"Star Wars Adventures (2020-) #3"
"Star Wars Adventures (2020-) #3"
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"Life Day" written by Michael Moreci, illustrated by Megan Levens and Charlie Kirchoff
Yes, haha, we actually get a Life Day story!! And it just so happens to have the two main characters of Padawan Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon. I couldn't have asked for better! The art was so on point that I recognized Obi-Wan immediately despite him being all Padawan-ed out. Super impressive stuff there.
Qui-Gon has brought Obi-Wan to Kashyyyk to teach him about the Force and balance in the context of Life Day. As he puts it, "The Wookiees' way of life is deeply rooted in harmony--between families, between tribes. And, just as important, harmony with the world around them." After coaxing Obi-Wan to consider what this means, the Padawan responds with, "It sounds like balance, Master. It's like, in a way, the Wookiees are celebrating...the Force." What a cool interpretation of this celebration! I love Qui-Gon's very rich and down-to-Earth connection-making between Life Day and the balance of the Force, something we know he cares very deeply about.
We also meet a new Wookiee, Brennonn (see below), who apparently has worked with Qui-Gon on several occasions before, even saving the Jedi's life a couple of times. Well it turns out those skills may be necessary on this Life Day because something very bad this way comes. Once I realized something bad was about to happen, I was on the edge of my seat. Since this story takes place before The Phantom Menace, it's not like the baddies would be a Separatist droid army and it's definitely not going to be the Empire or the First Order, so I was super eager to see how they would incorporate villains into the tale. And man oh man does it work!!! I was certainly surprised but the reveal makes absolute perfect sense.
This story ended with a "To Be Concluded!" so I cannot wait to see how Obi-Wan and Brennonn team up to save the day!!
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"The Hostage" written by Shane McCarthy, illustrated by Megan Levens and Charlie Kirchoff
While the previous story was about two heroes facing some dangerous villains, this story's main character and "hero" in a sense was a villain...and one of the baddest of them all...Maul!! We get a story that takes place during the time Maul is gathering the various crime syndicates together for the creation of his Shadow Collective criminal empire!!
Savage and a whole cadre of enforcers are beating against the walls of the Morubas crime family's fortress on Bahlah. Maul? He's being held hostage, chained up and on his knees in front of the family's patriarch (see below). But will the former Dark Lord be captive for long??
The arrogance of the Morubas leader (Jjan) is overt and nearly flamboyant, something that led me to believe maybe things weren't as dire for Maul as they appeared on the outside. This man was just far too confident in his fortress and his people. Example--"The sun is shining, the loreeks are singing and our visitors have no hope of breaking through those glorious doors of ours." I mean...just yuck!!
They rehash what led to Maul's capture in that the Zabrak came to Jjan to discuss joining the Shadow Collective, offering him an oversized slice of the pie. But Jjan's men had overheard Savage and Maul talking in one of Jjan's cantinas about their real intentions to simply murder the man. So of course Jjan captures him...but is that the end of the story?? This one concludes within this issue and dang was it a knockout surprise, and included a bit more insinuated morbidness than I had anticipated. But it was such an incredibly well-laid out comic!!
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Goodness, both of these were epically good stories and I am over-the-moon delighted with what issue #3 of this second run of "Star Wars Adventures" has brought us!! I highly recommend checking this one out and I oh so look forward to issue #4 to see how the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon adventure pans out!!
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