Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 Review

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist: Will Sliney

Rating: 7 of 8

Star Wars

The Rise of Kylo Ren #1

The fall can sometimes be just as compelling as the rise. This has definitely been the case with Star Wars, with one of the best examples being Anakin Skywalker's dark descent. In the prequels, the Jedi was a slave, later manipulated by Chancellor Palpatine. As a young man, he suffered many losses; losing his hand, his mother - even his soul.

Many years later, his grandson suffered a similar fate. Before he became Kylo Ren, he was Luke's apprentice and here we see the night he fell. Though I still have a problem with its' catalyst, the issue not only adds more dimension to his fall, but also his character.

In The Last Jedi, Ben was the only one of Luke's students we saw, but that's rectified here. I liked how they differed on their approaches to Ben, with one seeking to bring him in, while the other wants to help him. The issue does well illustrating both his skill in the Force and aerial battle, which I definitely appreciate.

Although we've got very little of them on film, here we get more of a feeling of who the Knights of Ren are - and it definitely intrigues me. Soule distinguishes them from both the Jedi and Sith and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of them. Even though they're all visually similar, Sliney does well in distinguishing them in small ways.

I definitely recommend the issue. It's a great start to the series, really adding to Ren's character and backstory. There's very little I'd criticize, though in an early fight scene, I would've pulled the fighting further away from the Knight's conversation, in order to give it more space. Well worth a read for Star Wars fans, especially those hungering for more of Kylo Ren's origin.

Red Mother #1 Review

Writer: Jeremy Haun

Artist: Danny Luckert

Rating: 7 of 8

Red Mother #1

Just another day for Daisy and Luke takes a decidedly darker turn when they're attacked walking home. It's an encounter that leaves Daisy's life irrevocably changed. Her boyfriend's missing, she doesn't know if he's alive or dead and on top of that, the police seem to think he's responsible.

Most of the issue's Daisy dealing with the aftermath. Taking meds, getting her eye socket checked, lashing out in anger. Though her best friend reaches out, she isn't ready to talk, or fully open up.

Things get really interesting - and sinister -   when it comes to her eye. These moments only happen intermittently, but when they do, they're very welcome and, especially at the end, indicate darker days to come.

There's very little to criticize about the issue. Most of the dialogue fits very well. There's only one piece I think could've been improved, which was when the police were interviewing Daisy Instead of rushing to the point, he takes his time, which I really appreciate, especially in horror.

Some of the art works particularly well, especially in the opening and closing scenes, which're especially memorable. Haun + Luckert do a great job of showing Daisy's turmoil, both through art and dialogue. Overall, it's a incredibly good debut and well worth a read.

20XX #1 Review

Writer: Lauren Keely
and Jonathan Luna  

Artist: Jonathan Luna

Rating: 6 of 8

20XX #1

There's something about the world Keely and Luna have conceived that intrigues me. Similar to stories like Orphan Age and Revolution, it picks up sometime after a cataclysmic event, with society forced to adjust to this new status quo. A virus spread, killing countless people, with survivors gaining psychokinetic abilities.

Simply surviving infection is hard enough, but the struggle's only exacerbated by the use of these abilities being illegal. For Meria, things go from predictable, to ecstatic, to crushing, in just a few days. She loses out on a promotion, her job and just barely escapes alive. Keely wastes no time in moving the story along, with Moore becoming sick only 6 pages in.

20XX goes from being a hopeful story, in a dystopian society, to one where the lead's struggling to survive because of the same thing causing so much strife. Keely does a good job illustrating just how alone Meria really is. There's a great piece of sequential art from Luna, showing Meria going from hopeful, to slightly weary, to upset and finally, frustrated. It's a pretty good use of the medium.

I'm not sure why the comic's black and white, though it could be indicative of a lack of vibrancy or colour in it's world. I would've liked more of Meria dealing with how much her life's changed, instead of moving onto the search for her brother. The reason for this makes sense, so maybe this is her dealing with it. I'm not sure about a later scene, as I worry it'd mean the character's more powerful than they should be at this point, but issue 2 could explain it.

Overall, a pretty good issue, with a stronger first half, some very good art and a decent premise. If any of this sounds interesting to you, be sure to give it a go.