Star Wars: Jar Jar #1: A Gungan’s Cathartic Journey

Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 a creative collaboration between Marc Guggenheim, fresh of his Star Wars: Jedi Knights series, and Ahmed Best, the actor who portrayed Jar Jar, and Jedi Knight Keller and Beq, first seen in The Mandolorian.  This oneshot is the most recent addition to the long overdue lore that has been underway since Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the Empire’s End book trilogy of changing and fleshing out the story of Jar Jar’s maligned past perceptions since appearing in the prequels.

The issue picks up the thread of Jar Jar, following his manipulation by Palpatine to get the Senate to consolidate his power, looking to do something to right his mistakes.  Jar Jar is on diplomatic mission to the planet Urubai which turns out to be a ruse by Beq to get Jar Jar there to see the injustice and conditions caused by the Emperor who is mining the planet for resources to build the Republic army. Beq shows Jar Jar what is going and then asks him to be the voice in the Senate for these downtrodden people, known as The Unseen.

Along with the political undertones, there is plenty of action in the book also as Beq and Jar Jar must deal with bounty hunters sent to prevent them from informing the powers that be back on Courasant.

This oneshot also sets up the seeds of The Rebellion in a few ways:

• Jar Jar suspects that Palpatine has larger political aspirations and that he and Beq should find more peoples like The Unseen and unite them
• The two rescue Mira Bridger from the planet who discovers the Fractal Radio components on the planet AND in the future will be the mother of Ezra Bridger, whose story unfolds in Star Wars – Rebels and Ashoka

This issue feels like it was very cathartic for Best as at times it feels as though he is talking to himself as Beq talks to Jar Jar throughout. It was also a nice nod that Guggenheim and Best also have Palpatine give Jar Jar a compliment although it is clear that he is still manipulating him.

The ending feels like it is left open for more Jar Jar / Beq adventures in the future.