Comic Review: Visions – The Ronin and the Droid #1

Star Wars: Visions, it was a grand series that took so many different talented creators and got them to come up with a whole range of Star Wars adventures. Some of them were great. Some of them were… interesting. Some viewers loved every episode, some viewers… well, didn’t. It felt in some regards that the series was an acquired taste. There would be something for everybody but not that everything would be enjoyed by everybody. And that’s absolutely fine and actually, the diversity of the series saw it get a lot of critical acclaim. That said, the episode ‘The Duel’, that introduced fans across the world to the Ronin, was a huge success. Writer Takashi Okazaki wrote an incredible story that really felt like Star Wars whilst also been something new and exciting. It was so popular that Okazaki would go on to write and illustrate a one-shot comic with some backstory, called The Ronin. It was an incredible comic, one that was visually stunning, one that expanded the story and one that really felt like it had its roots in Japanese culture. After it’s huge success, it should be no surprise that Okazaki is back with another one-shot called The Ronin and the Droid. I don’t know too much what to expect as I’ve tried to keep away from any sort of spoiler, just because the first one shot was such a joy to read. The droid in question is surely his faithful companion. However, where will the two end up, where will the story take us, what other secrets will we learn about who (or what) the Ronin is?

Before we even reach the opening panel, we are told that this is how the Ronin meets his droid. I appreciate knowing this before we even properly start, as a reader I’m not trying to understand when this is. The opening panel had me laughing. This is an alternate universe to the one we know; things are slightly different. We see two droids traversing a desert, saying things that are rather familiar. It’s this universe’s version of Artoo and Threepio. However, the two droids are slightly altered. Threepio looks like CZ-4, I thought this was a great change! Artoo is an R4 series droid! I think it’s interesting to see these changes, to be reminded this isn’t canon of the galaxy of the films, but Okazaki’s own creation with that Star Wars feel.

We then delve into the actual story but before I even begin to look at that, I need to talk about the artwork; it’s incredible. The feel is what we have come to expect from Okazaki. The design of the land, the creatures used (I loved that Ewoks were included), it all has such a unique but homely feel. The TIE fighter that has crashed onto the side of the cliff made my jaw drop, particularly when it is so well combined with the panels that Okazaki uses. The flow of that particular page is astounding. I didn’t think my jaw would drop much further. Then came the steam of the lightsaber battle. Wow oh wow. It is simply incredible. Okazaki captures the scene so well, I’m just in awe. There are a lot of times where it’s the artwork that is telling the story, not the words. Never once did I wonder what was going on. It is so well drawn that I feel like I’m watching an actual movie coming out of the pages.

Well, there’s the first big tick, but what about the story itself. When we first see the Ronin, he is hunting a man with a familiar droid. The Ronin doesn’t seem mysterious, he just seems rude! This is a younger version of himself who shows that he has no respect for the land he is in, the people or their beliefs. It’s a fascinating turn of events. With Visions and the first one-shot, you come into this comic wanting more of Ronin, to support him and see him through to victory. What Okazaki presents readers with is a complete turnaround. You’re not routing for Ronin, but for the much calmer, more respectful man he is fighting against. You can see Okazaki knows what he is doing, he knows he’s not quite giving us the story, the hero, that we wanted when entering.

So, who is this mysterious man we start routing for? Okazaki gives us flashbacks to explain this individual: Okinaa-San. We don’t know much about him, except that he is Sith (I’ll come back to this later). We know that he was well liked by the people of the land and found a faithful droid that he thinks of as a best friend. He is an interesting character and one I’m glad we get to know a bit more. Compared with the Ronin we are seeing in this issue, there is quite a contrast. Okinaa is the calm, collected one; the older, more experienced one. Whereas the Ronin is impulsive, rude; the younger, less experienced one. It’s almost like seeing where the Ronin will end up, something similar to this character. We could ask lots of questions, but they are not needed. The planet they are on has been destroyed through pollution (sounds familiar) and this man is seeing out the end of his days with his droid. It doesn’t need explain… until Okazaki throws in some galaxy building terminology that shatters this peace, makes the reader sit up and ask what the heck! Okazaki throws a very throwaway line: The Ronin calls Okinaa one of the four Sword Saints. What is one of those? Are they important? How does this fit into the mythology of this galaxy? Writers, they always know how to hook you then leave you dangling!

The story ends with The Ronin destroying Okinaa, taking the droid with him and then us returning to the droids that aren’t Artoo and Threepio. Why return to these? I think they’re a reminder that all isn’t as it seems. Things are familiar, we think we know the rules, the playing field, but actually everything is a little distorted. As fans, when we hear Sith, we think evil. In a galaxy, far, far away we know this to be the case. Yet this isn’t that galaxy. Sith might not be evil, red might be for the bad guys. The two Sith we see in this issue don’t feel bad, is there something more at work here, has Okazaki distorted this? More hooks, more dangling!

This is another amazing issue from the mind of Okazaki. I wanted to learn more about the Ronin and yet Okazaki has other plans. We find out very little about the Ronin and more about Okinaa, which then leads to unanswered questions. I feel content with the story I have read but now I want to know how this fits into the wider context of the galaxy. Okazaki could build a whole world out of these stories if he wanted, and I’m sure it must be tempting. Yet there is something about these releases, these one-shots. They give us more insights but insights of a fractured picture that we can’t see. It makes these stories and the characters so interesting and enticing that I don’t know whether I would like too much more to ruin that. All I can say is that this is an incredible issue, with incredible artwork and incredible writing. If you enjoyed ‘The Duel’ or the one-shot, you will not be disappointed with Okazaki’s return. I just hope there’s more to come… eventually.