SPOILER Marvel's Star Wars Kanan #10

I'm really going to miss this series. This series is certainly not going to close quietly, if the penultimate issue is to be judged. This may be the most action we've seen yet from the Kanan series. Also, if you are a regular Rebels viewer, this issue connects nicely to this week's latest episode, serving as a reminder a nice, tidy canon can be a cool thing. Spoilers ahead, both for the issue and potentially for this week's episode of Rebels



Rebels is not for every Star Wars fan. Let's get that out in the open. I think it's great, I know a lot of fans that do as well, but for some, this series has yet to hit it's stride. That's okay, there's plenty of Star Wars to go around these days. I like to tell people that are either naysayers of the show or have not yet seen it that it's not imperative to watch, but if they ever decide to give it a go, there's plenty to enjoy. One thing I absolutely try to push on people has been the Kanan issues. If you are a Rebels fan, the opening page of this book gives you a great frame of your favorite characters ala Pepe Larraz. It's nice to see them in two-dimensional ink. Kanan is still floating in that Bacta tank, and whether Stormtroopers are upon him and the crew of the Ghost or not, his thoughts drift back to the days of Caleb Dume, the Last Padawan.



Welcome to the third battle of Mygeeto. Jedi Master Depa Billaba and Padawan Caleb Dume have arrived, Clone Troopers in tow, with a mission that seems simple enough: destroy all Battle Droids on that part of the planet. As you can see above, Mygeeto has been a planet under fire for some time. Larraz and colorist David Curiel do a great job keeping this hue of fire-on-smoke orange consistent throughout the issue, enough to let us know our heroes are surrounded by battle from all angles.



Caleb, Padawan that he is, gets his first glimpse of the future through the Force. His vision is something we all understand, but at this point, makes no sense to Caleb. It's a pretty big reveal by the Force, considering where the galaxy is headed at this point. It makes me wonder if Kanan's fore site through the Force is especially strong, and if we will be seeing it highlighted more on Rebels. I don't want to spoil what he sees, but it's a pretty big deal, and I hope the Story Group chooses to focus on this ability more. I enjoy seeing how the Force speaks in visions to those sensitive to it.



If you noticed the previous frame of Mygeeto, the fighting in this third battle primarily takes place on elevated platforms and bridges. As Depa and Caleb make their way into the battle, the bridges are blown out around them, leaving the pair trapped on this single platform. The droid swarm is a nice effect here, as the Jedi duo and their Clone companion do their best to stop the infestation-like onslaught.



Here's our Rebels connection. Big thanks to fellow reviewer Hard Case for pointing this out to me so I could watch the episode before I wrote this review. General Fenn Rau and the Skull Squadron will meet Caleb again, only under much different circumstances. The contrast of how we meet them here, saving the Jedi, demonstrates how strange it must have felt to so many in the galaxy when the Republic twisted into an Empire and the Jedi were labeled traitors. Though I warned of spoilers, I think this week's episode of Rebels was one of the best, so you should seek it out to see Kanan and Rau's next meeting. As it's concerned in this issue, the Mandalorians are plucking off these droids to buy the Jedi a couple minutes as they wait for extraction.



Depa and Caleb make it back to their gunship. The battalion is prepared to continue on with the battle after a close call. That close call was not the last one, and the ship is suddenly shot down, putting the Jedi and Clones back into danger. Unfortunately, Stance, Caleb's Clone counterpart, does not meet with a pleasant end.



I doubt many Jedi are excited about the prospect of Kage warrior General Sear showing up to proclaim their end. I can only think of another Separatist general that could make it worse.



Well, it looks like Caleb Dume, Depa Billaba, and the Clones will have their hands full in the concluding issue. I imagine Depa may be looking forward to a second chance of defeating General Grievous.

This issue is very well worth your time and money. Greg Weissman continues to add layers to the complicated past life of Kanan. The art by Pepe Larraz and colorist David Curiel may be a bit more cartoonish than other Star Wars titles out there, but in my opinion it is excellent. I think this is my favorite art of the Kanan series, so far. If you've been following the series there's no reason to skip this issue, and if you're a Rebels fan who's been holding out, this one should catch your eye.

As I said before, one more issue to go, and I will very much miss what has been a solid entry into the Star Wars Universe.

 

Realized that last night. That's great news to me! I corrected the article on the blog, but forgot to make the update here. Thanks for mentioning that, @Hard Case. Still feeling the end to this series is coming way earlier than deserved. I know if it's not selling that well Marvel can't devote shelf space to it. All that said, it did serve it's purpose nicely and it's better to end on a high note than to spread the story too thin