by Yogi Kai
There are so many pathways to be a fan in the age of the sequel trilogy. I have always been drawn to Star Wars books and comics, and though I believe the films should stand on their own as far as telling a cohesive story, there are some great insights to characters past and future you can find in the pages of comic and books. Here are some stories that delve a little deeper into Finn’s story.
Before The Awakening
Before The Awakening shares three stories that take place before the events of The Force Awakens.
Finn’s story gives us more insight into his decisions in The Force Awakens, but more importantly, the core of his personality. One of the things we learn in this story is that FN-2187 is a big deal as far as his team members and the First Order are concerned. Finn is exceptional in blaster and hand to hand combat. He has strong leadership capabilities, and compassion.
Finn’s strong sense of loyalty, compassion for others, and the potential for great empathy are not a requirement, or even necessarily desired traits, in the First Order. Noticing this, his commander, Captain Phasma, send Finn’s team on a mission to subdue defenseless miners on strike. Finn’s actions on the planet, how he versus the other First Order stormtroopers react, are the foundation for Finn’s actions at the opening of Episode 7. It is enjoyable to get a look into Finn’s inner thoughts and see how his instincts begin to override his First Order conditioning.
Star Wars Adventures Issue 3
Star Wars Adventures is targeted towards younger readers but the stories are universally enjoyable. The framing story is about a young explorer who likes to share stories of characters all across the saga. In issue three we get a Finn story that is set some time before The Force Awakens. Finn is on custodial duty cleaning a shuttle when a strange creature leaps out and steals his helmet. This leads to a hilarious chase sequence that has Finn trying to not get caught by Phasma while trying to recapture his helmet. The story ends with Finn barely avoiding harming the creature when he is ordered to destroy it. Only Star Wars Adventures could turn time on a First Order destroyer into such a fun story and also provide additional insight into Finn’s character.
Age Of Resistance: Finn
In this Age Of Resistance one-shot we see Finn once again on Starkiller Base. He has been sent with a crew to clean out an infestation of vicious winged creatures that have taken over a dark level of the battlestation. Finn’s natural sense of curiosity leads him to discover the real reason behind the creatures viciousness and he becomes determined to save them. I enjoyed this story but it’s very reminiscent of the tale from Star Wars Adventures though a bit darker. Galactic Creature Protector seems to be a trend with our young Resistance hero. I would love to see him interact more with creatures in Episode IX, maybe Porgs?!!
Poe Dameron, issues 26-28
These three issues of Poe Dameron are unique because they take place immediately after the ending of The Last Jedi. The issues involve Rey and Poe getting to meet each other and Finn sharing his adventures with Rey and her piloting skills. There is a really pleasant banter between the trio, and it makes you realize how non stop the pacing was in The Last Jedi. Here, the trio finally get to relax for a bit as they try to figure out the next step of their journey. I really loved these stories, especially the small interludes with Poe and Leia. It is worthwhile to see Finn back with Rey, whom he had originally set out to save at the start of the last film.
All of these stories are worth seeking out and all of them except the Age of Resistance: Finn should be available at your local library. Hope you check them out!
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