Review: Star Wars- The Screaming Citadel

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is fun and interesting. The use of horror works well and helps make this comic unique. Characters are handled well and receive good levels of character development, especially Doctor Aphra. In most places, the artwork looks good.

Cons: Those unfamiliar with Doctor Aphra will miss out on many of this event’s positives. The artwork clashes in a few places.

Overall: In this crossover event, plenty of positives come together to produce a comic with tons of appeal. The most immediate positives are drawn from the story, which highlights a fun adventure enhanced with a dash of horror. Other positives can be seen in the collection’s focus on adventure, humor, and character development. Meanwhile, negatives are minimal and may even go unnoticed by some readers. Overall, this is a solid crossover event that fans of Star Wars comics will truly appreciate.

Story

The second crossover, in this new Star Wars comic continuity, is compelling all around and is particularly rewarding for those who have been enjoying the comics already. Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel, by Kieron Gillen and Jason Aaron, showcases a unique narrative that infuses the entertainment of a standard Star Wars story with the thrills typically found in classic works of horror. This combination is very effective and makes for an enjoyable read. This collection also showcases specific characters and gives both Luke Skywalker and Doctor Aphra plenty of moments to shine. All in all, this comic is good on its own and even better in the greater context of this series.

See our The Screaming Citadel Reading Order for more information.

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The central plotline in The Screaming Citadel follows Luke Skywalker and Doctor Aphra as they attempt to survive their trip to a planet ruled by a mysterious cabal of villains. This adventure has some thrilling action from a variety of characters, some narrative twists and turns, and even a bit of humor here and there. The overall result is an entertaining trip with plenty of excitement throughout.

The other appealing aspect of The Screaming Citadel is the comic’s unique tone and inspiration. In many ways, this comic feels like a dip into horror, which is not something typically seen from Star Wars based properties. The life-obsessed and controlling rulers of the Citadel are highly evocative of Bram Stoker’s take on vampires, giving this crossover an intriguing connection to one of the most well-recognized works of classic horror. Both Gillen and Aaron are able to use this connection well and make all of the Citadel-centric scenes feel incredibly creepy.

This event also does well in continuing the progression and development of certain characters. Within this volume, Luke seems to realize that he cannot keep chasing random Jedi legends, which he has been doing throughout the Star Wars series. In addition, readers get hints about Sana’s past and see moments where Leia grows as a leader.

However, the best character development is reserved for Doctor Aphra. Throughout this event, she is constantly compared with Luke, whose benevolent actions sharply contrast with Aphra’s selfish actions. This contrast is a well-executed creative decision that perfectly highlights the development Aphra has shown throughout her Star Wars journey. She now realizes that the universe is not as cut-and-dry as she once believed it to be, pushing her closer to the ideals of the Rebels and away from the Empire. Those unfamiliar with Aphra will not appreciate the focus placed on her character, but those who have read her journey thus far will really appreciate what has been done here.

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Art

The quality of the artwork in The Screaming Citadel is a bit mixed but tends to lean positive. The collection opens with a beautiful chapter from Marco Checchetto that helps capture the gothic mystery of the Screaming Citadel itself. This chapter does a great job in establishing the volume’s tone and gearing fans up for the read. Salvador Larroca’s work in the rest of the collection accomplishes a similar purpose, giving characters and locations great levels of detail. All of the artists also show a satisfying level of creativity throughout the read, allowing this collection to further stand out as something unique.

However, there are a few problems that permeate the artwork as well. Larroca’s work on faces looks too realistic compared to the rest of his art, causing a strange clash between good comic art and unwelcome trips into the uncanny valley. Andrea Broccardo’s chapters add to the clashing art, as his stylized work does not pair well with the realistic work from the rest of the artists. These problems do not completely ruin the visual quality of this collection but they do prevent it from being as visually appealing as it could be.

Continuity

Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel takes place immediately after the events of both Doctor Aphra Vol. 1: Aphra (Review) and Star Wars Vol. 5: Yoda’s Secret War (Review). However, despite this being a crossover between two series, the events of the Aphra series are far more relevant here. All of this takes place between the movies Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back. See our The Screaming Citadel Reading Order for more information.

The story here continues in Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: Doctor Aphra and the Enormous Profit (Review) and Star Wars Vol. 6: Out Among the Stars (Review). See our The Screaming Citadel Reading Order for more information.

This volume also makes references to other works, detailed below:

• Numerous references are made to the last time Luke and Aphra encountered one another. This occurred during the Star Wars: Vader Down (Review) event.
• References are made to Aphra’s last encounter with Leia and Sana. This occurred during Star Wars Vol. 3: Rebel Jail (Review).
• Luke mentions recently “fighting for [his] life in an arena”. This happened in Star Wars Vol. 2: Showdown on the Smuggler’s Moon (Review).