Discussion: Star Wars: Kanan: The Last Padawan #2

[Selena Halcyon]

Alright so this came out on Wednesday and is absolutely awesome. If you read the first one (or even if you haven't) and you want a taste to tempt you into snagging it then check out this preview: here. This link was provided by [member="Janus Viminal"].

Now following this image will be spoilers.

So second issue is just as good as the first. I do not anticipate that I'm ever going to like this series more than Darth Vader (and I think Star Wars will end up in the long run just being stronger) but it is still absolutely a strong series like the rest of the new line of comics. So Order 66 actually happens in this issue which the last issue ended on the clone troopers getting the order.

It captures the absolute shock of the event. Kanan is paralyzed for some time because of the horror of his friends suddenly attacking him. It gets even worse when he sees his master, Depa, killing them. What is interesting is how ready Depa was to sacrifice herself for Caleb (Kanan's original name). Obviously, she is aware that both are likely not to survive, and it is the right thing to do to protect him since she is the master but it was still interesting. The best part of the whole situation is that Depa tells Caleb to run and that she will be behind him which Caleb knows is a lie. He knows it and still runs. I just know he feels a lot of guilt from that.

After the night of Order 66 on Kaller we get a few pages of Caleb hiding around the city. It is then that we get introduced to Janus Kasmir, a native and scoundral. We had briefly seen him in the previous issue. Now we have no idea why but Janus helps Caleb fully knowing he was a Jedi. In fact, he goes a step farther than just feeding him, his first act, but giving him a place to rest for a night and shower for the first time in days. It is a great show of compassion from what we can only assume is a pretty rough character. And it was not even a trick. We later see, when Caleb awakens, that Janus is telling clone troopers how stupid it is that they want to search his ship.

Then Caleb steals his ship, which is pretty hawt btw. He then flies to Coruscant. Just as he comes out of hyperspace he gets the message from Obi-Wan. It ends with a nice panel of Janus' stolen ship above Coruscant surrounded by ARC-170s.

Speculation: Given the revealed cover of #4 it is probably safe to assume that Kanan and Janus are going to meet up again. I'm looking forward to this because we also know that Kanan will likely not spend a long time with Janus given the content of A New Dawn, but we can also assume that Janus will have a significant impact on influencing how Caleb transforms into Kanan. I also look forward to the potential that Janus and his sexy ship appear in Rebels (doubtful but I can hope).


As an aside this comic got me thinking about how truly tragic Order #66 is for the clones. It really just destroys who they are. This little chip in their head completely removes their own volition and they must hunt the Jedi. The scene that made me realize this was when the Clones order this whole multiday hunt for Caleb after Order 66. I mean they go from, in many instances, being friends or at least close to the Jedi to desiring them dead. I have to imagine that they will live that way from then on out (unless they get the chip removed) and that is just absolutely awful and dehumanizing.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

I'm a big, die-hard reader. I've read over at least 2,000 books in my short lifetime. I have read every SW book out there including the Graphic Novels. However, I don't find the appeal from Graphic Novels as entertaining or mind expanding that you get from books. Also, since Disney has decided to launch their own series of books (Heir to the Jedi and Lords of the Sith (others still due to come out)) as a pretense to their upcoming movie, I must say that both books are kinda of weak in certain chapters.

Heir to the Jedi (written by Kevin Hearne (one of my fav writers)) shows a different side of Luke Skywalker that we don't get from the original books that have been pretty much put to fire. Thanks Disney. Jerks. As a recommendation to read: 3/5

Lords of the Sith (written by Paul Kemp) is an interesting read. Shows the relationship between Vader and Paps and other interesting side bars. And it shows the foundation of a rebellion brewing. Sorry Starkiller....you have been axed as well. As a recommendation to read: 4/5

With Disciple due to be released soon....I'm interested to see where Disney is going with all their pre-approved/arranged books in terms of SW 7. Since the movie is set along time ago from Return of the Jedi....unless of course Disney pulls a sneaky sneak.

But to be fair to the OP....I'll look for issue #1 to read then move on to issue #2.

 

[Torvas]

Janus does have a pretty sexy ship, his reconditioned TIE Defender is...oh, you mean Janus Kasmir from the comic and not my Janus. Aww, just kidding, hehe!

