







Star Wars collectors should be excited to get their hands on this IDW Publishing graphic novel adaptation of the 2016 hit film Star Wars: Rogue One. Written by Alessandro Ferrari (Star Wars Saga graphic novel adaptations, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), but following the story of the feature film, we read the story of Jyn Erso and her brave fight against the Empire and her crew’s mission to steal the Death Star plans in order to destroy it.





As a young girl, Jyn’s father, Galen, was kidnapped by the Empire in order to be utilized as the lead engineer to build the Death Star. Through the course of time, Jyn, in her adulthood, realizes this and joins the rebel alliance in order to retrieve the plans for the Death Star and find and rescue her father from their evil clutches. The graphic novel follows the film pretty precisely and manages to neatly condense it within its 70 pages without feeling like it is missing any key parts. The characterization is fantastic and the subtle humor that is mixed together with such a dramatic story line work really well together.





The art, which is done by the artistic team of Andrew Parisi, Igor Chimisso (Star Wars Saga), Matteo Piana (Star Wars Saga, The Ring of the Seven Worlds), Stefano Simeone, Davide Turotti, is absolutely stunning. The landscapes are drawn with a sense of dreamy realism which contrasts completely with the very Disney style that the characters are drawn in. That said, they work together perfectly.









This adaptation is worth the purchase for the art alone, in my opinion. It also must be noted how impressive it is that the intense emotional sequences translate so well in this graphic novel. It is difficult to compete with a movie starring a real life cast, in matters of emotional realism, but the book really does capture the heart of the film in its pages. Whether one is a long time fan of the Star Wars saga, or a younger, new world fan, this graphic novel is definitely a must read.





-Rachel Rutherford