– Spoiler Review –
The next new Star Wars: Visions comic takes us back to the world of “The Duel” short, once again featuring Ronin and his droid B5-56 with a new twist yet the same amazing quality from writer and artist Takashi Okazaki!
Takashi Okazaki already revisited the world of “The Duel” in 2022 with Star Wars: Visions #1, a prequel of the Ronin’s early Sith hunting days, while he takes readers even further into the Ronin’s past in Star Wars: Visions – Takashi Okazaki #1. I liked the structure of this issue the best, with it going back and forth in time to fill in some important blanks, as well as how it really plays into the moniker of “Visions” by it honoring the Saga, starting off with two droids bickering in the desert about being lost, and then zooms in on the Ronin, as if it’s just one small story in a much larger world, and later bookending with the same two droids, a wink and a nod at the story from which this all spawned. And whereas Okazaki’s previous comic focused in on the Ronin, this is more about B5 and his story, which was a very welcomed change of pace. We certainly still have the Ronin battling a Sith, cutting down Master Okinaa eventually, but it’s less about the duel and more about Okinaa’s life beforehand, which includes B5 as his droid! It was a surprising little twist, that B5 comes from someone the Ronin has slain, and I love how Visions – Takashi Okazaki focuses on their life together, enjoying a quaint little fishing village for about a decade before Okinaa receives a vision (I see what you’re doing there, Okazaki, a vision within a Vision!) of B5’s new life. It’s a beautiful little story, especially in the way Okazaki weaves through the past and the present, and it gives B5 the backstory focus he deserves.
As for Okazaki’s artwork, my initial reaction puts it more succinctly than I will be in this review: “F&^%, I could stare at this for hours.” Okazaki is a master at small details, the littlest of gestures or objects carrying tons of impact on their own, while landscapes invite contemplative moments of silence. The image in The Force Awakens’s trailer with its shot of Rey’s speeder miniscule against the Star Destroyer sunken into the sands of Jakku/the imagery of the second Death Star in the oceans of Kef Bir in The Rise of Skywalker both awe in their own way, but Okazaki asks them to hold his proverbial beer, as one establishing shot of the little waterside community Okinaa and B5 live at matches such big screen majesty. It comes on the page where Okinaa saves B5 from the water, as the series of insert panels form the edges of the big double page spread of the waterfront community from a distance. We can see a Star Destroyer deep in the water, almost as tall as the mountain on the beach, while there is debris of the great battle that fell such a ship in the water and along the beach, with a damaged X-wing visible, while a closer inspection of the mountainside reveals other crashed ships, some used for creating shelter and homes for those who reside there; the level of detail is stunning and, as I so colorfully put it in my notes, leaves one wanting to stare for hours. The next four pages cover a lot of time, letting a slice of B5’s life and those around him play out, peppered with some bittersweetness. The page following the establishing shot of the village lives up to its promise, as we get closer looks to the community which has sprung up, a variety of species co-existing and living off the water, land, and debris, everyone smiling and helping one another, as the village comes together and helps restore B5, who hoists up a drink alongside the Ewoks and Bith and others who helped him recover, Okinaa with them. Two pages later, we see B5 and Okinaa enjoying life together, from him washing the droid to them watching fireworks together, but then the bittersweetness hits, as we have three successive panels speak so loudly to the passage of time, as first the community is full and celebrating, then a cold winter hits and the numbers lessen, until it’s just Okinaa and B5, alone in a growing darker and dilapidated village. A few pages later, after Okinaa’s had his vision about B5 and the Ronin, they go and visit the sacred site of the graves of their friends from the village, and I love how having the slice of their life changes Okinaa’s line about them fighting by a holy site from some off-handed line to one that packs more a punch on a reread. Ariana Maher joins Okazaki for lettering, giving B5 cute like sound FX for his beeps and boops, which are more like “piko” and “pikoko,” which often feel inquisitive and thankful when around Okinaa and the community, and later feel frantic even when he’s been killed by the Ronin. Dialogue is often lite, but she makes it count or keeps it out of the way of Okazaki’s fantastic art, only pulling us along between panels if really needed.
Here are a few other things:
- Beyond the two comics by Okazaki about the Ronin and the world of “The Duel,” do not sleep on the absolutely stellar Ronin: A Visions Novel, which picks up after the events of the short and will take you on a dazzling journey.
- The first in the series of Visions comics was November’s Peach Momoko #1, a bold, weird, and downright intriguing issue that I’d easily love to see expanded (and earned the artist a spot in my Top Artists of 2023). Besides this issue from Takashi Okazaki, we don’t have any word on when, who, or what will be the focus of the presumable next entry in the Visions comic series.
Star Wars: Visions – Takashi Okazaki #1 is another beautiful return to the world of “The Duel” short from a core designer of it, while the focus being on the droid was a much-appreciated touch.
+ B5 gets the spotlight
+ Loved the structure of both its flipping back and forth in time and the ‘vision’ bookend feeling
+ Art that’ll leave you staring for hours
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 VISIONS REVIEWS
Comics: Peach Momoko
Vol. 2: “Sith” | “Screecher’s Reach” | “In the Stars” | “I Am Your Mother” | “Journey to the Dark Head” | “The Spy Dancer” | “The Bandits of Golak” | “The Pit” | “Aau’s Song”
Vol. 1: “The Duel” | “Tatooine Rhapsody” | “The Twins” | “The Village Bride” | “The Ninth Jedi” | “TO-B1” | “The Elder” | “Lop & Ochō” | “Akakiri”
Related Material: Art of Star Wars: Visions Vol. 1 (book) | Star Wars: Visions #1 (comic) | Ronin: A Visions Novel (novel)