Written by: Charles Soule
Art by: Phil Noto
Publisher: Marvel
Before I get into the bulk of this issue, I feel like I absolutely have to mention the backup, which comes courtesy of Chris Eliopoulos and Jordie Bellaire. It’s an absolutely adorable little story, featuring the most adorable part of The Force Awakens, BB-8. It’s a really small story, and presumably out of canon, but it’s told really, really well. I wasn’t expecting anything like it, so that may have something to do with my love for it, but it’s just a real cool addition to the book.
The only similarity the back up (entitled SaBBotage) has with the main story is that both have excellent art directions. Phil Noto is an artist that is a bit hit or miss for me, but his art here is incredible. He captures the visual style of the Star Wars universe perfectly, so this very much feels like a comic taking place in that universe. Considering my love for Star Wars, that definitely plays an important role in my personal enjoyment of this comic.
Considering that this is designed for people like me, I get the feeling that it’s a touch that most of the readers will appreciate. In addition to capturing the general style, Noto recreates characters from The Force Awakens almost perfectly. They look like they right off the screen, and that actually benefits the book. It definitely gives the reader a sense that this is a direct lead in to the film, which it is.
The plot follows Poe’s search for someone who Poe meets at the beginning of The Force Awakens. The way it’s presented is definitely interesting so far. It seems like Soule is exploring the past of this character, and adding dimensions to the universe that we haven’t necessarily seen before. That exploration could definitely prove to be interesting.
It seems like a neat story to tell, especially considering most people will already have an investment in it. It also helps that Soule chooses to use other characters who are seen briefly in the film as a supporting cast.
Unfortunately, none of them really get a ton of panel time here. It is a first issue, and it is centered around Poe, so that isn’t necessarily a surprise. Still, using this as an avenue to flesh out those characters would be awesome, especially since we know what to expect from Poe. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of them going forward, but for now, there’s really no reason to care about any of them.
As for Poe, well it’s difficult to separate my pre-existing investment in the character from what Charles Soule does with him here. I think Soule does a decent job of capturing the character, but there are a few moments where it feels like Poe is a bit out of character. Those moments are few, yes, but they are fairly damaging to the overall experience, since they break the immersion, at least to a certain point.
Overall, Poe Dameron #1 is a book worth checking out if you need more Star Wars in your life, which, you know, most people do. It isn’t the best of Marvel’s Star Wars line, but it’s not the worst either, and this is just the first issue. It’s definitely good enough to at least try out, if only because of how excellent the art is.
