Stranger Than Science Fiction

I hope you like charts. Sorry. Here is a picture of Poe.

Don't get distracted

I'm on record as being quite smitten with one Poe Dameron as one of the best things about the new Star Wars trilogy. There has been no shortage of discussion of how he is presented, and the actions he takes, in the latest installment, The Last Jedi. I, for one, think the movie is fantastic top to bottom, but me just saying that isn't good enough. Author-nee-engineer that I am, I had to figure the what, why and how of it all.

Let's reverse engineer Star Wars.

Status: DISTRACTED

Poe exists for one very simple reason: he is the child of Han Solo. No, that's not a fan theory, I mean he is the spiritual son of the the character type. We have to go back to Han Solo in 1977 to understand him. Star Wars is this beautiful, sort of weird, western-Kurosawa fever dream, and the charming rogue is no stranger in those worlds. Solo is the absolute personification of that - scoundrel with a heart of gold.

So is Poe Dameron. But if you read the linky up there, his motivations are different. This is key- I think we need to look at each character along three axis: motivations, arc and the lie they believe. That last one is the key to any good character - K.M. Weiland is the one I learned it from, and it is absolutely essential - what is the lie your character believes? This is worthy of an essay of its own, but that's for another time. Let's look at Han and Poe. Here, I made a chart:

Han has one of the great character arcs in cinema (which I am 100% confident the Solo solo movie will wreck, but whatever) - we meet him, and he is this self-assured, greedy smuggler who doesn't need anyone who doesn't pay, and then his return is awesome because it means he changed. Poe doesn't change a whole lot over the course of The Force Awakens - he believes in the resistance, and is a hero of, start to finish.

This only serves to reinforce the lie he believes - that he is always right, and can get away with anything. The funny thing is, though, this is also the lie we, the audience, believe. We are so, so used to characters like this - charming, attractive dudes who break all the rules and get the job done.

Real life doesn't work that way. Look at the change in each character between their first and second films:

Everything about Han has changed - now he's not sure he belongs with the Rebels, and he's worried about the price on his head. He made a massive choice that he knew could mean his life in coming back to help blow up the Death Star. Poe, however, has become a little too concerned with himself, instead of doing the right thing - his motivation is still mostly good, but his overconfidence leads to him disobeying orders and common sense. He has changed, too, as a direct result of that lie being reinforced - with dire consequences.

When I first walked out of The Last Jedi, I was unsure of Holdo's actions - why wouldn't she tell Poe the plan, which would save a lot of trouble? His actions - still sure he is infallible and can get away with anything - show that he can't be trusted. By the end of the movie, we see he has learned the lesson, his motivation is no longer selfish, but at great cost.

But The Last Jedi does something magnificent - it gives Poe and Han a foil. They never share the screen, but DJ drives home this point, that for all the hearts of gold, good motives and charming scoundrels, there are a million who never care about anything except the money and their own gain.

DJ also reflects a rather cynical view - showing that the arms dealers will sell to anyone, and that both sides are corrupt. He's not entirely wrong; but then, neither is Poe. Both think their actions won't have consequences, or they can skirt around whatever they might be.

did you even look at the charts

The best part of The Last Jedi is the meta commentary on the state of Star Wars, stories and the way we perceive things. Poe's actions are not out of character; they are more in character than what most movies tell us they would be (see also Skywalker, Luke). It's a brave move, one that plenty of people aren't happy with, a good reminder that we all have lies we believe.

-DESR

Thursday Morning Superhero

Yesterday was Poe Dameron Day and I hope your feed was as full of dreamy animated .gifs.  The dreamboat Oscar Isaac warmed our hears as the "best pilot in the galaxy" in The Force Awakens and due to the demand of fans, he was gifted his own ongoing series.  While other fans might not be as impressed with his ska resume as I am, he is clearly a fan favorite who rightly deserved his own series.  Brought to us by the creative team of Charles Soule, Phil Noto, and Joe Caramagna, it is sure to satisfy us fans clamoring for more Poe.

Pick of the Week:
Empress #1 - Mark Millar pulled off the Poe Dameron upset.  Despite it being his own day, Poe was out shined by this Mad Max-esque tale of a wife fleeing her tyrannical husband in a desperate attempt at freedom.  Featuring one of the ballsiest escape plans ever, she is able to escape the planet for now.  The pedal was to the metal in this new series that is brought to live with absolutely beautiful visuals courtesy of Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Ive Svorcina.  I'm assuming that there is already a negotiation for the movie rights to this one and Millar has another surefire hit on his hands.  Go read this now!!!

The Rest:
Poe Dameron #1 - The hunky pilot did not disappoint in his debut issue, which is a prequel to the events that unfold in The Force Awakens.  While not a lot happened in this first issue, it was filled with the humor that we expect from Poe and told us how he began to track down information on the location of Luke Skywalker.  It sets the stage to really dig deeper into the characters of the Black Squadron, who were mere blips in the movie.  The bonus BB-8 story from Chris Eliopoulos and Jordie Bellaire was the icing on the cake.  Must read material for fans of The Force Awakens.



The Fix #1 - Nick Spencer, Steve Lieber, Ryan Hill, and Nic Shaw just dropped a hilarious tale about criminals who are failing to keep up with the times.  Featuring dialogue and characters you might see in an older Tarantino flick, The Fix features an entertaining mix of corrupt cops just trying to make ends meet in a digital world.  The heist that kicks off this issue, an old folks home in a paltry score that almost gets them killed.  This is a really fun book that, if you don't mind some vulgar comedy, is a must read.  Very interesting cast of characters, which given Spencer's cast in Morning Glories should be rock solid, well written dialogue, and an interesting premise set up another hit for Image Comics.  Good stuff.

Old Man Logan #4 - I must admit that I have been really enjoying Jeff Lemire's take on this story, and this was the best issue to date.  The confrontation between him, Captain America, and Hawkeye is truly epic and demonstrates how deep their friendship truly is.  I am in the process of rereading Civil War in preparation for the movie, and appreciate the bond that these two gentlemen have.  I won't spoil anything, but the payoff in this episode is truly worth waiting for and I am excited to see where Lemire takes Logan next and I wonder if he ever will save his family and make it back home.



The Walking Dead #153 - You just can't trust Negan.  You think we would have learned by now.  You can't even keep him alive.  For someone that evil, you just need to sink to his level and kill him.  What have you done Rick?  He might be without Lucille, but you know he will get her back and is still very dangerous without her.  Rick may not be the perfect leader and may have made mistakes in the past, but I fear his people are about to pay for his biggest mistake.  Negan may have let fans down in the season finale, although from what I read it sounded like a great cliffhanger, but he is loose and we should all be terrified.  I fear we are about to enter a new chapter in this series.



POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.