Review: ‘The Mandalorian Season 2’ Issue #1 Provides a Sub-Par Adaptation of One of the Show’s Best Episodes
I have nothing against literary adaptations of popular audio-visual media. In fact, I think a great book or comic adaptation can help us enjoy the original movies, TV shows, and video games even more (i.e. the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover). However, The Mandalorian Season 2 issue #1 isn’t it.
As my colleagues have pointed out in the past, especially in our review of the last Mandalorian issue, the stories pan out the same but don’t offer the same emotions as the TV episodes. But for me, what’s even more egregious is that the art — the biggest difference between the TV and comic medium, and what should make us want to buy this — can be hilariously unappealing. I’m not an artist by any means, but there are some characters (one in particular) that look ridiculous.
If you’ve watched the first episode of The Mandalorian season 2, you know the plot of this issue. Din Djarin goes to Tatooine, finds Cobb Vanth, both of them hunt a krayt dragon, and so on. I’ll get to the art in a second, but in regards to the story, it’s amazing how the plot of the episode works great in a TV episode, but not for a comic. Yes, the comic follows the original story beat by beat, but to its detriment. The first half of the comic is bogged down by inaction and back-and-forth dialogue. Then, when it gets to the big climactic battle with the krayt dragon, it’s over so quickly.
Again, the pacing is fine for a TV episode, but in this adaptation, it suffers because it follows the TV show too acutely, adding nothing new or interesting. I would’ve much rather they skipped or condensed the earlier half of the story for a more action-packed climax, where the art could’ve shined.
Now, let’s talk about the art. Comic art is highly subjective, of course. However, for a comic adaptation of a popular TV show, I think it’s pretty reasonable to expect that the artist would be the main draw. If the story is going to remain largely the same, then at least the artists could put their spin on some memorable scenes and characters. Some pages do stand out, with Georges Jeanty’s rugged penciling and Karl Story’s cartoony inking giving a unique twist to these moments.
The action is where the art looks the best. The opening sequence where Din Djarin meets his one-eyed contact at an underground fight club only to get ambushed is a great example of this.
But if there’s one image that highlights just how frustratingly unappealing the art is, all one has to do is look at Peli Motto. It boggles my mind that Marvel approved a page where a character literally has two dots and a curved line for a smiley face and thought that was okay.
Again, I’m not an artist, and I’m not expecting a visually detailed masterpiece for $4.99. But you’d expect better quality and greater attention to detail coming from Marvel and Star Wars.
If you really love The Mandalorian and are a collector, by all means, pick this up. Fans will find some enjoyment to be had with this series. But for those who don’t want to waste time and money on a sub-par adaptation, please consider skipping this.
Score: 3/10
Born and raised in Hawaii, Jay Goodearl runs the YouTube Gaming channel “Good Games, Dude” His channel aims to open up video games to beginners and immediate players and help them understand what makes games the art form that it is.
