Star Wars comics: Jedi: Fallen Order tie-in is a good start to the miniseries

Star Wars comics continues to support various other media in the canon and comic readers are better because of it. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Dark Temple is mouth full but another great addition to the universe.

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Dark Temple No. 1 is a prequel to the Respawn Entertainment video game of the same name (sans the “Dark Temple”). The video game looks like it’s going to be a great addition to the canon if the trailer holds true.

And if it’s not, someone will put a full game play video up eventually and we can just enjoy the story.

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As has been common with other properties comic books get to get a taste of everything Star Wars is doing, for example Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland has a great comic tie-in. The comic book division even supported Del-ray’s Alphabet Squadron novel with a comic tie-in written from the perspective of Tie-Fighter pilots. And now, the first issue of Jedi: Fallen Order’s comic tie-in has been released and it is fun, informative and additive to the canon.

This is not an adaption that is an important element to highlight. An adaption of the video game might come out down the line but this is all new story featuring characters from the video game.

The first issue serves as a prequel and it stars a young padawan, Cere Junda, who will be voiced by Debra Wilson in the video game as they explore a temple of unknown origin on a planet that only recently joined the republic.

The twist in the story is that the country where the temple sits is the only piece of the planet that hasn’t officially signed on to join the republic. With the exception of Naboo most planets not in a civil war seem to be one world governments. Even in the first issue Dark Temple offers a new wrinkle in which to insert our heroes.

A big piece to Star Wars comics is offering something new while still feeling like a Star Wars space opera should. And the first issue of the Fallen Order tie-in does that by introducing new characters and expanding on old ideas. We have the very generic Jedi trope of a padawan being young and on edge, and Jedi Master having to deal with them, but we also get glimpse into the youthful side of someone who will play a big role as the mysterious mentor of the video game’s star Cal Kestis.

The first issue doesn’t show how much of the Second Sister of the Inquisitorius we’ll see or whether she’ll play as big of a role in the comic as she does as the main antagonist in the video game. She only appears in the prologue at the beginning of the issue.

In another comics connection to other media, the Second Sister’s first appearance in the Star Wars canon is issue No. 19 of Marvel comics Darth Vader run by Charles Soule. Technically Cere Junda’s first appearance in canon is this issue too.

So the comic ties into a lot of stuff in the lore but none of that matters if it’s a poor story. First issues often have a lot of exposition and as comic reader flipping through a chapter one has to be recognized and reviewed as a “first issue”.

The good news is that Matthew Rosenberg (a newer writer in comics who is doing great work on Punisher and just finished an Uncanny X-men run) doesn’t play dumb and recognizes readers do not need a ton of back story on the republic and the clone wars.

He gets right to the center of what’s going on: edgy padawan, infiltrating a mysterious temple, hostile environment. That’s the perfect first issue to let the reader know what they’re in for and an idea of what to expect.

The art by Paolo Villanelli is also great. It’s exactly what you need from a Star Wars comic book. Clean drawings and action scenes that are discernible and not only aid but also help tell the story Matthew Rosenberg is writing.

I prefer when characters are drawn by artists with their own interpretation rather than being photo realistic (as sometimes happens with main title). Transdoshans, Mace Windu and Yoda look like their film counterparts but still showcase the Villanelli’s style.

Next. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. dark

This is a comic worth reading whether or not you plan to play the game. It’s shaping up to be another great addition to the canon and another feather in the cap of Marvel comics’ work in the world of Star Wars. Is this going on your list of Star Wars things to read?

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