Of all of the characters introduced in the Star Wars prequels, Mace Windu is, perhaps, the one that fans have wanted to see explored in more detail than any other. And, aside from a previous comic miniseries and appearances in books and animation, we haven’t had any real stories that feel like they’re fully committed to providing more about Mace. The character has always seemed a little one-dimensional, which is a little nuts for a character played by a fantastic actor. But Windu’s cold, calculated characterization is still intriguing, and Marvel/Lucasfilm is taking another shot at a comic starring the purple-saber wielding Jedi. Does its first issue teach us anything new about him?
Written by Marc BernardinCover by Mateus Manhanini
Penciled by Georges Jeanty
Inked by Dexter Vines
Colored by Andrew Dalhouse
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramagnaONE OF THE GREATEST JEDI MUST STOP AN INCENDIARY SECRET FROM FALLING INTO THE WRONG HANDS! Even in the years before THE CLONE WARS, MACE WINDU was known for his discipline, determination and combat skills. When a scientist’s discovery threatens the balance of the galaxy, Mace is led down a treacherous path of mystery and action. Introducing AZITA CRUUZ, a pirate with a deadly secret, who the HUTTS and the REPUBLIC will stop at nothing to control!
The short answer is that no, this comic doesn’t really shed any new light on Windu. It does the other thing missing from most of his on-screen appearances, however, which is that Marc Bernardin and Georges Jeanty turn him into the badass that was only really hinted at in Attack of the Clones. Making a Jedi seem like he’s truly dangerous is tough, because the entire idea behind the Jedi is that they are agents of peace and balance, and most badassery is built around the opposite. Bernardin does a great job of walking this line by allowing Windu to do impressive Force stuff that doesn’t put lives at risk. Even the droids that he malfunctions wind up rehabilitated at the end. The imagined threat of violence is somehow more imposing than seeing Windu actually beat up a bunch of thugs.
A lot of this story is told through narration from Windu’s internal monologue, which is a convenient and, sometimes, cheap way to pull information out of a character, but Bernardin uses that aspect of it sparingly. Instead of giving us thought about Windu’s childhood or personal struggles, we just get strategy and rhetorical questions. This doesn’t really change his appearance as ‘Jedi-bot 5000,’ but it rings true with the previous characterization we’ve seen. If we are going to get more emotion and personal history from Windu, it appears to be handled in a slow roll out, which is an effective approach.
Another refreshing approach to this comic is Jeanty’s art, which never gets bogged down in a ‘how photo accurate can we make Mace Windu resemble Samuel L. Jackson’ contest. So many Star Wars comics are obsessed with the idea of having the characters perfectly resemble the actors in the films that the pages look stiff and restrained, especially when one character looks traced and the rest look more authentically presented. Jeanty doesn’t make Windu look unlike Jackson, but trusts the audience’s ability to understand the difference between mediums and not care that not every shot could be a cel from a film.
This issue is bookended by action sequences, and Jeanty makes those moments fluid and fast-paced through panel composition and layout, while also offering a bevy of detail and important characterization. Whether it is Windu’s serene expression while wielding the Force on a boat or Azita’s eyes, full of worry and concern, betraying her body’s confidence, Jeanty makes sure that the reader is aware of who these characters are, as well as what they are doing.
No artist has ever really been able to nail down a comics version of Yoda yet, so Jeanty should feel no shame about his Yoda being more Yogurt from Space Balls than Jedi master, but since Jeanty doesn’t seem as focused on the realism aspect, it doesn’t feel like a particular swing and a miss the way it would if Yoda appeared heavily worked over.
Overall, this comic does a lot of things well: it gives a good central conflict that feels accurate to this era of Star Wars, it lets its artist do their thing, and it gives the readers an overall sense of who the Mace Windu of this comic is. Whether or not this series can do the work to transcend all of that remains to be seen. Do we really want a more understood/known Mace Windu? I’m not sure, but the opposite question – do we want to know nothing about him? – seems untrue also. It’s a tough line to walk, but Bernardin and Jeanty seem like they’re at least willing to wrestle with that situation.
Final Verdict: 7.1 – “Star Wars: Mace Windu” is off to an inspired start, but the real successes of this series won’t be known until the depth of the story reveals itself.
