As comprehensive as the Star Wars timeline has become, there’s only so much that the films and TV shows can actually explore. The galaxy is a massive place, teeming with characters and conflicts in every era, and that means some heroes and villains inevitably fall through the cracks.
That’s especially true for the sequel trilogy, which was a cavalcade of missed opportunities and disappointment. The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker introduced a trove of compelling ideas, only to leave most of them unexplored. Even the trilogy’s main trio suffered from wasted potential. The sequels’ heroine, Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley), will at least get the chance to continue her story with a new feature film. But what of her companions, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega)?
There’s a good chance both Poe and Finn could appear in Rey’s upcoming movie, which could finally provide the trio with the story they deserve. Until we get confirmation of a reunion, however, it may fall to comic books to fix the sequels’ mistakes. Poe will soon be setting off on a new adventure in a limited prequel series written by Ethan Sacks and distributed by Dark Horse Comics.
The yet-untitled mini-series, announced at this year’s New York Comic Con, will reportedly follow Poe and his trusty droid BB-8 on an adventure set just before The Force Awakens. Another story about the duo is certainly overdue, but this won’t be the first Poe-centric prequel Lucasfilm has released. After The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015, Poe got his own solo series with Marvel Comics, Poe Dameron, which followed the Resistance pilot during the last days of the New Republic. Eventually, the series caught up with the events of The Force Awakens, then followed the adventures of Poe’s team, Black Squadron, during The Last Jedi.
Poe Dameron effectively filled in the films’ bigger blind spots and gave forgotten players like Jessica Pava a more active role. It’ll be interesting to see what another prequel brings to the table, especially with the conflicts between Poe’s comic book backstory and that mentioned in The Rise of Skywalker. The 2019 film is maligned for many reasons, but one of its weirdest choices was its reveal that Poe briefly worked as a spice runner. That’s the Star Wars equivalent of smuggling meth, and it’s a far cry from Poe’s previously-established past. He may be a bit of a rogue, but he’s not just a Han Solo clone, and spice doesn’t fit his character.
Marvel’s Poe Dameron series established the character pretty thoroughly before The Rise of Skywalker. He was the son of two decorated Rebel fighters, was essentially raised by heroes like Leia Organa, and joined the Resistance against the First Order in its infancy. The idea of him dabbling in the narcotics trade just didn’t fit his narrative. Alex Segura’s 2020 novel Free Fall worked hard to reconcile this piece of his backstory by chalking up his spice running tenure as an act of teenage rebellion, but even that clashed with older storylines.
It’s a frustrating disconnect that undermines the importance of the comics, but maybe the comics also hold the key to fixing Poe’s character once and for all. There’s no telling where this new mini-series will take him, but there’s an opportunity here to iron out the kinks of his backstory. Even if it’s just a one-shot Resistance adventure, it will be worth it to see Poe in action again... especially if he’s not dealing space coke.
