorry Vol. 1

This last week has felt like a bit of a return to form for me, though not in a good way. After the immense number of comics I burned through last week, this week has felt more like the week before in that I haven't read very much at all.

Of course, that isn't down to lack of time or laziness on my part, it's simply a thing that this week has been predominantly focused on a review of a rather large (and, in my opinion, rather good) comic to go on the Pipedream site (more on that later).

However, I have found the time to not only read a comic, but buy it too (it was on sale on Comixology and even with the amount I have to read, sometimes I can't resist).

Nathan Sorry Vol. 1 tells the story of a unremarkable, unassuming guy who finds himself assumed dead when his place of work is lost during 9/11, but he's not there when he should be. Now, holding his boss' laptop which contains a fake identity and access to $20 million, Nathan goes into hiding as 'James Goode' as he awaits for things to die down so he can flee the country. However, as he isolates himself to avoid being found out, Nathan starts to question who he really is.

I can't remember where I had originally heard of Nathan Sorry (I'm not entirely sure it was something I just 'stumbled' upon), but when I read the synopsis (which I feel I may have adequately butchered just now), I found this to be an intriguing idea. Unfortunately, while the idea was something I liked, the story was a little bit more of a struggle. I enjoyed the idea of this man stumbling across a 'fake' life and the opportunity of a fresh start, but the way it came about felt to me to be a bit too generic. Not that it wasn't badly set up as the beats to get Nathan from where he started to where he wound up seemed to all be there. It was just that the change and rationale behind going this route seemed a little too abrupt.

I do wonder to myself after reading it if greater emphasis was needed on Nathan's past life to explain why he made the decision to 'run'. This issue showed us a bit of poor treatment in his job but a job isn't the 'be all and end all' and so, while reference to money troubles is implied, maybe a bad break up or run down apartment would have helped sell it. Also, the same could be said about his breakdown (wherin he believed he was James Goode), where more could have been done to hint that Goode was real and Sorry was really dead (beyond a abitruary).

That said, it did have some good points, the art especially I really liked with it's different looks and the black, grey and white colour scheme making it feel unique. However, overall, this was an ok read that almost borders on not my thing. I am intrigued about a few things within the story; the fate of the Russian girl, the investigator, Casey's role in the story. But, while there is a second volume to this title, I might go to the website rather than Comixology for it.

If and when I get around to it.

Oh, and before I forget ...

So I said at the beginning that most of my week was taken up by a review and that was for the TKO OGN, Djeliya by Juni Ba. Now I don't know what I can say that builds on what you would find in the review proper but, suffice to say, I absolutely loved this book! I thught that Djeliya had such an inspiring element to it as I progressed through the story, thatt I couldn't do anything but be hooked from the very beginning. Now, It isn't perfect as I will admit that I  couldn't for the life of me describe any scene in it without difficulty. However, that doesn't take away from the sheer enjoyment and fist pumping enthusiam I have for it.

Of course, while I've said in the review about how I've never seen comic art like this before (and I certainly dont recall one), what it does make me think of is a trippy spirit walk type thing (or a similarly focused episode of the 2003 Clone Wars mini-series). Nonetheless, I still thought it really worked here and helped give Djeliya a really unique visual style.

When Pipedream Comics was given the opportunity to review this I had expected good things (because I have a lot of respect for most of TKO's offerings) but, I must say, I didn't expect it to be this good. This is something I'd highly recommend and am going to need to find a way to get a copy for my shelf.

Now, both these comics weren't the only things I read this last week because I just remembered that I read Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow #2 at the beginning of the week. This was another comic that I really like as I thought that it built on the first issue in spectacular fashion and continued to delve deeper into this horror type story thanks in no small part to its art (the cover alone looks tremendous and is worth the price of admission IMO). I'm not going to go into it in depth here because A. I couldn't think of too much to talk about and B. I want to ramble about the whole series when I've read it all, but if the next two issues build upon this then I will be in for a treat.

So, all in all, it's been a good week, comic reading wise, with two out of three winners, not to mention getting some work done on a couple of projects (one new and one outstanding) as well as plenty of praise for my Ejeliya review coming from today's release of it.

And it has me pumped for next week. With some exciting looking titles on the review list (or in the process of gaining) and the first issue of Fantastic Four: Life Story picked up and ready to read (not to mention all the other outstanding comics), I can only hope that the number of issues I read goes back to a last week sort of number.

Off my Pull List: Fantastic Four #32

I'd initially planned to change the format of what I wrote here. Never really having the time to commit to all the things I'm currently working on (this blog, my reviews at Pipedream Comics, my personal writing projects, etc), I had planned to make this blog a weekly thing where by I talk about all the comics I read in that week.

