Star Wars: The Force Awakens #4 Review

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The conflict heats up on Takodana as the First Order attacks in The Force Awakens #4.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Force Awakens #4.

The Force Awakens #4

Writer: Chuck Wendig | Artist: Luke Ross | Colorist: Frank Martin | Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles | Cover Artist: Mike Del Mundo

Rey’s Force Vision

The Force Awakens #4 resumes with Rey’s Force vision. There were hopes that this issue would expand the vision. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After picking up Luke’s lightsaber, Rey’s vision begins. First, she appears in the hallway from Bespin. The only real difference from the film here is that Darth Vader’s silhouette appears. Next, she almost literally tumbles past a vision of Luke’s hand on R2-D2’s dome and then the Knights of Ren standing in the aftermath of a battle in the rain. The scene where Kylo Ren stabs a warrior is absent. Rey then sees herself pleading for someone to return to no avail. However, in the film she was a child, in this panel, she appears the same age. Along the way, voices caution her about the dark side and her “first steps.” Finally, she ends up facing Kylo Ren in the snow.

The Impact of the Force Vision

Ultimately, this vision does not substantially differ from the vision in the movie. By necessity, the silhouettes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are added. If they were absent, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to tell who spoke their lines about the Force. In the end, the Force vision disappointed. Understandably, it was confined to little more than a page. However, it failed to add anything to what was seen in the movie. It appeared that Rey completed a somersault while seeing visions rather than experiencing them. This was a missed opportunity.

Maz’s counsel for Rey

After the Force vision, Maz Kanata finds and comforts Rey. As in the movie, Rey insists she must get back to Jakku. Maz brings her back to the understanding that those she waits for aren’t coming back. Maz counsels Rey to learn the Force. Despite Maz’s encouragement to find Luke, Rey flees Maz’s palace.

The art in this adaptation has been widely criticized. However, Ross’s interpretation of Maz Kanata shines. Maz appears as the withered but strong alien from the film. Her sympathetic and encouraging expressions come across clearly. This page of the book is one of the bright spots for this series. The artwork adds an element of acting and emotion that the text alone cannot.

The Destruction of the Republic

Following Maz and Rey’s conversation, General Hux delivers his speech to the First Order on Starkiller Base. Of course, he orders the firing of the primary weapon and the worlds of the Hosnian system perish. Starkiller Base, of course, was the next generation Death Star. As with Ross’s artwork for Maz, his work on Hux delivers. The General has clearly worked himself into a righteous fury. His manic glee clearly comes across after the primary weapon has fired. It is difficult to be critical of this scene. However, if forced to find fault with anything, the lack of scope of the First Order forces would be he choice. In the film, Hux delivers his speech to a gigantic army. In this book, the First Order army appears as little more than a large squad of troops.

The Attack on Takodana

Having been alerted to BB-8’s presence in the last issue, the First Order arrives on Takodana and attacks Maz’s palace. The adaptation captures many of the key moments from the battle. Han makes a no look shot at a Stormtrooper. Maz Kanata convinces Finn to wield Luke’s lightsaber. Han borrows Chewbacca’s bowcaster. For the most part, the adaptation does a great job of capturing the battle. Poe Dameron executes fancy maneuvers while destroying TIE Fighters and Stormtoopers.

One thing that could have used some extra attention was Finn’s duel with the riot trooper. This fight featured prominently in the movie. However, in this adaptation, it received a scant three panels before Han shoots the riot trooper. That said, the first panel in which Finn and the trooper cross weapons delivers. So does the aftermath. Wendig and Ross successfully portrayed Finn, Han, and Chewbacca getting captured and then noticing the arrival of the Resistance. In fact, the panel is so successful, one almost doesn’t notice how abruptly the trio was captured in the first place.

The Arrival of the Resistance

As in the film, Poe Dameron leads Black Squadron on a cavalry charge. Their flight of X-Wings take it to the Resistance in the sky and on the ground. Poe’s fancy flying features in a clever arrangement of panels across a single page. The action loops from left to right down the page, successfully adding motion and scope to his flying. Once again, Wendig and Ross cleverly found a way to portray a key scene where space was at a premium. If anything is to be criticized, it is the first scene in which the First Order looks out over the lake (or river) to see the approach of the X-Wings. What was an epic shot in the movies fails to translate on the page. In fairness, the page lacks the space necessary to adequately portray the X-Wings at a distance. Therefore, Ross made the most of what he had to work with.

Rey’s Encounter with Kylo Ren

While Han, Chewbacca, and Finn fight the First Order, Rey flees from Kylo Ren. Rey hopes to provide a distraction so that BB-8 can escape. Her attempts to provide cover for BB-8 lead to her own capture. Kylo realizes she has the information (she has seen the map BB-8 carries) that he needs. Therefore, he doesn’t need the droid and he orders the First Order to withdraw.

Ross and Wendig executed this sequence well. Rey is clearly afraid, and she should be. The key to the scene comes when Kylo paralyzes Rey. How would you convey that to the reader without spelling out that Rey has been paralyzed? This issue forgoes narrative blocks of text. Their solution involves keeping Rey frozen in the same stance across three panels. It works. The fear and worry on Rey’s face sells the gravity of the situation. Once again, Wendig and Ross made the most of the space they had to work with.

Arrival of the General

As the First Order withdraws (or flees), Finn notices Kylo carrying off Rey. Again, Wendig and Ross make the most of their space. In a single page, Kylo can be seen carrying Rey to his shuttle. Then Finn, clearly anguished, reacts and chases down the ship as it lifts off. Perhaps it could have used another panel of Finn running after Kylo, but what is there works.

After he First Order’s withdrawal, the Resistance command arrives. This scene doesn’t go as well. You may remember from the movie that this scene introduces General Organa. There was some delicate timing. Specifically, Leia steps off the ship, Han sees her, and as the two are about to speak, C-3PO interrupts, which adds a comedic moment. The timing doesn’t work in the adaptation.

Before Leia clearly appears, C-3PO interrupts and steps into the panel. Even then, it’s not clear that Leia is in the panel. Second, the adaptation removes most of the dialogue between Han and Leia. Han commented on her hair, and she noticed his jacket. Not in the adaptation. Han immediately declares that he has seen their son, and the issue ends. On the one hand, if you haven’t seen the movie, this might have been a twist, because you might not have realized that Leia was Kylo Ren’s mother. On the other, Han delivers the news, and the implication is that Han is revealing that he is Kylo Ren’s father, which the reader already knew.

The Force Awakens #4 Conclusion

Issue four is the best issue of the adaptation so far. For one, it seems to have the most going on. It has the most action. Second, Wendig and Ross maximized the available space. The adaptation captures most of the key moments from this part of the film. As with previous issues, it helps to read this issue as an alternative to the film, assuming the film isn’t readily available.

Favorite Panel of The Force Awakens #4

 Overall, the art in The Force Awakens #4 improves on everything that came in the previous issues. Han Solo looks more like Harrison Ford than he had. The same can be said for Rey as Daisy Ridley. Finn’s resemblance to John Boyega has improved as well. As previously mentioned, Ross did excellent work in illustrating Maz Kanata and General Hux. Therefore, there are many panels that could qualify as the best panel. Maz consoling Rey, Hux delivering his speech, Poe executing his maneuvers on Takodana, and Finn reacting to Rey’s abduction all qualify. However, I chose another panel in order to feature a little more of the art. Han and Chewbacca handled themselves well on Takodana as they fought off the First Order. As I mentioned earlier, I thought Han came out better in this issue. Therefore, I picked a panel featuring Han and Chewie taking on the First Order. That is The Force Awakens #4 favorite panel.