Review: ‘Star Wars: Mace Windu’ Is off to an Exciting Start in Its First Issue
With many long-running Star Wars comics coming to an end, there are also plenty of other new comics taking their place. One of them is Star Wars: Mace Windu. This, alongside Star Wars: Jango Fett, were the two new comics I was most eagerly waiting for.
Thankfully, Star Wars: Mace Windu issue #1 does not disappoint. It is a thrilling look at the iconic character in his younger years. While most of the issue is setup for what’s to come next, it still contains a great amount of action and the character’s defining calmness that makes it a great read.
Star Wars: Mace Windu starts right on the heels of the short story that was included in Star Wars: Revelations. Soon after, Mace Windu is summoned back to Coruscant where he’s assigned another mission. Mace Windu’s task is to track down a thief who has stolen the formula to — essentially — ultra-powerful hyperspace fuel that can help ships go even faster. What entails is a chase for a high-priority target.
One of the key aspects of Mace Windu is his stoicism. In the movies, Samuel L. Jackson portrayed the character as a somber, deep-thinking, man of few words. And that’s an element I’m glad is captured here. Writer Marc Bernardin lets Mace Windu speak more, but his interactions with others never go on for too long. Bernardin finds the right level of wisdom and intimidation that makes Mace Windu a powerful speaker.
Artist Georges Jeanty provides the penciling for this issue. For those who have checked out my reviews of The Mandalorian comic adaptation, you’ll know that I’m not a big fan of Georges Jeanty’s art. While his action sequences do have a nice flow to them, panels with small details can look messy. But for Star Wars: Mace Windu #1, Jeanty’s art is very nice. There are plenty of well-drawn hero shots and well-designed movements that inform the reader of what’s going on.
There is room for improvement, however. I still think that, if you look closely, Jeanty’s far-out details can look somewhat smeared. And I also think that the middle portion of the comic slows the plot down unnecessarily. But nitpicks aside, the issue provides a lot of entertainment that makes me want more.
Score: 8.5/10
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.
