The Outer Rim is essentially the Wild West of the Star Wars galaxy, so it makes perfect sense for it to serve as the backdrop for a gunslinging, cattle-rustling, train-robbing adventure in the desert for the familiar characters of Finn and Poe Dameron from the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
That’s the premise for issue #3 of Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #3 from Dark Horse Comics, which I enjoyed quite a bit more than the previous installment starring Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa.
Hyperspace Stories #3 takes place on the planet Kamil, where our old friends Poe and Finn are trying to rustle up some livestock with which to feed the Resistance, though they’re coming up empty after five days away from the fleet. They can’t seem to catch a break bidding on animals the legitimate way, so they visit a local saloon where the bartender introduces them to three groups of dealers, for a fee. But the best information they wind up getting comes on the dance floor, where they learn of a shipment of used spaceship parts being moved by train across the desert. The next day the two pals board said train and while in transit attempt to track down another dealer, who is more than willing to help them out. The only problem is that the First Order got to the parts first, so our heroes must fight off stormtroopers and officers as they make their way through the rest of the train in an effort to claim the shipment in the rear baggage compartment.
It’s about as straightforwardly Wild-West as Star Wars comes, but we’ve seen train heists in A Galaxy Far, Far Away before (think Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Book of Boba Fett, for two examples). The real fun here comes in the form of the dialogue, pacing, and two-fisted action by way of writer Cecil Castellucci and artist Andy Duggan. I got a real kick out of seeing Finn and Poe bounce off each other again, as we haven’t been seeing the sequel trilogy gang all that often in the wake of The Rise of Skywalker’s release, though this story takes place in-between the events of Episodes VIII and IX. It’s also interesting to learn how the Resistance deals with basic needs like food and ship maintenance, as that aspect obviously isn’t something that was dealt with in the movies or even in the novels. But the thing I enjoyed most about this third effort from Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories is how free-wheeling it feels. To me, this title is the perfect place to put the more individualistic Star Wars stories that aren’t bogged down with too many concerns about hefty mythology or interconnected continuity. This is a space where characters we know and love can show up, have a lark of an escapade, then make way for another new story in the next issue. And this did that perfectly.
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #3 is available now wherever comic books are sold.