KANAN: THE LAST PADAWAN #1 Review

Will Marvel continue their good run of luck with Star Wars? Or should they have kept to the original trilogy expansions? Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

Kanan Jarrus–in STAR WARS REBELS, he’s a cocky, sarcastic renegade fighting against the Galactic Empire alongside the rag-tag crew of the Ghost…but years before, at the height of the Clone Wars, he was known as Caleb Dume, Jedi Padawan under the instruction of Jedi Master Depa Billaba. Neither master nor apprentice ever suspected that the Clone Troopers they commanded would turn on them upon the issuing of Order 66—the order to execute all Jedi. How did Caleb Dume survive? How did he learn to survive on his own? And how did he become the man we know as Kanan Jarrus? Writer Greg Weisman (writer/executive producer on STAR WARS REBELS, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN) and artist Pepe Larraz (DEADPOOL VS. X-FORCE, THOR, INHUMAN) bring us a tale bridging the years between the Clone Wars and Rebels!

I have to admit, I’ve yet to watch an episode of Star Wars: Rebels. I know, this is terrible coming from a Star Wars fan, but the simple fact is that I don’t have Disney XD. Luckily this isn’t a problem, as though fans of the show are likely to enjoy this more (or dislike more depending on the similarities), the year gap between this story and Rebels makes it extremely new reader friendly.

That being said, Greg Weisman‘s script isn’t the easiest to get into, as though the final product is rather enjoyable, it doesn’t leap off the page. That being said, Weisman does a wonderful job in exploring Kanan’s past, with the former padawan’s time as Caleb Dume showing a curious sense of innocence within this titular character. The writer also manages to utilise Order 66 in a magnificent way, with the subtle introduction not only allowing for a suspenseful cliffhanger, but also gripping premise for the rest of the tale.

Though Weisman’s script was intriguing enough, it was Pepe Larraz‘ artwork that kept me hooked. Having tremendous detail, and fabulous depth, this artist knows exactly where the focal points of each panel is, adapting this tale brilliantly into visuals. He also manages to capture the emotion that’s on display throughout, and given Caleb’s curious, yet innocent thought process, this was vital to making this story remotely palatable. The colours that David Curiel produce also manage to captivate, with the rich palette allowing Larraz’ exquisite art to pop off the page.

Kanan: The Last Padawan #1 is a decent start to this new Star Wars tale, and though it’s bound to garner less attention than it’s original trilogy counterparts, it shows real promise in the long run. Unfortunately this opening issue didn’t quite astound, and though it’s enough to have this fanboy returning, I doubt it will win over the masses quite as easily.