Who was Qui-Gon's Padawan before Obi-Wan?
Taking place twenty-one years before Episode I, we get to see a younger Qui-Gon and find out more about his previous padawan.
The Good
Star Wars comics are hit or miss with me. I'm a big fan of the movies and novels but it's been hard to get into some of the comics. With this one, we're at a time just before Episode I. Knowing that Qui-Gon would play a role had me curious since we didn't get to see too much of him before he met his end. I have read some other comics with Qui-Gon and a young Obi-Wan so it's weird seeing him with another padawan. But weird in a good way. Seeing his character fleshed out more adds to making Qui-Gon more of a...character, knowing he had a life before Episode I.
The story shows us that being a master and having a padawan isn't an easy job, regardless of how great a Jedi they are. Seeing Qui-Gon get sent on a mission along with the cliffhanger ending makes things interesting. Thankfully the colors are muted. Often is Star Wars and sci-fi comics, the colors feel too...colorful.
The Bad
My biggest problem with Star Wars comics (and sci-fi ones in general) is the art and colors. I have mixed feelings about the art here. There were times where Qui-Gon's head looked a little too angular but other times I could really appreciate the style used.
We have an interesting story, unfortunately I know a little about Qui-Gon's padawan. That shouldn't be too much of a complaint since we knew the fates of Obi-Wan, Anakin, Yoda, etc in the prequel films. The story doesn't fully kick in until towards the end. It will get you hooked, just try to avoid reading about the padawan.
The Verdict
Who doesn't want (good) Star Wars comics? There's been a mixed bag of Star Wars comics in the past but luckily this is a good one. Taking place some years before Episode I, we get to see more of Qui-Gon in action along with his padawan before Obi-Wan (almost feels like he's cheating on him). My biggest complaints about Star Wars and sci-fi comics are the art and colors. The art here is good for the most part but there were moments Qui-Gon's head looked to angular. The colors are actually pretty nice as they have a slight muted tone that doesn't make the images look too bright. The story dealing with Qui-Gon's previous padawan is interesting and there's a nice cliffhanger but try to avoid reading up on who his padawan is so you can enjoy the suspense of the series.
