Written by Matt Owens
Art by Denys Cowan; Edgar Salazar; Roberto Poggi; Scott Hanna; Guru-eFX; & VC’s Joe Caramagina
Cover Art by Jesús Saiz
SUMMARY:
Published by Marvel Comics in 2018, this 112-page paperback collects Mace Windu # 1-5. Set during the aftermath of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, weary Jedi Master Mace Windu commands a Jedi contingent (Kit Fisto, the blind Prosset Dibs, & pilot Rissa Mano) on a covert surveillance mission to the remote jungle planet, Hissrich, to spy on the Separatists. Among the villainous droids, there is the mercenary killer robot, AD-W4. Windu’s team struggles to thwart the droid army’s planet-killing “harvesting” of Hissrich.
Vastly outnumbered by the enemy, violent tension between an increasingly skeptical Dibs and Windu further exacerbates their mission’s danger factor. A flashback to Windu’s past as a Jedi padawan reveals more about his present-day Jedi philosophy. Windu confronts AD-W4 in a lethal showdown.
REVIEW:
Amidst its flashy visuals, the book benefits most from a faithful likeness of actor Samuel L. Jackson as Windu. However, even plenty of high-caliber artwork can’t protect a good adventure from being sabotaged by stilted dialogue (much like the pretentious tone of the Star Wars prequels). This storyline offers some interesting twists, but far too little excitement is generated by character interactions.
Case in point: though his speech pattern replicates his live-action counterpart, Windu is too bland of a character to endear himself to casual fans. The character, at least in this adaptation, doesn’t live up to Windu’s intriguing potential. While ages-9-and-up Mace Windu fans should be delighted with his well-deserved showcase, this one-and-done paperback is probably best found at the library.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
A first-page Star Wars-style prologue introduces the storyline. All five covers and a variant cover gallery are reprinted in a full-page format. Jesús Saiz covers Issues # 1-4, while Rod Reis handles Issue # 5. The variant artists are: Javier Rodriguez & Alvaro López (Issue # 1); David Nakayama (Issue # 2); Julian Totino Tedesco (Issue # 3); Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire (Issue # 4); and John Tyler Christopher (Issue # 5).
BRIAN & ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
