I’m Worried Star Wars Is About to Badly Mishandle the Battle of Jakku

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku- Republic Under Siege #4I’m a little worried that Star Wars will end up mishandling the end of their new Battle of Jakku series. Comprised of three parts consisting of four issues each, the third and final arc for this new and canonical comic series is about to begin. However, the Battle of Jakku has yet to get to the desert world it’s named after.

Coming from writer Alex Segura and a collection of all-star artists, Battle of Jakku has been a very interesting series, detailing the state of the Star Wars galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Endor. However, the actual Battle of Jakku has yet to begin in this new Battle of Jakku series following the conclusion of the first two chapters. As such, this does have me somewhat concerned ahead of the final arc, Last Stand, and how much time we’ll actually have on Jakku itself during the definitive final battle that ended the Galactic Civil War.

Star Wars New Battle of Jakku Has Been Building To Jakku

The Year Between ROTJ And The Galactic Civil War’s Final Conflict

Marvel’s Battle of Jakku began with the four-issue Insurgency Rising, revealing the rise of Governor Adelhard as a self-titled Grand Moff who chooses to remain in a state of denial about the Empire’s losses at Endor. Instead, he builds up an “Iron Blockade” around the Anoat Sector rather than working with his fellow Imperial leaders. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker has been clashing with the dark side cult known as the Acolytes of the Beyond while searching for Jedi artifacts following Return of the Jedi, hoping to one day bring back the Jedi Order.

Luke Skywalker is also shown clashing with Adelhard himself, who eventually allies with the Acolytes as seen in the second arc, Republic Under Siege. That said, Adelhard’s plans to bring about a New Empire and undermine the New Republic are ended when he’s betrayed by the Acolytes’ Reyna Oskure. Reyna takes command of Adelhard’s forces before sending him and his few remaining loyalists to die crashing in a deactivated escape pod on a remote planet.

At the same time, both arcs have referenced other novels and Star Wars media set during this same post-Endor period. This includes appearances from Imperials like Palpatine’s secret protégé Gallius Rax who remains loyal to the Emperor’s posthumous wishes, like Operation Cinder and the remnants of the Imperial Navy mustering their forces over the desert world of Jakku. That said, Jakku and the New Republic’s concerns over the rallying Shattered Empire have only been referenced a handful of times, while the rogue Adelhard and the Acolytes have taken more of a front seat in these first two chapters.

I’m Worried Battle of Jakku’s Title Is Misleading

How Much Time Will The Series Actually Spend on Jakku?

Essentially, all of these aforementioned events from the first two arcs are happening during the year between Endor and Jakku, rather than covering the Battle of Jakku itself. This leaves the final arc Last Stand to cover the conflict, though previews have me worried that it will be more limited than I’d have expected for a series with this particular title. After all, the preview for Last Stand #1 reveals Adelhard’s survival, as well as the Acolytes’ attacks on the New Republic core world of Chandrila.

“There’s plenty that hasn’t been revealed about the Battle of Jakku, such as Luke, Leia, and Han Solo’s specific roles…”

This leads me to believe this first issue (and perhaps even the second) will just be more build up, leaving only 1-2 issues left of Last Stand for the actual battle itself. While I have my doubts, my fingers are crossed that the actual Battle of Jakku will ultimately be satisfying, revealing new aspects to the definitive battle that’s only ever been depicted outside the movies and shows. After all, there’s plenty that hasn’t been revealed about the Battle of Jakku, such as Luke, Leia, and Han Solo’s specific roles.

Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Last Stand #1 is on sale December 25th.