Star Wars: Thrawn #1 Review

Star Wars: Thrawn #1

Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jody Houser
Artist: Luke Ross
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Review by Michael Farris, Jr.

Star Wars: Thrawn #1 is the first of six graphic novel adaptations of Timothy Zahn’s book of the same name. It explores the origin story of Grand Admiral Thrawn, from his introduction to the Empire to his rapid rise through the ranks. We get a glimpse into the strategic genius that we’ve seen in the books and shows thus far, and it’s just as enjoyable as before.

There’s a lot of aspects about Star Wars: Thrawn #1 that I really enjoyed. Thrawn has always been one of the best villains in the Star Wars universe—expanded or canon—and it was fun to see the Imperials confront this wild-looking stowaway from a wild space planet that you’d assume would be difficult to deal with…and somehow he sweet talks his way into gaining an audience with the Emperor. His chat with the Emperor goes so well that he’s on the fast-track to a promotion—minimal translation required. A lot of his intellectual prowess is displayed and doesn’t get diminished by Ezra or Kanan foiling his plans along the way.

It was also fun to see his relationship with his translator Eli Vanto develop. Don’t ever sit down with Thrawn and start telling him folk tales if you don’t want to be psychoanalyzed. Also, the use of internal dialogues and parallel situations added a lot of strength to the storytelling—and though it helped to have strong source material—the novel-to-comic transition was smoothly done.

One of the other things that impressed me about Star Wars: Thrawn #1 was the art. It had a classic comic-book feel, but at the same time, a lot of the subtleties were its strength. The facial expressions were very real and the action lines were utilized in a non-invasive, drama-inducing fashion.

Verdict: Buy it.

Star Wars: Thrawn #1 is definitely a must-have for Star Wars fans. Where other Star Wars comic adaptations like The Force Awakens felt like stale, slideshow versions of the movie, this adaptation brought to life the story in Timothy Zahn’s book. I’m pumped to keep reading this series to its completion.