While many people have been showing up to the theaters to watch
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, there are also interesting happenings in the world of
Star Wars manga. Hardcore fans will recognize the name of Ken Liu as an experienced scribe in the
Star Wars universe, so it should prove reassuring that his stories have been adapted for the book we are reviewing today.
Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga is only one book, but it is actually a collection of four stories rather than one long tale. Each of the four sections is a completely different story about the great Luke Skywalker, all from different points of view that make for extremely interesting storytelling prompts.
The four stories contributed to this collection are
Starship Graveyard, I, Droid, The Tale of Lugubrious Mote, and
Big Inside. Not only does each chapter of Luke Skywalker's life follow a different protagonist which serves for an interesting enough premise, but each chapter of this collection received contributions by different talented artists.
Of the four stories, the first went by the quickest for me. I think they all reached me on a deeper level except for
Starship Graveyard, which isn't to say that it was a bad read, but even after going through it twice, I couldn't find myself to feel anything. The artist team-up for this first tale is made up of Japanese manga duo Akira Fukaya and Takashi Kisaki whose English manga debut is marked with
Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga.
While their art style isn't horrible, I prefer the other styles this book offers in the chapters ahead to Kisaki and Fukaya's work. The story behind
Starship Graveyard isn't bad, and it allows the reader to get a glimpse of the shining hope Luke Skywalker carries with him through the eyes of a stranger.
I, Droid marks the second tale in
The Legends of Luke Skywalker, this time with art provided by a longtime fan of
Star Wars, Haruichi. As the creator of the Japanese Webtoon
Leia Organa: Ordeal of the Princess, Haruichi's love for the intellectual property clearly predates this entry in the saga, and the passion is reflected in their work.
The storyline for
I, Droid is extremely touching for a plot that follows androids, and it plays out through the eyes of a poor droid who has been reluctantly reprogrammed to enforce other droids to work to death. The metaphor is a heavy one that hits home while the question is asked - is Luke Skywalker a man, and android, or both?
Not to overlook
The Tale of Lugubrious Mote, the third story in this collection, which happens to be one of my favorite. At the very least, I certainly find it to be the funniest. The art is the English manga debut of Japanese artist Subaru.
Anyone who has seen
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi will be thrilled with this chapter of the book as Luke Skywalker's attempt to free Han, Chewbacca, and Leia from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt is re-lived through the eyes of a character fans weren't aware was there! The tale makes for a hilarious re-imagining, and we don't want to spoil any more than that for you, so we suggest you check this one out for yourselves!
As for the last of the stories,
Big Inside, it finds a brilliant balance of adventure and emotion as a young Biology student gets trapped with Luke Skywalker and must look to his guidance in order to remain hopeful. As the two dive deeper into the dungeon that contains them, they learn more about not only their entrapment, but universe itself.
Akira Himekawa, the artist duo responsible for the
Legend of Zelda and
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess manga series leant their incredible talent to the final chapter of
Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga. Their experience is clear in the pristine work within the chapter and fans of manga art will want to take a look for themselves. Thanks to VIZ Media, you can below!
Overall, we have to give this manga collection a soaring score. While
Starship Graveyard was a decent enough story on its own, every other chapter hit the ball out of the park, earning VIZ and Ken Liu's
Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga five stars out of five in our book. As far as we're concerned, this title is a must grab for fans of both the
Star Wars universe and the manga medium.
What do you guys think? Do you think this something you're going to add to your collection? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! In the meantime, if you haven't seen it yet, feel free to check out the final trailer for
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!
When it's discovered that the evil Emperor Palpatine did not die at the hands of Darth Vader, the rebels must race against the clock to find out his whereabouts. Finn and Poe lead the Resistance to put a stop to the First Order's plans to form a new Empire, while Rey anticipates her inevitable confrontation with Kylo Ren.
Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga is now available in paperback for $14.99. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now playing in theaters worldwide.