– Spoiler Review –
And with issue #4, The Rise of Kylo Ren miniseries comes to a close, and while it’s the logical, unavoidable conclusion, how it gets there and what it presents is the far more interesting aspects anyways.
I wanted to write this review a little sooner, but an issue like this needed to be slept on, and I feel like I understand more of what transpires than I did initially now. It’s not to say the issue is confusing in any way, in fact it’s very straight forward, but it’s cramming more complex moments and character interactions into a shorter run so there’s a lot to unpack, making me wish a story of this magnitude had been afforded at least one more issue to spread out its story, though it always felt like it took advantage of each issue, and the finale is no different.
To begin, I’m actually going straight to the end before we dive into everything else. At first, Ben Solo bleeding his kyber crystal felt anticlimactic and a little disappointing, especially given how Charles Soule wrote the rather epic and surprising moment when Vader bleeds his crystal on Mustafar. When Vader does it, it’s after his continued, conscious decision to barrel down the path he chose for himself, even if deep down inside he has regrets, to some extent. Those doubts are the seed on which the Force latches, projecting a vision of how he can turn around now and stop his further fall, but he decides he wants to commit to his path instead and rejects the vision. When Kylo does it, he’s already committed to the path he’s on, as while he recognizes for far too long he let others decide for him, the decisions he’s making are his own now, as he tries to be what he wants to be, not what others want. Because of his convictions, while Ben’s kyber is fractured and results in his unstable blade from the strength he pours into the crystal, the Force has no seeds of doubt to latch onto and Ben is able to bleed his crystal without interference, already making him better than his grandfather. One could also read the scene as the Force believing this is the only way for the events of the sequel trilogy to play out, that Ben must be Kylo for Rey Skywalker to rise and take out Palpatine, and the Sith, for good, while I’m sure there are plenty more ways to interrupt the scene; In fact, one could be that he simply bleeds his crystal and there’s nothing more to it! Either way, a scene which seemed simple at first definitely has far more layers than originally expected.
Watching Ben Solo become Kylo Ren has been rather fascinating, as he’s watched a lot of what’s happened after the fateful moment in the hut with Luke with shock and a bit of disconnect. It’s not like he caused Luke to come into his hut or Palpatine/Snoke to burn down the Temple, and he’s been doing his best to avoid his old Padawan pals despite their efforts to track him down and reason with him. Ben decided to hang out with the Knights of Ren, a group that does what it wants, when it wants, because it’s a group of nobodies so no expects anything from them. By being with the Knights, the decisions he makes, like how far he’s willing to go along with their murderous streak or demand for a good death, are finally really his to make. It’s his choice not to stop them from killing innocents, it’s his choice to confront Tai, and later it’s his choice to embrace the “shadow” and kill Ren. Ben might not make the choices we want to see him make here, but it’s nearly as thrilling as watching him in the films with the choices he makes there, the good and bad, since in both cases, he’s making them of his own accord and taking ownership of them.
I particularly enjoyed the scene where Tai confronts Ben, for several reasons. To start, the image of Ben being out on a bridge again, faced with an impossible choice, much like his confrontation with his father in The Force Awakens (and in a way The Rise of Skywalker). And then what Tai’s words mean, about being the first person to offer him the option to be who he wants, as Tai seems he’ll happily accept his own death if it means Ben can be who he wants to be. It leaves Ben in shock, no one has offered that or wanted that from him before, and it’s almost enough to prevent him from going on the path to being Kylo. He doesn’t have it in him quite yet, not in the moment, to kill the defenseless Tai, but Ren robs him of the chance to fully commit one way or another, snapping Tai’s neck. Seeing his choices taken from him again, Ben won’t stand for it anymore, and takes Tai’s words to heart the wrong way, launching an offensive on Ren and killing him, taking over the Knights and becoming Kylo Ren.
One of the best and most intriguing scenes of the issue comes from Ben’s offensive against Ren, as we get a full two page splash, where Ren taunts Ben and Ben makes his choice to kill him, while Snoke and Palpatine urge him on from opposite corners, but it’s the other two segments that are far more memorable. In one corner, there’s Leia, sensing her son’s fall, much like she sensed Han’s death from D’Qar, making me wonder how quickly she reached out to her husband upon sensing Ben’s path. In the other, Rey on Jakku, sensing something cold with Unkar Plutt shrugging behind her, showing how they might not have been connected via Snoke/Palpatine yet, but their Dyad status meant they already were in some way. It’s a packed and insightful chunk of panels, to be sure, and visually stunning as well (even if I don’t quite understand where they are falling through at the moment).
Once again, Will Sliney (art) and Guru-eFX (colors) bring an incredible range of nuance to Ben Solo’s face, some his outright shock at Tai’s words, to his anger when attacking Ren, and the steely look of commitment to his new life, his new name at the very end. This series likely could’ve worked with lesser art, but it wouldn’t have been as impactful or as true to the character and Adam Driver’s excellent performance. And the giant splash page I mentioned above, minus the fact I don’t quite understand when or where they’re falling through, is a brilliant and unforgettable usage of panels, framing, everything, They really went out on a high note for the finale!
Here are a few other things:
- Check back to the Manor in a week or two for the full The Rise of Kylo Ren miniseries review!
- The novelization of The Rise of Skywalker drops on March 17, and if you’ve managed to avoid all the sites posting pages and the clickbait articles, the wait is nearly over to experience it yourself! The digital edition of TROS also releases the 17, but the physical editions, including a giant 9 film 4K set, will be out March 31.
- While this series only began as 2019 wrapped up, maybe it’ll find its way into a new Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments in 5 years, though I’m sure it might crack 2020’s Top 5 when I do my year-in-review.
The Rise of Kylo Ren #4 of course would’ve benefited from more pages or issues, but this finale really shows how the creative team made the most, and then some, with every page and panel.
+ Ben finally getting to do what he wants
+ Tai’s final plea
+ Art excels, especially in mesmerizing splash page
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
THE RISE OF KYLO REN
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