Published: March 2nd, 2021
Adapted: Alessandro Ferrari
Penciler: Igor Chimissiso
Colourist: Davide Turotti
Cover Artist: Chryssy Cheung
The synopsis;
The Rise of Skywalker is the newest Star Wars film to receive a graphic novel adaptation!
Faithfully bringing events from the film to the comics page, read along in The Rise of Skywalker as Poe faces the challenges of leadership, Finn and Rose make impossible decisions for the greater good, and Rey finally confronts her destiny. The true threat to the galaxy is revealed as the third Star Wars trilogy reaches its epic conclusion!Will Rey join Kylo Ren to lead the First Order? Can Poe, Rose, and Finn inspire a new generation of rebels to combat this grave threat? With Snoke destroyed, can anything keep Kylo’s rage in check?
Capturing the galaxy-spanning action of The Rise of Skywalker, experience Episode IX as a beautiful graphic novel combining the epic wonder of Star Wars with streamlined, young-reader friendly designs. This all-ages graphic novel is a must-read for longtime fans and a great introduction for young newcomers!
The review;
Taking inspiration from one of the original movie posters, the cover for this graphic novel adaptation of The Rise of Skywalker combines the bold composition of the poster with the beautiful anime-style character art of Chryssy Chueng. It’s colourful and the expressions on each character are so determined and full of hope. Whilst Rey and Kylo Ren take centre stage, there’s plenty of details, from little droid D-0 to the medley of finely drawn starships.
As for all the young reader and mid-grade adaptations for The Rise of Skywalker, they all face the same challenge of taking a dark story and making it more accessible for children. It’s no easy feat yet Ferrari has done a great job, taming some of the darker scenes and removing anything too violent that might upset young readers. This makes the graphic novel a streamlined adventure story, and interestingly the panels have been cut in a way that make this a Star Wars story about every character. Whilst the film specifically focused on Rey, the IDW adaptation feels like a celebration of all the Sequel Trilogy characters, which is so nice to see.
However, due to the limited page count of the graphic novel, and the fact that the story has been condensed, some of the story beats feel a bit too jumpy. It’s not a criticism, but for fans who have seen the film then several scenes are noticeably missing. All the important parts are included though, so the moral lessons still stand, and Ferrari doesn’t shy away from the death and feelings of hopelessness that appear in the film. Readers are offered the full range of emotions that the characters go through, which adds so much depth to this adaptation.
Bringing these emotions to life is the amazing artwork by Chimisso. For fans who have read the other IDW adaptations, then they will recognise the slightly caricatured artwork, which really puts emphasis on the eyes and faces of every character. The posing and hand gestures are also so important, expressing emotion even when there isn’t any dialogue. Chimisso has drawn so many dramatic poses and there’s a real sense of dynamism throughout the adaptation. It’s also wonderful to see how he’s changed the angle or composition of some scenes, which makes this story refreshingly different from the film.
Plus, that’s just the character art. The landscapes and exteriors are so detailed, from the bustling crowds of Pasaana, to the mighty Final Order fleet. No matter what age readers are, the artwork and Turotti’s gorgeous range of colours are something to truly stop and admire.
While fans unfortunately never got to see the Marvel Comics adaptation for The Rise of Skywalker, this one by IDW is the perfect comic book fix. Young readers will plough through the story, which is fast-paced and thrilling, whilst older readers might take their time to really look at the art. Alessandro Ferrari, Igor Chimisso, Davide Turotti and the rest of the team at IDW have finished their Star Wars graphic novel adaptations on a real high, and the choice of quote at the back “…some things are stronger than blood,” is one that will hopefully stay with all readers.
Availability;
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Graphic Novel Adaptation was published March 2, 2021 by IDW Publishing. This comic is available from all good comic bookstores in the USA and from Amazon in the UK. This issue retails at $7.99.
