Poe Dameron, a sort of Han Solo/Luke Skywalker hybrid of a character, is one of the new Star Wars films most endearing additions to the galaxy we all know and love that is quite a way away, and his own comic book line is turning in to a proper smasher too. After a slow start – giant, egg worshipping subterranean religious loons indeed – it’s found its feet and with a couple of great villains to make life difficult, the fourth collection sees plenty of Star Wars-y derring do wrapped up in absolutely gorgeous art work.  The search for Lor San Tekka, who we will meet at the opening of The Force Awakens, reaches a climax, but with something of a snag. The wayward, wizened and wise explorer has gone and got himself incarcerated in a hi-tech dungeon on Cato Neimodia and is facing execution after a kangaroo court ruling by his captors. The Neimodians are infamous throughout the galaxy for their and avaricious self serving nature and Princess Leia and co. take full advantage of this in a daring heist cum rescue. What follows is pure pulp and it’s a hoot. Leia is fully in charge now of the Rebels and takes on a Mon Mothma type role showing that she is as tough and devious as any Imperial Moff you care to mention. No poor Princess for a farm boy and a smuggler to rescue any more. The rest of Black Squadron, Poe’s elite X Wing crew are also fleshed out: Snap and Kare’s “she loves me, she loves me not” relationship works well but is over shadowed somewhat by BB8 and his astro-mech paramour IVEE! Who’da thought it? Droid romance in Star Wars! More questions than answers there …

The rescue attempt is based around a scam where Leia is testing out the vaults of some of the slimy Neimodians and playing them off against each other, their greedy disposition drawn just as their fellow green skinned cowardly counterparts from the prequel films. All about the money and bragging about their fortunes and so on … This grasping nature is played like a hand of Sabbac by the Rebels in order to spring Lor San Tekka and find out the secrets he holds but, as usual, things don’t go to plan. How boring would Star Wars be if things went to plan? Old enemies Terek and Malarus turn up to ensure that things certainly don’t go to plan and Terek, well, he doesn’t follow any plans either. Terek, is turning in to a most intriguing character who will not be told what to do by anyone and will no doubt, I hope, appear in all his ambiguous glory further down the line. What we have here is a beautifully rendered, proper Star Wars adventure. I’d even go so far as to say, a proper old fashioned, Saturday matinee, Star Wars adventure. Where Poe Dameron will end up once we get to the point at which Lor San Tekka hands him the piece of the map before Kylo Ren turns up to obliterate everyone is anyone’s guess, but the journey there is right rollicking fun! Marv Gadgie