However, literally a few hours after the last post (which coincidentally focused predominantly on the FF), I found myself eager to pick up and read the newest issue of Fantastic Four after the last four got me appropriately re-hooked on the run. However, by doing this, I found the issue had left me with a lot of thoughts in my head about what it contained. Therefore, rather than wait a week, I figured scrape a few minutes here and there throughout the day after and just cobble together a short something just to get these thoughts out of my head.

So, Fantastic Four #32 sees the Grimm family double date with Johnnu and Sky by attending an event dedicated to Latverian works of art. However, it's not a good night for Johnny as ex-wife Lyra crashes the event while Doom's right hand, Victorious, runs security (which is put to the test when the night is attacked).

This was an issue which, in my mind, was good. I actually found myself enjoying the turmoil of Johnny Storm's love life as he dealt with the love triangle made up of his ex-wife, his current soul mate, his ex-girlfriend (who briefly appears but isn't really a big factor) and Vicotrious (so a love hexagon?). Unfortunately, what stopped me from really liking this issue was how it ended for Johnny, with actions which seem totally out of character. Not to discredit the character or anything, the resolution did make sense to me given the apparent emotional turmoil Johnny had been going through from the beginning of the issue. However, I felt it really did him a disservice given his run long arc and wondered if there could have been a better way to end it.

That said, it does make me think that this is all a catalyst for the departure from the series of Sky and Victorious (the latter I wont miss given how superfluous she feels like. Surely Doom himself could have filled her role ... well, almost).

Speaking of departures, I was sad to see Lyra leave the book so soon after returning. I'm not a particular fan of the character given her past actions, but I had hoped for more to come from her return than five minutes of chaos followed by a quick shuffle off stage. That said, the why intrigued me less than the how as we saw Alicia Masters pull off some more subtle manipulation to make it happen. This is the second time we've seen this with the character through Slott's run and, while I doubt he would do such a thing with a character tied so closely to Ben Grimm, I am wondering if this is the beginning of some villainous turn, maybe even to the point of controlling some flame related character in other actions (although that's maybe wishful thinking).

Finally, there was the seemingly bonus story of Reed and Doom's chess/sword match for a favour. I enjoyed this little tale, as we got to see them battle in two different methods at the same time and it was certainly in keeping with how Doom would make such a request towards Reed, although would it have killed him to just to ask. What bugged me though is that while I always enjoy seeing the pair's college dynamic, it made me feel that the pair have never played chess when, I'm reality, (I'm pretty sure) they play every year on Doom's mother's birthday (though I haven't gone back to check this so feel free to correct me).

The artwork meanwhile still has me in love. R.B. Silva, like Izaakse and Medina before him, still have some of my favourite comic styles around. I especially like the final reveal scene, which he made to look very dreamlike to start with, as though it wasn't somehow real (maybe we'll get lucky and find it wasn't). Meanwhile Javier Rodriguez's work on the back up story was a little jarring to beginning with, but I got used to it and actually enjoyed its Allred-esque look, thinking it worked nicely (particularly for the flashback scenes).

I did really enjoy this issue and am getting concerned that the quality might actually start becoming consistent after the last four issues. However, as I said, the ending to this issue and how it paints Johnny, while maybe not as disliked by me as by other, still doesn't sit right with me and has me hoping it'll end up being a feint.

In the meantime though, I'm intrigued about so much of what is set up here and look froward to seeing it be revealed.

Along with Sue maybe because where the hell was she here??

The Fantastic Catch Up (Fantastic Four #27-31)

After last week's diabolical showing on my part when it came to reading my personal comics, I started this new week with a greater determination to get some of my 'to read' pile cleared.

Fortunately, while time allocation towards familial duties haven't diminished from last week, I've somehow managed to find the time to work through my pull list backlog of Fantastic Four issues. However, I must admit that i was surprised about my reactions to each one of them.

First up was (naturally) issue 27, which picked up where 26 left off with the arrival of LOTS of intergalactic refugees and a familiar face or two. Now I found this to be just an OK issue. Now, I'm not sure if it was just the length of time between this issue and the last but I struggled to feel it as it came across a little dull as well as a bit confusing (though, of course, that may have been my fault). I found this issue to be very up and down, with good moments (the powerless Franklin being the hero) as well as some bad (a blatant Sue character moment as a mum wasted).

I think what really lost it for me was the art. I mean, the art was OK and it looked a lot like Javier Pulido's work on She-Hulk. Unfortunately, I'm quite hooked on the Zsaakse/Medina/Silva art we've been getting and so it was really missing for me. That said, see a house fold up was a cool visual.

