It’s difficult to overstate how much of a Star Wars fan I am. Of all my fandoms, Star Wars is my favorite. While I love all of the Disney+ era of Star Wars, The Mandalorian will always stand out to me. It’s the space western we all secretly wanted combined with characters only Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni could provide. The Mandalorian jumpstarted a brand new era of Star Wars media, which has been incredible to see as a fan. Though it’s been a while since I’ve revisited Season 1 of The Mandalorian, it’s hard to forget the power of those first few episodes. When I saw that Viz Media released Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga, Vol. 1, which covers the first episode of Season 1 of The Mandalorian, I knew I wanted to experience all the awe and action of the show through a new lens. That new lens turned out to be the art and storytelling of the incomparable Yusuke Osawa.
Blurb
The Mandalorian and The Child are on the run, and nowhere is safe!
Years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, a solitary bounty hunter is given a simple mission. Find and return the Child to the Imperial Remnant, all that remains of the once all-powerful Empire. This mysterious orphan has a power that can possibly turn events in their favor, and acquisition of that power is paramount. Instead, the bounty hunter goes on the run with the Child to protect him from the forces that would do him harm. Here is the story of The Mandalorian, and his desperate quest to save the Child and himself.
Based on the series created by Jon Favreau and written by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Christopher Yost, and Rick Famuyiwa.
Review:
Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga, Vol. 1, covers the first episode of The Mandalorian television show, and not any new adventures with Mando and The Child. However, I still think it’s worth your while, even if you’ve seen the show more times than you can count. There’s something remarkable about seeing this well-loved show play out on page in Yusuke Osawa’s incredible illustrations. While the television show moves quickly from scene to scene, the manga allows you to sit in every action scene, absorb each piece of dialogue, and see each character up close.
My favorite scene in the manga was the first cantina interaction between Mando and Greef Karga. There is so much detail in this interaction that I didn’t pick up on before reading this manga: the sheer number of tracking fobs and pucks, the imperious stares from onlookers, and Mando’s immediate hesitation at taking Imperial credits. Yusuke Osawa’s illustrations and dialogue portray this cantina scene so well, which made it a joy to read. Throughout the book, I found myself picking up on new pieces of the setting and remarking on the well-drawn details of favorite bits – such as rotisserie kowakian monkey-lizard. Even seemingly simple scenes come alive as Yusuke Osawa’s art breathes new life into this Star Wars classic.
Final Thoughts: This book is an excellent read for any Star Wars fan, even those new to manga. The end of the book features an instructional page explaining how to read manga. Between those instructions and Yusuke Osawa’s fluid storytelling, this book makes manga easy for readers. This book is also appropriate for younger readers; if they’re old enough that you would feel comfortable showing them The Mandalorian on Disney+, then this book would be a great introduction to Star Wars, The Mandalorian, or manga in general.
Rating: 5/5 stars. I enjoyed this a ton and can’t wait for more in the series.
You can find Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga, Vol. 1 on Goodreads and Amazon. The English version of Volume 2 in this series drops on May 7, 2024, just in time for May the Fourth, so you’ll want to get up to date before then!
Thanks to Viz Media for a review copy of this book and for the art assets included in this review! All art included belongs to them. All above thoughts are my own.
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