Poe Dameron #26 Review - Marvel Monday

Rey of Light

Written by: Charles Soule
Art: Angel Unzueta 
Colors: Arif Prianto
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewer: Andrew McAvoy  

The search for Lor San Tekka has been going on so long in this series that I never stopped to ponder what would happen if the main direction of the series changed. Well lo and behold that’s happened!! Yes, this issue sees us take a major time jump after the first 25 issues. Installment 26 now propels us to the end of The Last Jedi and conversation between Poe, Rey, and Finn as the Rebels escape Crait (they seem to revert from Resistance to Rebels in the course of Episode VIII for some reason). Let’s see how this "All New" Poe Dameron title was!

Well! It is certainly different. Firstly the cast shake-up – I think it’s pretty beneficial. It is good to get Rey and Finn involved in the comic book series. Rey is salty as hell in this issue and (in my head at least) it is clear that the saltiness of Crait has definitely rubbed off on her. It is really quite funny. She saves her most extreme saltiness for Poe which is great, as she challenges his status as the greatest pilot in the Resistance. Finn is a bit sassy too, in fact, it’s all a bit of a sass-fest among these three. Which is quite amusing. 

Secondly, the time shift is beneficial and I’m glad to move, albeit in a limited way, past the events of The Last Jedi (which as a film I didn’t really care for). This issue also gives us some brief material on the lead up to Poe’s visit to Lor San Tekka on Jakku (during The Force Awakens), and some detail on how he escaped the crash landing on Jakku (when Finn stole his jacket). I really liked the part in this section of the book when we get a (still annoyed) Finn complaining about Rey hitting him with the stick to get Poe’s jacket (as per BB-8’s instructions) on Niima Outpost. 

 
Setting this title in the period after The Last Jedi will be fun only if as there is a freedom to develop the story. To that extent, it may have been better served by filling in the detail between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. This may have given the storytellers freedom to develop plot without having to check its compatibility with JJ Abram’s Episode IX plot. The opening issue in the new timeline sidesteps those issues through the medium of flashback (as will the next issue).

Bits and Pieces

Regardless, this was a good comic, and the change-about has freshened the outlook of this series considerably. As usual in this series the Angel Unzueta artwork is delicious, Prianto's coloring is very fine, and personally, I think it was pretty great to see the character roster increased to give Rey and Finn a place in the title. An enjoyable read and a good tale from Soule.

8.4/10