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Star Wars: Shattered Empire Is Essential Backstory for The Force Awakens
Yes, we’re still waiting for The Force Awakens (doesn’t it feel like December 18 is never going to get here?). The new Expaanded Universe canon has given us great novels, comics, and even a TV show set during the early days of the rebel alliance, but the gang at Lucasfilm has been rather stingy with hints about what happened after Return of the Jedi. Did the Empire really fall that day? Are Han and Leia still a thing? Did Wicket finally settle down and start a furry Ewok family? There’s a 30-year gap between the Battle of Endor and Episode VII, leaving a huge void that even the new movie won’t cover. Luckily, Marvel has a new graphic novel that tells the rest of the story. Or, a good chunk of it anyway. They’ve been killing it with their other SW comics, but Shattered Empire is the one you’ve been waiting for.
Here are some of the ways in it fills that Millennium Falcon-sized hole in our lives:
Old friends
The one other major addition to the post-Jedi canon, Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath, did a great job of introducing a new team of heroes fighting to preserve the gains of the Alliance after the fall of the Emperor. Shattered Empire goes in a slightly different direction: it begins during the Battle of Endor, moments before the destruction of the second Death Star. There are new characters, absolutely, but also significant roles for our old pals from the original trilogy. Han, Leia, Lando, and even Luke Skywalker have parts to play in this story of a galaxy in chaos.
A family saga
All of the Star Wars movies have been about family. The prequels focused on Anakin’s mother and wife Padmé, and culminated in the secret birth of twin children. The original trilogy told of the (OK, slightly weird) relationship between Luke and Leia and their father’s eventual redemption. Trailers for The Force Awakens hint strongly at a new generation carrying on the family tradition of Jedi powers and potential for evil. Where does Shattered Empire fit in? The two leads, pilot Shara Bey and soldier Kes Dameron, have a young child and happen to share a family name with a major character in the new movie. Coincidence? There are plenty of space battles, Imperial walkers, and blaster fights, but the heart of the book lies with this close-knit clan of rebel warriors.
Three eras
The prequel trilogy has an aesthetic very different from that of the original movies. It makes perfect sense: one is set during a wealthy and decadent period, while the other takes place against the backdrop of a galactic civil war. It’s not always easy to reconcile the two eras, but Shattered Empire makes a pretty good go of showing how we got from one to the other. There are several interrelated plots, but the central one involves Emperor Palpatine’s final act of vengeance against his old homeworld. We get to see Princess Leia team up with Naboo’s newest queen, Sosha Soruna, and a post-Jedi Leia hanging out in her mom’s old haunts from Phantom Menace unites the movie series in a very cool way (don’t panic: Jar Jar Binks is nowhere to be seen). There’s also that Dameron family connection, making for a pretty clear line through the film series and into the new movie.
Rebel girls
Though it’s still a bit murky, it appears Daisy Ridley’s Rey is a main character in The Force Awakens—and very possibly the Luke Skywalker-esque lead. Aftermath similarly featured several female leads, including Rae Sloane, the villain who looks to be running the show following the death of the Emperor. That thread stretches into Shattered Empire: while rebel pilot Shara Bey splits time in the story with her husband Kes Dameron, there’s no question that she gets the most to do. She’s a brilliant, indispensable pilot, but also a wife and mother. She’s not the only lady with skills in the book; the centerpiece battle features Leia, Shara, and Sosha Soruna teaming up to save Naboo. The queen doesn’t hesitate to ditch the traditional kabuki make-up and impossible wigs to jump into a space fighter and kick some imperial butt. Writer Greg Rucka’s done a ton of work in comics and novels, but he’s also responsible for one of the all-time great runs on Wonder Woman, so it’s no surprise that he can write complex and tough women.
How are you getting your Star Wars fix prior to the new movie?