Review: ‘Mace Windu’ Comic Series Continues to Exceed Expectations With Issue #2
Before the Mace Windu comic series began, I had reservations. With writer Marc Bernardin and artist Georges Jeanty attached, I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been very critical of Georges Jeanty’s work in the past. And the small snippet in Star Wars: Revelations from late last year didn’t instill me with much hope.
I’m happy to say, however, that Mace Windu issue #2 is great and continues the trend of exceeding expectations. It’s a worthwhile investigation into the character’s younger years that sprinkles in a good amount of character insight and fun action. It still suffers from minor hiccups, but I’m well-invested in this surprise hit.
Spoilers below …
Mace Windu is tasked with protecting the new character Azita Cruuz. Over the course of the issue, it’s revealed that Azita may know something about Mace Windu’s childhood. Because of this, Mace Windu has a greater incentive to keep her alive as the two venture through a perilous cave. The cave has plenty of dangers including rivers of lava and giant-sized worms. Apparently, March is the month of worms, with Dune: Part Two, The Bad Batch, and now Mace Windu, all being enamored with them.
Writer Marc Bernardin continues to capture Mace Windu’s voice perfectly. He still doesn’t say much, with what is said containing the right amount of pragmatism and strength. And the search into Mace Windu’s past, including his youth, is a fascinating one. In the movies, there wasn’t much info about the character’s younger life. However, this comic is the perfect place to explore that history. Paired up with dangerous and carefree Azita Cruuz, I can see Mace Windu letting his guard down. This isn’t the same character fans saw in The Phantom Menace.
And while artist Georges Jeanty does hold it down on the art side, I still do have some nitpicks. There are some shots of the lava flow where the reader can tell the art is just a “copied and pasted” pattern. It is very noticeable. There’s also some weird panel work that can be hard to follow, especially the examples provided. Believe me, I stared at the page down below, asking myself, “Is that a close-up of Mace Windu’s nipple?” looking at it for a good minute or two. It’s not. It’s a scar that was given to him at birth that also marks his birthplace. But, wow, was I thrown off, and didn’t know what I was looking at.
Nitpicks aside the comic is still a fun adventure that’s worth picking up. There are a lot of cool and heroic moments where the character shines. And there are also new insights into the character that adds to Mace Windu’s appeal. Although, this is a short series, so let’s hope that Marc Bernardin and Georges Jeanty can stick the landing in the next few installments.
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.
