For the next installment of my Star Wars comic reviews, I’m taking a look at the next Droids miniseries, Rebellion, and the Droids Special one-shot.
Credits
Droids: Special
Writer: Dan Thorsland
Penciller: Bill Hughes
Inker: Andy Mushynsky
Letterer: Bill Pearson
Colorist: Pamela Rambo
Cover artist: Kilian Plunkett
Editor: Ryder Windham
Droids: Rebellion
Writer: Ryder Windham
Penciller: Ian Gibson
Letterer: Ellie DeVille
Colorist: Perry McNamee
Cover Artist: Kilian Plunkett
Rebellion is available from Amazon on its own, and both are part of the Droids Omnibus (in paperback and Kindle/Comixology editions).
Plot Synopsis
Droids: Special
Prior to the events of the Kalarba Adventure, R2-D2 and C-3P0 have been put up for auction by their previous master. Their transport is also carrying a more dangerous cargo – bounty hunter IG-88. IG-88 had been hired by one of Oleg Greck’s competitors to kill Greck, and had feigned having their batteries drained so they could get close to their target.
During their initial assassination attempt, IG-88 is damaged, and at the same time, C-3P0 and R2-D2 are separated, with Greck grabbing C-3P0 as a hostage/bait, while IG-88 grabs R2-D2 to patch them up. Ultimately, IG-88 steals a ship to get away, bringing C-3P0 and R2-D2 on board. Our protagonists get knocked into a lifepod and escape that way, while IG-88 jumps to hyperspace and Greck crashlands on a nearby moon. 3P0 and R2’s escape pod land in front of Baron Pitareeze and his family, where they end up in their service.
Droids: Rebellion
Oleg Greck has been holding up on Nar Shaddaa, and police droid Zed has come after him, accompanied by R2-D2 and C-3P0, who have been deputized by Zed for… some reason. Upon arrival, the local goons quickly destroy Zed and incarcerate C-3P0, R2-D2, and Greck. B-9D7, the droid majordomo of local gangster Movo Brattakin, breaks out C-3P0 and R2-D2, replacing damaged leg in the process. 3P0 ends up on a freighter bound for Kalarba, while R2 bails when they learn that the droid passengers are due for a memory wipe.
When 3P0 learns of this as well, some sort of protocol switch is flipped, turning him into a charismatic revolutionary, who causes the droid passengers to turn on the crew in order to retain their memories. Ultimately, it all turns out this is a big elaborate revenge plot by Movo Brattakin against Boonda the Hutt – involving installing his brain in B-9D7’s chassis, and a bunch of bombs in other droids, all of which ultimately backfires, leaving B-9D7 out of action, Greck at Boonda’s mercy, the droids in control of the freighter, and R2 and C-3PO back on Nar Shaddaa.
Worldbuilding
C-3P0 & R2-D2: We learn how 3P0 gets his mismatched leg, and how they left the service of Nak Pitareeze.
Other Notes
Unlike the earlier Droids comic, this is more like one continuous story (a graphic novelette in this case) instead of a series of episodes. It’s darker than the earlier story, though still not as dark as the other parts of Dark Horse’s Star Wars line we’ve had thus far.
Final Thoughts
The story of this comic is one where, while C-3P0 and R2-D2 are active participants to the plot, as is the general theme for the characters are that they have no actual agency in events – they get drug along more or less as a spectator.
Greck’s presence, on the other hand, is almost unnecessary. In a way, to continue the analogy from the first Droids review, he fits in the same way Jessie and James do in most of the Pokemon movies – they are there to get out of their depth to show just how serious things are. Except things here aren’t really that serious.
It’s still a fun story, and certainly an enjoyable way to spend an evening.