The Lucky Devils #5 Review

 

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist & Designer: Ryan Browne

Colorists: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Christopher Crank

Logo: Thomas Quinn

Production Design: Erika Schnatz

Cover Artists: Ryan Browne & Jonski

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 15, 2025

 

Hell is in an uproar. Good deeds on the surface are inflicting spike-lightning, lava boils, and shakequakes on the lower levels of Hell. While the hierarchy of Hell represses the lower classes, Wrench Fortune grows concerned about what is happening to his kingdom. So, he calls the other Nine-Zed devils to his Hell City office to find the fiendish do-gooders.

 

Sandpaper Pinch doesn't know Collar and Rake, the rising Four-Zed devils with their eyes on the Five-Zed prize. Still, Sandpaper Pinch promises to find which shoulder-demons are encouraging their Humans to do good instead of evil. Will Sandpaper Pinch discover how Collar and Rake have improved Cameron Stane and Starr Winslow's lives? And what will Sandpaper Pinch's investigation cost her? Let's hang onto our halos, leap into The Lucky Devils #5, and see!

 

Story

Collar was a nobody. Even Rake didn’t think much of the lowly, three-million-year-old devil when they met. But Rake’s poetry slam about changing the system got him thinking. What if he could change the way Hell worked? He was not alone in this. As Wrench Fortune told his fellow leaders, the devils at the lowest ranks of society take solace in a fable about good on Earth nearly destroying Hell. But Collar drew inspiration from this popular tale. And as he and Rake rise through the ranks, success boosts his confidence that he can fulfill prophecy and upend Hell again.

 

While The Lucky Devils #5 follows Rake and Collar’s story, it also looks in on Cameron Stane and Starr Winslow. Cam is a philosophy professor, a college dean, and a burgeoning author. Starr has risen through the nursing ranks to oversee the Lazarene Healthcare hospital network in Chicago. At first, Cam didn’t want to believe in Collar’s existence. But Starr, a preacher’s daughter, always knew Rake was real. Cam and Starr’s shared experience unites them. They wonder if it's right to retain the success they've achieved at their rivals' expense.

 

While Rake, Collar, Cameron, and Starr find themselves at turning points in their lives, Sandpaper Pinch has already passed through the crucible that could have torn her apart. Instead of fast-tracking her investigation, the bounty hunter tried to turn the short-term gig into a meal ticket. Then she came home one night to find it gone. Sandpaper Finch may be mourning. But in Charles Soule’s story, she’s determined to find the no-good, do-gooders who caused the lava boil that vaporized her family.

 

Art

She used to watch TV with her family. Now, Sandpaper Pinch perches on a barstool and stares up at the devil-framed flatscreen in a bar. Fen, the bartender who reluctantly serves her, belongs to the same devil-species as Wrench Fortune and Collar in The Lucky Devils #5.

 

As he throws balls at targets wearing fiendish faces, Cameron insists that Satan can go to Hell. When Starr pulls him away from the Down The Devil carnival game, Ryan Browne shows Cam waxing lyrical about eradicating evil at the Beer booth. After the philosophy professor purchases a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle popsicle, the preacher’s daughter clasps her soft serve ice cream cone, points her finger upward, and tells him the best way to defeat evil.

 

While Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein lavish a loaded palette on The Lucky Devils #5, colors prove significant in both domains. Collar's orange skin matches the nearby lava and explosions. Rake's pink skin matches the sky above her home. Like the inverted pentagram window looking out on their deck, the air grows red as Collar confesses. Yellow fire burns above Collar’s head as he justifies his actions, while yellow energy surrounds Cam’s face as he does likewise. Pink fire rises from Magenta’s head amid her wrath, while Starr, clad in a dark magenta suit, refuses to compromise.

