Today saw the release of issue #8 of the Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories anthology series from Dark Horse Comics, and below are my recap and review.
After a shaky start at the end of last year, Dark Horse’s Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories has been on a roll for the last few issues. That trend continued today with the release of issue #8 which focuses on the sequel-trilogy characters of Kylo Ren and General Hux sometime before the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This adventure begins with Supreme Leader Snoke (still alive and in one piece at this point in the timeline) ordering his two favorite underlings– who famously do not get along very well with each other– to travel to the planet Karaxis (newly introduced here) and bring its resistant populace more firmly under the control of the First Order. Now say what you will about the recent Star Wars sequels, but the love-to-hate-them relationship between Ren and Hux has got to be one of their more entertaining aspects, so it’s a hoot to see them go at it again in these pages. It also helps that writer Michael Moreci (Star Wars Adventures) does a great job right off the bat of capturing these characters’ voices– I can almost hear actor Domhnall Gleeson barking his sniveling commands.
So they arrive on Karaxis and both attempt to deal with the situation there in their own unique ways, with Kylo Ren using his brute strength in the Force to bully citizens into submission, and General Hux attempting to frighten them into giving in by releasing tremendous local beasts called Bramalish into the city. But naturally, it isn’t until they finally learn to put aside their differences and work together that this unlikely pair is able to achieve their goals. What’s hilarious about that, and about the otherwise uplifting finale, is that it’s all in the service of unfathomable evil, an idea that’s reinforced by Snoke’s reaction to the news when they return to the Supreme Leader’s throne room. Another intriguing element here is Ren’s ability to sense a presence in the Force among the Karaxian people, though he’s unable to precisely put a finger on where it’s coming from. That mystery is left unanswered by the issue’s end, which makes me wonder if we’ll see a follow-up to this story at some point, or whether it was just an excuse to have Snoke berate young Kylo even further. Anyway, it’s honestly pretty great and refreshing to see these characters again, and Hyperspace Stories, as an anthology, makes for a terrific excuse to bring back personalities like this who aren’t being focused on otherwise in current Star Wars storytelling. That’s one reason why I’m glad this comic exists, and the other is that its creative team (including Andy Duggan of Star Wars: Tales from the Rancor Pit, who penciled this issue) has really gotten its act together in terms of both writing and artwork. Definitely looking forward to more!
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #8 is available now wherever comic books are sold.