Star Wars Dawn of the Jedi #1 Review

STAR WARS Dawn of the Jedi #1 3 of 5 stars
Dark Horse Comics
$3.50

Story: John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
Script: John Ostrander
Pencils: Jan Duursema
Inks: Dan Parsons
Colors: Wes Dzioba
Letters: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Jan Duursema
Variant Cover: Gonzalo Flores

By Bill Nedrow

When I reviewed Ostrander and Duursema’s Dawn of the Jedi 0, I used the word ‘promise’ quite a bit. The preview issue that devoted itself to laying out some of the history, characters, and premises that were to be delved into in the new series were intriguing, and I was drawn in far faster and more powerfully than I had anticipated I would be.
Having just read Dawn of the Jedi 1, I see the beginning of that promise coming to fruition, but it hasn’t quite bloomed yet.
To be fair, I still think it is coming. Much of this issue is devoted to set up and history lesson, so we aren’t given the same in medias res first issue that introduced us to Star Wars Legacy (the series that will inevitably be the comparison point for this one until Dawn of the Jedi emerges from its predecessor’s shadow). Because this era is so far removed from those explored in that past (36,453 years before the Battle of Yavin), it needs a narrative explanation to ground it. This is handled as well as it can be and teaches us not only how things came to be but also that Twi’leks and Wookiees (unlike Tatooine) looked virtually the same thousands of years ago as they do in the eras with which we are familiar.
All that we really need to know is presented as well: 1) There are evil beings in this universe. 2) They are coming. 3) They look really cool.
Really, do we need much more? A look at the cover alone has probably got several customizers out there thinking about which parts they will use to cobble together this newest addition to the Star Wars pantheon of evil.
Although conflict is rather scarce in this first issue (I am not sure we’ve met the story’s protagonist/protagonists yet), there is indication that it is coming and probably coming soon. If it isn’t in the next issue, we should at least see some villain on villain punishment that was previewed on the final pages of this issue. One is left hoping that doesn’t end too bloodily, as there is obviously room in this series for more than just the one cool looking villain on the cover.
An interesting aspect that appears as though it will be looked at in this series is the early philosophy of the Je’daii and the ways in which those philosophies took shape. Already there are hints of the driving forces (no pun intended), and they have the ability to cast interesting shadows across everything that is to come (that is, the entirety of the Star Wars universe). Potentially, this series could change the ways in which we see and understand the Force and put into a new context everything. It’ll be interesting to see how this develops and what the implications are.
Beyond that, there isn’t much else to say about what is presented in Dawn of the Jedi 1. As a Star Wars fan (as well as a fan of team and a longtime fan of Ostrander), I am still as intrigued by the premise of this series as I was when I read issue 0, but regretfully, my level has not increased. I still see good things to come from this series, but they aren’t here yet.

3 out of 5 stars