'Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon' Review
Image Source: Wookieepedia
Delayed by an entire year and originally meant to be part of the celebration of The Phantom Menace’s anniversary, Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon focuses on the eponymous Jedi Master in a fun, 80-odd-page adventure. Written by George Mann, a longtime canon author and major contributor to The High Republic, and with art from Andrea Mutti, Qui-Gon is an enjoyable first graphic novel to be released in a planned series of similar comics from Dark Horse.
Warning: This article contains small spoilers for Qui-Gon.
Summary
Qui-Gon has an interesting story, as like many Hyperspace Stories before it, the comic features flashbacks and time jumps to help it tell its narrative. In this case, the story jumps between three eras, with a main focus on Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi at some point before The Phantom Menace investigating a supposedly haunted derelict starship. As they make their way through the ship and the mysteries aboard deepen, Qui-Gon takes some time to tell his apprentice about two related episodes from his past, one where he accompanied Jedi Master Dooku to Jedha when he was a Padawan, and another occasion when he was newly knighted and traveling the galaxy.
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Image Source: Bluesky
The core thread tying each period together is the Brothers of the Ninth Door, a sect of Dark Side users who have a holistic view of the Force but who had a more menacing edge during Phase 2 of The High Republic. They were created by George Mann and have been used in his High Republic work ever since, so their appearance here is no surprise. However, this is where we leave the summary, as any further discussion would veer into spoiler territory.
Pros And Cons
As the first in a planned series of comics about various Prequel characters, Qui-Gon sets the assumed template that the other stories will follow in the future, be it later this year or beyond. One of the biggest pros of the story is how it blends multiple eras of storytelling through details both big and small. There aren’t just links back to the High Republic period, though those are nice, but even some Sequel Trilogy links in the form of a Caphex appearing briefly in the story.
There are also some clear hints of what the future might hold, with specific dating used to establish connections back to the Old Republic era. If this graphic novel truly is a hint at what is to come, it is certainly a good one, as it also connects details to Mann’s other works outside of The High Republic in the form of content from his Star Wars storybooks.
Image Source: Bluesky
One final pro for the story is its characters. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan feel well realized, with Qui-Gon being a bit mysterious and Obi-Wan having heightened concerns, while familiar banter plays out between the two of them. The brief appearance by Jedi Master Dooku is a standout moment for obvious reasons, while the other new side characters are also enjoyable.
The only con for the overall story is its small scale, which is to be expected, but it makes this a simple side adventure in the overall narrative of the galaxy. If the lore details revealed in the graphic novel form part of a major expansion into the galactic past, then it might be more significant, but for now, it helps set the stage for the future of the new series from Dark Horse. CultureSlate continues to look forward to more of George Mann’s writing and the other planned Hyperspace Stories installments!
Rating: 8/10
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Source(s): Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon
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