Ricky Church reviews Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – Rey…
Since Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey has become a fan-favourite character among new and old Star Wars fans alike. The latest Forces of Destiny comic from IDW focuses on her and what she brings to the galaxy far, far away by telling of a short adventure she had in the Jakku outskirts just after she found BB-8. It’s an entertaining and fun story, even if it doesn’t quite reveal anything about the character we didn’t already know.
The story is a fairly simple one: Rey discovers BB-8, but is waylaid by a desert creature and later by Teedo, the scavenger seen in the film who first captured the little droid and tries to take him from Rey. She’s chased throughout the story and has to survive on her wits and instincts to save herself and BB-8. Not much happens beyond that, but the comic delves into how she’s lived and worked alone for so many years and softens up to BB, overcoming the loneliness she’s felt for so long.
Writer Jody Houser captures Rey’s voice and character, displaying the amount of spunk the Force-wielding scavenger has. Her inner monologue is well written and advances the plot while also examining the character. Houser also does well with the humourous moments in the story, from BB-8 nearly getting eaten by the sand creature (in a reminiscent way to R2 in Empire Strikes Back) to how Rey defeats Teedo. Parts of it may be a little cheesy, but it’s still something young readers will enjoy.
The art by Arianna Florean is very animated, almost looking like a Disney cartoon at times. Her facial expressions on Rey offer a lot of variety as she goes through so much in the comic. The action is also easy to follow along with, whether its Rey vs the creature or the speeder bike chase in the badlands. Adele Matera’s colours elevate Florean’s art, giving the visuals a vibrant look that pop. One subtle detail Matera gives Jakku is how the sand changes colour depending on the time of day, from a muted yellow to a rust red or dirty brown.
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny – Rey may not dive too deep into the character or her hidden past, but Houser’s examination of the loneliness she felt offers some nice insight into Rey’s mind. The combined art from Florean and Matera gives the book a good look and feel, making this comic a story fans, particularly the younglings, will enjoy.
Rating: 7/10
Ricky Church