Issue 27 left me with some questions (such as the origins of the Surfer's communicator. He didn't strike me as the guy to carry such hardware) but, on its own, this instalment didn't do much for me sadly.

Thankfully, as I moved on, issue 28 turned out to be SO much better. I really liked this instalment as we saw the conclusion to the Forever Gate/Griever story picked up from 27.

I've always felt that the middle issues of story arcs are the weakest and 28 helped prove that 27 was that with what I thought of as an awesome conclusion. The thing which really got me hyped was the art as R.B. Silva returned and brought back the look which has really won me over on this series.

Also, a lot of the various character dynamics got me truly engrossed. I've always been a fan of Bentley 23 since his introduction during the Hickman run, but his new father/son dynamic with Dragon Man was deeply intriguing. As was the mystery revolving around Reed and Ben's future disagreement which was hinted by the Griever's disagreement.

The resolution felt very Fantastic Four-esque once it got there, with Franklin's place in it seeming more obvious as the issue progressed. However, this didn't upset but actually restored some of my faith in the series.

Issue 29 and 30 were King in Black tie in. Really liked this and, by this point, I'm beginning to think this series only truly shines is when there is a tie-in. As with the Realm of Kings and Empyre issues, these two told what I thought was another engrossing side story to the main event, which occasionally intersected (the hint of the convo between Spidey and Johnny has me tempted to get the event proper).

I think what I liked most about this was that it really focused on that family dynamic in the sense that no family is perfect. The concept surrounding the event seemed to be put to good use here as the fractures between the various members of the Richard's clan were let loose.

There was also a lot more focus which seemed to be given to Johnny in these issues and his connection with Sky. Now, while I thought that this dynamic felt forced, maybe needing more groundwork in prior issues, it did come across as more natural by the end of the event. Also, i have to say the revelation about their connection which occurred in this arc turned out to be a a scary notion and I hope it is built on going forward.

All in all, this arc, from it's seamless working to Carlos' Joe Mad style art (which was gorgeously dark and suiting here) and even the way the resolution sets up the future, was fantastic to me. I really liked these issues and it had me in a good head space as moved into my final issue.

Finally, there was issue 31, which rounded off my catch up with a nice one and done which saw Reed and Ben use the Forever Gate to go on a boys trip to reconnect in a universe where every thought becomes reality (sounds like nothing would go wrong there).

Like the previous three instalments, I really liked this issue. This was an issue which felt like it had something of an even focus on the family, be it Reed and Ben, Sue, Franklin and Johnny, Alicia and N'Kalla and even Bentley and Valeria, each dynamic felt like it got its time to shine.

Now I will confess that I do wish it had been a Reed/Sue adventure going through the Forever Gate but, given the revelations from the last few issues, a Ben/Reed story now makes a lot of sense. The same is said, i thought of both the Sue/Franklin and Alicia/kids dynamics as both relationship felt like they had been leading the their respective moments and, as such, I found so interesting and enjoyable to read.

Once again, R.B. Silva's art had me fall in love and really makes the loss of Sean Isaakze and Paco Medina a little easier to live with with each additional issue. This issue also gave me what I never realised I wanted in more Bentley time, as his story from multiple issues culminated here in his wanted to confess his feelings for Valeria. His actions in response to this, coupled with the appearance bu the Wizard, has me intrigued to see where his journey is going to go next.

Issue 31 was, for me another terrific issue, which ended with an important direction for Franklin as well as a number of intriguing questions regarding the rest of the family.

And, in total, while the beginning of this catch up didn't meet my 'expectations' (for want of a better word), the fact that I had four consecutive issues which blew me away is the kind of thing i want from a FF series. I just hope that now a new 'arc is just round the corner, it can keep this momentum going.

Oh, and before I forget ...

So, while FF has been my predominant focus this week, I've also managed to hammer our a couple of reviews for Pipedream Comics. First up was Sagas of the Shield Maiden. Now there isn't much i can say about this comic beyond what went into the review proper, but this was a comic I enjoyed reading. The stories it contained were engrossing and really made me intrigued about the character of the Shield Maiden and who she was.

Meanwhile, all five different art styles were gorgeous (as was the Sweeney Boo cover which was truly breathtaking). This was a really great read and one I not only would want to pick up but also hope that it gets a follow up to give me more about this character.

 
I also reviewed the first two issues of a comic called for Destiny NY. Now, quite simply, I thought this was a fantastic comic and I really liked it from start to finish. It reminded me a lot of Breaks in its tone and content (as a slice of life romance) but also, its world and story made me think of the image series Excellence. However, unlike Excellence, which is about a young man trying to match up to his family's potential, this was about someone who's passed their life goal and is now directionless, something that resonated with me a lot (because I still have no clue at 37).

