Marvel's New 'Shattered Empire’ Comic Connects the Dots (and DNA) to 'The Force Awakens'
It’s T-minus 98 days to the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Dec. 18. And this week, we’re getting another clue about one of the movie’s key characters, this time courtesy of the first installment in Marvel’s new four-issue prequel, Shattered Empire.
The comic, written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Marco Checchetto, fills in the blanks in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Endor from Return of the Jedi and features appearances by Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO. But the real protagonist of the miniseries is Lieutenant Shara Bey.
Shattered Empire opens with an alternate perspective of the Rebel Alliance attack on the second Death Star from Return of the Jedi, this from the POV of A-wing pilot Bey, a.k.a. Green Four.
After the space station goes down, Bey is reunited with her husband, Rebel ground forces Sergeant Kes Dameron.
Their reunion is trés passionate, but sadly short-lived, as they join Han Solo on a mission to take out the last entrenched Imperial base on the Ewok’s forest moon.
Of course, the surname Dameron is instantly recognizable to fans: Poe Dameron is the primo pilot played by Oscar Isaac in The Force Awakens, and some quick math makes it very plausible that he could be the fruit of the Damerons’ post-battle celebration.
We do know from another just-released chapter in the so-called “Journey to The Force Awakens” — the novel Lost Stars, by Claudia Grey released on Force Friday — that Leia develops an affinity for Poe, recognizing a lot of her spunk in the young X-wing flyboy who is stationed on Jakku. Could part of that stem from what happens on the Endor moon? Marvel offers a tease in its promotional blurb: “Shara will discover that just how dangerous and unpredictable a shattered Empire can be.”
Author Rucka, who also wrote the Han Solo-Chewie novel Smuggler’s Run also released on Force Friday, rightly plays coy about the fate of the Dameron family and the links between Shattered Empire and The Force Awakens. But he does understand he has a high bar to clear.
“We’re talking about characters and stories and a vision that so many people genuinely, deeply love. I want to do right by that at every turn. I want to honor that, and I’ve done everything I can to do so,” he tells Yahoo Movies. “This is the mythology I grew up with — it’s hard-coded into my DNA as a storyteller.”
Since reacquiring the license from Dark Horse, Marvel has been pumping out several ongoing comic series and limited-edition runs expanding the Star Wars universe, including: Star Wars, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Lando, Vader Down, and Kanan: The Last Padawan. Upcoming titles include Chewbacca, a series debuting in October following the furball on a mission to save his new pal Zarro’s home world. There’s also the single-issue C-3PO, another step on the “Journey to The Force Awakens” that explains how the golden protocol droid wound up with a new red arm, as revealed in the action figures released on Force Friday. The latter comic will hit stores in December, just in time for The Force Awakens debut in theaters.
