There’s a funeral in Poe Dameron #14, and Leia’s present – writing that scene today. Wasn’t originally about her, but now it will be.
— Charles Soule (@CharlesSoule) December 27, 2016
I want to start off this review by thanking Charles Soule for taking the time, consideration and effort to change Poe Dameron #14 to be a tribute to Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia. There are many thousands, if not millions of people who were affected by Carrie’s death. There’s a camaraderie of sadness and mourning that unites all of us in our loss and with that the desire to make sure she’s remembered. Charles Soule is one of the few people with a voice loud enough to help ensure that desire doesn’t go unanswered. Regardless of what you think of this story, every person who reads it will remember Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia.
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Angel Unzueta
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Marvel synopsis:
It is a sad day for the Resistance as they mourn the loss of a fallen comrade. But their fight is far from over — the First Order must be stopped! And Captain Phasma knows just how to get Terex to toe the line.
The Skinny
When we last left Poe Dameron his personal war against Terex had finally come to a close, but not without great cost to both him and the Resistance. C-3PO’s memory chip, containing countless Resistance secrets has been stolen and even worse, L’ulo a member of Black Squadron has been killed.
It’s page one of the book and someone’s already cutting onions in my apartment. It’s hard to imagine a more powerful image than what Angel Unzueta has set before us. We see Leia as we all remember her–powerful, elegant, beautiful and inspirational. We’re shown the Princess and General that the Alliance, Republic and Resistance have all looked to for guidance, courage and leadership. From start to finish I was blown away by Unzueta’s ability to take so many raw emotions and bring them to life without the assistance of dialogue. The argument could be made that the issue would be just as powerful without the dialogue thanks to Unzueta’s talented display.
I knew going into this issue that it would be a tribute to Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher. We’re taken through the expected course with Leia and L’ulo’s funeral, that much anyone could see coming. What I didn’t anticipate was for the story to progress much outside of the expected course.
Terex is given a fresh path to explore. The direction his character takes was entirely unexpected and caught me off guard; I love when that happens in a comic book. Captain Phasma has intrigued me since her first appearance. I’ve always wanted to know more about her armor, her position, what drives her and how she came to be with the First Order. We’re not given much, but we get something and I was happy to add another entry to her background.
In Closing
Charles Soule wrote a beautiful tribute to a truly special person that countless people around the world loved, looked up to, and idolized. We were provided a story that paid tribute to the character L’ulo and at the same time struck deeper for Princess Leia. It’s a difficult thing to take a story and weave it in a way that honors two characters and a real life person all at once. Soule’s use of open subtlety with a careful, deliberate hand is to be admired and applauded. Princess Leia was given the tribute she deserved and the story progressed as it needed to without being derailed.
When I think of Carrie Fisher I think of a woman who was unapologetically herself. Carrie was an advocate for women’s rights, animal rights, the LGBT community, AIDS awareness, drug addiction and removing the stigma surrounding mental health. Carrie wasn’t one to shy away from her faults, struggles and personal demons–openly discussing her struggles with bi-polar disorder, drug addiction and the challenges celebrity status presented. She was fiercely outspoken, independent, tough and helped show that even in a galaxy far far away, women could kick just as much ass as the men. Carrier Fisher was a one of a kind, powerfully burning flame and the world will never be able to replace her. She was our princess and I think I can speak for all Star Wars fans when I say we miss you and we love you.
“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow”
-Carrie Fisher
May the force be with you Carrie. We love you.
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