 

White uppercase letters in red banners introduce locations in Chicago and Hell City. Uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and never shrink. White letters in red balloons signify Hellish outrage, while sound effects arise as devils destroy the trophies marking their success. Thanks to Image Comics and Silent E Productions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Cameron Stane and Starr Winslow reap the fruits of the status they've attained. Yet Collar and Rake discover the differences between them are as formidable as the streams of lava flowing past their suburban home. If all of them don't destroy their lives on their own, a bounty hunter discovers a key to bringing their dreams crashing down in The Lucky Devils #5.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

The Lucky Devils #4 Review

 

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist & Designer: Ryan Browne

Colorists: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Art Breakdowns: Zander Cannon

Letterer: Christopher Crank

Logo: Thomas Quinn

Production Design: Erika Schnatz

Cover Artists: Ryan Browne & Andrew MacLean

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 30, 2025

 

“Imagine there’s no Heaven,” Rake sang. (Or perhaps it was John Lennon?) Collar and Rake may not believe in Heaven. Still, they're climbing through the ranks of devil society so they can bring Hell crashing down.

 

Cameron Stane didn’t believe Collar existed. Still, he followed the little devil's advice. Cameron has ascended from an assistant professor to the head of his department. As the daughter of a Baptist preacher, Starr Winslow believes in Rake’s existence. Yet she has let the devil help her become the director of nurses at her hospital. Can Collar and Rake keep rising through the ranks? And how are Cameron and Starr enjoying success? Let's grab our Bibles and The Discourses of Epictetus, leap into The Lucky Devils #4, and find out!

 

Story

Every person influences others. As they grow in influence, Hell assigns a devil to them. The leaders of Hell, who belong to the Nine-Zed, want to protect their realm. They need Humans to spread evil for Hell's continued health. But that relationship carries dangers. If Human influencers flip the script and do good, that anti-evil provokes "natural" disasters in Hell.

 

In The Lucky Devils #4, Wrench Fortune summons the other Nine-Zed. He wants to investigate recent disasters. Instead of working through governmental channels, Wrench drafts in an outsider. But Sandpaper Pinch may not share his sense of urgency.

 

In Charles Soule's densely written story, the higher Rake and Collar advance, the more their supervisors trust them. Three years have passed since Rake and Collar started helping Starr and Cameron. The Humans cannot believe their success. Yet Starr and Cameron aren't sure they like who they are becoming.

 

When the influencers meet in The Lucky Devils #4, Starr and Cameron discover their common bond. By advancing their careers, they help Rake and Collar achieve greater wealth and importance. What seems a philosophical dilemma to the Humans confirms Wrench Fortune's worst fears.

 

Art

Lightning arcs from clouds to charge the high-rises of Hell City. Wrench Fortune pounds the conference table while his contemporaries regard him with doubt and disinterest. Sandpaper Pinch exudes confidence while sitting in a conference chair upholstered with faces. But when she returns home, Sandpaper Pinch summons her nesting eyeball and initiates a three-way on her faded sectional.

 

While colorful fires burn from each devil’s horned head, Sandpaper Pinch’s left arm glows with light blue fire. The sky above Struggle Beach matches Collar’s orange and Rake’s pink skin. Compared with the vibrant colors of Hell, Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein apply muted tones to an evening in Chicago. Cameron signs a white and red book for customers in a gray store. Starr sits in a grayish-purple cushioned booth and dines surrounded by brown. But Cameron and Starr’s faces glow pink when their devils join them for dinner in The Lucky Devils #4.

 

White uppercase letters in red banners announce the time and locations as Rake and Collar contemplate joining the Five-Zed ranks. Uppercase letters inhabit white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and rarely shrink. Hammer Wrench writes yellow and white letters in the red air to assert why he believes Hell may come crashing down. Thanks to Image Comics and Silent E Productions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Charles Soule, Ryan Browne, Kevin Knipstein, and Christopher Crank's beautifully told comic asks if evil and power are mutually exclusive. In an era when many confuse material success with virtue, the Lucky Devils #4 reminds us that what we do in the world can hurt our loved ones.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

The Lucky Devils #3 Review

 

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist & Designer: Ryan Browne

Colorist: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Christopher Crank

Cover Artists: Ryan Browne & Tradd Moore

Logo: Thomas Quinn

Production Design: Erika Schnatz

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 26, 2025

 

As hard as they try, Collar and Rake can't tempt their assigned humans into spreading evil. So, Collar and Rake break the rules to get their humans promoted at work without performing harmful acts. Then, they push the acceptable bounds of hellish behavior by inciting Cam and Starr's rivals to bad behavior. Sure, the devils risk eternal punishment by breaking Hell’s laws. But the benefits outweigh the risks. Besides, Collar and Rake want to overturn the corrupt system that keeps so many devils repressed.

