Comic Review: Ewoks #1 (of 4)

Did I rush to tell my editor that I would be the one to review this comic? Did I jump up for joy when I knew that there would be a series dedicated to these furry little creatures? The answer is a resounding Yub Yub! Let me cast aside any illusions, I love the Ewoks. Growing up in the nineties meant I saw nothing wrong with these creatures and one of my all-time favourite movies to watch at my grandparents was The Battle for Endor. As I got older, this film held such a special place in my heart. I have previously written a few articles for Jedi News on the subject of Ewoks and films. Then came my daughter Ember. She is now seven and I’ve just had to buy her first animated Ewok T-shirt because she wanted one. Not only do we watch both Ewok movies at least once a month, but I now know the E- E- E- E- Ewoks animated show rather well. Whether it be the Duloks, the Sunstar or just seeing the wider variety of Ewoks in the show, I know it all! So, with this series announced and finally here, my expectations are rather high! Steve Orlando is the writer, who has done a wealth of work for Marvel and DC comics, as well as writing the Bulk and Skull parts for Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (I’m rather a big fan of that series too!). Writing something like Bulk and skull and then writing Batman shows the sort of range Orlando has and I’m very interested to see what direction he will take Ewoks in. Joining him are artists Álvaro Lopez & Laura Braga. Lopez has worked on Batman, X-Men and Daredevil, someone who knows how to use shadows well. Braga has worked on Future State and Young Justice, it’ll be interesting to see how the two come together in the issue. With introductions made, let’s get straight into the issue and find out what we have here…

As soon as the issue starts, with the introduction, you can already hear the voice of the narrator from Caravan of Courage. It’s a great way to start it. Orlando goes back before he can go forward, having Wicket quickly recap what happened in Return of the Jedi. As a fan of the Ewok movies, I was a bit worried when Wicket claimed that Leia was the first human he had met, I mean we were always led to believe the Ewok movies occurred before the actual Star Wars films. Of course, the films aren’t canon and then I thought, ok, so maybe Orlando is just going to ignore them. I’m still not entirely sure he hasn’t but I’m starting to think that maybe he has just moved the movies later. If you’re writing an Ewok comic, you don’t want to be tied down with too much canon, yet I think you’ve also got to expect that fans are going to have watched the movies. The further into the comic I delved, the more it almost lines up with the movies. We get to hear mention of the Gorax, something Wicket is fascinated by. We then see him have to do battle with a temptor, which Mace needs rescuing from in Caravan of Courage. As I’m seeing these events unfold, and Wicket having no idea about them, I’m starting to think this is how Wicket learns about them ready for the movies. I really hope so!

Little nods to the Ewok movies are always welcome, but there is a far deeper message to this first comic. The Ewoks are discussing when space travellers will arrive again; what are they to do? Chirpa and Logray know they need to prepare but there is some dispute. Another, wiser Ewok – called Meedro – lives alone from the rest of the Ewoks. He believes that they need to be ready to attack and defend, to make sure they are ready for aggression. Wicket, who is far younger and less experienced, believe that this isn’t the case. They should have a more open-heart, a more welcoming nature to other visitors that come. However, because of his age, Wicket is practically ignored by the other Ewoks. As the issue continues, you can see that Wicket’s youthful energy and excitement gets him into trouble – trouble that needs solving by the older, more experienced Meedro. It’s interesting to see and a tale that has been told before, as I imagine Wicket will eventually teach Meedro something about himself. Yet I can’t complain about the journey. To see these pieces from across Ewok lore brought together and to see it all through Wicket’s eyes is a joy. There is also the realisation from Wicket that he is maybe not ready, that he is lacking experience. The self-doubt – I imagine – will be highlighted in future issues, something he will have to contend with.

It is probably a good time to mention the artwork from Lopez and Braga. It’s stunning. There are many panels that just look incredible. The close-up shot of Wicket’s face near the start of the issue has really stayed with me. The other part is the duloks. Yes, the duloks are here and they have been drawn brilliantly. Updated from the cartoon but still keeping their character and mischief. I am really looking forward to what else is coming in the rest of the series, as this is certainly a fantastic start.

It isn’t all just about the Ewoks. The Imperials are here in the form of Moff Adelhard. If you’ve started the Jakku comic series, you will understand why his timing in this is perfection! He needs weapons, and General Koyatta has been found and promises that there is a huge stash of weaponry hidden on the forest moon of Endor. It’s interesting to see the Empire having to return to Endor, the fact that the Rebels left no-one behind, nor thought to check for any such weapons themselves. But what I like most, is that you can sense the fear off the returning Imperials, the ones who have already served on the moon. They know that there is some serious trouble within the forests and aren’t as arrogant as I imagine they were the first time around. They are also not alone, being joined by Zuckuss and 4-LOM. I love that these two bounty hunters are back and tasked with trying to find the depot. With some added mystery for the Imperials to who the Great devoured and Red Ghost are, their tale is shaping up to be quite spooky. If Orlando follows old Star Wars lore, we – as the reader – know who these two are. The former is a gorax and the latter is Asha, the daughter of Chief Chirpa. This is a great Easter egg for fans but if you’ve started don’t know the cartoon, adds some mystery to this character.

For a first issue, this really sets a great stage for Orlando to work from. The comic is filled with nods towards the movies and cartoon. I’m not too sure how it all fits but I’m going to worry about that when the series comes to an end. It doesn’t matter if you have viewed the aforementioned media, Orlando does a a great job of ensuring that you know as much as you need to. The artwork provided by Lopez and Braga is brilliant, capturing the essence of the moon, the Ewoks and bringing realism to those things that we’ve only seen in cartoon form before now. I also like that I will be able to share this with my daughter and she will get all the little references. It’s a good start, one that will satisfy Ewok fans and have fans (who might be sitting on the fence) intrigued because of the inclusion so Adelhard. I can’t wait for the next instalment!