Star Wars Allegiance Review: An Exciting and Stylish Prequel to the Rise of Skywalker

Star Wars: Allegiance, part of the Journey to the Rise of Skywalker line, is a comic miniseries set between Episode VIII and the upcoming Episode IX. It was written by Ethan Sacks, with art by Luke Ross

Star Wars Allegiance follows two Resistance missions, following their devastation in Episode VIII. The first is to Mon Cala, to request aid in the war. The most interesting aspect of this mission was the question of whether resisting tyranny is worth it if it puts your people at risk (something Leia has first-hand experience with). However, I think we’ve had too many stories about the military politics of Mon Cala. I understand why it was shown here (the iconic Mon Calamari ships will appear in Episode IX) but I can’t help feeling this story would have been better had it taken place elsewhere.

A fun aspect of the comic is seeing Rose and Rey grow to care for each other- the two never actually shared screen-time, on account of Rose being unconscious at the end of The Last Jedi. Hopefully this new bond will carry over into the Rise of Skywalker

The second mission (stealing weapons on Avedot) is less about nuanced politics, and more about fun adventures with Poe and Finn- a relationship that is just as fun here as it was in Resistance Reborn. I never expected this comic to tell an important story- just to show what the main characters have been up to. They are what really made me enjoy this comic- Leia was delightful (which has become the norm recently) and Rose got some much-needed spotlight. If there was a weak link, it’d be Rey- she’s just kind of… there. Hopefully this just means they’re saving her interesting moments for the new film.

I appreciate the way the characters look- rather than tracing specific frames from the films (like they so often do in the main comic), Ross has captured the essence of each character in a way that makes them recognisable, but not exact recreations of expressions from the films.

The locations look great too- the juxtaposition of the aquamarine Mon Cala and the vibrant orange of Avedot really sets the two stories apart. I’m no expert in comic book art (I mostly care about how it is used to support the story and characters) but some panels were stunning.

Sacks also does a good job setting up the state of the galaxy under the First Order, and how they gained power so quickly. Kylo Ren claims The Empire fell because they were too merciful, giving people the confidence to rise up. We see that the First Order are doing the opposite, massacring entire worlds for individual acts of defiance, explaining the widespread fear, and reluctance to help the Resistance.

“We’re not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them” Poe’s words from the Rise of Skywalker trailer suggest that, in order to win, the heroes of the Resistance need to inspire the galaxy to take down the First Order. This story gives us an example of how difficult that can be.

Overall, this was a really fun comic that reminded me why I love these characters and this era. It successfully increased my excitement for the Rise of Skywalker and I now need to go into exile on Dagobah to avoid spoilers for the next ten days.