Comic Review: The Fall of Kylo Ren #2 (of 5)

For someone who is not a fan of the sequels, the opening comic to the last part of this trilogy of series was superb. It was the perfect mix of old and new but dare I say it, skewed more towards the old. Writer Charles Soule has always had a superb grasp of how Star Wars should work, how it should feel and how it should appear on a page. After his vast experience in a galaxy far, far away, this is no surprise. But how he effortlessly carves a story that feels so Original Trilogy yet set in the sequel era feels something akin to magic – well in this case the force! After feeling a little trepidation towards the series, I was really looking forward to this next instalment. Joining Soule is artist Will Sliney, another veteran of the Star Wars galaxy. With a promise in the last comic of the Knights of Ren, I’m intrigued to see where this series will lead us…

Let me start with the most obvious – this second instalment is not as strong as the first. While it contains a mystery and one that I want sorted, I much preferred the bureaucracy of the First Order to the main focus of this comic; the Knights of Ren. The Knights of Ren were briefly glimpsed in the films and forgotten about, making more of an impact in the comics. Much of what happened to them is unimportant for this story and Soule very quickly establishes everything the reader needs to know: They are led by Tava, the names of the other members and that that Tava had a little thing with Kylo. I appreciate this quick recap so we can get stuck into the story. My problem really is that the Knights have never really been impactful. They were a passing scene in the movies that sounded far cooler than they ever were. In the expanded timeline, I think this lack of information has meant that their identity has always been confusing, and they don’t really fit into the First Order organisation to make them easily utilised. Soule uses them here as a catalyst for this mysterious artifact that is clearly steeped in some history.

Now while the Knights of Ren may hold little interest to me, the leader Tava is much more interesting and really helps the story here. For Kylo has a past with her. Not a huge amount, but enough to have established something bordering on romantic. That is a huge thing for Kylo. Not because he wants to be romantically involved, he really doesn’t, at least with Tava. But it does highlight the one thing that he is truly missing: Rey. Tava is a way of showing the reader that nothing will satisfy Kylo other than the young Jedi. The flashback scene, which was my favourite part of the whole issue, showed this beautifully. Kylo replaying the fight where they worked together, the one time that Kylo truly felt together with Rey. He reenacts it, trying to capture that precious moment again. Having Tava show up when she does, reminding us, that Kylo could have had someone else but didn’t want her, says so much about his character. He is not lonely for just anyone, particularly someone like Tava who is so beneath him. Kylo is lonely for his equal – Rey. This I think will come up again, and again as the series progresses. If it is handled as well as it has in this instalment, then I will be very happy.

The artwork in this issue is superb and Sliney does a great job of capturing the key moments. Because while there is a new story here, it relies somewhat on what comes before. Not the actual stories, but the emotions involved. The use of flashbacks on several occasions, and how Sliney weaves them into the artwork is masterful. The art is literally dripping with emotion, and it really helps to sell this story.

Linked with the artwork is this mysterious droid that has come aboard Kylo’s ship. It obviously has something to do with the powerful artefact that is now in Kylo’s possession, but what exactly we do not know. The design and how the droid operates is very interesting. I love the design work of Sliney and how this droid looks. I equally love the random words coming out of it at all times. It’s haunting, not funny and it makes the moment when it starts to work its way around the ship. Cortosis armour is also present, meaning that this is not a threat that Kylo can quickly eliminate as would usually be his preferred way. While I am not sure what the droid and the artifact have in common, I do wonder if it will be a link to the High Republic, as Soule loves to make connections between his other works. I guess we will have to wait to find out.

Of course I can’t have it all my own way. Having the opening issue be such a nostalgic trip to the Original Trilogy did really help sell the comic for me and I’m sure a lot of readers. What I do understand is that the comic is a main draw for sequel fans and suit their needs. This is not a bad issue. The examination of the emotions surrounding Kylo is interesting as it always is when Soule beings it to his work. The artwork is fantastic and the story is going in a direction I didn’t expect. For me, I was hoping after that first comic, we would be looking more at the political nature of the First Order and how the command structure was going to be battling it out with one another. Hopefully, there is more of that to come in the remaining issues.