BOOK 1, PART 1
THE LAST PADAWAN
It is a dark time for the galaxy. It’s been years since the fall of the Republic, when Chancellor Palpatine have ORDER 66, wiping out the peace-keeping JEDI ORDER and rising to the role of Emperor.
Since then the Emperor and his Imperial forces have ruled the galaxy with an iron fist. The people have lived under the yoke of Imperial oppression and the sparks of rebellion have begun in secret. Small clusters of rebels have begun fighting for freedom.
One such rebel band is home to KANAN JARRUS, a mysterious former Jedi who has spent years hiding his Force powers and lightsaber. Not even his companions know his true past, that he was once a young Jedi Padawan named Caleb Dume, fighting in the Clone Wars udner his master, DEPA BILLABA….
The characters of Star Wars Rebels are a diverse bunch, and Marvel have chosen the mysterious Jedi Kanan as the character to follow they take their first trip into the world of the show, tying our current TV series back to the events of the prequel trilogy in a very welcome and well executed journey to the galaxy far, far away.
The Story
We join our crew abouard The Ghost as Hera steers her through the cosmos on a simple mission, to collect supplies at the behest of the mysterious Fulcrum from the world of Kaller. That world holds many memories for Kanan as we flash back to the Clone Wars and a young Caleb Dume fighting alongside his master, Depa Billaba. We watch as a fierce Master Billaba pushes forward to finish the battle.
We’re introduced to the demonic looking Separatist General Kleeve, who notes the fine work of the Jedi and Republic forces and opts to pull away from Kaller, leaving the world to the Republic. And the natives of Kaller don’t mind which general controls them, seeing little difference between the two and treating each with equal distain, which doesn’t go down well with either the young Caleb or the Republic troops. But Billaba is unpeturbed and opts to spend the night training her young padawan, explaining the Jedi rules of attachment as Caleb tells her how he feels he has found his place in life.
Later, along with their troops Billaba says she believes the Jedi shouldn’t have military ranks, much to the disbelief of the troops. It becomes a lesson for Caleb as his questioning nature is rewarded by Billaba by giving him his own holocron to study. And then, chillingly, Order 66 is initiated…
The Review
OK, I’ll kick this review off on a positive note. This is the best new Marvel Star Wars issue so far. It gives us the easter egg of seeing our Star Wars Rebels heroes, it flashes back to one of the key moments in the history of the saga – Order 66 – and it gives us Star Wars history lovers an insight into the constant balance the Jedi had to find between their pacifistic nature and the requirements that leading soldiers in a war brought.
And it’s a smart read too. The Kanan we know is a cautious thinker, someone who ponders and chooses his moments in the TV series. Here we flashback 15 years to view a younger version questioning the thought processes of every decision but not the decision itself. In terms of character development that’s gold because as viewers we already know where this is going. Revenge of the Sith brutally showed the harsh reality of Order 66 and the crushing blow it dealt to the Jedi, dispersing them far and wide across the galaxy to be hunted down in the Jedi purge. This smart and inquisitive boy wants to know the logic behind the decisions he is ordered to carry out, but this sea change in the galaxy will drive him underground, burying his heritage and changing his personality, his outlook on life, his name…knowing what is to come makes this issue a real treasure.
There’s a huge feeling of satistfaction and in a strange way comfort, being thrust back into the Clone Wars era. We’ve lived in that era since late 1998 and Dark Horse’s Prelude To Rebellion series, right through to the end of the Lost Missions last year. That’s 16 years, and while we are all looking ahead to the sequels and the stories that will fill the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, it’s heartening to see that other eras won’t be ignored, especially given the canionical nature of the Marvel series. Indeed, this series has the option of covering a lot of ground – the Clone Wars, Order 66, the dark times and the time period of Star Wars Rebels itself. And with rumours of Ahsoka turning up in Star Wars: Aftermath…the timeline is becoming less and less segregated into prequel, original and sequel eras. I’m fully behind that way of thinking.
The artwork is lush, a brilliant collaboration between artist Pepe Larraz and colorist David Curiel. And sitting behind a stunning Mark Brooks cover (along with the requisite and interesting variant covers that Marvel so enjoy) it’s a feast for the eyes. Married with a sharp script by writer Greg Weissman, who of course understands the motivations and thoughts of young Kanan better than practically anyone, and you have the first issue in what should be a captivating series.
It’s been a genuine pleasure to review this issue. All of Marvels titles have been, with great art and some excellent characterisations, but this stands out for me so far as the one issue which has ‘nailed it’. I’m very much looking forward to issue 2 to see how young Caleb deals with the trials ahead.
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