 

Cameron Stane doesn’t believe in Collar’s existence. Still, the philosophy professor argues that his subconscious must be talking to him. Starr feels like Rake is her special friend. But as the preacher’s daughter cares for her patients, she dislikes profiting from others' misery. How will Cam adjust to life as a professor on the tenure track? And how will Starr's life improve as a nurse attending the Emergency Room instead of Code Browns? Let's grab our Bibles and The Discourses of Epictetus, leap into The Lucky Devils #3, and find out!

 

Story

Rake realized her superiors rigged the system years ago. So, she sang the repression blues to everyone who listened. Meeting Rake made Collar look around and rethink his life. The two devils hooked up, and the rest is hellish history.

 

Unlike their human charges, Collar and Rake aren't trying to make anyone's life better. Any power they get, they use to hurt others in Hell. But in The Lucky Devils #3, Rake and Collar are in denial. They have bought into Hell’s credo that Heaven doesn’t exist. They wonder at the haloes that appeared over their head one day. But they only use that as a license to make their world worse for everyone.

 

As for their human charges, success has come too swiftly. Cameron Stane once decried his students' disinterest in history. But he isn't using his increased influence to get his students to learn and write thoughtful essays. Cam provokes argument and discussion but fails to help his students appreciate the philosophers who inspired him.

 

If Cam struggles with Collar's existence, Starr Winslow struggles more in Charles Soule’s story. Starr has not escaped her religious upbringing. She believes devils are evil. The preacher's daughter knows she should have nothing to do with Rake. But then, her parents have put her in a box, and Starr is desperate to escape.

 

Art

Rake perches on a stool in a nightclub with a hat on one horn. While another demon keeps time on the tom-toms, devils sip their drinks and smoke cigarettes. Collar rests his chin on his hands at the bar. The devil's eyes fix on Rake in this prelude scene of The Lucky Devils #3. When Ryan Browne fast-forwards to the present, Collar and Rake sit on their patio, playing footsie, drinking beer, and eating pizza. As a lesser demon snags a slice of pepperoni, Collar tosses his can toward the street. Then, he displays plans that are “intricate as heck.”

 

Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein enliven the church interior. As Starr's father preaches, she wears casual pink and white attire. Her mother and sister dress to the nines in more colorful clothes. Cam and another professor dress in gray as they walk through the snow toward an olive-green tent. As Collar scurries between panels, battling monsters to reach his human charge, Dean Vesuvius welcomes guests to his fundraiser. The red fabric-covered tables and the red, yellow, and orange food in the chef's tray link with Collar as the fiery demon surprises Cam with an embrace.

 

White uppercase letters in red banners announce the time and locations in The Lucky Devils #3. Big uppercase letters inhabit white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and never shrink. Sound effects enhance the underworld nightlife as Starr imagines standing up to her parents, Cam does something he regrets, and Rake makes a cat purr. Thanks to Image Comics and Silent E Productions for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Collar and Rake are climbing the pyramid scheme of Hell. Cameron Stane and Starr Winslow gain influence thanks to their fiendish little helpers. The devils celebrate their success while sabotaging the pillars that uphold their infernal society. Cam and Starr begin to wonder if their promotions come at too high a price. And while the devils and the humans prosper, none appreciate what they have in The Lucky Devils #3.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Lucky Devils #1 Review

 

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist & Designer: Ryan Browne

Colorist: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Christopher Crank

Cover Artists: Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair; Ryan Browne

Logo: Thomas Quinn

Production Design: Erika Schnatz

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 8, 2025

 

Are good and evil only philosophical or religious concepts? Can anyone be completely good or evil? Or are they spectrums within which we all live? Enough with pondering the imponderable! Let's grab our iron crosses and bloodstones, leap into The Lucky Devils #1, and find out!

