Writers: Cecil Castellucci
Art: Megan Huang
Letters: Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 22nd, 2022
Luke and Leia go on a scouting mission to a remote planet in Star Wars Hyperspace Stories #2. There, they run into a battalion of Imperial troopers and go on the run, trying to evade them and escape to bring precious intel back to the Rebel fleet. This tale is set between Episode IV (Star Wars) and Episode V (The Empire Strikes Back).
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The Story
Not everything in the Star Wars universe happens on an epic scale. Star Wars Hyperspace Stories #2 gives us a smaller-scale story. The Rebellion is looking for a good world that they can use as a monitoring outpost. Banas, an icy world similar to Hoth, seems to fit the bill, and after surveilling it, Luke and Leia land there to begin diplomatic negotiations with the residents.
But Rebellion spies can also be double agents, so the pair find themselves in the middle of an Imperial takeover and they have to get out fast! The snow-covered world of Banas brings back memories of the opening of “The Empire Strikes Back”, and it’s always great seeing the Imperial snow troopers in action again. Each issue of this series is a self-contained story, with a beginning, middle and end. In some ways, it’s a nice change from stories that take 10 issues to complete, but here it’s a detriment.
At one point, Luke and Leia travel across the frigid landscape and scale a mountain to get to their destination. This could have been a thrilling journey for the two, overcoming hardships yet pushing onward to reach their target. Instead, it’s wrapped up way too quickly and makes a several-day journey seem like a walk across a mall.
The dialogue between Luke and Leia is good and laced with nostalgia, as they both reflect on their home worlds, and they share a couple of nice moments during their journey. When the big battle scene comes, the snow troopers and their commander are as incompetent as usual in the Star Wars Universe, but it’s always great to see Leia blasting a few of them into oblivion.
The Art
Megan Huang’s art on Star Wars Hyperspace Stories #2 is a manga style that fits the mood of the book well. The TIE Fighters and other vehicles are drawn from exacting detail, but the characters themselves are drawn in a more cartoony manner. The snowy landscape of Banas (including the daunting mountain peaks) are lovely and feel simultaneously familiar and alien. The panel layouts are varied enough to keep the action moving along.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars Hyperspace Stories #2 is a slightly above-average Star Wars tale, hampered by the limitations of having to tell a complete story in one issue. I loved the snow world setting, but I never felt Luke and Leia were in real peril throughout.