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Star Wars: Jedi Academy Comic #1-4
Star Wars: Jedi Academy - Leviathan
In the eight years since the fall of the Empire, Luke Skywalker has trained a new group of Jedi Knights, among them the warrior woman Kirana Ti, the sky-hermit Streen, the scholar and lore-master Tionne, and Luke's greatest student, the brash Kyp Durron. Once trained, a Jedi must go where he is needed, to defend the New Republic and use the Force to help those in need. And on the harsh world of Corbos, help is desperately needed after mining excavations awaken something ancient, powerful -- and hideously evil!
117 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 2, 2013
I read this after reading Legacy. This is so much inferior. The overall story was good, but the characters fell flat and the dialog was terrible. It reminded me of a bad 1980's Saturday morning cartoon.
August 28, 2017
Kinda cheesy
May 5, 2019
Kevin J. Anderson is one of those names which evokes decidedly mixed feelings when it comes to Star Wars. When it comes to broader science fiction they tend to be much more negative. While he has helmed his own independent series which retain their fans, his role in the Dune prequels and sequels is rather infamous, as is the quality of certain Expanded Universe novels like the Jedi Academy trilogy.
At least some of those books will likely receive a review at some point in the future, but many people tend to forget his better contributions to Star Wars. While he tends to have very mixed results with novels, his successes when it comes to comics are much more notable. We already covered the first major arc of the Tales of the Jedi epic here, and Leviathan is at the extreme end of that spectrum at the time, showing Luke's rebuilt order starting to move out as watchmen and negotiators once more. It also shows how far reaching the legacy of the ancient Sith could truly be.
The Synopsis
In the wake of Admiral Daala's attack, the New Republic has been offered a brief piece with the Empire. Their enemy might be united under a single ruler, but due to losses they suffered while attempting to wipe out the Jedi at Yavin IV they have kept to themselves. Luke Skywalker has been using this reprieve to build up and expand upon his slowly growing cadre of Jedi Knights, so that they might once more fulfill the role of guardians to the Republic.
Dorsk 82, clone successor to the deceased Dorsk 81, arrives on Yavin IV but is uncertain of his future. Even with the encouragement of his predecessor's friend, Kyp Durron, Dorsk is unsure if he can even truly connect with the Force or his desire to remain in the academy. Unfortunately, he and Kyp are about to face a trial by fire in their role as Knights. Something has emerged on the remote mining world of Corbos. Something old, very evil and very hungry. As the two arrive, they are met only by the sight of a devastated mining village and an unending scream of thousands echoing through the Force...
The Good
The premise behind this story is very simple, but what makes it engaging is just how well executed it is. It's ultimately a very basic monster horror story, utilizing the tropes found in the likes of Them! or Star Trek's Doomsday Machine, where you see the devastation wrought long before the monster itself shows up. That use, however, helps to highlight the terror behind this creature and builds up tension so that, by the time it finally appears, you are utterly hooked. This story could have very easily rushed into simply showing the monster up front. By instead breaking down scenes prior to its attack, pacing them out and showing hints of what is to come it, the story gains a mystery quality which hooks you in.
The time spent prior to, and even alongside, the monster's reveal also serves to help flesh out the setting. The benefit of a comic written in this time is that they tended to spend much more time expanding upon key elements rather than rushing headlong into the saga, and that makes it all the stronger. The introduction features Luke thinking of all that has happened in the past year, and of those training under his direction. Dorsk 82's introduction comes well before it gets to be real meat of the action, while a conversation that he and Kyp hold reflects upon who his predecessor was and how he died. Through this, we gain a recap similar to that of the first Crimson Empire volume, which quickly brings the reader up to speed and outlines all that has happened, so that anyone can go ahead without being lost. The character moments, and interspersed scenes on Corbos, then helps to give something new to even those who have read these past events and are up to date.
