BOOK I, PART IV
THE LAST PADAWAN
It is a period of betrayal. The evil Emperor Palpatine has taken control of the galaxy and commanded Inmperial clone troopers to purge the peacekeeping JEDI ORDER throughout the new Galactic Empire.
On the run from Imperials and former allies, clone troopers Commander Grey and Captain Styles, CALEB DUME has discarded his Jedi Padawan robes and traded in for a blaster. Now following a Kalleran smuggler named KASMIR, Caleb must learn the ins and out of his new role: a common thief.
Caleb soon finds that his list of friends and allies is cut short, however, when a scheme gone wrong leads Kasmir to turn Caleb in to Imperial hands….
Considering that Marvel comics are doing a bang up job with the Star Wars licence right now, it might not seem much of a compliment to say that this really doesn’t feel like a Marvel comic. But understand when I say that it very much does feel like a classic Star Wars comic, as issue 4 continues the great work laid out in the previous three issues of Kanan….
The Review
We rejoin Kanan as he is about to be sold out by his ‘friend’ Kasmir and his fellow undesirables in order to claim the large bounty on his young head. Add to the mix Commander Grey and Captain Styles who have been tracking Caleb across the galaxy in order to end him and you have a chase scenario purpose built for a galaxy spanning title like this.
Luckily for Kanan, Kasmir isn’t too keen on his so-called allies claiming the bounty for themselves and so he boosts Kanan from prison and together they go on the run, cementing their convenient friendship along the way as they skip from star to star, always one step ahead of Grey and Styles. Kanan still has plenty of regrets, thinking back to his master Deppa Billaba and what she would think of him and his actions. But needs must and he forges on with Kasmir to the tropical world of Lahn and another potential heist where Kanan comes face to face with the treacherous Separatist General Kleeve, now masquerading as an underworld character called Jondo.
And once again here’s where Kanan shows its worth in the very capable hands of Greg Weissman. There is no black and white, no right or wrong here. Kleeve explains his own stance in a way that Kanan realises isn’t a million miles from his won, and while it may seem to be justifying the inexcusable, remember that the Clone Wars was just as much a battle of politics and ideologies as it was soldiers and starships. You could argue that Kanan does alot of growing up in this moment, but his thoughts are broken as he realises Kasmir is in trouble, and indeed he is. Seeing Kasmir has been captured by Grey and Styles, Kanan opts to run to protect his friend and meet up at a later time. Persuading ‘Jondo’ to give him the ship they were on Lahn to collect he is instead taken down by the two clone troopers, who are clearly out for a deadly revenge.
Weissman continues to shine with this title, giving life to the Kanan backstory he helped develop for the TV show. Artist Pepe Larraz and colourist David Curriel continue their own stellar work and push the title on towards what is sure to be a dazzling fifth issue which will bring this curent storyline to a close. Great work from all involved and yet another reason why this perhaps underrated title deserves your time and attention.
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