Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises of all time. Indeed. you probably won't find a franchise with more fan clubs. The original three films are beloved in American culture, with the three prequels being successes. (Though not in a lot fans' eyes.) Star Wars has a heavy backstory within the films, plenty of untold stories. That's where the comics come in. There have been lots of Star Wars comics over the years, Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of the Jedi, etc. However, this new mini-series by Dark Horse will go down in history. It's going to tell how the franchise began. This could go down as famous or controversial depending on how it's handled. Truly, I'm surprised this hasn't been done before. Dawn of the Jedi, this is where it all begins. What you get is a very intriguing start to this legendary franchise.
Official description from Dark Horse:
On the planet Tython, in the center of the galaxy, an order of warrior monks strives to maintain peace and to balance the mysterious power known as the Force. But a stranger is coming--one who will destroy both peace and balance, and open the galaxy to exploration and conquest. This is where it all begins!
The majority of the issue is an explanation of how the Jedi came together. It's simple, but effective. It doesn't bore or confuse the reader with explaining all the alien races deeply, it simply explains how this whole thing came to be. It's also a good way to get new fans. It's a simple, yet intriguing story. There are no lightsabers, or the 'Dark Side,' it's the beginning of Star Wars. Character wise, the story has some pretty interesting ones. Xesh, whom I'm sure will become a fan favorite, looks to be the Darth Vader of this story. Then there's these commanders with the title 'Predor.' There's an interesting backstory going on here that I hope will be a little explored in future issues. So far, no central 'good guy' has been established. Usually that would be a bad thing, but the story carries itself. Granted, it's not exactly known what the 'bad guys' want yet.
The art is solid. It's standard comic book art, it fits the story. It's not dynamic like Jim Lee's, but solid. The fight looks nice and fluid. I must give praise to the script, it's good stuff. Since this is an advanced review, I'll refrain from using any of the good quotes. The whole explanation of the 'Force' was interesting, I'm sure hardcore Star Wars fans will be intrigued. New fans can also jump in, some parts may be a bit confusing, but it's a good place to start if you've been waiting to pick up a Star Wars comic.
Overall, Star Wars Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm #1 is a very good comic. Simple, but effective. However, the main reason why you should pick this is up is because THIS is how it all began. THIS is the first chapter in the Star Wars saga. THIS is how the Jedi form. If that's not reason enough to check this out, I don't know what is. It features an explanation of how the 'Force' came to be, and managed to squeeze in a sold fight and story. Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #1 releases this Wednesday on the 15th.
8/10
I used to read all of the Star Wars comics, but have not done so in a while. When I first heard about this story I got super excited. I have issue 0 which gives a lot of details of this time period. I find I enjoy these "history" stories a lot more than the later stuff. I for one will be picking this up!
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