The new comic Star Wars #1 opens with a splash page of the STAR WARS title in the “Star Wars” font. Your heart will soar.

Star Wars #1 is the first of the new, canonical comic series debuting in the run-up to the Dec. 18 release of “Star Wars: Episode 7 The Force Awakens.” Star Wars #1 also marks the return of “Star Wars” to Marvel, after decades of Dark Horse “Star Wars” Extended Universe comic lines.

The release of Star Wars #1 is expected to be one of the biggest comic issue releases of all time, with over one million copies printed (by comparison, Walking Dead #100 sold 384,000 copies). There’s a lot riding on the success of Star Wars #1, including the reputation of Marvel and Disney, who promised that replacing the Extended Universe with a new continuity would make for better stories. So, with all that on the line, is Star Wars #1 actually any good?

End of "Star Wars," Setting the Stage for Star Wars #1

Star Wars #1 opens just after the destruction of the Death Star in “Star Wars,” with the Rebellion hoping to “press their advantage by unleashing a daring offensive throughout the far reaches of space.” After the opening crawl we’re off to the Corellian Industrial Cluster where Han, Luke, and Leia hope to pose as envoys of Jabba the Hutt there to negotiate the price of raw Tatooine resources to feed the endless assembly lines of the Empire’s war machine.

Negotiations quickly go south, with Luke running off to rescue assembly-line slaves, Han debating whether to spill his love beans to Leia, and Leia trying to get Chewbacca to assassinate Darth Vader, who arrives just in time to block their escape.

Star Wars #1 feels like a vital part of the “Star Wars” story, enhancing our understanding of well-worn but beloved characters and giving them new adventures worthy of the name. While Star Wars #1 feels like a safe choice in some ways, with Disney biding time before “Star Wars: Episode 7 The Force Awakens” by filling in old gaps, it’s hard to complain with a start as promising as Star Wars #1.

Jason Aaron (Scalped) does a great job with the writing in Star Wars #1. Dialogue feels polished, sometimes to an almost boardroom shine (yes, there are too many callbacks), but to mostly good effect. C-3PO as the infodumper, reciting plot details in Luke and Leia’s ears for our benefit, works well enough, and every other character talks like they do in the “Star Wars” movies. But the real strength of the writing in Star Wars #1 is in the character work and plotting.

Everyone in Star Wars #1 is well-motivated, rather than pushed into place by the narrative necessities of “Star Wars.” Luke goes off-mission, pursuing a truth brought to him by The Force and doing his best to be a hero. There’s something downright sweet in Luke whispering Obi-Wan sayings to himself, like a glimpse at a performer’s psyche-up routine.

Star Wars #1 Has Some Good Obi-Wan Advice

Han Solo teeters on a knife’s edge in Star Wars #1, only aware of just how much he’s aligned his fate with the Rebellion when Leia points it out to him, yet brashly insisting that he’s still his own man. Aaron doesn’t overplay Han Solo’s reluctant hero bit either: when it comes time to do the right thing Han Solo steps up without hesitation.

However, the best character work is Princess Leia, whose total commitment to the Rebellion and blunt assertions of command places her back in the leadership role displayed in the Yavin IV throne room scene at the end of “Star Wars.” The best moment of Star Wars #1 is Leia countermanding Han Solo and ordering Chewbacca to assassinate Darth Vader from his sniper’s nest, even if it means their death.

Star Wars #1 Returns Leia to Power

This brings us to Darth Vader. Until his Star Wars #1 introduction I had still planned on writing a good review of Star Wars #1. It feels like proper “Star Wars,” and if it didn’t exactly throw me back into childhood like Anton Ego taking a bite of ratatouille, maybe that’s an indication of my personal soul decay. Not even “Star Wars” can quicken the beat of my wormy ventricles I thought to myself. Then Darth Vader showed up.

Star Wars #1 introduces Darth Vader to the “Star Wars” comics in style, as he slashes aside Chewbacca’s bowcaster blast. When Chewbacca opens up a barrage of automatic fire Darth Vader uses The Force to throw up Stormtrooper body shields. Stormtroopers screaming “Lord Vader! Wait—“ as they get tossed in front of a hail of blaster beams is the kind of outrageous that inspires impressed laughter. It’s a fantastic moment that not only gives Chewbacca a chance to back up his dangerous reputation, but also captures everything there is to love about Darth Vader as a villain. The final page, with Obi-Wan offering Luke a succinct bit of advice in the face of a Vader onslaught, recaptures a sense of real danger not felt since the final lightsaber duel of “Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.” It will have you excited for Star Wars #2.

Star Wars #1 Leads to This

The art of Star Wars #1, from John Cassaday and colorist Laura Martin, is better than utilitarian but won’t blow anyone away. There’s a hard balance struck between a realistic capture of familiar forms and loose, action-oriented flexibility. Settings are well-drawn, with new planets and ships believably mixed with familiar Imperial architecture. The color palette is a bit muted, perhaps in an effort to capture all those 70’s film “Star Wars” browns.

Where the Star Wars #1 art most succeeds is in identifying the iconic bits and dealing out impressive tableaux and poses. Panels like Chewbacca leaping from a collapsing tower or Vader stepping off his shuttlecraft between rows of Stormtrooper honor guards cry out for framing.

Less successful is when action needs to be conveyed in a single panel, with the choice to have a lightsaber slash presented as multiple glowing lines (like the stutter of a zoetrope) the most unpleasant artistic decision in Star Wars #1.

Overall, Star Wars #1 provides satisfying action, builds out familiar characters, and sets the stage for a protracted conflict between the Rebellion and an Empire that may be down, but is far from out. How was the Rebellion driven from Yavin IV, flush with victory, to the bunkered down isolation of Hoth? Star Wars #1 feels like a comic series that may just be worthy of answering that question.

Star Wars #1 is out today, Jan. 14, and will soon be joined by additional Marvel “Star Wars” comics Darth Vader #1 and Princess Leia #1. Let me know what you thought of Star Wars #1 in the comments, or @AndWhalen.