Star Wars comic #61: The Escape, Part VI by Kieron Gillen

"Star Wars #61: The Escape, Part VI" written by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Andrea Broccardo and Guru-eFX

     This was a very good issue with a scary surprise ending! I didn't see this one coming either...although I probably should have. Star Wars has been doing that to me a lot lately!! But the main part of the issue was action and humor packed and I quite enjoyed the entire package. 
     I have to say though, the cover is hella deceiving! Han passed out? Sana having to drag him to safety? Luke and Leia defending the team? Nope, none of that happens...but I guess I should've come to expect that by now lol.

     We start off with a beautiful scene of the Rebels flying in to Novka, an Imperial Impound Yard, in the shuttle they stole from SCAR Squadron on Hubin. Although I don't believe the physics would work with moons that large and close to the planet, it looks simply gorgeous (see below)! I'm curious how the Rebels knew to fly to that particular location--perhaps it was in the shuttle's data banks?

     And Tula looks like such a bada** as she steps off the shuttle (see below)!!! Dang!!! New respect! Even Han notices! The conversation eventually leads to an offhand comment about Aphra *heart*...but in a negative sense of course...

     Tula and the Markona obtain another less conspicuous Imperial ship while Luke, Han, and Leia board Sana's. Tula tells Luke they'll reunite on Brentaal IV.

     Once they arrive there, they meet up with a Herglic (giant sentients) named Qensog who 3PO must communicate with since he speaks a strange dialect of Huttese. Weird that Luke nor Han can understand him since I'm assuming they are both fairly well versed in the language... Anyway, the interaction between Qensog and 3PO is simply wonderful!! The Herglic towers over the droid but 3PO definitely holds his own. And their argument isn't over the coordinates to reach the other Rebels! It's over...well, you'll have to read to find out!

     Later Aphra is mentioned again!!! Sana says, "Guys and Aphra don't exactly mix." Ahhhh!!!! I'm loving the inclusion of this character. Maybe it's just because I'm a lesbian and I'm predisposed to love her, but I find it so exciting in general when any canon character from other stories is included in an unrelated or only vaguely related story! It makes the universe so much more of an interconnected, living, breathing thing and it is wonderful!

     The Kaliida Nebula is where Luke, Han, and Leia finally meet back up with Admiral Ackbar and Home One (we are led to believe Tula and the Markona met up with Hera and her crew--I'll be interested to see if they show up again in this series!). Han sees Chewie again for the first time in months!! ...you'd think when Chewie makes a big deal out of seeing Han that the man would reciprocate in earnest, but all he seems worried about is Falcon the best she could until Chewie tells him to be grateful. Why is he being such a douche??

his ship. I don't like this side of Han. He's super rude to Meorti who fixed up the

     And then we come to the surprising scary ending!! How will our Rebels get out of this one alive?!?

     Back to something from earlier in this arc and the beginning of this issue... At first I thought it was a typo in the previous issue, but even in the title crawl for this issue they say "the Thane" when referring to Thane Markona...why "the" Thane...super weird. I guess because he was the leader of their clan???

     So a lot happened in this issue and references were made to other series which was definitely enjoyable! I loved the humor with 3PO and I loved seeing Tula as a bada**! The synopsis for the next issue looks like it is maybe a one part story which is confusing. It's going to be called: "The Scourging of Shu-Torun: Road to Revenge!" with a colon...not sure exactly what this is trying to convey, but I'm definitely intrigued. Guess we'll see!