Star Wars: Yoda (2023) #1
LIGHT AND LIFE
PART ONE: THE COMING OF THE JEDI
The wise Jedi Master Yoda has lived a long life in service to the greater good of the galaxy.
After the rise of the Galactic Empire, he now spends his days on the secluded swamp world Dagobah, awaiting an important visitor and reflecting on his many adventures….
Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Nico Leon
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dono Sánchez-Almara
Cover artist: Phil Noto
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: November 23, 2022
We open this long-awaited and very welcome mini series on Dagobah, the swamps and mists familiar to us after so many years and yet, given we only ever see Yoda there training Luke, it’s also a location we see him in relatively rarely. We meet him meditating in his long solitude, until he is interrupted by another – who, we’re yet to discover – and with that we swing to the Outer Rim and the world of Turrak, a long time ago. We meet Litah and Bree, the purple-skinned male fixing a very, very old looking starship when an alarm is raised – their island is under attack, and the two race to the beach to see raiders – the fierce looking Crulkon – ride in. Outpowered, they run to take cover, but Bree leaps to his starship and raises a call for aid.
We swing to Corsucant where the Jedi Council debate whether they should intercede, when Grandmaster Yoda enters, railing against a well-meant comment claiming his place is on Coruscant leading the council. Yoda opts to check out the situation on Turrak and the plight of the Scalvi himself, arriving in perfect time just as Bree, Litah and family are about to be ended by a huge Crulkon. They attack, and Yoda uses the Force to disarm them, snatching away their weapons and destroying them before their eyes.
The tide changes however as the Crulkon bring in a mobile gun platform, and Yoda regroups before bringing it down, leaving the pilot open to an attack from Bree, which Yoda quickly stops. He orders the raiders to leave, and as they flee back to their vessel and their leader asks where their spoils are, Yoda warns them to not return – he’s decided to stay on the island. The news of his plan to stay reaches Coruscant, and we roll out with Yoda settling in to island life and the Crulkon watching from a distance, swearing revenge.
Yoda is certainly tricky to get right, but in the correct circumstances – which this first issue certainly is – he’s a fascinating character to follow. With his trademark stubborn streak on full display the series is set to deliver something fresh and unique. Away from the council, just the man and his lightsaber, it gives off a Brian Daley Han Solo Adventures vibe, when Daley just had Han, Chewie and the Falcon to work with. Of course, Daley was on a strict directive regarding what characters he could use, whereas over forty years later Scott likely had the full array of eras, characters and situations to pick from. Either way a stripped back, focused study of a classic character who is often only present for exposition, beer mat wisdom and comic relief could be something special. Cavan Scott does right by the legend of Yoda, while the art from Nico Leon is certainly easy on the eye, and behind a selection of very attractive variant covers this is certainly one to watch.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Scott, Cavan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 22 Pages - 12/28/2022 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
