Review – ‘Dark Droids: D-Squad’ #3 Reunites the Team Too Late in the Game
Dark Droids understands its place in Star Wars comics. It knows that it entered the mainstream at a time when the cries for something different have never been louder. Each affected series has since benefited in some way for the last few months, providing an avenue for a final boss feel for this era of comics. But there’s a black sheep in the stable named Dark Droids: D-Squad.
The first issue only existed to tell the shockingly enthralling story of Ajax Sigma and his complex persona. Now, this miniseries only exists to… I’m not sure. The charm that was promised, channeling the oddball nature of the infamous animated arc from The Clone Wars, hasn’t been there consistently enough. Instead, it’s only felt like a vehicle to get a cheap pop from those outside the comic bubble when they see the name “D-Squad.”
Despite some cute moments here and there, the biggest crime is that it doesn’t seem interested in establishing its place in Dark Droids. Issue #3 wastes an unjustifiable amount of page time in finally reuniting the team, but it all falls flat because the larger crossover has long passed it by.
Spoilers ahead…
We open with the conclusion of the standoff that ended the last issue. IG-88 is in the middle of collecting the bounty on Triple Zero and BT-1. 4-LOM has his eyes set on R2-D2. Meanwhile, R2 is caught in the middle while trying to get everyone to get along for the greater good. And who could forget the Scourged cyborg that has also joined the party? I have nothing against droid-on-droid violence, and the layout of this opening was executed very well.
Israel Silva’s colors have been a highlight for me in this series. The warmer colors of Gallios’ sky give life to a planet that otherwise would be standard territory for most Star Wars planets these days. It creates an atmosphere that could be soothing if grimy warrior droids weren’t trying to kill each other. It’s off-putting and quirky, and I wish this issue had more.
I also like the continuity of the Scourge sending a “hybroid” to go after R2. Dark Droids #2 established that the entity thought R2 was too valuable to waste but just needed him out of the way for a while. We have since seen the Scourge take the minds of Beilert Valance, Magna Tolvan, and Lobot as its core cybernetic trio. It makes sense to send another after R2, a droid it considers to be a massive threat if left unchecked.
After the skirmish is where things took a turn. I felt very disconnected once the talking started. Last week’s Dark Droids #4 saw this new and improved D-Squad catch up to Ajax Sigma at his darkest hour. They motivated him to continue the good fight. It was a really genuine moment, informed by D-Squad‘s work to explore what makes Ajax tick. I know some release dates got shuffled around, with D-Squad #3 originally coming out before Dark Droids #4, but spending your penultimate issue of a series explaining what the reader has known for weeks and months didn’t sit right. I’d feel the same even if this issue came out in its original slot. Simply put, not having a sense of forward momentum stunk because all we can do is live in the now.
Anywho, our ragtag group of droids make their way to Ryloth to add one more to their ranks before they find Ajax Sigma. Enter R2’s “definitely not a love interest” QT-KT. Sadly, the “definitely not” droid flirting has to be picked up another time as the Scourge manages to track them down. The image of the team going into war is as glorious as you’d expect, with the colors and Salva Espín’s art again being the standout.
The mayhem takes a turn as QT gets hit, leaving R2 not a happy camper. It would make for a thrilling cliffhanger if we didn’t already see she’s 100 percent fine in Dark Droids #4. Oh well. It gets a pass because of the aforementioned shuffled calendar.
Despite my ranting, I wouldn’t classify this issue as bad. Dark Droids: D-Squad is a victim of an ambitious crossover hell-bent on finishing before the year is up. It’s the weird uncle you include in the family gathering, only to remember why you never answer their calls during the rest of the year. You love them, and they provide a laugh or two at the dinner table, but it quickly becomes time to move on. R2-D2 will do something absolutely insane in the next issue or in Dark Droids #5 to help beat the Scourge, and it will be awesome, and we’ll forget this ever happened.
RATING: 5/10
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
