Published: February 3, 2020
Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Life Day
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Megan Levens
Colourist: Charlie Kirchoff
The Hostage
Writer: Shane McCarthy
Artist: Megan Levens
Colourist: Charlie Kirchoff
The synopsis;
Join the Wookiees of Kashyyyk for part one of a special Life Day celebration! Then, follow Kylo Ren as he learns what it means to be the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
The review;
It has been almost three months since our last dose of IDW’s Star Wars Adventures, a wait that seems far too long! I mentioned last issue that the synopsis on the website seemed a little off, there is the same problem for issue three. The Kylo Ran story was last issue, this issue we have ‘The Hostage’ all about Darth Maul written by Shane McCarthy, who wrote a story for Star Wars Tales in 2004. The other tale is by one of my favourites, Michael Moreci, who is no stranger to Star Wars Adventures. Both stories are illustrated by Megan Levens, who again, should be well known to fans. I can’t wait to see what we have in store for this month…
It’s Michael Moreci first. Moreci is someone who I believe writes some of the very best Star Wars that you can find. Some of his best has been collected and released last week as a trade paperback, Clone Wars: Battle Tales, that also features the work of Megan Levens. So of course, I was looking forward to a new story from him, called… Life Day… Ok, so maybe I was a bit worried. For those of you who don’t know (and believe me, you’re better off not knowing; ignorance IS bliss), Life Day was first coined for the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. There were some good points about the special, but this was amid a horde of things best left forgotten. Thankfully, Moreci steers very clear of this and shows us what Life Day is all about.
The story is set in the prequels (no singing Princess Leia, thank you very much) and we follow Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they exam the celebrations. I have said time and time again that Moreci is the master of voices, he is able to write so perfectly, that you can’t not hear the characters in your head. This story is no different. From the first moment you can hear Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon teaching Obi-Wan and it was this that really made the whole tale. We see very little of Obi-Wan being taught, yet Moreci throws us straight into a lesson. I would have been quite content to have Moreci write page after page of Qui-Gon sharing his views on the force. We see so little of this relationship, that when it is done as right as it is here, you realise just what a shame that is. Qui-Gon is different in the ways he teaches, and it is refreshing to hear him share these with his padawan. He even notes that if everyone is the same, how do we learn anything? A very true idea that speaks so much about what will eventually happen to the Jedi Order. Moreci then goes further and Qui-Gon explains how the wookiees have a special connection to the force. As a huge fan of the NPR radio dramas, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Obi-Wan telling Luke about the special affinity wookiees have to the force in the first serial. It might be complete coincidence, then again…
The celebrations are cut short and Moreci shows just how much Star Wars knowledge he has. I won’t say much more so not to spoil the story, but it’s Moreci’s knowledge that really adds to all his stories. He knows the lore and he knows how to utilise that in his story telling. He concludes on a cliff hanger and I’m very excited (if not slightly frustrated) to read the next part of the tale.
The Second, shorter story is ‘The Hostage’. McCarthy brings Maul and Savage into a story that I’m sure would enthral any padawan (I mean, who doesn’t love Maul?!). The main thrust of a story is an old one (that I won’t mention) but done in a fresh Star Wars way. What I really liked about it, is that we see how Maul is trying to create his crime syndicate, what will eventually become Crimson Dawn. For such a small space, McCarthy creates quite a detailed story, one that had me glued to my pages. I have always said these second tales always seem too short; I could have happily kept on reading. McCarthy is able to show us Maul’s savagery as well as his ruthless planning to ensure that he always meets his goals.
I haven’t yet mentioned the art by Megan Levens. As she has done both stories, it only seemed right to comment on her work altogether. She does a fantastic job throughout this entire issue. On Kashyyyk, the world is drawn in a wonderfully familiar way, that you feel you’ve come straight from Revenge of the Sith (…or…the Holiday Special). Yet it is the action shots in the tale that I really like, when she strips away the background to plain white, to allow such a focus on the movements of the characters. She doesn’t do it often, but when she does, it makes you take note. Without giving much away, her referencing of Clone Wars objects and vehicles is also excellent and I was very happy to see everything fitting perfectly into place. However, the part of her work that really struck me this issue was Maul. He is drawn beautifully, I kept looking at the line work on his face and robotic legs in awe. With him a hostage for most of the already short story, you would think Levens would not be able to do much, you’d be wrong. This is how Maul should look! I have always liked seeing a range of artists in Star Wars Adventures, yet it has been a pleasant change to have one artist carry the comic through in this issue. Levens has done a superb job!
Star Wars Adventures is an incredible series. it is easy reading, entertaining but also with deep, important messages. This issue is no different and if you’re a prequel fan, this is a must. The stars of The Phantom Menace are all here and even just to hear Qui-Gon teaching or to gaze in awe at Maul is worth the price of admission alone. As always, the talent shown is extraordinary and if you’re not already reading this series, you are really missing out on some incredible work.
Availability;
Star Wars Adventures (2020) is an ongoing series available from IDW Publishing. This issue is available from all good comic bookstores in the USA and from Forbidden Planet in the UK. This issue retails at $3.99.
