Star Wars: The Fall of Kylo Ren #1 (Marvel Comics)
Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing the FIRST issue of Star Wars: The Fall Of Kylo Ren from Marvel Comics!
Following the events of the Legacy of Vader series, Kylo Ren is headed back to the First Order with a new found determination to bring the whole galaxy under his rule. His first target? The First Order itself! Let’s jump into it!
Credit: Marvel Comics // Star Wars: The Fall Of Kylo Ren #1 by Charles Soule (Writer), Will Sliney (Artist), Guru-eFX (Color Artist), VC’s Joe Caramanga (Letterer) & Phil Noto (Cover).
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The Story
Charles Soule is back at the helm of a Star Wars comic and all is right in the world! Following the events of his Legacy of Vader series, he’s back with another Kylo Ren series that is taking place right after his last one. This series is taking place in the time period between the events of The Last Jedi & The Rise of Skywalker.
I really like the way Kylo Ren is presented in a really interesting way in this issue. When I say Kylo Ren I expect you think of the scenes from the film’s where he’s destroying anything in front of him in a fit of rage. However that isn’t the case here at all. There’s almost a cold, calculating mood to him that feels almost alien. It’s not quite Sidious levels of cold and calculating, but it’s definitely out of character from what we’re used to.
Kylo Ren is taking this newfound outlook on things and turning his attention to the First Order and the galaxy at large, with his first target being the First Order & it’s leadership. The scene plays out in an interesting way, and really sheds some light on some key characters from Episode IX and how they got there. I did enjoy seeing this play out because it did add some clarity to just what happened between the films that they really needed.
The majority of the issue takes place in a battle over a planet the First Order is looking to conquer, and features some spectacular space battles amidst the backdrop of the story. Perhaps the most interesting part is a private moment Kylo has in his private quarters. It may not seem like much now, but I feel that it’s going to play a larger part and flesh out some interesting character development in Kylo by the time it’s all said and done.
The Artwork
Will Sliney & Guru-eFX are in charge of the artwork for the issue and they both do a fantastic job with the art. The space battles are particularly fantastic to look at, as well as the job they did recreating the actors from the films. I was really impressed with the spaceships on both sides of the battle because the level of detail on them is insane. I won’t say that I’m intimately familiar with what each wire and bolt does on the ships, but someone who might be could honestly look at them and make a breakdown video on them. I honestly can’t praise the level of detail in the artwork enough, because it’s seriously one of the best looking Star Wars issues I’ve seen this year.
Overall Grade: 9.5/10
Charles Soule is back with a series that Star Wars fans CANNOT MISS! A phenomenal story with artwork that will leave you stunned make this an issue you do NOT want to miss out on!
