The Mandalorian #1 - Comic Review

No one was asking for a comic book adaptation of The Mandalorian, but sometimes we get things we didn’t know we needed. Writer Rodney Barnes has taken everything we love about Mando and retells it in a way that makes the material fresh and nostalgic all at once. Are there surprising plot twists? Of course not. Is the tone of the live action series crafted beautifully for the comic book medium? 100% yes.

Surrounding Barnes is the creative team of penciler Georges Jeanty, inker Karl Story, color artist Rachelle Rosenberg and letterer Joe Caramagna. This team gets so much right visually. Instead of trying to painstakingly recreate the characters and settings, they take a more cartoon-like approach that just works. Mando in particular seems to take visual inspiration from Boba Fett’s animated debut in 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special (a nice tie-in to the origins of the character’s design for the show)—he’s still a bounty hunter not to be messed with just in a slightly different package. So much of what makes the live action series stand out—its use of silence, its Western feel, even the music—is present in the comic book too. There are full pages of panels without dialogue that more than effectively keep the story moving, and I couldn’t help but hear composer Ludwig Göransson’s iconic soundtrack as I read. While these points may speak to the strength of the source material, credit needs to be given to this amazing artistic team for pulling this story off in comic book form. Cover artist Adi Granov’s work features the titular star in all his action hero glory and will be a stunning addition to any Star Wars comic collection.

Something worth mentioning is how the existence of this comic book adaptation opens the door to a younger audience to engage with this material. The live action series likely isn’t on the approved watch list for many families but I’d say that kids as young as 8 could read this series. As a father of kids chomping at the bit to consume Star Wars, I’m more than happy to provide them an avenue that’s age appropriate and doesn’t involve a screen.

The Mandalorian #1 is on sale now and is a great way to get your fix between seasons, so hop on a Blurrg and get your copy today!