Broken Frontier

Regardless of how one feels about the Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn stood out as a unique Jedi character because he was outspoken instead of stoic, defiant instead of blindly loyal to the Council, and had an air of mystery to what made him that way in the first place. In the forebodingly named Star Wars: Jedi - The Dark Side #1, one wonders what information will be revealed about Jinn’s possible brush with the dark side.

Jinn and his apprentice Xanatos are called upon to investigate a dispute on Telos IV, but before they take off, Xanatos showcases a tightly wound superiority complex strained with insecurity. Xanatos deals the winning blow in a training session, but Jinn proudly congratulates the other apprentice participant, leaving Xanatos confused. As interesting this premise could be, an arrogant Jedi obsessed with his childhood life who constantly feels like he’s getting the short end of the stick is the exact same formula that turned Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. Allie’s scripting does a great job of instantly creating a character full of inner turmoil, but why could he not come up with a new way to fall to the dark side?

Perhaps Allie chose to bank on nostalgia. The rest of the issue is rife with it: a group of Jedi receives marching orders from the Council, Yoda broods about the Padawan’s faults, and Jinn discusses with the sly and sexy Tahl how the force feels strongest in significant places like Naboo. Such is the Star Wars formula.

Asrar proves a master of motion as the characters stab, slash, and lunge about with their light sabers, but the focus never wavers from Jinn, wearing a calm and determined face, and Xanatos, who grits his teeth and furrows his brow. Special attention was also given to the highly detailed training room where numerous statues of past Jedi line the walls like stone spectators. While there are great pencils throughout, an artistic misstep occurs when a mysterious woman appears who resembles a mash-up of Princess Peach and Cyndi Lauper wearing a pink winter coat. It’s enough to make Barbie gag.

Much like the Phantom Menace, the plot tries to be interesting while referencing what came before it. Jinn’s unique character carries the story forward just enough that any fan would continue reading in hopes of uncovering more about the unorthodox Jedi master.