I finally got my hands on issue 1 of this miniseries, which I've been eagerly anticipating since I head of it this summer, earlier this week. Was it worth the wait? In a word, yes.

Summary (SPOILERS):

The plotline is fairly brief and straightforward, as can be expected from a single issue that's only part of a wider arc. We start off with the Rebels clearing debris from the Death Star and putting out forest fires. In this sequence we are also introduced to Ten Numb, Green Leader, a Sullustan pilot currently flying a B-wing hastily modified for firefighting. (Numb has previously appeared in a TCG card relating to the Battle of Endor, this is his first "speaking part" to my knowledge). Ten gets a radio message to return to base for reassignment and the action quickly transitions to Tycho Celchu and Wes Janson on the trail of an Imperial patrol the Ewoks have reported sighting. They soon discover the Imperials have already been killed by a Gorax, which attacks them before Wes manages to drop it with a well-aimed blaster shot. They, too are recalled.

Finally, when Wedge Antilles is towing wrecked Imperial fighters in for recovery in a Y-wing hastily fitted with tractor beam pods, he receives the same recall order and comments that there's only one person who would pull rank on him... When Wedge returns, his suspicions prove correct and Luke Skywalker has arrived with new orders for the Rogues, who have been assigned to send a detachment to Corellia, one of the few major systems where Rebel intelligence is thin on the ground.

Once on Corellia, after a brief discussion of retirement between Han (who is accompanying the Rogues) and Luke, our protagonist soon discover themselves in the thick of a major Imperial ambush, complete with speeder bikes and AT-STs.

Random Observations (SPOILERS):

-I know the recovery operations on Endor are a ticking time bomb for message board debate, but I was fairly pleased with the way they handled it. I think that it was an acceptable compromise between full-blown realism and established continuity.

-One small issue I noticed was that the timeframe is specified as being one week after the Battle of Endor. This would suggest that all the events of The Truce at Bakura take place within one week. Not having read TaB, I have no idea if this is a problem or not, but one fellow I asked said it would probably fit, just...

-Lando fans might not appreciate the entry "Destroyed the Second Death Star" in Wedge's bio.

-We don't really see much of Tycho's contemplative, philosophical side that was so important to his character in the novels. However, the more devil-may-care Tycho we see here is more in keeping with the old Stackpole-era comics, and he did have that side to him even in the novels, so I don't particularly mind.

-There were some interesting discussions between the characters, notably Tycho's expectation that remaining Imperial forces might be likely to surrender after the loss of the Emperor and much of their high command at Endor. This did seem a little more naive than I'd expect from Tycho, but it was an interesting observation because it wouldn't be an illogical assumption to make at that point in time without the hindsight the EU gives up...

-Ten Numb's assertion that the Rebellion should press the advantage and go straight to Coruscant seemed rather audacious, but made an interesting counterpoint.

-The one real complaint I'd have about this issue is that it could really have benefited, IMO, from a full-fledged briefing scene where Admiral Ackbar, General Madine or another senior officer or civilian official gives us a better idea of why the Rebellion specifically wants intelligence on Corellia. I found Luke's briefing a little too vague and felt such a scene would have filled the issue out a bit better. Still, it's only the first part of a three-issue story arc, so this may not really matter so much in hindsight...

Rating: 8/10.

Recommendation:

If you liked the X-wing comics, go out and buy this one, you won't be disappointed. The Rogues are back!