Marvel Star Wars Thrawn Issue # 1: Recap and Review

Marvel Comics delivers with the first issue of their adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Novel.

This week Marvel released the comic adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn novel. If you haven’t gotten a chance to read the book, the comic is an excellent way to acquaint yourself with Admiral Thrawn’s origin story.

A Brief Recap of the action inside the issue.

When we first get a glimpse of Thrawn, he’s a young man. One of the last of his species, he’s been exiled to an unknown planet beyond the outer rim. When Imperial forces arrive to investigate a crash site, Thrawn realizes this is the perfect opportunity for him to score a one-way ticket off planet.

Photo Credit: Marvel; Lucasfilm

Through precision planning and expert cunning, Thrawn manages to stow away on an imperial transport. Once the Transport docks in the imperial cruiser he’s discovered. Due to the fact that Thrawn is one of the last Chiss, a novel species to the Empire, protocol calls for Thrawn to be studied.

An Audience With the Emperor.

Photo Credit: Marvel; Lucasfilm

Thrawn is quickly brought before the Emperor with a cadet named Vanto in tow. Vanto is assigned to be Thrawn’s consort due to his ability to speak Sy Bisti, Thrawn’s native language. Also, Vanto has been charged with learning everything he can about Thrawn.

Once in front of the Emperor Thrawn offers his services and allegiance. When he mentions Anakin Skywalker, the Emperor to recalls that the former Jedi had earlier spoken to the Emperor of his run-in with Thrawn. The Emperor orders Thrawn’s assignment to the royal imperial academy and, at Thrawn’s insistence, Cadet Vanto is forced to go along as his interpreter.

Photo Credit: Marvel; Lucasfilm

Adversity at the academy will not slow his ascent.

From here Thrawn makes his way through the Imperial Royal Academy. Thrawn is often the target of racial slurs as he’s the only non-human student – many of the cadets still abhor that the separatists had mostly been alien species. This doesn’t phase Thrawn, and when his fellow cadets try to ambush him, he uses his superior instincts to fend off his attackers.

Marvel; Lucasfilm

The issue ends with Thrawn receiving his first assignment. He is the new second weapons officer aboard the star destroyer Blood Crow. Unfortunately for Cadet Vanto, he’s been assigned to be Thrawn’s aide. It seems that these two will be joined at the hip for the time being.

Marvel; Lucasfilm

Our thoughts on issue one.

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The comic adaptation is a great read and worth the purchase. It’s especially worth it if you’re a Thrawn fan, but haven’t had the chance or time to read the novel. Jody Houser does an excellent job of adapting Zahn’s novel. Adapting any work to comic form is quite the task, and Houser made sure to hit all the right notes in this first issue.

Ross and Woodard do an excellent job of bringing the characters to life on the page. Ross provides us with excellent artwork of the characters and their environments while Woodard offers a color hue appropriate for this kind of story. The panels are dark and metallic with Thrawn’s blue skin and red eyes providing a stark contrast. It helps separate him from his “peers” as much as his cunning and intellect do.

Definitely can’t wait for the rest of this limited series to hit the shelves! Admiral Thrawn has always been one of the great Characters of the former Expanded Universe Canon. It’s exciting finally to have him in the official Canon and to learn more about his origin and motivations.

Next: We talk to Ashley Eckstein about Ahsoka Tano and more!

It’s a comic that any collector should add to their collection, and the story is easy enough to follow for the casual fan. If you’re not a comic collector, you should check out the book. The comic is available at your local comic shop, or you can download it digitally to your smart device via the Marvel app.

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