Meanwhile, the characters are really captivating, the plot intriguing (I have lots of questions) and the art is gorgeous (where I especially love the body positive visual of Gia). After reading these two issues, the trade has made it onto my Comixology wish list because I'm totally hooked on seeing where this goes.

Finally, while not something I reviewed, I also found time to read issues 1 to 3 of the all ages comic Thor & Loki: Double Trouble with my son. Now, I have to admit, I thought this would be a generic kids comic that I'd have no opinion about. However, by the end of each issue, I was surprised by how much I really liked this series.

The art but Superman Smashes the Klan's Gurihiru is gorgeous and perfectly suits the all ages aspect of the series as well as the fun tone. What I think I liked most about this is how it depicts the two Gods as regular scrabbling brothers, obviously taking a cue from Thor Ragnarok (Oddly enough the voices of Hemsworth and Hiddleston rung in my head as I read their dialogue) but also making me see my kids' dynamic in the pages (because what brothers don't fight).

This was a really good read and made me think about my unconscious bias towards these All-Ages books. I may have to re-think my opinions on them the next time the eldest wants a comic to read.

So that's another week done and it's been a good one if I do say so myself. I've hammered out a couple of reviews as well as read eight comics from my own stash and even managed a bit of time on my side project (less than an hour bit it's still time).

So now that my pull list comics are up to date (barring the two issues from this past Wednesday), I think the upcoming week will see me go and try to burn through a couple of trades (one review and one personal) just because i still have a lot to get through.

And who knows, maybe I can find some extra additional time for that other long dormant project I've finally gotten back to!!

A week of exclusively comic reviewing.

It has been a few weeks since I last wrote anything here (Princess Leia doesn't count because, well, i wrote it weeks ago and held it for Star Wars day. Sorry). This wasn't an intentional choice but simply a case that work and family took priority and, therefore, I didn't get a chance to read anything.

Well, 'anything" is maybe the wrong word. While I've been unable to read anything from my personal stash of comics (bar one and I'll get to that), I have been able to get some reviews done this week.

Therefore, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about those.

My first review for the week was the Modern Frankenstein #1. Now, while this comic was treated to a review on Pipedream, this was also the only comic which came from my personal collection because I had great expectations given the creative team of Paul Cornell and Emma Vieceli. And, in a way, it was everything I hoped for although it also wasn't at the same time. Now maybe it was a case that I had expected too much from this issue, but I found the first read through of it to be quite a struggle.

Fortunately, going through it the second time it was a little easier and, at that point, I did find the issue quite enjoyable. It did feel a little compressed (which probably wasn't helped by 2 variant covers and a preview for chasing the dragon at the back) but I was very intrigued by the set up and am now curious where it will go. I also thought that, given how this issue played out, Cornell was taking the theme of this story from a similar place as I was with monsters, though in a more preventative rather than retributive direction (although he's since told me that wasn't the case, at least consciously). The art was gorgeous and I really loved it (although I expected no less) and Pippa Bowland's colours gave a real life that felt fitting for the world it was building.

So, by the end, I think it was fair to say that I would be happy to come back and see the next issue. I think this issue has put it in a good place to make a great story and so I'm intrigued to see how it ends.

Afterwards I reviewed The Saturn Effect: Alpha #1. Unfortunately, I really struggled with this comic as I thought it was a case of having too many ideas being crammed into too small a space. Now, credit to it, the world that Chris Moses has made here is a pretty compelling one and has left me very much intrigued about the various aspects that make this universe. However, I really got lost as I read it, with the main plot not seeming clear as I went through the issue with many of the deeper issues being (seemingly) crow barred in without any context.

Now, I loved the art which was solid work and really made me think of Descender. However, like with the story, I really felt that it wasn't given the space to show off. So, overall, I think that if the contents in these two issues had been spread over 6 issues I would have been much more hooked than I was. It is a concept which has potential in my eyes and maybe I'd probably come back when the whole thing is out as it may read better. For now though, it just isn't my thing.

Finally, there was the review for Firebreak #1 which, long story short, was a read I really enjoyed. I thought that Firebreak was a simple, fun, absurd take on the superhero genre. Something that seemed like a comedy played straight as the bad guy blindingly fumbled his way through the story trying to get his questions answered. Unfortunately, it's only problem is that there I didn't really have much to say on it. The art is solid work but not noteworthy and the story is the same, although it left me wondering why it isn't name after the villain instead of the hero (I also wondered if Firebreak's identity is public or if he's like Spider-Man and let's everyone find out).

