Review: The Phantom Menace Anniversary Comic Is a Beautiful Tribute

Let me be frank. I adore The Phantom Menace. I won't even say this is my ultimate guilty pleasure movie because I think there is a great film hidden in there somewhere. It's one of the most important industry films of all time and was a centerpiece for my blossoming Star Wars fandom as a child. So when they announced they were doing a special 25th anniversary comic release, I had to jump all in on it.



There were so many fun nuggets added to this comic. I was pleasantly surprised to see everything Greg Pak chose to add to the lore of this film. I hope you enjoyed the comic as much as I did. Occasionally, it's perfectly fine to sit back in a nostalgia festival. A quarter century for a Star Wars film is a big deal, after all, and I'm glad this movie received the fanfare it deserved. Now, let's look at some of the more fun aspects of the issue.



The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special Cover



The comic begins with a dream Anakin is having about being a Jedi and freeing his mother and the other slaves. Of course, TPM fans will know this references the dream he tells Qui-Gon about. During a family dinner, he shares that he 'had a dream he was a Jedi. He came back and freed all the slaves.' It was a fun moment to sit and see that dream in a comic. Also, Anakin wielding a yellow saber in the dream was pretty, dare I say, WIZARD?!



This comic was filled with heartstrings tugs with threads like this. Showing moments where this boy we all know grows up to be Darth Vader and simply wants to help others still carries enormous weight. We know 'he knows nothing of greed' and Qui-Gon comments on his 'helping without any thought of reward'. It's incredible how layered and impactful this story is 25 years down the road.



Anakin with a yellow saber slaps so hard.



Something new added in this comic (at least I believe this is fresh Star Wars) is a brief albeit touching moment Anakin has with a Tusken Raider. Yes, a Tusken Raider. A Tusken is about to be sold into slavery, and Anakin can secretly free him before they put his chip inside. Anakin truly was a kid just wanting to do good in the universe. Knowing his future slaughter of the Tuskens is looming in his future adds the weightiness here. The fall of Anakin Skywalker is a tragedy that, at least for those in my generation, stands the test of time. It will always serve as something that means more than just another story of a character's fall from grace. There's something deeper and far more personal, making this Star Wars story, in particular, so special.



This is emotional damage.



The comic glosses over all the parts we know and see from the movie. It hits them as critical touchpoints but fills in gaps in other areas. It was a brilliant choice. Simply doing what they have done with the Disney Plus show comic adaptations would have been a massive waste of time. However, I did have to include this podracing image. It's the best. We need a new podracing video game or some sort of VR podracing experience. Who's with me?



Now THIS is podracing



Upon winning the podrace, Anakin shares a quiet moment with Qui-Gon. The two focus on Anakin's burning desire to help people. Qui-Gon warns him that helping people is not always so easy. This brought me back to a Tales of the Jedi episode with him and Dooku. He tells Anakin how being a Jedi requires incredible discipline and sacrifice. Qui-Gon is such a wonderful character. His overwhelming belief and love for Anakin is part of what sells the whole movie and, vicariously, this comic. He believes in the core of being that this kid will be able to accomplish so much for so many.



Qui-Gon is just a wonderful character.



I don't want to spend too much time here, but I love this moment: Anakin moving on with Qui-Gon and not looking back. Discipline and sacrifice. Well, this was certainly a sacrifice that altered his life and stuck with him forever. Shmi is simply the best. That is all.



Cue the music here.



After the pages of young Skywalker's test with the Council, we get a quiet moment with him and Jar Jar of all characters. He's opened up to the Gungan about what happened in the chambers, and Binks tells him how missing his family and being worried about family and friends aren't things that make him a flawed person. It just means he has a good heart. This poignant moment with Jar Jar was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.



Have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Jar Jar the Wise?



Of course, not long after this, Anakin unfortunately overhears Obi-Wan once again chastising Qui-Gon over Anakin. You wonder just how big of a hurdle it was for Anakin to ultimately accept being trained by someone he heard refer to him as dangerous and shouldn't be trained. He then loses Qui-Gon, the only one he felt believed in him, in a matter of days, and becomes the hero of Naboo at the same time. I'm not sure any grown adult can handle that much trauma in 72 hours, let alone a nine-year-old kid. Anyways, here are some images that will put you in your feels,



The ULTIMATE cue the music moment



More emotional damage



The final pages with Anakin and Obi-Wan are brilliant. They take emotionally taxing moments for Anakin and put them in red (Editor's note: A trick Pak and company frequently use in their ongoing Darth Vader series) when he encounters various people. For instance, when he and Obi-Wan are sharing a moment talking about Qui-Gon's death and Obi-Wan's intent to train him, it shows this image.



At least he didn't call him a pathetic life form.



The rage, inner turmoil, and feeling of inadequacy are being suppressed by Anakin here, and it serves as a deep foreshadowing of what is to come. They do the same thing for a brief encounter he has with Ki-Adi-Mundi as well. His 'your thoughts dwell on your mother' line sticks with Anakin as an attack. It's important to note just how impactful our words can be. These moments stick with Anakin throughout his entire life. They play a pivotal role in who he becomes and his future choices. Highlighting them in this way was a brilliant move.



As a teacher, it also serves as a reminder of the power of words I have in my profession. Each day, the choices I make in what to say and what not to say can profoundly impact someone's life. Often, it's the negative and disparaging things we say that people cling to the most. Think about the teachers, coaches, or mentor figures in your life growing up. I feel as if most of us can point to some hurtful moments that truly stuck with us that we still may be shaking off. All this is to say that Anakin's mind is confused and frustrated. From this moment on, I'm not sure he ever experienced many true moments of peace.



Dark Anakin here just absolutely slays (yikes, poor choice of words)



The comic ends in a beautiful way. Shmi is enjoying a quiet evening with C-3PO. The two are reminiscing about Anakin. I can't imagine the weight of loss Shmi is feeling. Their evening is interrupted by the Tusken that Anakin helped save. They share the story of Anakin essentially saving his life. It all comes full circle. We know how Shmi's story ends and the Tuskens' role in that. She admits to herself in the end she had a dream. A dream that her son has, in fact, become a Jedi.



Our heroes of The Phantom Menace and beyond



I am so thankful for this comic. It was a fresh look at a movie I have seen more than any other. I don't buy the physical copy of many comics. However, this is one I will carve out a special place for. It adds depth to the movie and enhances the story in many ways. It creates a space to feel more connected to a story many of us have already carved out a special place in our souls for. It was a love letter to The Phantom Menace. Perhaps I am being a bit over the top about this comic. Certainly, it's not the best comic to ever come out about Star Wars. But, for me, this came at the perfect time and served its purpose perfectly.


<p style='text-align: center;']Rating: 10/10</p>


Click HERE to check out and comment on this topic on our main site