Star Wars Visions – Peach Momoko #1
The Followers of Ankok
Generations after the death of a great Sith lord, the dark side has become shrouded in legend.
In its absence, the cult of Ankok rose to prominence with the promise of ending people’s suffering.
Story: Peach Momoko
Artist: Peach Momoko
Letterer: Peach Momoko
Colorist: Peach Momoko
Cover artist: Peach Momoko
Editor: Daniel Khazem
Release Date: November 15, 2023
Writing reviews can be an up and down experience. Sometimes, the flow of an ongoing storyline is so engrossing you delve into the review with gusto, looking for the hooks and the hidden connections that may – or may not – play out down the line, enjoying the art and appreciating the long-term storytelling (which Star Wars does very well). Other times, a standalone issue is a journey all of its own, while there are occasions when an issue just doesn’t connect. Being a site that doggedly focuses on the positive those rare instances can be tricky, but occasionally a title comes along that is so unique, so different and so outside of the usual scope of Star Wars that reviewing it can be challenging but fulfilling. Star Wars Visions – Peach Momoko #1 is one such title.
First and most importantly, there’s no script in this issue. Peach Momoko has designed a story narrative with which to place her stunning artwork, so it’s important to focus on that. The artwork is beautiful, unfolding the emotions of the characters without screaming to the cheap seats. The pastels and delicate colours are instanrtly evocative of the gorgeous artwork we saw in The Ewoks Join The Fight, the Buena Vista record from 1983 that honed in on the Endor sequence of Return of the Jedi. While that was of course accompanied by words and audio, you could easily imagine following it without those words. Here, we have key images that establish scenes. The black moon slotting into the Imperial cog activating the dark power of Ankok, the tendrils entering Ankok’s messenger Tata as they steal an essence from the masses, sending them away as wide-eyed zombies. We’re far in the future, when a legendary Sith lord has died and their power has become legend, and our stories heroine Kako watches closely, her hatred of Ankok amplified by herself being the descendant of a Sith commander.
We’re deep in the realms of the classic good vs evil backbone that is at the heart of Star Wars, and while the lack of dialogue means there are no definitive right or wrong interpretations of what is happening here, it makes the journey clear enough to read. We have four primary characters – Kako, Gel (Kako’s android partner), Popo (a bored child who works in the city) and Tata – and with such a small leading cast we focus purely on them, which of course makes the story easier to track. Kako is horrified by the cults actions, while Gel brings Popo to her and our trio are united as they face and defeat Ankok’s messenger Tata. There are shades of The Rise of Skywalker Rey facing her dark past, the yellow-bladed lightsaber being wielded while the finale leaves us with the threat and possibility of Ankok’s return, like a future Darth Bane.
It’s an interesting read, and while an ongoing title couldn’t be sustainable without words, as a standalone it’s engaging and unique, a diversion from what’s going on in the wider Star Wars world. Visions has been a fascinating experiment, telling Star Wars stories wthout being tied into canon using visual styles far more closely tied to earth-bound cultures than canon does (or should, this is a galaxy far, far away after all and doesn’t need to be so on-the-nose). As long as it’s not visited too often, the Visions view of Star Wars is a welcome diversion.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Soule, Charles (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 23 Pages - 12/27/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