Thank you for the tag [member="Selena Halcyon"] ! I should probably preface all of this with saying that I didn't name my character for Janus, but it would be really neat if he appeared in Rebels. For that matter, I wouldn't necessarily mind if there was a back story comic like this for Hera or Zeb or someone else from the show, though I'm not sure if you could go on quite as long with it if you had done something like that.

Out of curiosity [member="Darth Venefica"] since you've read so many of these books, do you have any recommendations from the classic era? Sorry to get too far off topic!

As to the idea that the entire concept with Order 66 and the chip is dehumanizing, well, I think that it's even more tragic considering that the clones are already dehumanized by what they are considering that they're clones in the first place and therefore many individuals don't think of them as real people. Sad, no?

 

[Via Dolorosa]

[member="Janus Viminal"]

I really enjoyed the Old Republic novels....more characters, detailed characters, and it wasn't all about Skywalkers and such. If you haven't read them yet, you should check out the trilogy on Darth Bane. Path to Destruction....Rule of Two....Dynasty of Evil. Also a good read is Fatal Alliance....sith and jedi working together to stop a threat in the galaxy.

 

[Selena Halcyon]

If you want the real classics to read go for the X-Wing series. It is quite frankly one of the best series around that truly captures the essence of Star Wars and provides a fantastic continuation of where Return of the Jedi left off. Honestly, I would recommend staying away from the Bane Trilogy. It has so many wonky force powers and just absurdity within it that it is one of the bigger reasons that I am so glad that the canon has be reset.

Ya know, Janus, I completely missed the fact that you and the character had the same name. Just went right over my head. Maybe because I think of you as blue avatar person. Talk about dehumanizing

And yes, the story of the clones start tragic, but we see real characterization and individuality in the Clone Wars series. We also see them get treated decently by the Jedi (for the most part) and like people. So it is elevated so much by the fact that those who treated them well end up being stripped from them. It is just awful.

Venefica, gonna be honest I'm not much of a comic book person myself. I read Walking Dead because it caught me at the right time. However, there is something that has always felt right in many of the comics representation of Star Wars that greatly surpasses the majority of the books. Republic and Legacy series read like the movies and just feel so rooted in Star Wars and the mythos. Whereas many of the books seem to try and elevate the powers to these ridiculous levels. Jedi end up with virtual omniscience, which is so different from what is seen in the movies and TV show. In actual Star Wars the force is an enhancer and a light magic (insofar as magnitude) all things considered, yet in the books these characters just end up insanely powerful doing things you would never see in the TV shows or the movies. Quite frankly, very seldom is that ever seen in Star Wars comics, and I love that.

 

[Kira Vaal]

I agree that this second issue actually increased my want for this series to continue as well as apply a much needed boost in my appeal towards Kanan. Plus as the OP indicated the real tear away was the scarily sudden change between friend and murderer through the medium of the Clone Troopers, they pulled it off well. One sentence he's laughing at a joke the next covering his face with his helmet so he can eradicate his enemy. Kanan's reactions to having known those he attacked was a great idea to keep the emotion.

Janus' ship is indeed smexy all over and I'm really considering going and finding what it is so I can steal it.

 

[Torvas]

The X-Wing books really are that great. Venefica, thanks for the Old Republic suggestion. I really like the new Star Trek: Seekers novels for the same reason - they focus on many unique characters rather than rehashing the same constant ones over and over again. I'll give a look to the Old Republic novels when I get a chance.

Right now I'm finishing a few books I found in my collection that I never got around to. I had a few of the earliest Star Wars novels, and I never read them. The novelization of the first movie is significantly different from the finished film, and it's really quite good. I like some of the concepts from it a lot. I'm currently reading Splinter of the Mind's Eye, which I understand is the earliest original novel. I'll let you know what I think.

Sorry if I'm getting off track!

By the way, I named my character Janus after a reference to the Latin language considering that Bib Fortuna's name is a similar reference.

I should probably be honest and say that I love comic books and would consider myself a huge fan of both North American comics as well as manga, so I'm already warming up to these series as a whole on that alone. That being said, I know exactly what you mean about many novels making Force powers much more outrageous than they ever would have been on screen ever.

I'm loving the art and setting style in these. I'm going to be honest and say that I was originally a little leery because I generally don't care for things dealing with events from the prequal movies as much as events from the original trilogy and expanded universe, but I wasn't pleasantly surprised.

Sorry, I don't mean to ramble on too much and pollute the thread, haha!