Star Wars: Jedi Knights #2 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS No. 2, June 2025

Rather cleverly throwing his audience straight in at the deep-end of this comic’s storyline by utilising its opening scrawl to quickly establish a sense-shattering scene, Marc Guggenheim’s penmanship for Issue Two of “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” certainly imbues the twenty-page periodical with a pulse-pounding pace. In fact, even when the American television producer does decide to step away from the action and flashback to Yoda and Vetna Mooncrest's first steps upon “the remote moon of Veeros”, the diplomatic pleasantries with the majordomo droid Blue-Tark are politely short and succinct; “Thank you for your gracious hospitality. Extend our gratitude, please, to Atha Prime."

Of course, most of the readers’ attention will probably be focused upon the diminutive legendary Jedi Grand Master actually being 'out in the field’ fighting off a horde of seriously-fanged extra-terrestrials. Impressively demonstrating that numbers “matter not” before leaping off for a one-on-one duel with this ongoing series’ leading antagonist, it is hard to take your eyes off of the green-skinned leader of the Jedi Order. However, his female human companion is also very well written, displaying plenty of wit when her comrade-in-arms leaves her alone to face a ton of murderous Xerexi, as well as vulnerability due to her congenital condition’s implants being susceptible to the local radiation.

Similarly as successful as the heroes though, has to be the New York City-born author’s use of “a never-released Kenner action figure.” Atha Prime genuinely comes across as a terrifyingly mad, homicidal maniac, who whilst not up to the Dark Lord of the Sith’s standard, still manages to dominant all of the set-pieces in which he appears. Indeed, desperate to transform the galaxy in his own image by using his deadly creations to cut away its ills, the character appears to have been cut from a similar cloth to that of David 8 – the dangerous android seen in Ridley Scott’s 2012 science fiction film “Prometheus”.

Finally, a huge amount of praise should be heaped upon the shoulders of Madibek Musabekov and color artist Luis Guerrero for bringing this “strange, fantastic and mysterious world” to incredible life. The sense of so many vicious killers encircling this publication’s Jedi is truly palpable, as are the blows poor Yoda suffers at the hands of a clearly formidably trained Atha Prime.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS" #2 by Rahzzah

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS No. 1, May 2025

Announced at the 2024 New York Comic Con by “Marvel Worldwide”, Marc Guggenheim’s narrative for Issue One of “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” certainly seems to do a decent job in showing its audience just how “the guardians of peace and justice” went about their work prior to George Lucas’ 1999 movie “The Phantom Menace”. Indeed, during a month when rivals “DC Comics” published the top six best-selling titles (at least according to “icv2.com”), the fact that this ongoing series managed to rank twenty-seventh is arguably a testament to just how excited collectors possibly were for the Emmy Award-winning screenwriter’s vision of “a galaxy far, far away…”

Delightfully, these hopes certainly appear to be met with “The Invasion Of Syrinx Prime”, which quite cleverly manages to depict both the sheer scope of Supreme Chancellor Valorum’s democratic rule across the Republic, as well as simultaneously spotlight a fair few fan-favourite Jedi Knights too. This combination of Galactic Senate politics and light-sabre battles is quite beautifully intertwined within the American author’s narrative – especially once an assassination attempt is made upon Qui-Gon Jinn whilst he’s negotiating with General Lafco on the planet Vekura.

In addition, this twenty-four page periodical lives up to its pre-publication promise of introducing some “brand-new Jedi” into the era. Whether or not the “overconfident” Berem Khana will prove as popular as the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Mace Windu is rather doubtful. But the recently knighted character certainly seems to show potential with his mix of youthful arrogance and apparent willingness to learn from his more experienced mentors. In fact, the somewhat cynical young man rather surprisingly brings some much-needed humour to the narrative when he appears to ‘win’ favour with the Jedi Order’s legendary leader by simply quoting something Jinn had actually said to him in admonishment; “Suspicion is not knowledge. Theories are not truth.”  

Also helping to make this book a success is “rising star artist” Madibek Musabekov, who appears absolutely determined to cram as many recognisable Jedi Knights into their layouts as they can. Furthermore, the Kazakhstan-born penciller appears particularly adept at drawing the fast-paced action needed to depict a fully mature “member of the Order” who is at the height of their powers, with Qui-Gon’s aforementioned fight demonstrating just what the impressive Master of the Force can do with both his light-sabre and other special abilities.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS" #1 by Rahzzah