 

Story

Cam teaches a college philosophy class. He urges his students to ponder the societal ethics that drive historical movements. His students complain the classroom is hotter than hell. Cam yearns to inspire the next generation of Mahatma Gandhi's and Mother Teresa's in Charles Soule’s story. His students use ChatGPT to write their essays. And all the while, Cam’s low-paying job leaves him feeling like a failure in his professional and private life.

 

While Cam toils at Mies Van Der Rohe Community College, Starr changes soiled sheets in Mastrantonio Memorial Hospital. Her coworker gets a new Mercedes. Like Janis Joplin, Starr wishes she were more successful in The Lucky Devils #1. While listening to her husband preach from the pulpit about the joys of serving others, her mother insists that the nurse stop going the extra mile to give her patients joy and dignity. Instead, Starr must concentrate on securing a better-paying job.

 

In The Lucky Devils #1, there is a reason Cam and Starr struggle to get ahead. Okay, two reasons. Their names are Collar and Rake. Like Cam and Starr, the devils are trapped in a system that disrespects their contributions. Collar and Rake have a plan to change that, and it involves the Humans under their care. The devils vow to make Cam and Starr happy and successful even if they must make their lives a living hell to secure their agreement.

 

Art

Purple and orange burn hottest thanks to Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein. Starr's uniform looks purple when not greened by fluorescent light. Orange warms Cam when things inevitably go wrong. So, when their tempters appear, Collar burns with an Orange Crush while Rake sizzles with a Purple Haze. Rich coloring infuses this hyperreal fantasy where, like Buzz and Woody, the devils break the rules to teach Humans a lesson.

 

Collar and Rake climb into panel borders as the devils explain how they guide their charges. The devils never learned it is impolite to point, as they extend bony fingers and long nails at Cam and Starr. Ryan Browne sets each infernal invasion in the ultimate safe zone of the bedroom, with only one bedside lamp to banish the demonic darkness. Then, like Sulley and Mike Wazowski, the devils travel through portals. Collar and Rake enter locker rooms, pass a satanic Sucker in a 3 Piece, and squeeze onto upholstered seating like Beetlejuice.

 

Red banners announce locations in this update to the most demonic novel C S Lewis ever wrote. Screwtape uppercase letters inhabit white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and never shrink. Lowercase red letters reveal Cam's classwork and responses in The Lucky Devils #1. Sound effects enhance hellish manifestations, a Biblical smash hit, and devils fighting over the remaining drops in broken beer bottles. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Ever have a day when nothing goes right? Don't blame God or cosmic chance. The Lucky Devils #1 reveals the infernal physics that balances our efforts to be good with temptations to be evil.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more about this series, quotes from the creators, and a look inside, see my preview of The Lucky Devils #1.

Lucky Devils #1 Preview

 

Here's a preview of an upcoming series from Image Comics. It looks fiendishly fun! Here's all the info:

 

BESTSELLING EIGHT BILLION GENIES TEAM TO LAUNCH THE LUCKY DEVILS SERIES IN JANUARY 2025

The wildly successful creative team of #1 New York Times bestselling writer Charles Soule (The Oracle Year, The Endless Vessel, Star Wars) and critically-acclaimed artist Ryan Browne (Curse Words, God Hates Astronauts) reunite for their follow-up to the hugely popular Eight Billion Genies with an all-new series, The Lucky Devils. This nine-issue, fantasy/satire adventure is set to launch in January 2025 from Image Comics.

Soule and Browne will be at artist alley table D42 at New York Comic Con this week and will appear on the "Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground" panel on Sunday, October 20 @ 11 a.m. in room 406.2 to share more details about the announcement.

"After the incredible success of Eight Billion Genies, Ryan Browne and I knew our next project together had to be something truly special," said Soule. "The Lucky Devils feels like exactly that—a spiritual successor to Genies in that it, too, tells a self-contained, tightly-plotted story about the supernatural unexpectedly intersecting with the lives of a few ordinary, unsuspecting people. That said, it's also very much its own beast. We're playing with the myth of the devil on your shoulder here—what Genies did for wishing and desire, Devils does for Faustian bargains and humanity's struggle with temptation. Not to mention I get to see Ryan draw hundreds of hilariously badass little demons—unbeatable. In The Lucky Devils, it's good to be bad. I can't wait for people to check it out this January."

