– Spoiler Review –
In Star Wars #20 (Vol. 2), Luke Skywalker confronts his lingering feelings regarding all the events that have passed and the burden the Force has placed on him, as a chance meeting with a High Republic Jedi turns into one of the series’, and Star Wars comics as a whole, most stellar issue.
Past issues of Charles Soule’s run of the Star Wars series have had unforgettable and impressive moments when focusing on Luke Skywalker and his journey to become a Jedi, but this not only is the best one yet, it’s easily the best issue of the series and some of the best in Star Wars comics’ history. Picking up after last issue, where Luke gains a holocron of Yoda’s teachings, it seems as if Luke’s quest to learning more before confronting his father again, a moment he feels is inevitable, is at an end. All his locations from Artoo’s records came up empty and the holocron is a lesson he already learned from Yoda on Dagobah, and all the past work he’s done on his own has only gotten harder, from the confrontation with the Grand Inquisitor’s ghost, the skirmish with Darth Vader over Jekara, and Verla’s less than hopeful outlook, it’s been hard for Luke to have faith. Assuming gaining more knowledge means he’ll get more powerful and therefore everything will be easier, his impatience is getting the best of him again, and this complaint and struggle seems to comment on the debate that sprung up with Luke’s appearance in The Last Jedi and combats the Legends’ EU version of him, a perpetually stronger and more powerful Jedi just because he was Luke, but nothing is ever that easy, especially the path of the light side, and his constant struggle and his ability to overcome it shows how much stronger a Jedi he is than if he was all maxed out on stats, which isn’t how the Force works anyways. Artoo convinces Luke not to let go all he’s learned so far, egging him on to continue watching Yoda’s holocron, and that’s when Luke learns about vergences, places strong in the Force that Jedi of all ages, training, and abilities have visited on their quests for understanding of the Force, and Yoda names one Luke’s never heard of: the living sea of Gazian. Already a great issue from these opening moments and all that can be unpacked from them, Luke visit to Gazian takes the issue to classic status.
Upon arrival, his hope restored and unflappable despite the desolate, mushroom littered planet, Luke steps out with a hope and a prayer…and is swallowed whole and dragged beneath! Some sort of hallucinogenics later, Luke awakes and finds himself chatting with another Jedi, though this is an improbable meeting: Jedi Master Elzar Mann, one of the many Jedi from the High Republic Era, an initiative of stories Soule and 4 other (and now a few more) writers have been building since January 2021. Even if readers of this series haven’t been reading the High Republic, I feel like this moment could still land for them, though it’ll strike even harder for fans of THR, like myself. The issue quickly gets the how of this meeting out of the way: the planet takes imprints of all those who visit, so the Mann Luke speaks to only knows information from his life up until his last visit to Gazian, while the planet then is a repository of Jedi, and maybe even Sith, information from all those who have passed through like Mann did. Once that’s clear, it’s a handy out for Mann not having all the details or accidentally spoiling anything from the publishing initiative, but it does mean he knows enough to drop some hints, impart some wisdom to Luke, and fill in readers who haven’t quite read the other stories.
And what a conversation Luke Skywalker and Elzar Mann have! Of all the Jedi to talk to Luke at this moment, this crossroads of commitment vs the struggle it takes, Elzar’s unconventional ways, he likes to tinker with using the Force, seem best suited for the Force’s last hope at the moment. This is an Elzar just after his vision of a dark future at the end of Light of the Jedi, Soule’s novel which opened the entire initiative and he subsequently went a journey quest as it was to understand it more in the intervening months after, right up until the events of The Rising Storm, the second adult novel of the era (as far as we can tell from the conversation). From Luke’s information about the lack of Jedi he’s met, and coming to the planet instead of the Temple for answers, cues this imprint of Elzar in on how dark the galaxy is at the moment, as while Jedi names like Obi-Wan doesn’t ring a bell to him of course, mentioning Yoda brings the Jedi Master a laugh, Luke talking of Anakin’s fall brings an ominous panel of Elzar saying that happens sometimes (which hasn’t happened in the era yet, as far as we know, so maybe a hint of something to come in the era’s upcoming second Phase?). Imprint Elzar says he understands Luke’s mindset, saying how lucky he was to grow up in its Golden Age, Jedi all around to help him, even telling Luke somewhat about Avar Kriss’ ability to connect the Jedi together, but even then he had his own struggles. Regardless, he found the search for more through the Force rewarding and understands it’d never be easy, that you have to strive again and again to be the best you can, and then points out the important: Luke doesn’t have to become a Jedi. He doesn’t have to be exactly what the Jedi were or used to be, since they so often aren’t the same thing through the ages, and rather Luke should try being the Jedi he needs to be for whatever problem presents itself. Don’t fit into a mold, but make his own, especially in a time where there aren’t any other Jedi to tell him differently. It’s a compelling, layered talk, digging into topics like I mentioned earlier, how it makes so much more sense for Luke to be struggling even as a Master by the time of the sequel trilogy, as the light side and the Force itself is a massive power that’s never easy to understand and it would be too unrealistic he’d be perfect by then, while it points Luke towards a way to be something other than what Yoda and Obi-Wan think he should be, maybe helping him consider the alternative option to fighting when he gets to the Emperor’s Throne Room on the second Death Star.
