In Review: Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku: Last Stand #3 & #4 The Last Stand

Synopsis: THE BATTLE OF JAKKU RAGES ON! THE BATTLE OF JAKKU – as never seen before! THE NEW REPUBLIC must make a painful choice that puts ACKBAR’s forces at risk! LUKE SKYWALKER faces off against the deadliest menace to the Republic – and the Empire! A historic character makes their first appearance ever!

The Story

Picking up from where issue #2 left off, the third issue sees the Rebels, under Admiral Ackbar’s command, pressing forward with their attempt to dismantle the Imperial blockade around Jakku. However, the intelligence the Rebel Alliance has been receiving about Counselor Rax proves to be misleading, leaving them outnumbered. Despite the odds, Ackbar proceeds with the plan, hoping reinforcements will arrive in time to tip the scales.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker uncovers surprising revelations about Rynn Zenet that could shift the tide in favor of the New Republic. Rynn confesses that she was once a Spice Runner before joining the Rebels and that her father, Tomasso—long presumed dead—is alive and well. Even more importantly, Tomasso offers to help by rallying the Kijimi Spice Runners to turn against Moff Adelhard and support the New Republic. Though initially skeptical, Luke is eventually persuaded to strike an alliance with Tomasso.

In the Anoat Sector, Moff Adelhard prepares to escalate the conflict, determined to spark a battle on three fronts. Consumed by vengeance, Adelhard orders an all-out attack on both the Empire and the Rebels. Oskure, now effectively his prisoner, makes a desperate bid for freedom amidst the chaos. Meanwhile, Luke and Rynn secretly infiltrate Adelhard’s ship, with Luke intent on capturing him alive in the hope of finding redemption for the Moff. However, Rynn has no intention of following this path.

Thanks to the assistance of the Spice Runners, who turn against Adelhard, the Imperial fleet begins to falter. This allows Admiral Ackbar to destroy their capital ship, a major victory for the Rebels. Facing imminent defeat, a dying Counselor Rax gives a final order to his command crew, which includes a young Hux—later known as General Hux in The Force Awakens. He directs them to retreat to the Outer Rim and rebuild using the resources and contacts Emperor Palpatine had secretly left behind.

The series ends with a meeting between the remaining imperial commanders and a shadowy figure that offers them every resource that they need to rebuild at a price.

Artwork

Jethro Morales does a fantastic job capturing the chaos of battle, depicting Admiral Ackbar frantically issuing orders and redirecting resources to help the Rebels hold their ground against the Empire. Across issues 3 and 4, the artwork remains consistently strong, delivering some truly spectacular visuals, most notably the breathtaking sequence of a massive Star Destroyer plummeting toward the surface of Jakku. This is the very same Star Destroyer that Rey later scavenges in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Overall

Overall, this story has been an enjoyable ride and does a solid job of filling in the backstory of what happened over Jakku. It also plants the seeds for future chapters that will explore the events between the New Republic’s rise and the Empire’s re-emergence. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to see those stories unfold.

While not the best Star Wars tale I’ve ever read, the series effectively captures the chaos of war and highlights how alliances can shift due to changing circumstances. After all, nothing is ever entirely black and white or exactly as it seems.