Kanan has been the unsung hero of Marvel’s Star Wars comic line. While it hasn’t appeared in the top ten selling comic books such Darth Vader or Shattered Empire, it’s the critical acclaim that has extended this book from a 5 issue mini-series to an ongoing series.
A lot of the credit goes to Greg Weisman who helped shape and establish the character of Kanan Jarrus when he was a writer on the first season of the Rebels animated series.
Kanan’s backstory if rife with many turbulent moments with the catalyst being the death of his master Depa Billaba. Seeing these moments in previous issues augmented Kanan’s current trust issues with clone trooper Captain Rex on the TV show.
This new story arc reveals Kanan’s first meeting with Depa. Weisman sets this up with a slight of hand flair that is hard to spot at first when Yoda sends young Caleb Dume (Kanan) to the infirmary for a simple flesh wound. Caleb’s inquisitive nature helps him stumble upon his future instructor.
Like Caleb, Depa questions everything and doesn’t believe that “Because” is an acceptable answer. As a result, the two share the reputation of being weird or damaged within the Jedi Order. Weisman did an amazing job of disclosing these traits a little bit at a time. Caleb really wants to be Depa’s Padawan, and even though we know how this plays out, the fact that he gets his wish despite being a long shot in this endeavor makes the assignment more rewarding and more cherished.
Pepe Larraz is back on art duties after a one issue break. It’s a welcomed return as his style works perfectly for this book as he highlights the vibe and feeling of a more “civilized age.” The character work is solid and the action scenes just pop on the page. David Curiel’s coloring brings an energy to the illustrations and augments its overall presentation.
Kanan is an interesting book that ushers in a new direction for the series and excitement of the narrative will leave you wanting more.
Ringside Logic 