A Comic Panel Far Far Away: All Ages Adventure In Star Wars Adventures V1
by Tony Thornley
All ages comics are a crucial part of the industry that have fallen by the wayside. Not all comics are appropriate for kids, but for the industry to continue to grow it’s critical to bring in new young readers. That’s exactly what Star Wars Adventures set out to do.
In 2017, IDW Publishing launched the series as an all-ages option for the Star Wars fan. It’s led to other all ages books based on Disney owned properties including a Clone Wars miniseries that was set to launch April 1, before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Diamond, and the Marvel Action line of series. They’ve all been incredibly fun books.
The volume one collection collects only the first two issues, as well as a bonus short not seen in the monthly issues. The stories range from all over Star Wars history by Cavan Scott, Landry Q. Walker, Elsa Charterrier, Pierre Colinet, Derek Charm, Sarah Stern, Tom B. Long, Jon Sommariva, Sean Parsons, and Charlie Kirkchoff. This collection features a Droids story, a Rey story set just before The Force Awakens, an Obi-Wan story from around the beginning of the Clone War, and a story set in the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin.
I’m a parent of two young boys. Both are interested in Star Wars. However, there’s no way I would sit them down with a series like Marvel’s Target Vader or Rise of Kylo Ren no matter the quality of those series. This series is the best option for them. Not only are they short attention grabbing adventures, but they also span so much of the franchise’s history that it doesn’t matter what your favorite is. There’s something here for you.
Another bar I personally judge all ages comics on as well is whether they’re truly “all ages.” That doesn’t mean just that kids can get into them. It means that it can also grab and hold an adult’s attention. None of these stories are high literature, but they are entertaining and fun. They would be just as accessible as a bedtime story as they would be a quick read on a quiet afternoon.
The art is cartoony without being overly simple. Charm, Charterrier and Sommariva all bring their A-game, filling the pages with detail. They also embrace the universe they’re working in, using aliens, vehicles and tech that enrich the story. The color art is bright and eye-catching as well, perfect for young readers.
Like I said, this isn’t a collection that will be seen as the best Star Wars story ever told. It would be one that any parent would be comfortable handing to their child, or reading to them before bed. And that’s the important thing.
Star Wars Adventures Volume 1, IDW Publishing, 2017. Written by Cavan Scott, Landry Q. Walker, Elsa Charterrier, and Pierre Colinet, line art by Derek Charm, Jon Sommariva, Sean Parsons, and Charterrier, color art by Charm, Charlie Kirkchoff, and Sarah Stern, letters by Tom B. Long.
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