A while ago, Cartoon Network started showing a new cartoon called Star Wars: Rebels, set sometime between the Clone Wars series and the original Star Wars: A New Hope movie. I ended up really liking it. Now, they’re giving Kanan, the Jedi from that show, a miniseries about his past. Kanan’s real name is Caleb Dume, and he had some truly horrible timing. He finished his training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and finally found his way to the front lines of the Clone Wars, on a planet called Kaller. Caleb and his Master, Depa Billaba are settling in and learning to work with the clone troopers. Caleb even impresses his Master enough to get a holocron from her to further his studies.
Remember that timing I mentioned? Caleb’s just beginning to really feel like he found his place when Commander Gray, one of the troopers gets a message-initiate Order 66. Star Wars fans know that this was the order that told the troopers to turn on the Jedi and wipe them out. Bad things are coming next issue.
Plot: This was a good set up for the series. There’s even a page or so of the Rebels cast to frame the story. I’ll give this a 3.5 out of 5 for a fun story with the Star Wars feel.
Art: The look matches the cartoon, which is what this is based on. I liked it. The scenes of the two Jedi training were nicely done. I’ll say 3 out of 5 for the art.
Positives: There’s good Star Wars action, and we get to learn the past of Kanan, who’s been something of an enigma on the show. And that Order 66 on the last page was evil, but a good set up.
Negatives: Nothing really comes to mind. It was a nice story and the first piece of what I hope will be a fun series.
Star Wars: Kanan The Last Padawan
Writer: Greg Weisman
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover: Mark Brooks
