Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Lilo & Stitch #1!Disney‘s efforts to close a plot hole from Lilo & Stitch just made the film’s ending even more heartwarming. For more than 20 years now, Lilo & Stitch has become more recognized as one of Disney’s best films. The story following a destructive alien named Stitch befriending a Hawaiian girl named Lilo developed a cult following upon release, only to get more popular as the years went by. Now, it’s as big as some of Disney’s greatest achievements, and Lilo and Stitch’s first major comic adventure in years has officially answered one of the film’s biggest lingering questions.
Lilo & Stitch #1 by Greg Pak and Giulia Giacomino picks up not too long after the first film, with Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley adjusting to their new life in Hawaii. It’s hinted that, to help him, Lilo has encouraged Stitch to express his emotions through artwork. As a result, Stitch has crafted a variety of images depicting the events of the original film on top of where he’s at mentally, claiming, “Sometimes, I still worry. Because we have–responsibilities–kuleana now.“
It’s a sweet way of getting the audience up to speed on where in the timeline the beloved characters are. However, it also brilliantly establishes that Stitch has a talent for picking things up quickly, explaining how quickly he is able to communicate with Lilo in the orignal film.
Stitch is a Fast Learner When It Comes to Communication
The fact that Stitch is able to learn so quickly without needing months to develop a craft ultimately puts to bed one of the original film’s biggest nitpicks. It seems odd to some fans that Stitch is able to pick up on English so quickly after being around known English speakers for less than a day, especially since he arrives still only able to speak his own alien language.
While Jumba, Gantu and the members of the United Galactic Federation, as well as the comic’s villains called the Cluster Sovereign, are shown to speak English; it’s entirely possible that they be speaking another language, since it’s highly unlikely that every species in the universe uses it officially, with their words translated to English to avoid subtitles. However, with Stitch picking up drawing rather quickly, it confirms that he’s able to learn important methods of communication, like languages, in no time. In fact, he even mentions that he’s working on writing, and while he still needs Lilo’s help, he could develop this new skill in a matter of weeks.
Stitch’s Commitment to Drawing and Writing Confirms His Film Growth
What’s really touching about this development overall is that it shows just how far Stitch has come since he crash-landed on Earth. Jumba even comments on this in the midst of a water balloon fight by saying that Stitch’s new weakness is that “he cares about people now.” This empathy for others translates to his artwork as an important outlet to channel his behavior and keep his mind focused on protecting those he loves. He no longer feels like he needs to be what Jumba created him to do. Rather, he’s committed to learning new ways to express himself and do better for those around him to show that he cares.
It’s amazing to see such minor details, such as Stitch’s quick ability to learn English, get addressed in a heartwarming comic sequel. It’s a brilliant way of catching up with the characters while filling in some of the elements from the film that required a bit of suspension of disbelief. Disney‘s latest comic featuring Lilo & Stitch has a lot of potential ahead of it, and this closing of a small movie plot hole shows it’s on the right track.
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Lilo & Stitch #1 is available now from Dynamite Comics!
