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.