Published: April 12, 2023
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artists: Lee Garbett & Java Tartaglia (Stories around the campfire sequence); Paulina Ganucheau (Woklings’ Tale); Kyle Hotz & Rachelle Rosenberg (Paploo’s Tale); Caspar Wijngaard (Peepka’s Tale)
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Ryan Brown
The synopsis;
TALES OF THE EWOKS! On the moon of Endor occupied by the species called Ewoks, a group of these stout creatures has gathered around the fire to recount tales of triumph, defeat…and horror! In the art-forward manner of storytelling, watch an eclectic group of artists interpret the stories from the unique minds of Ewoks in a manner only they can envision! This can’t-miss issue for Star Wars fans of mirth, merriment and artistry is the book you’ve been craving!
The review;
A few years back I write an article about how much I love the Ewok movies. I was brought up on Battle for Endor and now I have my own daughter, we watch them frequently. In fact, since returning from Celebration Europe with a cuddly Wicket, we have watched both movies and been watching the animated show. So, when the chance came to review the one shot Ewoks I jumped at the chance. I then found out it was written by Alyssa Wong and my heart soared. Alyssa is the writer of the Doctor Aphra series and has now joined The High Republic team, who better to bring Ewoks to life? They are joined by four different artists: Caspar Wijngaard (who has worked on Doctor Aphra), Kyle Hotz (His first Star Wars work), Lee Garbett (also new to a galaxy far, far away) and Paulina Ganucheau (who has illustrated several Star Wars comics). So, let’s dive in, spears and hoods at the ready as we say “Yub, yub!”
The issue is based around tales around the campfire, and these are illustrated by Garbett. The look and feel of his artwork is incredible, really bringing back memories of Return of the Jedi. The use of colour really brings that campfire feel and you can almost feel yourself settling in. What I like, is that his artwork comes throughout, even in the different tales that are been told, reminding readers that this is what the Ewoks are hearing. Within this set-up are three different tales. What’s incredible is that there are no words, all of these are told through the artwork. That’s quite a pressure on Wong and even more so on the artists who have to make their story come to life. As a fan of the Ewoks, this is very keeping with the characters and the species itself. It’s like you’re Han or Leia listening to Threepio, knowing what the general story is but not understanding the intricacies that go with it. What it also means, is that readers are able to draw their own conclusions to what is happening in the story, which for me, is what Star Wars is all about.
The first story is The Woklings’ Tale and is illustrated by Ganucheau. The artwork is much more cartoon based but for the younger padawan readers (my six-year-old daughter included) their eyes will light up seeing this. This is a tale of two halves, one focused on an Ewok family and the other on a Dulok one. Now for some fans, they will not know what a Dulok is, but I was beside myself to see them in the issue. They were originally seen in the Ewoks: Animated Series and are the sworn enemies of the Ewoks. Wong plays on this, even bringing in the Ewok pony to help unite the two families. Although cute, lovely and any other words you want to think of, the message to this story is clear and powerful. The parents of each family hate each other, whereas the children don’t see an issue, they just want to play together and get along. It is the hatred of the parents that keep them apart, not the children, who are able to see part the prejudices that have plagued their societies for so long. Whether young or old, there is something to learn from this, why have the prejudices we have? Are we right to have them?
Hotz then brings Wong’s vision of Paploo’s Tale to life. Immediately you can feel that this is a very different sort of tale, one filled with horror and menace. The black and white colouring with brief glimpses of colour is fantastic and I wasn’t surprised to find that the colourist was Rachelle Rosenberg. Again, Wong delves into the Ewoks’ past with the Gorax (from the first Ewok film: Caravan of Courage – can you tell I’m a fan of Ewoks yet?). Now if you’ve seen then film, you’ll know that these are not to be trifled with and the story certainly heads that way. The conclusion? Well, I couldn’t help but laugh when Paploo gets his head hit with a staff for scaring the younglings! For such a dark part of the comic, Wong brings humour to balance it all out.
The third and final part is Peekpa’s Tale, illustrated by Wijngaard. Again, the feel of the artwork is very different, harkening back to the watercolour lunchboxes, plates and cups that were used for the Return of the Jedi in the eighties (and I don’t think that is an accident). For the story follows a techy Ewok called Peekpa who is determined to finish fixing an INT-4 Interceptor. Now for some readers, this vehicle might be lost on them. For those of us who proudly had one of these in their toy collection, you will know that this is one of the mini rigs you could buy when the original movies were released. The fact that Wong and Wijngaard use this is simply incredible and shows what a homage this story is to those early days of collecting. It’s a short tale but it is filled with nostalgia through and through. The comic ends with us seeing the Ewoks going to sleep, with one wokling playing with a toy X-Wing, what could be more perfect?
Love them or hate them, the Ewoks are a big part of Star Wars and Wong has captured every aspect of them for fans. From Return of the Jedi to the Ewok movies themselves, to the animation series and even the vintage toys, this is a wonderful celebration of all things Ewok. Whether you like them cute and cuddly, or horror filled or just plain brutal (Peekpa sure hits that trooper hard!) there is something here for everyone. It fills readers with a nostalgia from plenty of different places and all done without a single word been uttered. That in of itself is an incredible achievement by all involved. But something that brings back memories of films, tv shows and even the vintage toys is something that’s rather special and I already think I’m going to read this again tonight, remembering how I felt playing with my vintage toys, imagining I was on Endor.
Availability;
Star Wars: Ewoks #1 is a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available via The Marvel App, ComiXology and from all good comic book stores.
