Review: ‘Yoda’ #1 Shows the Legendary ‘Star Wars’ Character at His Best
The time has come to journey back and dive into the history of one of the most legendary characters in Star Wars. Marvel’s Yoda is set to take us to key points in the Jedi Master’s life over the course of ten issues. The series will see multiple writers, with the events of the first three issues being scribed by Cavan Scott as we meet Yoda just before Luke arrives on Dagobah. We then go back to the High Republic era where Yoda does something nobody expects.
Spoilers ahead…
The series opens on Dagobah with Yoda in deep meditation. One of our probable Force ghost friends is calling to him, whose identity is probably unimportant. Given the time frame and Luke likely being on his way, my money is that it’s just Obi-Wan. Yoda and the voice reflect on the lessons of the past as he picks up a memento of some kind. Yoda’s mind travels back to the High Republic and the time he went to Turrak to help those in desperate need.
It was just an ordinary day for Litah, Bree, and the rest of the Scalvi people when Crulkon pirates arrived for a raid on their island village. They put out a call for help which Coruscant receives.
Quick matter of housekeeping for timeline aficionados, this takes place before phase 1 of the High Republic publishing initiative. So this era is just about as peaceful as it can get before the Great Disaster throws the galaxy into complete turmoil. Here, the Jedi Council convenes on the matter of Turrak.
Master Veter (not quite the Grandmaster we meet in phase 1) isn’t convinced the Jedi should aid when the Republic is perfectly capable of sending someone else. But he is persuaded by the themes that pervade every inch of High Republic storytelling: those of light and life mattering most of all. Veter offers to go, but Yoda overrides him (as he already has the title of Grandmaster). As to why he is stepping in on such a seemingly small matter, Yoda says that the Force is leading him there, and our little green guy has never been one to turn down a call.
This setup reminds me of the Yoda’s Secret War arc back in 2017 from Jason Aaron’s run on the Star Wars comic. Yoda is always seeking more knowledge about the Force and will get it wherever he can. In Yoda’s Secret War, the pull of the Force took him to a mysterious planet that interacted with it in a completely different manner than the Jedi. Now he is off to Turrak for something similar, even if on the surface his actions don’t make much sense to those around him.
Yoda comes to the Scalvi people’s rescue. Artist Nico Leon then takes it upon himself to get a forever job in Star Wars comics, showing what they can bring to the medium, and it’s a marvel. The next several pages are a visual treat with the use of shadows and a fiery backdrop creating a wonderful contrast when Yoda’s bright green lightsaber dances and pops off the page. The use of shadows also convey the Crulkon as a true terror, only for the real threat to come out from the darkness.
I know there isn’t much to choose from, but this might be my favorite non-cinematic sequence of Yoda showing off his prowess with a lightsaber in all of Star Wars. Complete and total props to Scott, Leon, color artist Dono Sánchez-Almara, and the rest of the team. This is Yoda in his prime, with the perfect characterization to boot.
The battle is over, and the Crulkon are sent packing after Yoda stops Bree from killing their leader. Then we get into the weird part of the issue. Yoda declares the island and the Scalvi village his new home, and everyone is aghast. This even includes Veter when the Jedi Council hears of the news that Yoda isn’t coming back to Coruscant — at least not right away. I guess being virtuous and showing hospitality to those still clearly in need suddenly isn’t a common trait in a galaxy far, far away. This whole thing is supposed to feel like a huge deal as it is allegedly the hook for this first mini-arc of the series, but it comes across as so un-Star Wars as this is who we all know Yoda to be.
The issue closes with Yoda learning a bit about the Scalvi culture as they party the night away. Meanwhile, the Crulkon look on plotting their next move.
Despite the “cliffhanger”, I think enough is there to make sense of it all. The layout of the issue has its way of unsubtly telling you that this series is going to revolve around the teachings of Yoda. The whole thing feels very much like an IDW The High Republic Adventures issue, which is not a bad thing if we’re going for a more lessons-based approach to the story. Even in that series, Yoda was only there to facilitate the growth for the younglings in his care before going off to do more Yoda things. Dating all the way back to his introduction in 1980, the Jedi Master has always had his own special way of doing things. However, that doesn’t excuse pushing a new direction as “out of character” when it’s still very much “in character” based off the information we have available.
I think there’s more than meets the eye with the conflict between the Scalvi and the Crulkon, but until that question is answered, I’m going to need more. A first issue is supposed to find a way to hook you, and it just didn’t quite get there. Great art isn’t enough.
RATING: 6/10
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
