Star Wars #37: Imperial Pride

My second issue of the Star Wars comic again follows the troops of SCAR squadron.  What can I say, I love an issue focusing on Stormtroopers!

The Cover

The cover features the troopers of SCAR squadron bursting into action as they disembark from a transport.  They look fearsome, they look battle-scarred, and they look tough.  Mike Mayhew put together an eye-catching cover.  It’s definitely darker than the last issue I picked up, but something about that armor always gets me.

The Art

Salvador Larroca does the duties on pencils for this issue, and he somehow has an ability to showcase a character in that expressionless armor, and show a full range of emotion, be it determination, awe, and outrage.  The book looks good, though it is fairly dark tonally.  The troopers look good, Vader looks good in his brief appearance, and even the heroes I grew up with look good in the dark scene they appear in towards the end of the book.  It looks like a Star Wars story, it feels like a Star Wars story, and the art really backs up and enhances the story.

The Story

The issue begins with Sergeant Kreel training with his acquired lightsaber.  He shows some skill with the blade, but is soon overwhelmed.  We then witness that it is Darth Vader putting him through his paces, and although telling him he’s not worthy of the blade, allows him to keep it.  Kreel then gets to meet the Emperor himself in passing, who barely pays him any notice.  Kreel doesn’t pick up on this however, as it was the Empire that freed him from slavery as a child, and in his eyes, they can do no wrong.  I liked the brief appearance from Palpatine, as it shows he cares very little for those who serve him, which I felt really fit him as a character.  SCAR squadron then goes hunting for rebels, and we see the savagery that they engage them with.  They butcher them to a man to leave a message for Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie to find.

The issue ends with a second story from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s time living on Tatooine.  It shows him saving the life of a young Tusken Raider.  It shows that inherent goodness that Kenobi had, and is really a nice short piece to finish the book with.