Last year’s creation of the Lucasfilm Story Group to make all future stories tie together was the biggest reorganizing of continuity in “Star Wars” history, but it wasn’t the first. Dark Horse did a soft reboot of sorts in 2006 when it canceled its existing titles and launched four new ongoing titles: “Knights of the Old Republic,” “Dark Times,” “Rebellion” and “Legacy.”
Unlike the other three, “Rebellion” was new in name only, as it was a straight continuation from the 40-issue “Empire” series. I’ll look at Issues 0-14 (2006-08) of “Rebellion” in this post, then analyze Issues 15-16 when I get to my review of “Vector,” a crossover featuring all four ongoing titles.
As with “Empire,” the strength of these three “Rebellion” arcs is the way it gets into characters’ heads. Usually this is done through first-person or third-person-omniscient narration, but in “The Ahakista Gambit” (Issues 6-10) by Brandon Badeaux and Rob Williams, the evil information broker Raze actually communicates directly into the brain of his employee Wyl Tarson, who is also a Rebel double agent.
All three arcs chronicle short-on-confidence folks who play small roles in the Rebellion – accomplishing missions that, when multiplied by the hundreds, add up to the Alliance’s ultimate victory. “Ahakista Gambit” is one of my favorite small character studies in the whole EU. It’s not easy to do “subtle” in a comic book, but Badeaux, Williams and artist Michel Lacombe pull it off.
For example, panels featuring Raze back at his HQ are peppered throughout the story. Raze keeps reminding Wyl that he owns him — due to the bomb planted in his head — and he also exerts influence on Wyl’s love interest Laynara, who rocks a Padme-style white jumpsuit. In these panels, Raze is served by handmaidens – whom he also abuses and perhaps literally owns as slaves – and on the last panel, we see one of them pull a dagger from a sheath. Good stuff.
Another interesting tidbit in “Ahakista Gambit” is that a dark Force-user, Sardoth, says Palpatine made use of him and other dark Jedi early in the Rebellion, but then had Darth Vader purge them from the Empire’s ranks (although Palpatine obviously held onto a few Inquisitors; indeed, an Imperial threatens Luke and Leia with Inquisitors in the next arc). Siths’ views of whether a dark-sider is allowed into the inner circle or not have always been ill-defined; while Sardoth correctly notes “I could have been your ally,” Vader offs him.
The other two arcs don’t have quite the same storytelling beauty of “Ahakista Gambit,” but they’re hook-laden due to featuring main characters. “Crossroads” (0), by Jeremy Barlow (under the pseudonym Thomas Andrews), and “My Brother, My Enemy” (1-5), by Williams (with art by Badeaux and Lacombe), continue directly from the final arc of the “Empire” comics as Janek “Tank” Sunber, Luke’s old pal from Tatooine, is haunted by nightmares. Is he right to serve the Empire or is Luke right to rebel against it?
To readers, it’s not much of an argument; Luke deflects Tank’s accusation of criminality by asking if Biggs and Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were criminals. But it’s hard to overcome Imperial schooling. Then again, it’s even harder to overcome actual brainwashing, and former Rebel detainee Jorin Sol pulls it off. But it’s still good stuff, and it seemed Dark Horse considered continuing Sunber’s arc, as it’s strongly implied he survived in an escape pod. Alas, we didn’t get that story.
Continuing the conflicted-souls theme, “Small Victories” (11-14) picks up the arc of Deena Shan, who has a running inner monologue berating herself for not being as heroic as Han, Luke and Leia (the latter two feature in this story, but Han sits on the bench). Written by Barlow and drawn by Colin Wilson, “Small Victories” is a half-step down for the series, but I still like Deena despite her whininess. She’s one of those beautiful yet unconfident women you only find in comic books, but I was still happy to see her prove her worth. It would’ve been neat to see a romance blossom between her and Luke, but that’s another thread that died with the end of “Rebellion,” and now the end of the EU.
More evidence that “Rebellion’s” cancellation after 16 issues surprised the writers is that Barlow sets up the next mission in the final act of “Small Victories.” Shan learns that the Imperials are ramping up to take on the Rebel fleet at Ansion. Barlow introduces Dagger Squadron, the first B-wing squadron, which includes Nera Dantels, girlfriend of the late Biggs, and we’re told it will be perfect for the Ansion mission.
While “Rebellion” had far too short of a run, it’s definitely worth checking out for people who want a taste of the Rebel Alliance’s unhyped yet crucial military victories, plus some great character writing and significant roles for Luke and Leia.