ROOM

Kelly Thompson and Emilio Laiso introduce a brand-new character and make her the focus of “Star Wars Annual” #2, and still manage to pair her up with a long-established character while squeezing in appearances from a few others. Pash Davane – or Bash, as she is called, for good reason – is an engineer-turned-janitor who lost her livelihood thanks to the war between the Galactic Empire and the Rebellion, and has taken a staunchly-neutral stand in the galaxy-wide conflict while blaming both sides for the destruction left in the conflict’s wake. Thompson delivers a well-constructed character intro that’s framed around a fun and punchy story that’s lively rendered by Laiso, and even sneaks a well-disguised but important moral by story’s end. RELATED: Luke Uses [SPOILER] For The First Time In Star Wars #25 Mike Mayhew’s dynamic cover spotlights the more-familiar Princess Leia, and Leia’s mention in the trademark introductory scrolling text belies the importance of Bash’s role in the issu

Gail Simone and Jon Davis-Hunt’s “Clean Room” #1 kicks off a horror story about the perils of faith combined with a cult of personality, beginning the story in a deceptively clean and pleasant-looking small town in Germany right before a series of horrific events. In this opening sequence, the curious and unexplained sociopathic behavior of the driver, Jonas Kemf, is chilling. The mob vengeance that immediately follows, with no pause in between, is satisfying but also ugly and out of control. The silent action is clever, since the lack of speech amplifies the feeling of panic. The hospital scene seems like a quiet aftermath and oasis, with the TV news helping the reader make sense of what has occurred. The little girl is alive and her parents are relieved — but that’s when Simone and Davis-Hunt deliver the third shock. The reader is in a heightened state of emotion but lulled into being off-guard. The all-black title page and Astrid’s question are perfectly timed. The efficient, exp