Originally published on Set The Tape
It’s been a couple of months since we had the last issue of Dark Horse‘s Star Wars series, Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories, but the wait seems to have been worth it as the third issue continues to deliver fun and entertainment as we delve into the sequel era.
This issue, written by Cecil Castellucci, takes readers to the remote farming world of Kamil, an agricultural hub in the galaxy. Set between the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, two of the heroes of the resistance, Poe Dameron and Finn, have been sent to Kamil on an important mission: secure livestock. Poe, being the brash kind of guy that he is, thinking that he’s needed for big and important roles, sees the mission as being beneath him. He thinks that his skills and his time are being wasted on this. Finn, on the other hand seems to understand the importance of their task, stating quite clearly that an army needs to be fed.
I liked the way that the characters approached this situation in this issue. We know from the movies that Poe has some issues with authority, despite deeply respecting Leia, and feels like he should always be kept in the loop, or put on the most important missions; and that carries across to his character here. Finn on the other hand, seems to understand the importance of the smaller jobs, perhaps due in part to him essentially being a janitor whilst in the First Order. He understands that you can’t have the big heroes, the important missions, or the victories, if you’ve got no food, no fuel, and no one to take out the trash. He tempers Poe really well in this story, and you really do see how the two of them work much better as a pair than they do on their own; each of them complimenting the other.
To that point, there are probably going to be some people who read this book and come away seeing this as the perfect scenario in some kind of Finn/Poe fan fiction pairing. With a few tiny tweaks it could very much be, with the two of them setting up a homestead not for the Resistance, but as their new life together. There is quite a bit of subtext seeping into this issue that supports the popular theory that the two characters are in love, and they do come across like a couple more than once. So if you’re a shipper, this might be a comic that you want to pick up.
For those not into Star Wars romance, there’s still a lot to enjoy here. The schemes that the two of them come up with in order to try and complete their mission, and the various dangers that brings them into are fun, and some of the best scenes are of the two of them trying their hardest to get an in with some of the local traders in a series of terrible scenarios. The artwork really helps to make these moments enjoyable too, and Andy Duggan and Dan Jackson do a wonderful job at packing the panels with interesting things and cool aliens to look at.
The book looks great throughout, and the art team manage to make Kamil feel busy and lived in. The people that call it home are wonderfully varied, and there are species from across the Star Wars universe who make appearances. Some of the best moments in the book are when you spend some time just taking a look through the backgrounds at the weird and wonderful creatures and see the strange stuff that they’re up to.
One thing that I have noticed in this issue that may be connected to something bigger is that there’s a wookie plushy in it. That might sound strange to bring up, but in the first issue an important MacGuffin was hidden in one, and in the second issue Leia found one in an old shop. Here, Finn gets hold of it, and it ends up being gifted to Rey, who the next issue is about. This could be a tiny thing that’s being done just as an Easter egg, and it might not mean anything; or it could be some big scheme that the writing team are up to, and that the thing hidden in the toy in the first issue is weaving its way through all of these stories before some kind of reveal. Perhaps I’m clutching at straws, but it seems like there could be something more going on here.
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories continues to be an enjoyable reading experience for all audiences, able to appeal to adults and kids alike. This issue captures the characters well, sends them on a fun adventure, and gives the reader a lot of fun stuff to discover.
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