Jedi of the Republic Mace Windu #3
Writer: Matt Owens
Penciler: Denys Cowan
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Release Date: October 25, 2017
Price: $3.99
Plot: After the first few issues of Mace Windu comic run, we are now starting to get a better sense of the conflict beneath the conflict. In Mace Windu #3, Mace and Rissa engage in battle with droids above ground, while beneath the earth, Kit Fisto and Prosset dibs battle the planets large subterranean creatures. As the issue unfolds we learn that General Grievous hired the mercenary droid as he was unable to make the trip, in anticipation that the Jedi would be there. We also learn that Prosset Dibs has a very real problem with the Jedi’s role in the war, and expresses this with flare.
Story: Mace Windu #3 unfolds slightly better than its predecessors. I still find some issues with the story delivery as a whole, but now we are starting to better understand the story’s theme. Prior to this we had some mundane fighting with a fairly cookie cutter style mission. The Jedi fought some droids, found out that a maleficent and unconvincingly capable new leader is commanding the droids, that the separatist army was after some sort of power source. This is all very common among Star Wars stories, or really any story. But in Mace Windu #3 we have conflict among the ranks, something that makes this far more interesting.
There are still a few points of confusion, however. For example, I can’t figure out why seeing the dead bodies that the Jedi find underground prompts Prosset to believe that the Jedi somehow are there to steal the energy without care for human life, like the separatists, and that the Jedi are the reason for the dead that they found there. If the separatists were allowed to continue their mission unimpeded then those people would have died either way. Prosset’s sudden flare of anger seems unrealistic and forced for the sake of causing conflict among the ranks.
I find issue when an element is forced into a story just to make it work. I feel that if the writer wants something to happen a certain way, it’s his or her job to ensure that the reasons that it is happening makes sense. Here we have a Jedi acting outside the character of a Jedi, suggesting that perhaps he shouldn’t have been a Jedi to begin with. His reaction to the horrible outcomes of war are frankly naïve as is his decision to attack Mace Windu. Furthermore, I feel that Mace Windu responding by indulging in Prosset’s request for battle, simply makes no sense. I find it to all be very forced and out of character.
Art: I don’t think I’m ever going to be fully sold on the art in this series. It’s too inconsistent and more often leading to not being very great. The scenes featuring close ups on the conversation with General Grievous actually turned out very well, but some of the others featuring the main characters came off as very sloppy. The general anatomy isn’t bad but I feel there are far too many sketch and definition marks in the line work that take the reader out of the story visually. The cover on the other hand is very nice. I really enjoy the detail in Mace, his lightsaber and the reflection. I find myself wishing that it better represented the interior art as well.
Verdict: This series isn’t turning out to be the best that Star Wars as given us, and it’s a shame considering that the character is one that should be held in high esteem. The characterization is off, the plot is shallow, and the forced actions – especially employed in this issue – just don’t seem to make sense. I am very disappointed with how this series is turning out, and after three issues, I doubt a fourth can make it better. I do not recommend the Mace Windu series.
Star Rating: 2 out of 5