TIE Fighter #3: The Shadow Falls, Part III by Jody Houser

"TIE Fighter #3: The Shadow Falls, Part III" written by Jody Houser, illustrated by Roge Antonio, Geraldo Borges, Arif Prianto, and Lee Loughridge

     This issue did not hold back any punches! It kept hitting you in the gut right when you thought everything was going to turn out okay. I have great respect for an author who's willing to make the hard choices and isn't afraid to end a character's story. I won't go into any more detail than that except to say it is brilliant and heartbreaking. I have definitely been won over by this series as the story seems to move forward in leaps and bounds with every issue, progressing ever closer toward a mysterious climax. 

     In a nutshell, we have Shadow Wing making their way off planet and getting back to their ships so they can fly to the Star Destroyer for an escape. But there is a secret buyer for the Celerity who is on their way and shows up before the Star Destroyer can go to light speed. Who is the buyer? Is it just Shadow Wing against Admiral Gratloe's forces and the buyer? Or will Shadow Wing convince the turncoats to reassess their loyalties?

     The mini-story after the main story (set 6 months prior) was about Commander Broosh and how he became the leader of Shadow Wing (Squadron 5). This story showed his care for his fellow pilots and his concern for the responsibility of watching out for their lives...in opposition to the rumors that say otherwise. I'm loving how these mini-stories provide us with in-depth glimpses into the lives of these new characters, adding more meat to an already fabulous story. We've now heard from Zin, Lyttan, and Broosh. There's actually a great connection in the main story of this issue to Zin's mini-story in the first issue--so sad. I'll be excited to hear from Ganem or Jeela next!!

     Trivia:

The Lyjdaa System is a place where most of Shadow Wing was lost 6 months before this comic takes place.

     And I'll sign off with an absolutely gorgeous panel of Shadow Wing's TIE-Interceptors flying away from the mining facility. The colors of the sky, the beauty of the ships, this image is gold. 

    If you haven't already, you should definitely check this series out!! I've just started Alphabet Squadron and am loving the connections so far to all canon material out there. The main protagonist is even a character from Zin's mini-story in the first issue!! I can't wait to see how these two pieces of print media canon continue to connect!