Nearly ten years after launching “Star Wars #1”, Marvel is resetting the board for a new group of players to define the state of the galaxy and the fate of the Rebels following their supposed victory. Set almost immediately after the end of “Return of the Jedi”, Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising kicks off a whole new era that will ultimately bridge the gap between the Original Trilogy and “The Force Awakens.” While books like the “Aftermath” trilogy and “Lost Stars” alluded to the Battle of Jakku, the events of said battle have never been fully explored…until now.

Mere hours after the destruction of the second Death Star, the remnants of the Empire are wasting no time in trying to re-gain the upper hand. Grand Moff Adelhard rallies his forces to take down any rebels in their path, while one such rebel risks everything to warn her people about this new threat. On the forest moon of Endor, Princess Leia confronts her past while looking to the future and finds herself at odds with her newfound brother Luke. Meanwhile a mysterious sect called the Acolytes of the Beyond conspire to bring the galaxy back into balance, even if it means joining forces with the Empire.

Writer Alex Segura has the unenviable task of not only following up on several years of quality storytelling but setting the stage for a whole new era that fans have been anticipating for some time. In the main story “Last Resorts,” Segura manages to tell a fairly cohesive tale while deftly setting up a number of plot lines, introducing a new assortment of characters, and establishing a credible threat to our heroes’ new way of life. Even with the various threads, Segura makes time for smaller character moments, including a brief but memorable scene with Leia and her “father.” New characters like Adelhard and the imposing Commander Bragh are certainly interesting but time will tell if they can stand along iconic villains like Vader and Palpatine or even Krennec and Phasma. Adelhard does get some attention in the back-up tale “The Rising”, which explores his backstory as he rises through the Imperial ranks until a fateful encounter with Darth Vader himself that changes the course of his life.

Segura is joined by artist Leonard Kirk for “Last Resorts” while Stefano Raffaele handles art duties for “The Rising.” Both artists have a distinct but similar style that complements each other’s stories perfectly. Along with color artists Rachelle Rosenberg and Alex Sinclair, the artists are able to create a cohesive experience that is far too rare in comics anymore. Sinclair’s work in particular stands out in the back-up with his use of specific tones in each sequence.

While the first chapter of this era doesn’t start out as strong as the first volumes of “Star Wars” or “Darth Vader”, the creative team has produced a solid opening chapter that will definitely have readers clamoring to find out what happens next. Scattering the legacy characters into various directions means each of our heroes will get their moment to shine eventually, even if we may have to wait, while the new heroes and villains are interesting enough to warrant their greater page-time. Segura’s willingness to play in lesser-known areas of the sandbox creates opportunities to tie-in other stories without distraction. Fans of the “Aftermath” novels will delight in the inclusion of Yupe Tashu and the Acolytes, but Insurgency Rising doesn’t require any homework in order to understand and enjoy the latest tale in the ever-expanding Skywalker Saga.