A few thoughts about Star Wars #2 (spoilers)

I think I loved the second issue of Marvel’s new Star Wars series more than the first.

We start out with the first real face-to-face meeting between Luke and Vader, and Vader is clearly not impressed.

And that feels right – Luke had a few minutes of lightsaber training with Obi-Wan on the Millenium Falcon, and whatever he managed to figure out on his own after the Battle of Yavin. It’s more remarkable that he hasn’t accidentally cut something important off than it is that he’s completely useless against someone who really knows how to use the Force.

It will be interesting to watch Luke develop even the minimal Jedi skills he possesses at the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back with no teacher to rely on.

But Vader does recognize his old lightsaber – I wonder what thoughts were flashing through his mind before Han interrupted this meeting with his new toy…

Han Solo stomping around in an AT-AT may be my favorite Star Wars thing of the year. Vader still isn’t impressed.

If there’s any way to convince a non-believer in the power of the Force, using it to prevent an AT-AT from crushing you seems like a surefire trick. Not that I blame Han for doubting his eyes – it just seems unbelievable.

But even Vader can’t escape focused blaster fire from an AT-AT’s cannons completely unscathed. (I wonder if he could have deflected it in the days before he became more machine than man.)

Meanwhile, C-3PO is getting into deeper trouble. I hope he’s being set up to do something cool by accident, but knowing 3PO, he’s probably just getting into a mess that somebody else is going to have to deal with.