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Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: November 20, 2013
Going back deep into the farthest reaches of history in the Star Wars universe, the Dawn of the Jedi is an entertaining, action-packed romp detailing who the Jedi are and how they came to be.
The events of this story occur roughly 36,000 years prior to the events of A New Hope so, in that sandbox, writer John Ostrander gets to craft a whole new original series. Here, they are known as Je'daii and have only just come into knowledge and possession of Forcesabers. The Force, at this point, is understood as a tool to be used for rule, channeling only the darkness into powering their abilities and their weapons.
But the offworlder Xesh is tired of the fighting, tired of the darkness and sees something more hopeful in the light side of the Force, what the Je'daii are attempting to embrace. He's taught them how to craft their own Forcesabers and they're soon put into action against evil Rakatan Infinite Empire and their Flesh Raider minions. These Je'daii are conflicted and weary but noble of purpose, attempting to still maintain their allegiance to the light side while having to still utilize the powers of the dark side.
It's a curious dilemma that longtime vet Ostrander works with very well, fleshing out his characters with real problems, honest conflict, here. And the artwork from Jan Duuresma serves up the action exceptionally well. The story and characters feel familiar without feeling like a rehash, offering up something new and interesting in the whole Star Wars canon of titles.
