Written by: Kelly Thompson
Art by: Marco Checchetto
Official Description from Marvel:
Come back with us to the final moments of The Force Awakens and the destruction of Starkiller Base to learn the fate of Captain Phasma! Captured by the Resistance and thrown into a garbage masher, we follow the chrome-adorned warrior from the site of the First Order’s biggest defeat to the doorstep of this holiday season’s biggest blockbuster!
There are a lot of new Star Wars characters that once introduced fans go crazy for because they have an awesome look and feel but when it comes to their role in a movie are given not much to do. Captain Phasma is the latest in a series of characters that were teased prior to a movie’s debut and got fans excited for the possibilities that awaited. In Captain Phasma #1 writer Kelly Thompson gets to take a closer look at Phasma’s role in The Force Awakens and does so with the military efficiency and determination of Phasma herself.
This story picks up right where we last saw Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens and continues her story on how she survives the destruction of Starkiller Base. One thing Thompson tackles is not only Phasma’s rigid military mindset but also delves into how Phasma is not above saving her own skin. It’s her mission now to cover-up her role in the destruction of Starkiller Base but also put the blame squarely on someone else. Thompson walks readers through step by step and even uses a time coded narrative to keep things as clear as possible. The story is two-pronged in it’s attack. One through dialogue and another as Phasma documents her mission to the First Order leadership once it is complete.
Thompson crafts a well thought out plot and maintains clever crossover moments that we saw play out on the big screen using Phasma’s point of view. Fans also get the first appearance of a character that I won’t spoil here but if you were engaged on all the new items launched on Force Friday this will be a special treat for you. I thoroughly dug it! The art of Marco Checchetto is just fantastic! He keeps the frenetic feel and pace from the chaos of Starkiller Base’s final moments and the action of Phasma’s mission jump off the page. Andres Mossa’s coloring is on point as well and adds the perfect compliment to Checchetto’s line work.
This miniseries is not a deep dive into Phasma’s origin, for that, I recommend picking up Phasma a novel written by Delilah S. Dawson. This is the closer look at how Phasma escapes Episode VII and moves forward into The Last Jedi and it’s a lot of fun, exciting and dynamic. It fits perfectly within the storyline of The Force Awakens and expands nicely on it as well. I love it when a writer can expand on a story, flesh out an underdeveloped character and make the whole thing feel cohesive. Captain Phasma #1 is a great story and while the narrative structure was a little complex but it doesn’t hurt to go back and read this book a second or third time. It’s well worth the investment for fans of Star Wars and Captain Phasma. This first issue has me anxious and excited for what’s to come. Highly recommended reading!