Published: April 17, 2024
Penciller: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colourist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover artist: Mateus Manhanini
The synopsis;
ONE OF THE GREATEST JEDI MUST STOP AN EXPLOSIVE SECRET FROM FALLING INTO THE WRONG HANDS!
• On the refinery moon RO MIRA, MACE WINDU and smuggler AZITA CRUUZ – carrying the formula to a paradigm-smashing energy source – are on the run from Ro Mira’s security forces and a HUTT-hired BOUNTY HUNTER.
• Can MACE dispatch a squadron of fighters led by the ruthless Anzellan YAYA SHRAM with nothing by his LIGHTSABER and THE FORCE?
• Introducing MURO and DIYA, DUSK WEAVERS OF THE HAD’LE PATH, a cult obsessed with wiping technology from the face of the galaxy?
The review;
Open with a wow before cooling off to let the characters shine through. It’s exactly what writer Marc Bernardin did with the first two issues of Mace Windu. We had action, we had an intriguing new character called Azita introduced to us, and Mace been… well… Mace! He’s cool, short on words and precisely what you would expect Mace to be like. This sounds so easy to get right, yet when you look at other series focuses on the Jedi master, it’s obvious to see that this is not always the case. Bernardin has been able so far to walk the fine line between telling us more about Windu, while keeping the mystery behind the character. Where it will lead in this issue, I cannot tell, yet Bernardin has won my trust. Alongside him is artist Georges Jeanty, who has done a great job of capturing the imagery for this story. Let’s get stuck right in and see where the pair lead us this month.
Let’s begin with the artwork from Jeanty first. He is not the most realistic artist, not every artist is, they bring their own style to a comic. It’s why I love the format so much. Jeanty is much artier, and you can see his style coming through every panel. The start of the issue I really like, you can feel the cold almost seeping out of the panels. I almost felt like I needed to wrap up. Then we shift to flashbacks of Haruun Kal, the city panel so much like I imagined when reading the Shatterpoint novel by Matthew Stover. But the thing that really impressed me, that really stayed with me was the…clouds. Ok, I know, crazy, yet in one panel, the patterns, the artistic license that Jeanty uses on them, they just look wonderful and somehow capture the moment.
But enough of cloud talk, I onto the story itself. We learn more and more about Azita and her life on Haruun Kal. The link to Mace is one that I think really aids to her character. Not only are we learning about her, but through her, Mace as well. As I’ve mentioned, Jeanty brings it to life and captures what we already know about the planet. What we learn about Azita though is how alone she is. She doesn’t have the cushioned life that Mace does from been a Jedi; she has to survive. It’s an interesting way for Mace to see what the galaxy is really like, what life is like for those he is trying to save. You can almost see Mace warming up to her, when he understands that the high principals that he wants to defend of the Republic don’t necessarily exist for those that are a part of it.
While I really enjoy learning about Azita, I am here to understand more about Mace. Bernardin has done this so well. He doesn’t give us too much but just enough to whet our appetites. This issue is no different. we learn more about Azita, we have action and it’s within that action that Mace provides us insight into the force itself, to how he views his place within it. Mace seemingly does impossible things, even for a Jedi. Yet Bernardin explains how this is possible, how Mace’s way of thinking allows this to be possible. The double page spread with the words accompanied by the action is in true Mace Windu style. It captures the essence of the character perfectly. Mace finds his peace through action, through combat and defending those that are defenceless. The action itself, the way Mace jumps onto the ships chasing him and Azita really harken back to the second season of Clone Wars from Genndy Tartakovsky. As a huge fan of this series, I really liked that Mace’s tactics echoed this. It feels like Mace at his best.
While these are the main thrusts of the issue, Bernardin adds lots throughout the issue. We see Mace commenting about Yoda’s sense of humour to Azita. We get to see that Azita’s ship is a Corellian YT series cargo ship. We get to see that Jabba wants this prize coaxium. All these little nods to different areas of the galaxy just help to cement it within it. The humour also comes thick and strong, through Mace using sarcasm, to Yaya Shram, clearly a very famous bounty hunter. It all feels so effortlessly placed within the story.
Background, action, philosophy. Bernardin is able to place it all into this issue seamlessly. Everything in this issue flows so well and is able to provide something for everyone. Mace is still full of mystery and wonder, yet we still get to know more about him. The adventure is important yet fun. There are some deep moments of the Force yet humour as well. Throw in superb artwork by Jeanty and ending with the mysterious Dusk Weavers of the Had’le path and you have an adventure that is worthy of the Jedi Master. It’s a shame that this series will be so short. However, because of the length, I also think it adds a great pace to this series that serves it very well. How will it all end, I don’t know. What I do know is that I can’t wait to see where Berndarin and Jeanty drop us off at the end of it all.
Availability;
Star Wars: Mace Windu is a 4-part mini-series published by Marvel Comics. This issue reatails at $4.99 and is available from comiXology and local comic bookstores.
