I’ve been on a Michael Stackpole kick this past year, so it was only a matter of time until I’d exhausted most of his best work and got down to the dregs, namely “Union” (1999-2000), a four-issue comic series chronicling the wedding of Luke and Mara.
This is a highly unusual “Star Wars” comic in that there’s hardly any tension or conflict in it; the group of Imperial terrorists who aim to disrupt the ceremony feel like a cursory throw-in that we’re not supposed to take seriously.
Coda to the Bantam books era
Although it’s a comic, “Union” is essentially the coda to the 1990s Bantam books storylines, which culminated with Luke and Mara realizing they love each other in Timothy Zahn’s “Vision of the Future” (1998), the final hardcover of the line.
“Star Wars: Union” (1999-2000)
Four issues
Writer: Michael A. Stackpole
Penciller: Robert Teranishi
Inker: Christopher Chuckry
Colorist: Christopher Chuckry
The title has a double meaning because the galactic media is using the wedding to symbolize the peace accord between the New Republic and the Empire, but unfortunately, this isn’t explored with much depth.
“Union” could’ve been a good opportunity for Mara to fret about the horrible things she did as the Emperor’s Hand — after all, a case could be made that she is a war criminal — and wonder if she’s worthy of Luke and what he stands for.
But despite his reputation as a great character writer, Stackpole doesn’t go there. Clearly, Mara has made peace with her past at this point, and I guess that’s why she’s able to open her heart to Luke in the first place.
Because this part of the timeline wasn’t heavily chronicled in comics, it’s a novelty to see Luke’s Coruscant apartment (patterned after prequel designs) and to see so many great Zahn and Stackpole icons brought to life by artist Robert Teranishi. He uses a watercolor style similar to Cam Kennedy’s, but generally I can figure out who’s who from the likenesses and descriptions.
A souvenir for Luke and Mara fans
It’s particularly cool to see the ladies of “Star Wars” — a class largely populated by Zahn and Stackpole inventions — hanging out before the wedding: Mara, Leia, Winter, Mirax, Iella and Tionne. (Their husbands are also mostly Zahn and Stackpole creations.) Stackpole’s penchant for humor is on full display when the ladies take on and defeat a swingball team of beefy aliens at the gym to ease Mara’s pre-wedding jitters.
However, the storyline of “Union” — which features all the clichés of a modern American wedding and lots of panels of the couple kissing and saying “I love you” — could’ve been condensed into one issue.
From a marketing standpoint, it’s insane that the compelling, dangling storylines of Stackpole’s “X-Wing” series were shut down due to low sales, yet a few years later, Dark Horse thought four issues about a wedding would sell well to “Star Wars” fans.
“Union” is a decent souvenir for Luke-and-Mara fans, but if you want a deeper exploration of either character or their relationship, you’ll have to look elsewhere. The only people will find this story gripping are wedding planners.