– Spoiler Review –
The mysteries of Ontotho deepen in Jedi: Fallen Order – Dark Temple #2, as Cere Junda finds herself in a situation where her headstrong nature might doom more than just herself.
Two issues in and I’ve found I’m really enjoying the character of Cere Junda, making me hope my earlier and less savory predictions for her role in the Jedi: Fallen Order video game to end up false. In a way, Cere reminds me of Anakin Skywalker, brash and jumping head first into situations, but Cere is not only inclined to ask more questions and listen much easier, she knows her faults and attempts to try bettering herself. Cut off from her Master and the Republic, learning the very people they came to help might be the ones they need to fight, she’s in a situation the first issue showed us she’s ill-equipped for, but her willingness to listen and ask questions proves otherwise. She might burst through the cell she wakes up in after the attack last issue, but she listens enough to see her captors are anything but, having left the cell unlocked and her items well within reach. Though when she decides attempting to reach the Jedi Council via the capital of Ontotho, where the newly revealed enemies Daa Corp are hiding in plain sight, she bursts into a situation before waiting to learn the depth of the problem before her. Luckily, as issue #1 also showed us, she’s a skilled fighter, looking more like a dancer than a brawler, and she easily escapes the overwhelming droid and security forces aligned against her. Brash, but smart about it, Cere’s not only coming into her own without her master, but she’s on the way to becoming a new favorite of mine.
And for the story, some of the mysteries I was interested in become more complex, and I like the direction the story’s going, even if we’d heard it before. The Fylari are far from the antagonists the Daa Corp made them out to be, instead they prefer to keep to themselves and the Republic had nothing to offer so the peaceful people continue to live their life of solitude in their little sovereign nation, guarding over the coveted temple even though they didn’t build it. The evil corporation being the real enemy, trying to make the locals seem like the villains, certainly isn’t anything new, but the situation is still intriguing, especially when the Jedi can’t call on the Order for help while the government of the planet doesn’t seem eager to believe the truth. But knowing now the Temple the Fylari live near is not only far more ancient than their recorded history, many of the children are born with Force powers nearby, I’m like Cere’s Master Eno, eager to dive into the history of the place. More intriguingly however is the development in the post-Order 66 framing story, as the lightsaber wielder whom the Second Sister attacks is not even a Jedi, having grabbed a lightsaber from the Temple. This development hasn’t ended my theory about the Inquisitor running into Eno Cordova before the comic ends, having him implicitly drawn to resemble actor Tony Amendola highly likely means he’s in the game, though it’s yet to be revealed he’s involved (maybe in Thursday’s new trailer?*), so I’m betting what happens to him here will tie into whatever part he plays in the game. Plus, how he survived the opening issue’s attack and what he’s been up to since is of great interest. The mysteries linger and I’m intrigued to learn more, especially if it ties into the eerie art on the cover of Jedi: Fallen Order’s art book.
I’ve always enjoyed Paolo Villanelli’s art, with Arif Prianto on colors, and they seem the best suited for this series. The constant purple snow in outdoor scenes is beautiful but also a reminder of its toxicity, while the action scenes have a great visceral feel to them, and I love the way Cere looks more like a dancer than a fighter. I’m looking forward to what interesting stuff the team will get to work on once the characters begin entering the Temple.
Here are a few other things:
- *The toys releasing October 4 on Triple Force Friday related to the game will be revealed on a livestream September 26, where a new trailer for the game will also debut.
Jedi: Fallen Order – Dark Temple #2 keeps both the mysteries and the new characters intriguing.
+ Cere Junda alone and learning on her own
+ Fylari showing true self
+ Mysteries and intrigue deepen
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
JEDI: FALLEN ORDER – DARK TEMPLE
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