– Spoiler Review –
Yoda and Anakin Skywalker rush to stop the latest Separatist threat from coming to fruition, but will they be too late or able to stop it? Find out in my review of Yoda #8, another fast-paced adventure that has a lot of fun with its two leads.
The combination of Anakin Skywalker and Yoda has been rare throughout the years, with the most significant before this being Anakin helping Yoda escape to go on a very important journey exploring the Force in The Clone Wars, and writer Marc Guggenheim capitalizes on this vacancy with Yoda #8. It all starts with Anakin giving an impression of Yoda, whose words undercut Anakin’s to the Council, and Yoda tells him he needs to work on it. Anakin’s next impression is better, as he returns Yoda’s words about the size of an army not mattering as they stand alone on the mission, their clones fallen to an ambush, but they haven’t even entered the secret factory making the Megadroids. Yoda gets the biggest laugh of the issue when he gives an impression of Anakin towards the end, reusing the young Jedi’s words about luck after Anakin doubts his plan to blow up the bigger than expected factory. It’s not just impressions which make this issue enjoyable, it’s how the two go back and forth over overconfidence, as the usually brash and forward Anakin is at odds with the slow and steady Yoda. By the issue’s end, Anakin admits he might be too confident at times, but they’ll need it as one of the Megadroids survives their sabotage efforts, and holy sithspawn, it’s a ginormous and deadly looking droid!!
This issue features a scene we already saw in Guggenheim’s Revelations one-shot, as Anakin and Yoda deal with the droid ambush, and I’m curious to see how this arc might tie into Ajax Sigma and the upcoming Dark Droids crossover event.* Was this just a fun little reference he set up in the one-shot or is there more to the Megadroids and what lies ahead in the crossover? Considering this arc wraps up before the crossover begins, maybe we’ll have some clues for how the galaxy will deal with the droids run amok due to the Scourge or maybe it’ll have clues on how to defeat Ajax Sigma…we’ll just have to wait and see!
The art team doesn’t have anything as silly and awesome as Yoda standing on an astromech like he did last issue, but it’s still great work by Alessandro Miracolo, colorist Annalisa Leoni, and letterer Joe Caramagna. In fact, I’m going to jump to the final page to start, because the Megadroid is, for a lack of a better word, mega! I’m really looking forward to seeing more of it next issue, but for now what we do get is a great tease of its scale and its threat. After it comes flying out of the crumbling factory in its container, it emerges from the flames, towering over Yoda and Anakin. It immediately gives me Sentinel-vibes from the X-Men franchise, even though we don’t get to see it in all its glory yet, it’s face obscured by shadow but its eyes, glowing a steady, menacing red, set the tone of its abilities. It’s definitely teasing an end of the jovial tone from most of this issue, feeling closer to the Yoda and Grievous duel in issue #7, heavy on shadows to build fear, tension, and a sense of being overwhelmed. The two big daggers extending from its lower arm guard are a cool addition to the droid form and I can only imagine this Megadroid is probably lightsaber-proof to some extent….besides maybe the red like jewel in its abdomen? I loved the way Miracolo drew Anakin and Yoda’s exchange of impressions, as Anakin tries to make himself look wiser and older by doing the thinking man gesture under his chin, and Miracolo exaggerates Anakin’s features so he does look a bit older, while when Yoda does it he has a more mischievous smile to his face, like we know he can have, but also fitting for looking like Anakin. The panel with the Golatha Nebula is a dreamy one, Leoni’s colors ranging from blues and purples, swirling through the expanse, are painting on a wall-worthy, while Caramagna lets the painting do as much of the talking as possible. Definitely feels like the calm before the storm, looking at said panel.
Here are a few other things:
- It’s June and the Pride Month variant covers have made a glorious return! This issue’s cover star is non-binary Jedi Master Kantam Sy, from The High Republic. Their biggest moment in the era so far was in Phase I’s exciting and adventurous Midnight Horizon!
- *Guggenheim’s next project was finally revealed: he’s bringing back D-Squad from The Clone Wars in their own spin-off, 4-issue miniseries for the Dark Droids crossover! Didn’t have that on my 2023 Bingo Card, or any card for that matter, but I’m looking forward to it!
- There’s only two issues of this series left, as Guggenheim will wrap up his arc in July and Cavan Scott will bring it all together for the finale in August.
Yoda #8 has fun with Anakin and Yoda on a mission together, showcasing their different styles, while it ends on a literally big cliffhanger.
+ Anakin and Yoda together
+ Art team gives us humor, beauty, to menacing ending
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.
YODA MAXISERIES REVIEWS
Light and Life: #1 | #2 | #3 — Students of the Force: #4 | #5 | #6 — Size Matters Not: #7