Published: April 19, 2023
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Jody Houser
Artist: Luke Ross
Colourist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Designer: Carlos Lao
Cover Artist: Phil Noto
The synopsis;
DARK VISIONS!
• A fearful vision has infected the students at the Jedi Temple, leading to a violent confrontation that could spell doom for the would-be Jedi.
• Will Yoda sense the danger in time, or will he lose one of his students forever?
The review;
How I have been looking forward to the continuation of this series. Last issue was a lesson in creating an incredible comic with the mundane. Jody Houser showed us the daily workings of Jedi life, the comings and goings, the lessons and it was incredible. It’s the sort of insight that fans ogle over, and oh my gosh, did I ogle! Coupled with the incredible artwork from Luke Ross and you had an issue that begged to be reread again and again. I thought I knew where issue five was going and was proven very wrong! Houser has left the horizon clear; the direction of this new issue is anyone’s guess.
Yoda has stayed on the sidelines for the last two issues; this is exactly how it should be. Too much of Master Yoda doesn’t work, it reveals too much about him and he loses some of that mystical quality. Houser has saved the focus of him till now, and the series works better for it. Although the events revolve around the padawans, this is all about Yoda and one of Yoda’s most memorable lessons from the movies. When he speaks to Anakin in The Phantom Menace, quoting that “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”, we see here first-hand how that plays out. Houser has scattered this lesson over the arc and its fruition finally bares fruit in this issue. Krrsish started out so afraid of their visions and it has led them down the dark route. It’s incredible to watch and unfold and realise that this story is all about this important lesson.
I always love to hear Yoda talk about the force and Houser presents the force here almost like a parent. It has wisdom, guidance but only if we listen. Yoda realises that the Jedi don’t always listen, that they act too quickly but they also constantly focus on the past and the future, rather than the here and now. We know that Yoda scolds Luke for always looking towards the horizon. Yet when reading this, I can’t help but think that Yoda himself falls prey to it too. On Dagobah, he is so focused on his failure that it prevents him training Luke initially. He sees too much of Anakin rather than who Luke is in that moment. Houser invokes all of this with Yoda’s simple internal monologue about the force. We know so much about Yoda, that it’s difficult not to read so much into it.
If you thought that was all the Yoda, we were getting you’d be wrong, Houser really pulls out the stops for us in this comic. We also see Yoda teach his students, to ask questions about the dark side, assessing their understanding before giving a lesson that they need to hear. This lesson is quite a moment, it’s clear Houser really understands the force and how Yoda views the force. The fact that he admits the dark side is in everything because it is a part of the force, there is balance within every individual between the light and dark, a balance that is constantly been fought. This was the highlight for me, the wisdom that oozes out of every word that Houser has written for the diminutive Jedi ring so true, whether it be in the real world or in a galaxy far, far away. It’s an important lesson that allows readers to ponder on themselves, for some self-reflection.
Of course, there are other characters within all of this. The fate of Gheyr is very sad, a Jedi who does the right thing but is forced into the arms of Dooku, trying to continue to do the right thing. It is this moment that will take some consideration. For we see Dooku ad Yoda talking, with Dooku explaining that you are never too sure where an action may lead. Dooku spoke to Krrsish about his vision, and it led to him attacking Gheyr. Did Dooku do this because he genuinely wanted to help the wookiee, or because he wanted to sow discontent in the Jedi Order or because he always wanted Gheyr to go with him. How far did Dooku plan ahead, if at all? It’s certainly a brain burner and one that I’m sure readers will be debating for some time. It also shows that even though that Yoda blames himself for Gheyr leaving, it’s outside forces, ones that Yoda doesn’t suspect that are thwarting his actions. It makes the reader constantly wonder where Dooku is in terms of his allegiance at this point.
There are moments of quiet contemplation where there are huge panels showing the calmness around Yoda. There are moments full of action with the force, punches, and lightsabers. There are moments of sadness and mistrust. Ross captures each and every one perfectly, flowing seamlessly from different types of panels without jarring the reader. It is a pure joy to devour each panel that he draws, and it really helps to capture the reader in this story. My favourites are still on Dagobah, it is so reminiscent of the tone and atmosphere of The Empire Strikes Back.
A series with multiple authors and artists trying to capture one of the most beloved characters of the entire Star Wars franchise. You’d be right to be skeptical. Yet, every single issue shows just how incredible these writers are, how amazing the artwork is. Houser has laid the foundation for Yoda’s most famous lesson from the prequel movies in the previous two issues, and the payoff here is truly exceptional. This is Yoda coming straight to the forefront with insight after insight, lesson after lesson, Yoda being Yoda. Houser has captured the Jedi Master perfectly and added wonderful insight to how the force works and our understanding of it. This is a pure joy to read as is the previous instalments from this series. This character shows just what high regard he is held in by having a series that really shows him at his best.
Availability;
Yoda is a 10-part mini series published by Marvel comics. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via the Marvel App, ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