Browne added: "Over the last year, Charles Soule and I have crafted, revised, rebuilt, sculpted, edited, and polished The Lucky Devils, reinventing an approach to the 'Little Creatures Who Mess With Humanity' angle that worked so well with Eight Billion Genies. Oh, and as always, I get to draw as much crazy world-building insanity as the page will allow! Heart, humor, sin, and madness all wrapped around two little punk devils that were born to raze hell to the ground!"

The Lucky Devils is a tale of two ordinary, good-hearted, 20-something Chicagoans who begin working with the devils on their shoulders in an attempt to fix their broken lives. It works beyond their wildest dreams, and in time they become two of the most powerful people on earth. While they fully intend to use that influence to make the world a better place, we all know what they say about the road to Hell...  

A dark, hilarious satire about the struggle to do good in a world that makes it so easy to be bad, The Lucky Devils is an examination of everything that makes humanity both grand and terrible from two of comics' most unique storytellers.

For fans of their previous bestselling collaborations like Curse Words and Eight Billion Genies—or stories like Good Omens, Lucifer, or tales where ordinary people's lives intersect with the supernatural—this new series is sure to delight readers looking for a fantastical new read.

Check out this red hot preview art:

 

 

 

Did I say it looked like fiendish fun or what? I'm not convinced these imps have the best interests of the humans they visit in their hellfire hearts, but I can't wait to check this series out! It's only three months away! The first issue will have several cover options:

The Lucky Devils #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 8:

• Cover A by Ryan Browne
• Cover B by Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair
• Cover C Blank Sketch cover
• Cover D 1:25 "Glitter" copy incentive by Browne
• Cover E 1:50 "Foil virgin" copy incentive by Frank Miller
• Cover F 1:100 copy incentive featuring Soule & Browne Sketch
  

 

The Lucky Devils #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Thanks to Image Comics for sharing this tempting preview with us!

 

 

 

Star Wars: The High Republic: Starlight Stories Digest Edition Preview

 

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: STARLIGHT STORIES (Digest Edition)

ON SALE: NOVEMBER 12, 2024

 

DESCRIPTION

 

5 EPIC STORIES FROM THE GALACTIC FRONTIER!

 

Long before the First Order, before the Empire, before The Phantom Menace… Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in the era of the High Republic.

 

Step aboard Starlight Beacon and join Administrator Velko Jahen, Chief Ghal Tarpfen, and the Jedi as they face: A mysterious assassination attempt… A strange distress call… A threat from the carnivorous Drengir… And more!

 

This digest-sized special edition collects five, two-part short stories first presented in Star Wars Insider magazine. These tales of high adventure by The New York Times bestselling authors Justina Ireland, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule, provide essential reading in the High Republic timeline.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Tales from a more civilized age…

 

This volume features original fiction chronicling the days of the High Republic centuries prior to the fall and purge of the Jedi Order.

 

The stories feature heroic new Jedi and a new central setting, the Starlight Beacon, a space station located on the galactic frontier, as we meet the personnel and staff in tales that are both epic and personal.

 

Additionally, story architects Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule discuss their work on building the bold new vision for the Star Wars galaxy.

 

 

 

CONTENTS:

 

“Go Together” By Charles Soule

The Starlight Beacon receives a mysterious distress call.

 

“First Duty” By Cavan Scott

Tensions run high when there is an assassination attempt aboard the station.

 

“Hidden Danger” By Justina Ireland

A conference on the Starlight Beacon is disrupted by the slippery Drengir.

 

 

 

“Past Mistakes” By Cavan Scott

An old flame of Velko Jahen’s arrives on the station.

 

“Shadows Remain” By Justina Ireland

A strange dream sets a series of dramatic events in motion for Ghal Tarpfen.

 

Knights of the Round Table

The five authors behind Star Wars: The High Republic discuss the groundbreaking project.

BUY LINKS:

 

AMAZON

FORBIDDEN PLANET

BARNES & NOBLE

 

BOOKS-A-MILLION

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us! Stay tuned for a review and

May The Force Be With You!

