STAR WARS ANNUAL #1 – MARVEL COMICS – (W) Kieron Gillen (A) Angel Unzueta
A brief break from the Vader Down event arrives in the form of Annuals, Darth Vader coming sometime later tonight, with a totally separate story featuring some new characters and an unfamiliar setting. Eneb Ray is a rebel spy who has infiltrated the Empire as an imperial officer, as a result we get a much more subdued story than usual for the majority of the book, an interesting and effective change of tact from Gillen. Eneb seems like an interesting enough character, aware of, but not necessarily struggling with the difficulties that come with his position. He’s tasked with rescuing a number of Republican Senators who have been captured by the Emperor, eventually realising he may have a shot at taking down the big man himself. I really enjoyed the way Gillen wrote the Emperor, and Eneb’s reaction to him, for my money Palpatine stands as one of the most interesting villains, effective in his brutal simplicity. Unzueta has a really beautiful realistic style which is absolutely enhanced by Mounts’ simple colours. I’d like to see more of Eneb, but I’m not sure whether the outcome of this issue will limit his effectiveness going forward. A nice diversion by Gillen and Co.
