If you ask anyone who their least favorite Star Wars characters are, Jar Jar Binks would probably be at, or near, the top of many people’s list. The Gungan’s been a divisive figure ever since his appearance in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and in what can only be described as an omen of what happens when you talk about Star Wars online, actor Ahmed Best received an unwarranted mountain of vitriol. In the years since, The Phantom Menace, along with the rest of the prequels, have received a reappraisal – meaning that Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 came along at the right time.
Taking place during the Clone Wars, Jar Jar #1 sends Binks on a diplomatic mission to the planet Urubai, where he encounters Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Beq reveals that he was the one who called Jar Jar to the planet, as he needs his help with a mining operation gone wrong. The duo soon learn that a pair of bounty hunters, including Aurra Sing, have been called to the planet to tie up loose ends.
Jar Jar #1 drew attention when it was announced that Ahmed Best himself would be co-writing the special with Marc Guggenheim. It was more than a perfect fit; Best played Jar Jar and Beq, while Guggenheim’s previously written prequel-era tales with Star Wars: Jedi Knights (Beq even appeared in an issue of that series.) The duo strikes a great balance between Jar Jar and Beq, making sure that while Jar Jar retains a comedic edge he’s still the focus of the story and Beq gets his time to shine. The real meat, though, lies in Jar Jar discovering the repercussions of granting emergency powers to Chancellor Palpatine. Again, a large part of the internet blames Jar Jar for effectively handing control of the galaxy to a Sith Lord, but here Best and Guggenheim show there’s more to it than that, and give Jar Jar the chance to make a real change.
Marvel
In keeping with the theme of duality, Kieran McKeown and Laura Braga work together on art duties. Under their pencils, Jar Jar #1 boasts a style that borders on photorealistic. There are moments with Beq that feel like Best threw on his costume and let the artists draw him in different poses. Yet it also feels more fluid, as characters move around with ease. Take the battle against the bounty hunters: when Beq realizes that they’re in danger, he immediately draws his lightsaber and starts deflecting blaster bolts, with his saber turning into a whirling green shield. Jar Jar’s the character who benefits most from this approach, thanks to his unique physicality and Mike Atiyeh’s signature reddish-orange hue, which keeps him at the center of the page.
Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 offers a spotlight to one of the most maligned characters in the Star Wars universe, giving him a redemption of sorts. If you’re a fan of the prequels or The Clone Wars, definitely check out this comic.
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