Comic Review: The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1

There is one thing we know – at least at the moment – that they didn’t when this issue was created; there is to be no more The Acolyte. Of course, this may change and the assumption with this one shot I imagine, is that there was more to come. Now let me put my cards on the table, The Acolyte didn’t really hit its mark for me. There were certain episodes that I enjoyed, particularly parts four and five, and the potential that there was by the end of the series made me think that it might lead to something more to my liking. That said, one of the characters that I really liked was Kelnacca and I really wanted to see more of him – as I did with most of the Jedi masters that we saw on screen. When I saw a one shot was coming out, I was extremely excited. The Acolyte might not have been my cup of tea, but this – well this certainly could be. My excitement then went up a level when I saw the writer: Cavan Scott. Scott has been working in a galaxy far, far away for years (I even jokingly said one year we had a family vacation all about Scott as we were listening to his audio dramas and reading his books across the family!) and more than that, he is one of the founding writers of the High Republic. If anyone can understand this character, understand this point in time, it is Scott. Joining him is Marika Cresta, who has worked with Scott before in the High Republic comics as well as Doctor Aphra. Bringing these two together is surely going to give us a fantastic one shot, no matter your opinion on the series!

Scott sets the scene quickly with Master Yarzion, who is about to become one with the force. I love how Scott states that it’s ‘now’ when actually we have no idea of when in the timeline this is. I almost felt like Scott was chuckling at this. It creates a bit of a mystery as the master has one last tale to tell his padawan. The whole scene feels like something from a fairytale and in doing so, feels very like Star Wars. Scott very quickly sets the stage in the start of the flashback, at the destruction of Starlight. Even now I still get choked up seeing the station destroyed. By shifting back to this, we see a guest appearance by Master Elzar, which if you have followed the novels and comics, you will know who he is. It’s a lovely little nod to a character that’s part of the main High Republic series. We soon find out the importance of Yarzion, he is to become Kelnacca’s padawan.

It’s here that layer upon layer of storytelling happens and it was a pleasure to go through these layers with Scott as the guide. Yarzion has tattoos and while on a mission he is asked about them. You get a sense of embarrassment on Yarzion’s part of them, explaining they’re the name of his previous master. It was a tradition of his species. Kelnacca of course says nothing, but we see his old master had tattoos inked on her head after learning this. The first key lesson here is that one should never stop learning. As a primary school teacher, I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment, that we should ever be learning from those around us, the places we visit. It also shows a respect for your teachers, for understanding the people who are able to guide you and (hopefully) have a positive impact on your life. A great lesson for our world and for a Jedi padawan, although I wouldn’t want my pupils to have my name tattooed on their heads!

But there’s a deeper lesson here. That everyone is an individual, that we are all different. Those differences shouldn’t Make us embarrassed but should be shared and embraced by those around you. Yarzion is ashamed of his tattoos, thinking he made a mistake, and he shouldn’t have done it because others might not understand. What both of his masters show him is not only an acceptance of the tradition but an embracing of it – so much so – that they too, get tattoos. This explains Kelnacca’s tattoos that we see in the series but in a way that still keeps mystery to the character. The tattoos symbolise a person who is important to the bearer and that’s why this comic is important in explaining the character of Kelnacca.

Kelnacca never speaks and nor does he need to. He stays aloof yet compassionate and I’m not quite sure how Scott and Cresta are able to do this so effectively, with nothing more than images. I suppose it’s because Scott has us view Kelnacca through other eyes, others who get that feeling of compassion from the Jedi Wookiee. You can see just how much Yarzion grows, how much he becomes comfortable in his own skin and how successful he becomes as a Jedi. This is all due to the teachings of Kelnacca. We don’t need to see the lessons but the outcome of his work. There are moments in this issue that just ooze with emotion, for characters that we don’t know, Scott really pulls on your heartstrings.

This isn’t just Scott though, Cresta plays an essential role here. The main title character doesn’t say a word, it relies on Cresta’s artwork to show us the nature of the Wookiee. Yes, the action scenes are awesome, yes, the locations look fabulous, but it is the images of Kelnacca that are incredible, that capture the spirit of the character. I can’t imagine it’s easy for Cresta (or Scott writing it on a script) to be able to do this, yet the effort has really paid off. From the very beginning of the issue, the artwork just screams Star Wars. It’s not trying too hard, it’s almost effortless.

The issue ends with a little writing about how Scott worked with Joonas Suotamo to get the feeling of the Wookiee Jedi. Having read the issue, you can certainly feel that coming through. This isn’t the issue I was expecting, but it’s the comic that I think the character needed. It keeps him shrouded in mystery while explaining one of the most interesting features on his body. The lessons to be learnt from this don’t make this comic for just The Acolyte fans. Any fan of the High Republic will enjoy this, and yes, any fans of the Jedi are going to love this. This isn’t about the era, this is about the important lessons a Jedi, and just about anyone, needs to learn about themselves and how to embrace the differences in others. It’s precisely what a one shot should be: giving you something to think about while leaving you wanting more, a lot more! A fantastic comic from Scott and Cresta, but hopefully one that they find themselves returning to.