– Spoiler Review –
In Ewoks #3, the series embraces the wild world moon the eponymous species inhabits, leading to its most enjoyable issue to date.
I’ve enjoyed the series exploring how the Ewoks of Bright Tree Village has been affected by the recent battle on their little Forest Moon, as we see them debate if they withdraw from the galaxy or embrace their newfound place in it. It’s lead to some overly lengthy debates that got in the way of pacing, but it’s still fertile ground and I look forward to how Steve Orlando resolves their choice in the finale. But one thing I’ve really been missing from this series to far is embracing the wild and weird little moon they live on, as we’ve gotten a lot of talk about the various dangers lurking in the woods, and seen the Duloks, but it’s all been whispers and led to nothing so far. Thankfully, Ewoks #3 decides to go absolutely wild and doesn’t let up, introducing to canon a plethora of creatures, big and small, which first had their homes in Legends Ewoks comics, TV shows, and films! It really felt like an Ewok comic finally, as the focus has been on introducing the Imperial and his crew and getting them into conflict with the Ewoks, but now it’s all about the crazy dangers the creatures somehow face and what it means for everyone on this adventure. As someone who never read the original Ewok comics, only have seen some of the show, and saw the Ewok films when I was kid (I tried rewatching one this year and couldn’t get into it), I don’t have as much connection to all the returning creatures they showed off this issue, but absolutely loved how wacky, weird, and cute they all look/are! Hopefully this tone is maintained into the finale, which is next issue, otherwise this will be too little too late for the series overall, but still a highlight.
There was some good developments this issue on characters, as Koll Orvenk and his droid head EE-X77 come to find the value in the little Ewoks through Wicket’s bravery, while Meedro and Asha Fahn aka the Red Ghost, gain a better appreciation of one another. With Wicket, he not only does his best to warn Koll and the others about the threats they’ll face, but he goes and saves the droid’s head despite the danger around them. Koll is already thinking twice about their actions on the planet but if this doesn’t help push him over the edge for some event in the finale, when it really matters, I would be very surprised. As for Meedro and Asha, now he understands the strength she’s built in the woods vs his own attempts, as she truly became one with the woods whereas he seems to act an outcast rather than really be one, as she’s taming dragons (they look more like pterodactyls) and he’s still afraid of the various creatures. I liked getting to know more about these characters instead of focusing more on the big debate and hope we can get just a little more of this into the finale.
On art we’re still treated to the great duo of Laura Braga and Álvaro López, with Antonio Fabela on colors and Joe Caramagna lettering. What makes the introduction of all these creatures so memorable is the team’s work bringing them to life, with some delightful panels and panels even my wife was obsessed over for being as cute as they were. For starters, the Bordok reminds me of a horse and a bull having a baby, with its enlarged head and horns which almost look like they form hair going over the creature’s skull, but I love the first time we see it, Asha and Meedro are riding it, which makes it both ridiculous and cute looking at the same time. There’s a few little critters, from birds to a rat-looking thing, also gracing the page, while plenty of beautiful plant life adorns the scene as well. Fabela really makes this page feel so lush, with bright red flowers, the blue butterflies, and even the white rat-thing looks natural this way. Caramagna’s sound FX is piercing through the peace of the page, so that while we can get lost in the cuteness of the moment, the seriousness and haste they must make to help Wicket is never forgotten. Orcon’s reveal blasts out of the single page, with some viscous looking water colored a murky blue so even it seems dangerous, while reptilian’s sea serpent steed, with its pointy teeth, snarly large maw, and menacing red eyes immediately increases the threat Orcon poses, despite him looking like something out of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. When Asha summons her Condor Dragon friend, her chill ass vibes is such a mood, while Meedro’s chivalry as he puts himself between the creature, eyes wide with fear, barely able to get his bone club out of its sheath, really goes to show the true of the differences between them. The Dragon itself is a funny looking thing where I can see being a bit terrified of it as an Ewok, but it looks friendly in the face compared to the sea serpents we see a few pages earlier. As for the final page? The Great Devourer aka the Gorax gets an appearance worthy of its immense stature and place of fear amongst the little murder bears, with Caramagna SFX producing a hideous roar that matches the horror of its visage, be it the full-body pelts hung around its waist, the straggly hair, or its sharp claws, while the sense of scale here, where even Koll looks like an Ewok next to it, ensures there’s no doubts about how massive a threat the team just stumbled into, this close to their goal.
Here is one other thing:
- The finale for Ewoks is currently scheduled for January 29.
Ewoks #3 is exactly what this series needed, as while all the debates have been interesting to some degree, the wildness of the Forest Moon really lets the series shine.
+ Wild and wacky creatures introduced
+ Wicket and Asha showing their compassion
– Might be too little too late
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.