The Odyssey of Star Wars: An Epic Poem
A thrilling retelling of the Star Wars saga in the style of classic epic poetry
“I look not to myself but to the Force,
In which all things arise and fall away.”Journey to a galaxy far, far away like never before—through lyrical verse and meter. Like the tales of Odysseus and Beowulf, the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Jyn Erso, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and the Emperor are fraught with legendary battles, iconic heroes, fearsome warriors, sleek ships, and dangerous monsters. Beginning with Rogue One’s rebel heist on Scarif to secure the plans to the Death Star and continuing through the climax of Return of the Jedi, author Jack Mitchell uses the ancient literary form of epic poetry to put a new spin on the Star Wars saga.
Punctuated with stunning illustrations inspired by the terracotta art of Greek antiquity, The Odyssey of Star Wars: An Epic Poem presents the greatest myth of the 20th century as it would have been told nearly 3,000 years ago.
Author: Jack Mitchell
Illustrations: Jessica Benhar
Cover Design: Diane Shaw
Release date: September 28, 2021
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781419756283
Now over four decades into the Star Wars adventure, and with the iconic tales of the original trilogy so well embedded into the zeitgeist, it’s no surprise that a bit of fun can be had with the stories, to the extent that the trilogy can be retold again and again in different formats. For every Family Guy Star Wars there’s an Ian Doescher’s Star Wars Shakespeare, or a Robot Chicken Star Wars to counter a book like this, The Odyssey of Star Wars, expertly crafted by wriiter Jack Mitchell in collaboration with Lucasfilm and Abrams Image. We know the story so well by now, enough for projects like this to get off the ground and riff on that familiarity, giving us thought fodder to chew on and avenues to walk…but who could have anticipated a retelling of Homers The Odyssey through the filter of the GFFA, and it working so darn well?
Of course, Star Wars has mythology in its DNA, along with a multitude of other elements including most notably Japanese culture, Westerns, mysteries and much more besides. It’s a modern fairy tale and a modern myth, and presented as handsomely as this book is (kudos to the designers for a very attractive package) the concept all folds together to make all the sense in the world. That said, author Jack Mitchell hasn’t simply nabbed the linear plot of the film and worked it into a Homeric tribute to the GFFA, he has delved deep – really deep – and factored in all we know of Rogue One along with such elements as hyperspace routes, looks back to the fierce battles of The Phantom Menace, and on page 27 as stark a description of Alderaan’s destruction as I’ve ever read.
‘A single moment stops the course of time, all life at once is suffocated, burnt, quartered and flayed, depressurised and crushed. All mammals and all birds, all reptiles, fish, all insects down to microscopic cells, call out in terror, silenced instantly. And little mourned, for who shall sing laments when all the mourners perish with the dead?’
The illustrations by Jessica Benhar are evocative, as is the cover designed by Diane Shaw, but once into the flow it’s the attention to detail that truly delights. Page 50 talks of the Geonosians initial designs, of the ‘clumsy fool‘ Krennic, and into the events of The Empire Strikes Back as Luke and Yoda converse, littered with mentions of Ryloth, Felucia, Teth and Utapau. It’s fascinating and faithful, looping in broad and eye-raising content – Kanan Jarrus of Rebels along with Nicanas Tassu and Tarados Gon from Attack of the Clones get shout outs during Luke and Vader’s Bespin duel – right through to the ultimate smile-raiser on page 167 as we hit on primary worlds in the Core, the Mid Rim and the Outer Rim, casting wide to the vast canvas of the Star Wars galaxy.
To quote a once great Jedi, this is most impressive, and perhaps beyond the frame of Homer and with an original story to tell, Jack Mitchell could be invited into the wider world of Star Wars storytelling. His clear love of the content and dedication to details would bode well for an integrated, cross-generational tale.
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