– Spoiler Review –
In Marc Guggenheim’s Jedi Knights #7, Qui-Gon Jinn’s life is on the line and it’s up to Mace Windu and Aayla Secura to find a way to save him, and fast!
A delirious Qui-Gon Jinn manages to mutter the word Sinsara once Mace Windu and Aayla Secura find him clinging to life after battling Corlis Rath, his would-be assassin from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s vision in the opening issue of this series. Sinsara was a parting gift from Corlis Rath, alongside some poison, as he mentions the planet after Qui-Gon asked the why behind his assassination attempts. As Mace and Aayla stabilize him against the poison, she uncovers Sinsara’s location and, despite being unsure of the connection, they jet off to the planet in search for an antidote. The Jedi Knights series hasn’t been terribly forthcoming about Corlis’ beef with Qui-Gon, the biggest reveal arriving in the Free Comic Book Day short that shows a young Qui-Gon, alongside Master Dooku, attacking Corlis (as we see the scar on his chest), and while this issue doesn’t offer any concrete answers, it does peel back a layer or two. Upon Mace and Aayla’s arrival, they learn a lot and learn it quickly: the Jedi are unwelcomed and those who use the poison have been banished and dislike the Jedi even more. There’s no context to these revelations, as if those on Sinsara expect everyone to already know the history, while the expediency needed means Mace and Aayla don’t bother digging too deep as long as they can get the help they need. It brings us a little closer to understanding Corlis’ desire for revenge against Qui-Gon, as whatever went down was enough to shake the Sinsarans (Sinsaraians?) and forever leave a bad taste in their mouth regarding the Order. We won’t get more about this situation next issue, as #8 is a story told from a young girl’s POV, but issue #9 in November will begin the two-part exploration of Corlis’ history, how we got here, and likely a resolution to the storyline.
Mace and Aayla go through quite the challenge to procure an antidote for Qui-Gon, and while I’d like for more character development and deeper characterizations throughout this series, including in this issue, I did enjoy Aayla stepping up and taking charge, especially since it would usually be Mace in most stories. It’s Aayla, surrounded by several dozen Banished dressed much like Corlis Rath, who decides to surrender to avoid more fighting, while she comes up with the idea on how to defeat the single kaijura (as seen in issue #3’s splash-page bonanza) the Banished require them to dispatch in trade for the antidote. While killing an innocent animal is usually not on the Order’s docket, between Mace’s recent character exploration in Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss and his explanation here regarding how they were saving more lives and putting the lonely animal out of its misery, there’s enough justification it doesn’t feel out of character. As I said earlier, we take a little break from this story in the next issue, as this one ends with Qui-Gon in a coma, recovering, with no way to know when or if (at least for the characters in-universe!) he’ll come out of it.
As always, the stellar team of Madibek Musabekov, colorist Luis Guerrero, and VC’s Clayton Cowles is behind the latest issue and I really enjoyed the thrilling nature of many of the panels, as well as the new designs for a new planet and species. My favorite page of the issue is the splash of all the Banished attackers leaping at Mace and Aayla and it’s thanks to how the page prior really sets the stage well, as it features the two Jedi wandering in Sinsara’s woods. Guerrero gives the best sense of unease, with a red mist, anathema to the Jedi’s color code, taking over most of the panels, while Musabekov builds in a craggy and dead forest around them, the first two panels viewing them at a distance, as if they are being watched. As they become alerted to danger lurking nearby, the panels close in, keeping us as much in the dark as the Jedi, just the red mist we’re unable to peer through surrounding them. When you get to the next page, my favorite, the perspective shift is one of many great touches, as our POV is from the ground beneath the Jedi, looking up like they are, and holy crap, there’s a ton (21, if I counted correctly) Banished assassins leaping from the sky above, like acid rain. The restraint not to have any sound FX for their attack serves to give the unnerving sense anyone less than a Jedi trained in the Force would’ve been dead before they knew what was happening, while the pale full moon light, unnerving red mist, and the dead tree branches surrounding the silent hoard gives a sense of boxed in and out of their depth to the Jedi. Guerrero even dims the lightsabers to some degree, only lighting up Aayla and Mace with their respective colors, but the colors don’t extend beyond that, lost to the overwhelming situation around them instead. It was fun to compare the kaijura they battle this issue with those in issue #3, as I felt like Musabekov did a great job scaling this smaller version, given its environment, compared to the gigantic beasts we saw on their home planet. Whereas Qui-Gon looked like a spec of dust next to them, Aayla looks much larger in comparison, especially in the shot where she’s driving her blade in the kaijura’s head, just above its eyes, but she and Mace are still quite small regardless of this one’s stunted development. The SFX as Aayla drives her blade in, alongside the blue coming out of its mouth, give a great sense of how much might she had to have to drive her lightsaber in to kill it. The Sinsarans look and culture seems very Asian-inspired, from their host offering tea, their outfit with the unique little crown and kimono-like look with a vest over it, to the sliding doors (fusuma) like traditional Japanese-style rooms. The species’ look is unique too, an almost aquatic face thanks to the flat nose and the device with strings that rest on the nose area, like barbels, while the studded ridges where hair would be leave one to wonder if it’s a cultural thing or just what they look like.
Jedi Knights #7 doesn’t quite answer much, but it offers some intriguing teases about the main mystery set to a excitingly quick adventure for Aayla Secura and Mace Windu.
+ Aayla taking charge
+ Terrifying attacks, great scale, and new culture define more great art
– Makes one want deeper characterizations
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky.
JEDI KNIGHTS REVIEWS
Vol. 1 “Guardians of the Republic”: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 — Vol. 2: #6