Published: January 29, 2025
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Rated: T
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artists: Álvaro López & Laura Braga
Colour Artist: Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Vc’s Joe Caramagna
Cover: Pete Woods
The synopsis;
THE IMPERIALS MAKE THEIR FINAL PLAY!
• The Ewoks make a final stand against the Empire!
• The giant GORAX enters the fray – can anyone survive its mighty rage?!
The review;
It has been a very long time between releases for Ewoks. It seems a shame in a lot of ways. With the huge ‘Jakku’ trilogy coming out weekly, Ewoks has felt like it’s been left a little behind. It certainly doesn’t deserve that! After a slight mishap with the second instalment, the penultimate comic was exactly what I was looking for from an Ewok coming. Lots of action involving our furry friends, utilising lots of the different areas that they have appeared in over the years. Somehow it has already come down to the finale. Steve Orlando has been leading the charge supported by artists Álvaro Lopez & Laura Braga. They have done a tremendous job of bringing the forest moon of Endor to life. Even know, I’m still thinking about how they drew the duloks, who have never looked so good! Let’s get on with the show and see what this final instalment has in store for us.
I think with how this comic starts I need to start with the artwork, it is stunning! So, I don’t think that wonderful reveal of the duloks can be beaten but Lopez and Braga don’t try to top it, they try and do something different. The full-page spreads of Yuzzems is simply incredible, the full page of the Gorax, amazing! I’m jumping a bit, but the very last page is simply filled with a treasure trove of different creatures related to the Ewoks. I was over the moon to see one of my favourites – Teek! It is a wonderful finale for these two artists who really help to create some wow moments with these huge page spreads that really provide such an impact for the story.
The Gorax. I think at this point Orlando is just having fun! Not only do Lopez and Braga make him look great, but Orlando has him fighting the condor dragon, which as a fan of the Ewok Movies is pretty cool. But then Orlando goes even further and has him battling an AT-ST! Too right the Gorax wins that part of the battle! The coolness then moves onto the fact that the Yuzzems are in this issue, another hark back to the Ewoks animated series. There’s lots of drool worthy moments that just work so well.
While there are so many cool moments, nothing is better than a story with a message. While last issue felt more about action, Orlando makes sure you understand the message behind this endeavour. Wicket is the hero here, sharing his thoughts with us about what we are seeing and how it relates to us, the reader. In Return of the Jedi, we see that the Imperials are overconfident, that they think their technology can protect them from such primitives. The same is seen here yet a far deeper focus is given to the beliefs of the Ewoks themselves. These are precious and usually there for a reason. The Empire is happy to ignore them, thinking them quaint but pointless. We see here that they shouldn’t be simply ignored. It’s certainly a message that can be related to our time. There are so many different cultures who believe so many different things. We may think some of these are silly and can just be ignored, yet by doing so, we ignore where those beliefs came from. So many home remedies are coming back because people realise that they actually can help!
The other message that I think is particularly important at the moment is the issue of want. The Ewoks end up with a small army that could gain them wealth, that could allow them to do so much more. Yet for the Ewoks it’s pointless. If you have everything that you want, if you are content and happy, why would you try to get more. While our governments are telling us that we need more, that shops and advertising are telling us we want more, this is a perfect message to say that perhaps we need to stop. Stop and think if we do need more, or if actually we have enough. Seeing where the story has gone for these messages, I think reading this story in one go will make this even more poignant.
Finally, no series would be complete without a twist and Orlando provides with a clever one: Koyatta. Orlando plays this character brilliantly; you never think to question him or who he is. Yet Wicket is able to see right through him, more in tune than the group that follow the Imperial… leader. It was a great way to tie that up.
As a finale, this comic does a brilliant job. There is more depth here than in some of the other issues and I was very satisfied to see certain questions asked of the reader. The artwork is wonderful, and I love the wow effect that Lopez and Braga bring to the story. As a whole story, Orlando has had to ignore the continuity of what has been the “Ewoks’ but has forgotten none of it. This is a huge treasure trove for fans of the movies and animated shows. Orlando isn’t looking to replace it; this is his love letter to those unique productions. While I’m sure this could stay as it is, I would love Orlando to come back for another series. Something with the duloks would be fantastic, weaving its way within the animated show would be a dream come true. But beyond that, there’s Orvenk. He stole the spotlight for part three, but here he was out quite quickly (and I understand why). I would love to see his story carry on as he has really shone in this series. Fingers crossed it’ll be sooner than it feels it’s taken this issue to finally arrive!
Availability;
Star Wars: Ewoks is a 4-part mini-series published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available from comiXology and your local comic book shop.
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