Published: June 7, 2023
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Madibek Musabekov
Colourist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Stephen Segovia & Rachelle Rosenberg
The synopsis;
LUKE SKYWALKER…IN THE CLUTHES OF DR. CUATA!
• The would-be JEDI’S LIGHTSABER is all but destroyed!
• Enter KYBER CRYSTAL expert DR. CUATA! Only he can repair it…but at what price?
• Luke’s life will hang in the balance…and only ANOTHER JEDI can save him!
The review;
Every time I see it’d due for a Star Wars release, I feel a little ping of excitement. This series has been one of the most consistent that has ever been seen in the Star Wars universe. Every issue, Charles Soule is able to bring the Original Trilogy back to life, to delve into the very make-up of the films and create stories that deeper our understanding of those films as well as make us reevaluate them at the same time. Last issue was such a highlight for me, Luke and Artoo off on adventures together to the planet Christophisis (A great way to link to The Clone Wars). As a boy, these are the adventures I always dreamed about, and Soule is not disappointing me when putting them into words. He is joined by Madibek Musabekov, who captures these moments beautifully. The shot of Artoo and Luke as they’ve just landed on the planet is still stuck in my head (I might need to see if that panel is available to go up in my study!). Together they started this new arc perfectly and I cannot wait to see where this issue will lead us.
Action? Adventure? A Jedi does not seek these things, and neither should you in this issue. This is an incredible comic, one that focuses on the machinations of the force, a deep examination into where Luke is. We’re introduced to Dr Cuata, a Pantoran who has studied kyber crystals. he is absolutely fascinating, and I hope Soule has chance to revisit this character. Although he says he isn’t a Jedi (or Sith), he can actually here and communicate with the kyber crystals. I love that Luke is shocked by this, for all the wonder and strange things he has seen in the last few years across the galaxy, this is almost a step too far for him. Cuata is like the Yoda of lightsabers, understanding and teaching about them and trying to help Luke in the process. Soule really homes in on this communication, that crystals have a mind of their own that Jedi connect with. We have heard this before but not quite as blatant as this. Perhaps even more interesting, we learn that being around Kyber for too long can affect your mind. Soule never fully explains if this is positive or negative, yet thinking about the Death Star, the amount of Kyber in that station, it does get you wondering. I adore the way Soule explains all this, there are very few who can talk about the force in their writing and get the tone just right. For an issue with no action, I would happily read several more issues just like this, to ponder on how the force, the Kyber crystals and lightsabers work. One can’t help but draw some comparisons to Harry Potter and how wands work, but I don’t see this as a negative.
Last issue, I didn’t mention much about the artwork by Musabekov and I should have! The artwork for this issue is incredible. This isn’t about showing the flow of action but the flow of the force, the movements between planes that occurs several times throughout. Each plane is captured perfectly, and the most momentous moments really feel important, you can tell that Musabekov is giving it his all. Luke looks incredible, the facial expressions are flawless.
There are some other truly great moments. Hearing Gretta talking about her culture, the Fallanassi, for anyone into Star Wars Legends (or has been reading The High Republic) will know this group of people from The Black Fleet Crisis. I always love when Soule connects the galaxy but bringing in ideas from the older books is a thrill to a fan like me. The concept of bleeding the crystal is also brought in and again, the visuals that Musabekov uses to demonstrate what is happening is fascinating and engaging.
But the moment of the issue is with Yoda. We get to see the Jedi Master return, trying to guide Luke. Soule answers the questions which I’m sure has been on every reader’s mind, Luke is hunting for more information, why not just go back to Yoda? Soule answers this in a very fulfilling way. But it’s more than that, we are never sure when reading it just what is happening, just where Luke is. When Soule eventually reveals the truth, it’s impactful, really impactful and sends a shiver down the spine. I don’t want to say too much in this review, but it is the moment of the comic and Soule does an incredible job of setting it up. The conversation that arises after, well, that we will need to discuss next review!
Last issue I said this was exactly what I wanted as a young boy, to see Luke off on his adventures. This issue is exactly what I want as an older fan; a deep examination into the force itself, into what Luke is doing and where this may all lead. Soule strips away everything in order to focus on this examination of the force, into kyber crystals and looking at the fundamentals of Star Wars. This is not a trifle of an issue but goes to the very heart of the composition of the galaxy. It is written beautifully, illustrated beautifully and executed to perfection. This is where Soule is at his best, where he shows why he is one of the most talented writers we have in our galaxy far, far away. This is an issue that I’m sure readers and fellow writers will return to again and again. And Luke’s journey? This is an absolute milestone. It fills in so many blanks between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, while also showing just how far Luke has come on his journey to becoming a full Jedi. I didn’t think the last comic could be beat, I didn’t think my expectations of Soule could be any higher, yet this issue has just shattered through them and raised them to a level like never before. The next issue cannot come fast enough!
Availability;
Star Wars (2020) is an ongoing series available from Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
