Published: April 21, 1999
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Jan Strnad
Penciler: Anthony Winn
Cover Artist: Ken Kelly
The synopsis;
High above the desert sands of Tatooine, a battle of life and death is taking place! On a freighter loaded with bloodthirsty beasts, lone Jedi Ki-Adi-Mundi must fight his way to his daughter, trapped in a malfunctioning escape pod with the merciless — but just as helpless — criminal Ephant Mon. Only Ki can save them, but the only way to save them may be to let Ephant Mon escape … with Ki’s daughter!
The review;
After twenty years, this series has once again had me on the edge of my seat. Even with the passing of time, this arc has still seemed relevant and has been able to show a different side to itself each and every issue. Issue four brought a new form of format, with two stories in one and I’m eager to find out where both lead us in the penultimate issue of the arc.
The main story follows immediately on from the last, with Ki-Adi having to fight his way through the Divviks. There is little actual communication between characters, instead it is left to the narrator to guide us through Ki-Adi’s journey through the ship. Although an old-fashioned way of telling the story, it is incredibly effective here. The atmosphere that is created is exceptional and works perfectly with the artwork. It builds up the tension so that you never know what is actually going to happen, what could be lurking around the corner.
Winn excels during this issue, but particularly through the first parts of the story. With the narration complementing Winn’s artwork, they are able to add suspense to the whole story. Like last issue, Winn uses panels most of the time, utilising the whole page only when he wants to make an impact. The whole tone of these pages is dark, that Alien feel really coming back. It’s creepy, it’s nerve-wrenching and it is very impactful. The design work for Ki-Adi’s space suit is wonderful, a cross between fifties science fiction and Star Wars. It keeps the feel of Star Wars. We also see Jabba the Hutt for the first time and it’s interesting to note that he looks like he did in Return of the Jedi, not the special edition of A New Hope, which is how he would appear in The Phantom Menace.
With all this dark, atmospheric build up it would be easy to forget the main character in all of this Ki-Adi. The character is one that I never thought was really relatable in the movies, yet here he is. Ki-Adi is ruled by his emotions, far more than any other Jedi. He thinks he has it under control only to discover he is not. It’s in essence Anakin’s arc, but has the time and space to really have itself fleshed out more. Ki-Adi is our Luke Skywalker, he is the one that we are supposed to relate to, to see the story through his eyes. I wonder how much information about the prequel era Strnad was given, as a lot of this contradicts the films. Yet, it is so compelling. It seems like a wasted opportunity for Anakin and Ki-Adi to not have worked together and had these discussions. The book Jedi Trial never seemed to go far enough with it. We see that Ki-Adi realises his children mean everything and he’ll do anything for them. We can also see how far Ki-Adi’s force powers go, that he can influence the mind at a distance. It seems a little too far and more in keeping with Vader’s control of the force in The Empire Strikes Back.
Ephant Mon is not quite as docile as he looks, and the character build up for him has been slow but well worth it. From the early issues, he seems to be very placid, which makes his actions in this issue all the more shocking. It makes him a far more dangerous character, which for an opponent to Ki-Adi, and a non-force user for the most part, makes him quite formidable. Jabba and him clearly share a relationship of mutual respect and again, this adds more depth to the character (as well as leading to more questions).
The second part of Vow of Justice sees Ki-Adi on his first mission after his training. These stories are here for a reason, to help explain the main story. Otherwise, why not release these smaller stories as a one shot? This story is all about emotion, about how Ki-Adi is starting down a dark path of revenge. Like the main story, he is still concerned with his family and seeing a wrong righted. Each story is a mirror of itself. The main story is Ki-Adi trying to act without emotion and making mistakes, this story is Ki-Adi acting with emotion and again, making mistakes. Ki-Asi is not infallible. His pride also gets in the way. In this tale, you really get a sense that Ki-Adi wants to be the hero, for his family and for his planet.
At the start of the story, we see Yoda, warning Ki-Adi. Yoda can sense the feelings with Ki-Adi, the motivation. He tries to warn him just like Luke on Dagobah. Ki-Adi is once again becoming taht role of Luke for the reader, and although there is a mirror between the two stories, there is a mirror between Luke and himself. The advice that Yoda gives has an impact on the first story being told as well, and for me, that’s why this tale is here at the end.
The artwork by Nadeau is gripping, particularly the use of light throughout the issue. The panels where Ki-Adi is with his family are very well drawn and invite you in to join the family. It seems right to have two separate artists, so the reader can separate one story from the other.
The penultimate issue of the Prelude to Rebellion arc really starts to bring the pieces that were laid out before, together. It is very clear in this issue that Strnad is using Ki-Adi as our Luke Skywalker, that no matter how much he tries, whether it be now or in the past, he makes mistakes. He is our relatable hero. It is interesting to see where Strnad goes with the character, particularly in light of the prequel trilogy. I do wonder how this story would have been written differently if it had come after 2005, when the ‘rules’ of the era would have been better known. Ki-Adi is a far more compelling character here than he ever was in the movies, and it’s a little disappointing that we never really get to see this version of the character in film. Then again, he does follow Anakin’s path a little too closely, but for me, that would make their meeting even more interesting. I can’t wait to see how this current arc ends, my faded memory finding it very difficult to recall with any sort of precision. Then again, that keeps the tension high!
Availability;
Star Wars Republic was an ongoing series originally released by Dark Horse that ran from 1998 till 2006 encompassing 83 issues. Prelude to Rebellion is currently available in digital format via the Marvel App, comiXology or by subscribing to Marvel Unlimited. A physical copy can be found in one of the many trade paperback releases from Marvel. Please check with Amazon UK and US or your local comic bookstore for availability.
