Rebel Heist #2

Rebel Heist #2 (of 4)

Writer: Matt Kindt
Penciller: Marco Castiello
Inker: Dan Parsons
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Michael Heilser
Cover Artists: Adam Hughes (regular cover and ultravariant) and Matt Kindt (variant cover)

Rebel Heist #2 is full of girl power as it stars Princess Leia and a female Rebel agent named Sarin. On the pleasure planet of Feddasyr, they must pull off a mission with the Empire hot on their heels. Near misses and close calls hype up the action as they race through the streets of the city and undermine the security of their target. But will Leia face the same fate as Han in the previous issue?

The artwork throughout the issue is pretty good. The colors are bright and vibrant. There is some sexualization going on with the female characters, so that may or may not be to some readers’ liking. The Rebel agent is yet another Twi’lek dancing girl, though that’s just her cover. However, Leia ends up getting most of the page time due to the way the story plays out. She’s also the only character in the issue to get a full page panel which turned out really nice. The artist can be a little shifty with Leia’s depiction. Sometimes she looks like Carrie Fisher and sometimes she looks like someone else with Leia’s hair buns.

That aside, there’s a nice attention to detail with all the background alien characters which come in a wide variety. The arrangement of the panels is kind of conservative, but the focus shifts are well done. One scene will have a nice close up, transition to a far out shot showing the environment and the people populating it, then switch to another nice close up. This issue also has a closing shot of Chewbacca, who will be the main star of Rebel Heist #3, thus making it feel more like a series. Hopefully Chewie or Luke’s story will lead back to Han to bring things full circle.

As for the plot of Rebel Heist #2, it’s a stark contrast to Han’s story. The previous Rebel agent, Jan, thought very highly of Han and then found out that Han was a totally incompetent legend. The Rebel agent in this issue starts out thinking Leia is just a pretty face and finds out she’s one of the best agents the Rebellion has to offer. I liked seeing Leia in the field and showing off her skills. She’s quick on her feet, able to adapt and overcome any obstacle she comes up against, and willing to make sacrifices to accomplish the mission. She doesn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty or take one for the team. By the end of the issue, you come to the same realization as Sarin: Leia is one of the best.

With a great story and good artwork, I give Rebel Heist #2 a five out of five metal bikinis. This is one of the best Leia comics I’ve ever read, and it doesn’t just use her as a side character or co-star. Leia is the star. If you’re a Leia fan, you won’t want to miss out on this one.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.