One of the best lines of the entire conversation comes towards the end, as the image of a candle, it’s wick burning down, holds light amongst the dark, as Elzar says essentially that the Jedi left in the galaxy, whenever it might be for whatever reasons, must bear the responsibility of being, “…one last bit of light in a galaxy filled with endless dark.” Luke might forget that for a moment on Ahch-To, but he comes back around by the end, to save the Resistance, willing to sacrifice since he knows he won’t be the last bit of light in the galaxy. As Patricia pointed out on Twitter, the line also seems like a callback to the endlessly quotable Revenge of the Sith novelization, claiming there’s always one lone candle to hold back a galaxy full of darkness. Regardless if Soule meant to reference that or both great minds arrived at a similar conclusion, it’s what the Jedi are and should be, no matter what, distilled into one great line.
Beyond the great conversation, there’s some cool references and images across time and space during their chat. At one point they are on Ahch-To, where Luke and Yoda sit by the tree, another moment they are looking at Coruscant in the High Republic era, as well as images of a young Stellan Gios, Avar Kriss, and Elzar training together (Mann’s life-long Padawan pals), while there’s even an image of Rey, standing alone in the Jakku desert. Then Elzar mentions Darth Bane, saying his defeat was 800 years prior to his time, and Luke kinda guffaws at the title/name, ironic considering Mark Hamill voices the character in The Clone Wars at one point. It seems like the perfect place to stay and gain so much knowledge, even more imprints offering teases of characters and stories we can only hope to see one day, but throughout their conversation we get glimpses of the limbo Luke hangs in out in the real world, and he declines Imprint Elzar’s offer to stay. When he awakens, he struggles to free himself, finding he’s in a graveyard of dead Force-users, who must’ve chosen to stay or couldn’t get out! It’s a freaky moment and goes to show the dangers vergences can hold, but beyond the great convo, Luke sees an ancient text in a skeleton’s arms and grabs it as he sneaks out. It sort of looked like one of the books he has on his shelf in The Last Jedi, so I’ll be curious if this series will show him looking through it at some point to find out what it all has in store!
Marco Castiello’s art has a rough, scratchy edge to it, something colorist Rachelle Rosenberg compliments well, and it felt perfect for this issue’s galaxy and time-spanning tale. There’s an eerie, haunting vibe to the desolate planet and the frequent flashes of Luke’s body and face, really hint at the darker aspect to the planet, whose knowledge is tempting, willing those who can’t gain purpose it to stay…and stay forever. It was surreal to see Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Avar Kriss, and Stellan Gios floating in the water as other possible sources of information, but also scary, their impassive faces neither inviting or a warning. The hopping through locations and time also lent well to Castiello’s talents, his takes on unique or different environments left some open ended and others look rather spot-on with their screen counterparts. Clayton Cowles lettering has a lot of dialogue to work around, but most panels never feel cluttered and pull you around the time/space adventure in a somewhat surreal manner. I think my favorite SFX was Artoo’s confused gargle when Luke is sucked into the planet, as it’s so small it feels hopeless, as I imagine that’s how he feels in the moment.
Here are a few other things:
- After this issue, Soule has promised issue #21 will return us to the plight of Shara Bey trapped on a Star Destroyer, and #22-24 are, “…a huge three-part arc that will wrap up a ton of threads, building to issue 25.” And all of this while the Crimson Reign storyline unfolds as part of a semi-crossover…very curious!
Star Wars #20 (Vol. 2) is an issue with so much to unpack, containing multitudes about the Force and the Jedi’s role in it, written by Soule in such a way fans of all eras will enjoy its deep, introspective, far-ranging topics.
+ Discussion on the Force and Luke’s role in it
+ High Republic brilliantly included
+ Art is both haunting and relaxing
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
STAR WARS (Vol. 2)
The Destiny Path: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 / Arc Review — The Will of Tarkin: #7 | #8/Arc Review — Operation Starlight: #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 — War of the Bounty Hunters: #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #18 — Dangerous Turn: #19