– Spoiler Review –
While Jedi Knights #4 takes the series from big kaiju last issue to a small heist in this one, Qui-Gon Jinn and Shaak Ti uncover it’s a much larger web than it first seems in a twisty story which will keep you guessing until the end!
The malleability of this series continues to stretch and hold firm issue after issue, a refreshing change of pace from most on-goings we’ve had for Star Wars comics over the years, and this month’s is a delightful crime caper heist story full of fun twists and turns. There’s the briefest reference to the series’ overarching story regarding Corlis Rath and his quest to kill Qui-Gon Jinn, and we got our biggest hint about why in the Free Comic Book Day 2025: Star Wars 1 issue, but what’s here felt like just enough, especially since last issue there wasn’t any, as at this point it doesn’t feel like the series needs to even have the connective tissue to justify its existence. If Marc Guggenheim’s writing and Madibek Musabekov’s art can capture so many different genres so well already, the longevity potential for the series expands every month, and if they can stick the landing with the connective story before moving onto another, this will be a series long remembered.
First introduced in Guggenheim’s Han Solo & Chewbacca maxiseries, Jedi Knights #4 reintroduces us to Phaedra, a con with a storied history of criminal activity, who starts the issue chased by Jango Fett for stealing credits. She seemed too young to have the rap sheet she claimed in Han Solo & Chewbacca, but we learn here she’s a rare long-lived species* which ages slow and carries a high intellect. Given the escape plan she devised in HS&C, it’s not too surprising she’s smarter than most, but as Jedi Knights #4 goes on, Guggenheim’s well-paced script sows the right amount of doubt so even when I thought I had it figured out, where Phaedra was or wasn’t going with her plan, there’s one more swerve, and the final reveal felt as satisfying as a wacky and inventive Rube Goldberg machine. What makes this even better is Phaedra is up against a lot of established characters, which includes Jango Fett, Aurra Sing, Zam Wesell, Qui-Gon, Shaak Ti, and even Bane Malar, so it stacks the odds against her for the reader, as how could this newbie outsmart such legends? After the end of HS&C, Phaedra was a character I would’ve been happy to see again, but now? Now I’m eager for her next return and this got me theorizing about her and someone like Doctor Aphra (who returns this month!) working together…imagine the chaos they could pull off!! As enjoyable as the story is, a little part of me wished we got some character development for Shaak Ti or some of the bounty hunters, but when they are written well and the story’s this fun, it’s not that important.
Bringing this twisty tale to life is of course the team of Madibek Musabekov, colorist Luis Guerrero, and letterer Clayton Cowles. About midway through the issue, Qui-Gon and Shaak Ti catch up with Phaedra on Nar Shaddaa, but Aurra Sing, Zam Wesell, and Bane Malar already have as well. It looks like the hunters have her dead to rights, as we don’t see the Jedi have caught up until a few panels in, and it seems like they might not get there in time, as Aurra Sing has her blaster right at Phaedra’s face and Madibek’s framing of the scene makes her seem powerless against the hunter, and even in the following panel, Aurra is more prominent and Phaedra is smaller, yet her dialogue is cocky, confident, as is her face, with Aurra looking backwards, away from her target, no longer in as much control as she thought. The next panel shows the two Jedi with their robes on, hoods up, Bane and Aurra twisting back in surprise, Cowles letting the word bubbles lead us right to them. After a closeup of the hooded Jedi in the final panel, the next page is a Musabevok splash special, Qui-Gon and Shaak whipping out their lightsabers as dramatically as possible, their cloaks billowing back to reveal them, Cowles’ sound FX as big as the swings their lightsabers take. Up until this page, all the Nar Shaddaa set scenes have moody lighting from Guerrero’s colors, the neon signs are bright, yet hazy, casting deep shadows for people to hide in, but as the Jedi whip out their lightsabers, the coloring changes, lightens up, the moodiness gone and the Jedi bringing the light to the shady part of the galaxy. It’s a small switch but I loved the change, as it not only gives them even more heroic framing for their arrival, it also serves to highlight the sense of distraction Phaedra was hoping for, as if the light is what everyone’s focusing on and not what they should be, which is Phaedra had another trick up her sleeves.
Here are a few other things:
- It’s June so you know what that means…Pride Month variants are here!! Paulina Ganucheau put a lovely rendition of High Republic era Jedi, Kantam Sy, on Jedi Knights #4’s cover, see it above!
- *The issue identifies Phaedra’s species as Quaraxian, a new one, but 2024’s Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy claimed she was a Wroonian, which had its introduction in Legends. I’m going to take Guggenheim’s word for now, as reference books are often contradicted as new updates come in, it’s just the name of the game, but hey, this could easily be ‘fixed’ like Cassian Andor’s homeworld listed in a reference book getting a delightful reference in Andor as a cover up for what the show used for his home planet instead.
- What’s all ahead for Jedi Knights? July’s issue #5 puts Yaddle and new Jedi Knight character Seera up against…Count Dooku?! And issue #6 in August features a murder mystery!
Jedi Knights #4 will keep you guessing until the very end, though there’s no guessing this series continues to be a blast.
+ Twisty story
+ Art helping with misdirection
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky.