talyseon's Full Review: Robert Williams - Rebellion 1: My Brother, My Enem...
Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy Written by Rob Williams Art by Brandon Badeaux and Michel Lacombe.
Star Wars has often been compared to the eternal struggle of Good versus Evil, the Force, versus the Dark Side. It is very clear cut Rebels good, Empire bad. Darth Vader wears black, Luke and Leia wear white. Could it be simpler?
Unfortunately, like physics, it is easy on the big scale, but on the small scale, things get very complicated.
Darth Vader is evil. This is not in dispute. Grand Moff Tarkin was evil. But here is a question…were the men who cooked the meals for all the staff of the Death Star Evil? What about the engineers? What about their wives and families? Do they deserve to be punished?
When Luke Skywalker was a kid, he had two great friends, Biggs Darklighter, and Jarek “Tank” Sunber. They were the three musketeers. They were his friends who were already in the Academy (Imperial Academy) when Luke wanted to transmit his application before the next harvest. Biggs, Tank and Luke, prowling Beggar’s Canyon, plugging Womp Rats from a fast moving T 16.
Well, we know what happened to Biggs; he was in Red 3 and gave his life to give Luke his shot at the Death Star. He was a hero of the Rebellion.
But what about Tank? He became Lieutenant Jarek Sunber of the Imperial Army.
This book is the story of Tank, and Jorin Sol, a Rebel Strategist, and Tal Hesz, of Jabiimi, and the choices they made, or had thrust on them.
Tal Hesz was a Jabiimi loyalist. His world became a hotbed of Imperial and Rebel activity due to the mineral riches. The Rebels had to pull out. The Jabiimi took it personal. Tal Hesz promised Darth Vader he could deliver Luke Skywalker, in exchange for an Imperial withdrawal. He failed, but delivered Jorin Sol as a consolation prize to save his skin. The Empire did not withdraw; they sold the populace into slavery, and strip-mined the planet, ruining the ecosystem. Tal Hesz made the wrong choice for the right reasons, and it cost his entire race everything.
Jorin Sol was a strategist for the Rebellion. The information he gave them laid bare their hyperspace navigation protocols and would give the Empire the ability to lay an inescapable trap. His torture continued long after he told them everything he knew.
Tank left the Imperial Academy and joined the Army of the Empire. There, he applied himself, followed orders, and did his job. He did it very well, and thus rose through the ranks. He thinks about his friend Luke a lot: ”I had a dream last night, Luke. You were in it. We were playing War. And guess what? I killed you. “It’s strange, isn’t it, the way that things turned out? It feels…more than strange. Me on this side. You on theirs. It feels like Destiny. And that frightens me. Luke…my friend…I think I’m meant to stop you.”
Lt. Sunber is a loyal officer, there to bring peace to the galaxy. That is what he truly believes, and he hates the Rebellion for all the pain it brings everybody.
Tal Hesz regrets what happened, and he sets about correcting his mistakes.
Jorin Sol is released, and makes his way back into the rebellion. He is broken, but they work to mend him. It is hoped he will make a recovery.
Tank Sunber manages to get a message to Luke Skywalker; he wants to join the rebellion. Many are skeptical, particularly Tungo Li, the Rebellion’s counter intelligence officer, and Princess Leia. Leia forbids Luke to go after his friend; the risk is too great.
We all know how well Luke follows those orders…..
And that’s as far as I can go without just heaping up the spoilers.
The great thing about this book is not the action, and there is plenty of that, but the rare points of view it gives from the other side of the war. Here are a few more of Tank’s thoughts: Luke has just said “Thank you…Tank.” ”Tank? We are who we choose to be, I said. And I am Lt. Janek Sunber, and you, Luke, are an enemy of the Empire…a man who has caused so much strife and hurt to our galaxy. You laugh as you recall the Death Star Trench, a story you’ve probably told now a hundred times. But Luke…how many Imperial Soldiers died when that space station exploded? Were some of them good men? Have you ever considered that? No…I don’t think you have.”
In any Civil War (and that is what Star Wars is) there are bonds of love and blood that land astraddle the line of ideology. Some of the great tragedies of the Civil War involved brother against brother, father against son, best friends now sworn to kill each other. The author has an excellent grasp of psychology and a gift for monologue. It makes for a very interesting view into two men on different sides of the war.
The art is also excellent. The almost painted quality imparted not only by the skill of the pencillers (who show brilliance in their portraiture) but in the colourist as well, Will Glass. His treatment of the anatomical and perspective artwork of the pencilers makes the art pop into the third dimension. I give the art team a solid A.
With the excellent writing, that makes the book overall an A. Check it out.
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