Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Madibek Musabekov
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover Artists: Stephen Segovia & Rain Beredo
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
The galaxy was caught in the crosshairs of a failed attempt to destroy the Sith by the hands of Crimson Dawn. Now that it’s over, all the big players are recovering and catching their breath after the event, but it’s not long before another mysterious dark force rears its head. This time, it comes for the metal, the droids, anything and anyone with compatible machinery, and it’s come for one in the Rebel Alliance – Lobot, Lando’s old friend. Read Star Wars #37 to see how Lando gets his friend out of this crazy predicament.
Review:
So, we’re in the second part of the Dark Droids storyline and it’s not….terrible, at least. This issue will really appeal to Lando fans, particularly those who have been following this comic run by Charles Soule. The writer has focused a lot on developing Lando’s place among the Rebel Alliance following the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. And one thing Soule also did was expand on his compatriot Lobot who we briefly saw in the film as well and the history Lando has with him and why they’re close friends. And now we’re seeing all of these elements at play again in this issue.
The issue picks up with Lobot awakening from his slumber out of the blue as he’s possessed by a dark force, the very same that emerged as a result of the Crimson Dawn/Rising Dawn event storyline, and like the tag line says, “It comes for the metal. Then it comes for everything else.” Just as Lobot is awakened, this same evil begins to use him to wreck havoc on Admiral Ackbar’s fleet. And the only one who can stop all this chaos is Lando, who once more must put his close friend’s life on the line for the Rebel Alliance.
One thing Charles Soule does right, for all the criticisms of his run, is characterize the dynamic between Lando and Lobot as one of brothers and comrades who will look out for each other, no matter what. And that’s exactly what we get to see here as Lando goes to great lengths to help out his old friend and prepares to do more by the end of the comic. This is helped by the art from Madibek Musabekov, particularly when it comes to depicting Lando’s anguish and sense of determination as he puts it all on the line to do whatever it takes to save Lobot.
Of course, what keeps this comic from being great is that this feels more like filler in the whole Dark Droids storyline. For the most part, this mysterious force shows up possessing Lobot, then it’s gone for the most part once Lando saves him. After that little crisis is resolved, the storyline and Lando are off to the next part in the chain of chaos that the new threat is reaping across the galaxy and the other Star Wars titles like Star Wars Darth Vader and others.
But nothing about this new threat feels particularly impressive or distinctive, certainly not when compared to all the other new villains and monsters that Charles Soule created in this series alone. Instead of the big threat carrying its own presence and having a distinct vibe to it, it just feels like another excuse to have another crossover event with the Star Wars titles. Especially right after we just had one in the overly drawn out Crimson Dawn or Rising Dawn crossover event for the past several months that directly precedes this one and even set it up.
Final Thoughts:
Star Wars #37 continues the new Dark Droids storyline as the second part of the event. Here we see Lobot become one of the first victims possessed by the mysterious force at work in the Star Wars galaxy, and we see how far Lando is willing to go to protect his friend. The writing and art really help sell this issue, but this new threat still leaves a lot to be desired. So, we’ll see how the rest of the Dark Droids storyline continues with presenting this new threat.