Story: Michael A. Stackpole
Script: Scott Tolson
Pencils: John Nadeau
Inks: Jordi Ensign
Colors: Dave Nestelle
Letters: Vickie Williams
Cover Art: Mark Harrison
TPB Cover Art: John K. Snyder III
The Warrior Princess is the fourth installment in the XWRS series, and it does its job of entertaining the reader. One's enjoyment of it will vary, however, depending on whether or not one likes the character of Plourr Ilo. Since I've always liked her, I thought this was a good addition. This also has the first appearance of Leonia Tavira, better known for her role in I, Jedi.
The artwork is of the same quality as Battleground: Tatooine, which should really be no surprise, since the same people worked on it. This is a good thing, since I had no problems with the art in that installment, either.
As I said earlier, I liked this story. I've always liked Plourr, and thought it was neat that we get to see her beginnings. I noticed and appreciated the nod to Czar Nicholas II and Anastasia. This background, of her being born as one thing but forced to run away and live under a different name and make a different life, fits well into the SW universe, as many characters have been forced to do this, including Corran.
The princess background also helped explain something in my mind that I'd noticed about Plourr in the earlier installments. She always acted rough and tough, like someone who'd had a rough life and probably little education. Not very feminine. But I noticed that she always held herself very straight, exhibited excellent posture, and would sit very prim and proper even in the dingiest cantinas. This always interested me and showed that maybe she wasn't as uncouth as she acted. But after reading The Warrior Princess, this no longer seems incongruous, but evidence of her royal background.
This comic also provides a nice backdrop in which to introduce new characters. Four new people join the squadron, Feylis Ardele, Herian I'ngre, Ibtisam, and Nrin Vakil. We see the beginnings of a relationship between Nrin, a Quarren, and Ibtisam, a Mon Calamari, although they spend most of this mini-series fighting. Old Rogues have a chance to get to know new Rogues in a story that doesn't tax them to their limits, but yet gives many an oppourtunity to show what they can do.
Leonia is typical Leonia. She discusses how she became Moff of Eiattu, and we see evidence of her intelligence as she plots her latest scheme. She plans to either eventually rule Eiattu as Harran's widow, or leave the planet with all of its wealth. It's meant to be a win-win situation for her and, even though it doesn't go quite as she planned, she still manages to get away with half of the wealth. Not an altogether bad day for Leonia Tavira.
And this brings me to Harran. I understand what is going on with him as an adult. The Empire sends a man that looks like Harran (maybe a clone?) and that has Harran's memories to Eiattu and seeks to use him to stir up unrest on the planet. He is continuously receiving feedback and updated memories through the ring he wears. I also see how Leonia has used all this to her advantage.
But this leaves me confused about young Harran. Ok, so he's Darth Vader's biggest fan. Vader shows up, spends some time with him, and gives him this ring. He is described as acting differently after Vader's visit than before. So what exactly is the ring doing at this point? It's not updating memories, since he is the real Harran. It's probably meant to control him, but I don't see why they needed to do that. Harran probably would have turned in his own family and wanted the throne all on his own. He would have been happy to help Darth Vader and, therefore, the Empire, without any coercion. The whole ring thing is somewhat unclear.
The only other real comment I have is minor, just a little nit-pickiness on my part. In the beginning of The Warrior Princess, the representative of Eiattu tells Wedge and Tycho that the missing bodies of the royal family were the youngest princess and the prince. Yet, when Plourr flashes back to her family, and we see the family picture, Plourr is not the youngest princess. It appears that there was an older sister, then Plourr, then Harran, then an infant, which I'm guessing was a girl. So is Plourr really the youngest princess, and the picture was an error, or was the representative in error about which princess was missing?
One last little sidenote: does Wedge have the authority to just give Plourr an X-Wing? I could understand if she'd brought it with her when she joined the squadron, as Corran did, but it sounds like it was the New Republic's. I would have loved seeing Wedge trying to explain this one to Command!
As I said earlier, this comic is best appreciated by those who like Plourr. If you are not a Plourr fan, it will be harder to get through, but I think it's still worth it, if nothing else than to see Leonia at work. You'll also miss the introduction of new Rogues, some of which will become more important as the series goes on.
Reviewed April 4, 2000 by Kelly M. Grosskreutz.
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