Star Wars #34 Review

 

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist: Madibek Musabekov

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Stephen Segovia and Rain Beredo; John Tyler Christopher; Chris Sprouse; Karl Story & Neeraj Menon; Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr.; Phil Noto

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 3, 2023

 

Luke Skywalker helped his friends—and members of the Kezarat colony--escape No Space. Fixing the prosthetic hand munched by the Killdroids proved easy enough, but repairing his lightsaber has proven more difficult. His Jedi book suggests a possible solution: a new Kyber crystal. Where might he find one? And will his Rebel friends let him leave? Strap in as we launch into Star Wars #34 and find out!

 

Story

Even at its best, Luke’s new lightsaber never worked as reliably as the one he lost in The Empire Strikes Back. Nor did it help him connect with the Force like the one Obi-Wan gave him. The ancient text talks about young Jedi making pilgrimages to Ilum, where they built their lightsabers and found crystals to power them. With the planet now an Imperial stronghold, Luke needs to find another source and a Kyber crystal that will strengthen his connection to the Force.

 

After their grueling adventure in No Space, Princess Leia thinks he needs rest. Or, to quote C-3PO, “No more adventures,” at least for a while. She also views his piloting skills as more important to the Alliance than wielding a lightsaber and his connection to the Force. He must address both issues before she okays a personal mission.

 

 

 

 

Star Wars #34 takes Luke to Christophis, the crystal planet where his father, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka Tano battled Count Dooku’s droid army in The Clone Wars movie. His adventure there will have ties to the development of the Death Star and how Luke later saves Leia and the Alliance in The Last Jedi. The rousing adventure features a scene reminiscent of Kirk's time on Delta Vega in the 2009 Star Trek movie.

 

Perhaps most importantly, it introduces a vibrant new character to the Star Wars universe. (First appearance, peeps!) Luke gets a little too judgmental with her, and the slow pace of this issue may annoy some readers. But none of the conversations struck me as excessive. While he'd prefer to take the crystal and run, Luke's learning things that Obi-Wan and Yoda never taught him.

 

 

 

 

Art

Despite some large panels, artist Madibek Musabekov averages five per page in this twenty-page tale. While everything stays level aboard the Alliance ship Home One, once a very young-looking Luke heads off to Christophis, scenes often rotate a few degrees off-center. Madibek contrasts camera angles to introduce new settings and characters. I’m not wild about the diagonal two-page layouts, but they provide for wide, cinematic panels. And while I like the cantina Luke visits, I wish Madibek had filled it with all the life and energy of Mos Eisley's. People and objects emerge from pages rich in detail in Star Wars #34, with No Space wasted.

 

While Christophis differs from Cybertron, my mind harkened back to writer Brian Ruckley’s recent Transformers series. Well, both boast rich histories and hold many secrets. The only thing I'm left wondering about is the belt or harness around the bartender's head.

 

 

 

 

Colorist Rachelle Rosenberg imbues faces with warmth and vitality. Interior lighting gives interiors like Luke's quarters on Home One and the cantina drama. I'm unsure how Gretta's fluorescent green hair turns purple in shadow, but Christophis is a blue-and-purple world. Besides, who doesn’t love purple? Somehow, the only light on this planet emanates from the crystalline landscape and buildings. A stylish landspeeder hurtles across this brooding land, with only its headlights, a crackling lightsaber, and the crystal ground to reveal our hero's quest. Thankfully, none of Musabekov’s art drowns amid excessive grays.

    

As always, Clayton Cowles's black uppercase lettering in spherical dialogue balloons remains pleasing to the eye. He announces location changes with big upper and lowercase blue letters in rectangular black narrative boxes. His sound effects appear frequently but are not overused (except perhaps when Luke eats the fried spider). This time out, R2-D2’s blue and red sounds helped me understand him, and I liked how Clayton helped me hear Luke's malfunctioning lightsaber. The way he shows Gretta's shout is understated but cool.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

In Star Wars #34, Luke Skywalker embarks on a supremely personal journey: to piece together all it means to be a Jedi from the scraps of information available to him. Charles Soule's story harkens back to early Star Wars stories by novelists like Alan Dean Foster and comic luminaries Roy Thomas and Archie Goodwin while fitting squarely into today's cinematic universe.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.