The Rise of Kylo Ren #3
Author: Charles Soule
Artist: Will Sliney
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
After what feels like eons, the third issue of The Rise of Kylo Ren is finally here! The second issue ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it's good to finally see it resolved. To recap the events of the first two issues for anyone who may not remember, Ben Solo is on the run. Snoke destroyed Luke's Jedi Temple and killed all of his students except for three; those three happened to be some of Ben's close friends, and they think he betrayed them all and is a murderer. He escaped them and found Snoke; after an evil pep talk, Ben decided to look into joining the Knights of Ren. He went back to the first place he saw them, at a Jedi Outpost, and the three Jedi found him. That's where the series left off...
And that's where we stay, for a while. The third issue opens up after the inevitable fight, and shows Ben finding the Knights on a planet called Varnak. They require a good death for him to join their ranks, and that's when the stinger happens... Ben says he has one. Now, we see Ben's fight with the Jedi, but now we know that one of the three is going to die in it. This is a good example of why Charles Soule is one of the best comic writers out there; before we even know anything about these three new characters, we're already worried about them dying.
That worry is only bolstered by what happens during the fight sequence; as Ben fights each of the three, we get a flashback showing the kind of relationship Ben had with each of them growing up. Now we're attached to them, at least a little bit, and it hurts seeing Ben forced to fight his friends. In the end, Ben lashes out in anger, and unintentionally kills Hennix, the Quarren Jedi. It wasn't premeditated murder, but it was murder, and it wasn't an accident either, since he first intended to kill Voe. It's a pretty emotional moment; it really feels like something you'd see in a Star Wars movie.
But despite Ben's heart being in the right (evil) place, it's not enough for Ren. It wasn't a "true" murder and doesn't count, so Ren decides to help him out. The Knights give Ben his own Knights of Ren outfit, and take him to get his first real kill; that's where the issue ends... I loved this issue. It wasn't as mindblowing as the first two, but that's not a bad thing. It was more methodical, and gave the characters and story the background it needed, so that we feel attached to the characters. That was my one gripe with the series until now; with only four issues, I was worried we wouldn't see enough of the other students to care about them. But after this issue, that's not a problem. Soule continues to be the best writer in Star Wars comics, and Will Sliney's art continues to impress, even if he still can't get Adam Driver's face right. I'm looking forward to the final issue, and I'm really sad it's already ending!
Artist: Will Sliney
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
After what feels like eons, the third issue of The Rise of Kylo Ren is finally here! The second issue ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it's good to finally see it resolved. To recap the events of the first two issues for anyone who may not remember, Ben Solo is on the run. Snoke destroyed Luke's Jedi Temple and killed all of his students except for three; those three happened to be some of Ben's close friends, and they think he betrayed them all and is a murderer. He escaped them and found Snoke; after an evil pep talk, Ben decided to look into joining the Knights of Ren. He went back to the first place he saw them, at a Jedi Outpost, and the three Jedi found him. That's where the series left off...
And that's where we stay, for a while. The third issue opens up after the inevitable fight, and shows Ben finding the Knights on a planet called Varnak. They require a good death for him to join their ranks, and that's when the stinger happens... Ben says he has one. Now, we see Ben's fight with the Jedi, but now we know that one of the three is going to die in it. This is a good example of why Charles Soule is one of the best comic writers out there; before we even know anything about these three new characters, we're already worried about them dying.
That worry is only bolstered by what happens during the fight sequence; as Ben fights each of the three, we get a flashback showing the kind of relationship Ben had with each of them growing up. Now we're attached to them, at least a little bit, and it hurts seeing Ben forced to fight his friends. In the end, Ben lashes out in anger, and unintentionally kills Hennix, the Quarren Jedi. It wasn't premeditated murder, but it was murder, and it wasn't an accident either, since he first intended to kill Voe. It's a pretty emotional moment; it really feels like something you'd see in a Star Wars movie.
But despite Ben's heart being in the right (evil) place, it's not enough for Ren. It wasn't a "true" murder and doesn't count, so Ren decides to help him out. The Knights give Ben his own Knights of Ren outfit, and take him to get his first real kill; that's where the issue ends... I loved this issue. It wasn't as mindblowing as the first two, but that's not a bad thing. It was more methodical, and gave the characters and story the background it needed, so that we feel attached to the characters. That was my one gripe with the series until now; with only four issues, I was worried we wouldn't see enough of the other students to care about them. But after this issue, that's not a problem. Soule continues to be the best writer in Star Wars comics, and Will Sliney's art continues to impress, even if he still can't get Adam Driver's face right. I'm looking forward to the final issue, and I'm really sad it's already ending!
A Look Inside
