Yoda #8 - Comic Review

The Size Matters Not storyline continues with Yoda #8, The Forge. With the approval of the Jedi Council Yoda, Anakin and a contingent of clone troopers make their way to Golatha, a remote world hidden within a nebula. They’re sent to investigate the whispers of a new threat, the Separatist Megadroids. The Republic encounters more resistance than expected and not everyone survives the mission. Can the Jedi take down the droid forge and live to tell the tale?

Writer Marc Guggenheim will have Clone Wars fans ecstatic with Anakin Skywalker being one of the main characters in Yoda #8. It’s somewhat rare to have these two pair up without Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Guggenheim does a great job of balancing adventure with humor (Anakin and Yoda do impressions of each other!). Guggenheim brilliantly keeps so much under the surface; Yoda and Anakin’s relationship is steeped in so much history and context and while those things aren’t spelled out on the page, for fans who know these characters well, they’ll appreciate the depth. Yoda #8 has adventure of the week vibes, and I honestly think that works in its favor. Plus, with numerous action sequences and a cliffhanger ending, it will keep readers on their toes and itching for the next installment.

Artist Alessandro Miracolo, color artist Annalisa Leoni and letterer Joe Caramanga round out the team bringing Yoda #8 to life. I absolutely love Miracolo’s work and particularly appreciate his take on Anakin; he goes for capturing Anakin’s spirit versus trying to make him look exactly like Hayden Christensen. Leoni’s color work does a great deal to enhance the storytelling. Whether in the Jedi Council chambers, on a distant planet, or inside a droid factory, Leoni knows just what to do to make each story beat land.

Phil Noto returns as the main cover artist, which undoubtedly will draw comic book browsers in with Anakin and Yoda attacking battle droids. Takashi Okazaki brings his unique manga-inspired style to his variant cover, which has Yoda contemplative while balancing on a tree branch. Yoda #8 also has a Pride Month variant cover by Javier Garrón which features The High Republic’s Kantan Sy, which makes absolutely no sense in the context of Yoda #8 but it’s stunning regardless.

Go on an adventure of your own and head to your nearest comic book retailer for your copy of Yoda #8 today!