REVIEW: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance

Allegiance collects the 4 issue mini-series written by Ethan Sacks with art by Luke Ross. It is part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and was released on November 20, 2019.


The Resistance is in hiding, desperately avoiding the First Order and seeking allies in order to continue the fight. General Leia Organa and her entourage travel to Mon Cala, a planet once dedicated to the Rebellion; but the memory of the terrors inflicted by the Empire is still alive, made more vivid by the new horrors of the First Order. Are the people of Mon Cala willing to sacrifice anymore? Can they afford to? Meanwhile, Poe, Finn, and BB-8 seek out a weapons cache but their task is complicated by pursuit from the Kendoh Gang who want to collect a bounty on Finn.


Reading this story, and taking notes as I did, I wasn’t quite sure from which direction to come when evaluating it. It’s not a bad story, not at all really; but it feels like it has been done. I mean, it has definitely been done: Leia going to Mon Cala to plead for a fleet was the subject of the Mutiny at Mon Cala storyline by Kieron Gillen in the main Star Wars series. Since this is part of the “Journey to…The Rise of Skywalker”, I decided to see how it compares with its predecessors, the previous “Journey to...” comics. Shattered Empire was supposed to lead in to The Force Awakens, it didn’t exactly, but it was still a very good story that can stand on its own (it’s a 4). The Captain Phasma comic did indeed lead into The Last Jedi, but also told a very specific and very tight story about a certain character, one that added to that character (it’s also a 4, but it borders on 5). Allegiance is hampered by a “B” story with Poe and Finn that feels tacked on, and I wonder if it is only in there in order to show the Kendoh Gang and tie this story in with Ethan Sacks recent Galaxy’s Edge comic (it’s a 2). I can’t say for sure if the book would be better off if it only focused on the Leia/Mon Cala story, but I suspect it would. Fleshing out that story would have given it a chance to move out of the shadow of Mutiny at Mon Cala. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a beat for beat re-telling of that story; there are differences, but those differences could have been given more development.

When Leia, Chewie, 3PO, Rey, and Rose arrive on the planet they are “greeted” by a group of Quarren and Mon Cala who basically tell them to turn around and leave, they don’t want any trouble from the First Order like they got from the Empire when they sided with Leia and the Rebellion years ago. Leia was expecting a different kind of welcome; fortunately she gets one when Aftab Ackbar, the son of Adm. Ackbar, intercedes. After appropriately memorializing his father, he arranges for Leia to meet with the king. Her warnings about the First Order don’t seem to concern the king, Ech-Char; and the Quarren general Nossor Ri (previously seen in The Clone Wars) again reminds her of the high price Mon Cala has already paid by supporting her “cause”. Now, herein lies the crux of this story, and the reason why it is important, or at least why it should be: what they see is Leia Organa, the perennial revolutionary, coming to them once again to beg for help in fighting her war, they believe the only trouble that will come to Mon Cala will be brought by the Resistance. What Leia is trying to convey to them, however, is that this conflict is coming to them anyway.

The First Order will not honor any neutrality; this is very well illustrated at the beginning of this story when the FO destroys Tah’Nuhna, a planet renowned for its art and learning, because they gave the Resistance some supplies. Tah’Nuhna had been neutral since the distant past, not even the Empire had invaded. The First Order does not honor neutrality, you are either with them or against them; and if you are against them they will annihilate you. In a conflict between good and evil, not choosing sides is as good as choosing evil. That said, sometimes people just get tired of fighting, of losing things. In the end, Leia gets her ships, but only after Nossor’s protégé, Chadkol, summons the First Order and orchestrates an assassination attempt on Leia.

Rey has a moment in the spotlight when she fights a battle droid in an arena as part of a trial by combat. Actually, she has a few moments in this series; but, like Resistance Reborn, it really can’t do anything too substantial with her because all of her important stuff is being saved for The Rise of Skywalker. Like I said, the Finn/Poe story feels tacked on. It would have been nice it their thing had somehow tied into the main storyline and if everything came together in the end; but that’s not what happens. The story ends with the First Order invading Mon Cala and the line: “to be continued in The Rise of Skywalker”. And that right there is why I don’t feel like I can really fully appreciate or fairly judge this story right now; because if TROS acknowledges and/or references this story, then I will feel like it was worth my time. If it doesn’t, then maybe not so much. The previous “Journey to…” comics told their own stories; this one doesn’t really feel like it does that, and it’s a little frustrating. The art is okay, but Luke Ross has done much better (in particular the Darth Maul mini-series).

• When the story begins, the Reistance is hiding on the garbage planet Anoat.
• This story takes place just before (and is mentioned in) the framing story in the Galaxy’s Edge comic.

Comic Pack Wish List:

• Shirtless Aftab Ackbar
• Nossor Ri

Score:

• I’ve got a feeling you could skip this and still not miss a beat watching Episode IX. If I’m wrong, I’ll let you know in a few of days; until then: 2 Skulls.
• Update: This review was originally written prior to the release of The Rise of Skywalker; having now seen the film, I am more than confident in maintaining my 2 Skulls score. It's not a bad story, but if you skip it, you're not missing anything essential.

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