Star Wars: Poe Dameron #2 Review

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In Poe Dameron #2, Poe Meets a New Nemesis…

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Poe Dameron #2.

Poe Dameron #2

Writer: Charles Soule | Artist: Phil Noto | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Cover Artist: Phil Noto

Poe Dameron #2 resumes Poe’s quest to find Lor San Tekka. He has followed the trail to a sect, the Creche, that worships a giant egg in a cavern on a remote planet. The First Order is in pursuit. Agent Terex and a squad of Stormtroopers blast their way through the blast door protecting the Creche and their egg. They have come for Poe Dameron.

The story shifts to when Agent Terex received his orders for this mission. It appears that Agent Terex has inherited The Carrion Spire. This was Grand Moff Tarkin’s ship from the novel Tarkin by James Luceno. Agent Terex has been tasked by Captain Phasma with tracking down Poe Dameron after he intercepted information destined for the First Order from a Republic senator. As an aside, this story can be read in the junior novel Before the Awakening. Captain Phasma wants to know what Poe intercepted and what he is doing with the information prior to the First Order starting a new offensive.

Returning to the present, the Creche attempts to cover for Poe and feigns ignorance as to who he is while Poe hides and observes. Agent Terex and the First Order troopers figure out that the Creche is lying to them. Poe had BB-8 issue an order to the rest of Black Squadron to gain some leverage. Snap Wexley and the other pilots of the squadron determine that what they need is control of the First Order’s platform. The planet is covered in canyons leaving them without any place to land. Black Squadron will eventually run out of fuel, and quickly, if they are forced to continue flying. The solution to that problem is the First Order platform, but they cannot engage the First Order unless the First Order shoots first. This sequence illustrates the nature of the cold war between the Resistance and the First Order, if such a thing is possible seeing as how the Resistance is not actually a government unto itself. L’ulo, the Duro A-wing pilot, conceives of a method to get the First Order TIE pilots to engage. In short, he “accidentally” fires upon their platform after they refused to pursue him after a fly by.

Back in the cavern, Agent Terex delivers subtle threats that the Creche’s egg might be destroyed if they do not reveal the whereabouts of Poe. In response, Poe reveals himself. Agent Terex attempts to assert his leverage over Poe, namely that he has more weapons and is in control. Poe responds that he isn’t seeing the big picture as Black Squadron has taken over on the surface. Unfortunately, L’ulo’s earlier shots damaged the platform more than he thought, and it crashes into the entrance of the cavern that leads to the Creche.

Agent Terex regains the leverage by ordering his men to begin burning the Creche’s egg. He isn’t finished there. He reveals to Poe that he arrived on a Star Destroyer that at the moment is sending additional TIE fighters to the surface. Furthermore, while Poe might have leverage above, they aren’t on the surface. They are in the caverns. To Agent Terex, that is all that matters. The issue concludes with the egg being burned by the First Order as it begins to crack while Black Squadron is pursued by the First Order.

The most significant contribution of this issue is the introduction of Agent Terex. He is of the same lineage of characters as Grand Moff Tarkin (particularly as how he was portrayed in Rebels) and Grand Admiral Thrawn. He is an outsider. He has risen to a position of power and influence. Unlike Tarkin, Terex is not looked upon favorably by the First Order, but he has a reputation for getting things done. He is calculating, ruthless, and driven to accomplish his goals. At first blush, he appears to be a good nemesis for Poe and the Resistance.

Terex is an interesting juxtaposition for Poe. The Creche were put in an impossible position. Terex threatened to destroy their reason for being, the egg, if they didn’t give up Poe’s location. It is an act without honor. The leader of the Creche was on the verge of violating a trust and revealing Poe’s location. Poe spared her from the indignity. He took the honorable course and revealed himself. Granted, he believed that he had leverage at the time, but his actions kept the Creche from betraying themselves. Poe was already likeable after The Force Awakens, and this series is only reinforcing that. It will be interesting to see where Soule goes with him from here. At some point, he will likely have to demonstrate a character flaw or risk becoming one dimensional.

Much like the first issue, this issue and series continues to read as the spiritual successor to the Rogue Squadron novels and comics. Snap Wexley and the rest of Black Squadron are resourceful. When they received Poe’s vague orders to get some leverage, they broke down the situation and came up with a plan much in the same way one would have expected of Rogue Squadron. Their work is cut out for them in issue three.

Poe Dameron #2 Favorite Panel:

Phil Noto needs more Star Wars work. His is among some of the finest Star Wars art produced by Marvel to date. He had the opportunity to debut a new Star Destroyer in this issue. It was a distant shot, but it looked good, and given the look of the First Order troop transports, it looked like it fit right in. He also draws a mean looking First Order Stormtrooper too. His illustrations for Agent Terex are ideal. It has been a trope to create villains in comics that are not only superior thinkers, but superior physical specimens. Agent Terex is not slovenly, nor is he a deity carved from marble by Italian sculptors. He looks like an average military man (with a Mohawk). In this way, he is somewhat unique. I have chosen a panel featuring Terex as the favorite panel for Poe Dameron #2.