Nonetheless, despite it's regular-ness (not that that's a bad thing), I enjoyed this and would want to see more (although maybe as a trade/bulk issue pick up).

And that's been my last week in a nutshell. I certainly wish I'd made more time to read more but hopefully next week will not be a repeat as I have a backlog of five Fantastic Four issues I want to get read as well as the first three instalments of Thor & Loki: Double Trouble which I got to read with my son.

I also want to make time to get back to work on one of my other projects as well as various other reviews. However, I know that free time is not always that easy to come by, so I just have to hope that it's easier to find next week than it was this week.

Re-Reading Star Wars: Princess Leia

So today (as of the time I post this) is May the 4th. Star Wars day!!

And being the Star Wars fan that I am, I thought I'd do something special for it by jotting my thoughts down about one of the comic series I have based on everyone's favourite 'galaxy far far away.'

The problem for me was which one. Fortunately, this wasn't as difficult dilemma as one would think thanks to the wonder that is a Twitter poll. A couple of weeks back i put a poll up to choose which of the four Star Wars mini-series I have access to I should focus on; Princess Leia, Darth Maul, Lando or Captain Phasma. Well, by the time that poll ended, the choice was unanimous; Princess Leia was the winner.

A stroke of luck for me because, between these four, the Leia mini was my favourite read.

Star Wars: Princess Leia follows everyone's favourite Princess (it just occurred to me, is she classed as a Disney Princess now?) mere moments after A New Hope finishes. With the battle over the rebellion victorious, the Princess and her allies must now begin the process of abandoning Yavin 4 before further imperial forces attack. For Leia, however, the Rebellion must wait as her attention turns to her recently destroyed homeworld of Alderaan as she vows to find and bring together any remaining members of her people in order to allow Alderaan to live on.

Now, of course, other things happen in this series. Adventure, blaster fights, betrayal, space battles etc, but I thought I'd keep the breakdown of this story simple. But also, the crux of this mini-series is basically what I originally said; it's a story about a Princess trying to atone for her failures by saving her people.

This five issue Princess Leia series is one that I really love. Mark Waid, who has written so many tremendous comic runs and stories that I love, from Fantastic Four and Daredevil to Kingdom Come, has crafted a terrific story here that I think fits seamlessly within the already established timeline of the Star Wars universe. The concept makes perfect sense given what we know you have happened and it seems to marry up with everything else that was going on in comics at the same time.

That said, the thing I think I enjoy most about this story is just how it fleshes out Leia's character. I really felt that Waid found the voice of the Princess perfectly here, as her every word and every action seemed to be exactly what she would say and how she would act (I even heard Carrie Fisher's voice from the original trilogy as I read her dialogue). This entire story really felt like it focused on breaking down who Leia actually was. I recall a New Hope often referenced Leia as a senator and diplomat, but yet showed her far more competent as a woman of action. I thought that here we see this contradiction as well as discover where Leia's preference lies between the two. I thought this was helped by the character of Evaan, who almost feels a reader's POV character, asking the questions we maybe have, but also questioning Leia on her own actions. As a result of this, I feel she works well as Leia's conscience, helping her work through her own questions of where her preferences lie.

Meanwhile, the art ... Well, what can I say to do the artwork justice. The Dodson's work is pitch perfect for this series. I had never seen much of the Dodson's work prior to reading this, just their contribution to Gail Simone's 'Who is Wonder Woman' arc. However, here I have absolutely fallen I'm love with their style which looks soft and elegant and has this beauty to it that just epitomises Leia. In fact, their lines and inks just make every character look absolutely gorgeous and not just the characters but the world's too. I wont lie, it does make me wonder if they would have managed were the story taking place in a grimy landscape like Nar Shaddea or Coruscant's lower levels but given that isn't a concern then it isn't something worth investing too much thought on. Then there is Jordie Bellaire's colours which gives the whole world(s) that real alien, Star Wars vibe and topped off by Joe Caramagna's sound effects which just add that feeling for true Star Wars for me. All four have given me a comic book series that I love and could never get bored of looking at.

For me, this mini-series is a really beautiful story that really imbues the hope that the original Star Wars movies is built on. I'll be honest, every time I read it I find myself wishing for a sequel series that was set after Jedi, something to show Leia's journey from Princess to General as seen in episode 7. Still, I'll take what I can get and I think this comic did exactly what Marvel were looking for when they got the licence: tell great stories that filled in the gaps between the films. In short, I love Princess Leia, both the story and the character and it has to be my second favourite Star Wars book the Vader run (although not by much).