What I personally like about this addition is that it offers an easy way to impress upon the reader just type of academy Luke is running. While it's a (sadly clickbait article fuelled) misconception that the old Jedi Order wanted nothing but faceless uniformed clones filling out its ranks, Luke's new Order definitely benefits from a greater variety of faces. We see more people of varying backgrounds here, from an aging former miner to someone raised by Force-sensitive witches making up their ranks, each with more distinctive styles and stances. It helps to show how Luke was willing to give almost anyone a chance to prove themselves, and their brighter scenes contrast well against the later carnage. Especially as, once the fighting starts, it does not stop.
Having page after page of fights would typically be quite boring, and rather tedious. Without good pacing, the occasional break or something to raise the stakes, it could quickly become white noise. However, Anderson keeps finding new things to throw at the reader during these points. There's always some grand "wham" moment to get you invested, from a surprising display of power to a shock reveal, ensuring that you can never fully predict how things will play out. These are rarely the stunts which seem like they were just pulled out of a character's rectum, as each receives some small foreshadowing or implication of difficulty. As such, when a character wins something, it's more out of guile or skill rather than a move which reeks of I'm-more-powerful-than-a-Skywalker! writing. Given that Kyp Durron is one of the main characters, that seemed as if it was worth emphasizing.
This is further helped by the monster itself which, as the review cannot show you for the sake of spoilers, is increasingly horrifying as you learn more of it. Much of this is conveyed through implication or half-seen horror moments, but there really was a twisted genius behind its design which stays in your mind. Especially once you find out just where that screaming is coming from.
The Bad
A definite problem within the overall story is how it hinges upon the plot over everything else. Anderson's main strength as a writer tends to be these grand ideas and big concepts. It's why Tales of the Jedi retained such ambition, and how he finds ways to offer odd links between various eras without it seeming as if it shortens them. Exar Kun is the big one, of course, but there are others. However, while characters are given moments to really help them express themselves, they are usually just that. As a result, their major developmental arcs in this story are rather truncated, and neither Durron nor Dorsk gain much beyond a few fleeing passages. It's a real shame as well, because Durron hearing the voices of the dead could have helped to seriously emphasise his desire for redemption. This was someone who killed millions while under the influence of the Dark Side, after all.
The other characters beyond those two also do not leave much in the way of impact. Luke is a largely background presence, while both Leia and Ackbar show up in a welcome scene which covers a few possible plotholes but they soon disappear from the story. The others, meanwhile, show some hints of what they can offer stories but they either quickly fit into very secondary roles or disappear from the story. The characters themselves quite often serve the plot, but are given little to help stand out by themselves.
Another definite problem is how the story requires you to accept certain things without question, but then to turn a blind eye to errors relating to them. A fair few of these are logical errors rather than story inconsistencies, but it is nevertheless eyebrow-raising. A fairly facepalming one is how Tionne - the closest thing the Order had to an archivist at the time - is curious about Corbos following the Knights' departure. She researches into it, and within a space of seemingly seconds is able to put together how towns have been repeatedly massacred on the world hundreds of years apart. There are a few such moments in the book, and they often undermine the very drama they try to construct.
The art is also hit and miss at certain points. It does extremely well in big grand and defining scenes, but character expressions and moments which need more detail are somewhat lacking. How much this will influence your enjoyment is very much down to the individual so my advice would be to look over a few panels and decide for yourself. While these reviews would typically offer more positives and negatives on the artwork in question, and the delivery of sequential scenes, it seemed that it did one thing wrong for every two right. So, keep that in mind when you go to read this.
Finally, the story's end is not only very abrupt but it closes out with few questions answered. The nature of the monsters, a greater resolution in terms of the Jedi as a whole or something to better close out the story is all lacking. We get a few thoughts from Durron to help somewhat, and the indications that Dorsk might well be Force-sensitive, but that's it. It could have worked, but without something more to help with a sense of closure, it comes across as too sudden for its own good.
The Verdict
It would be easy to write this one off just as "Star Wars does Aliens" and that film is admittedly a clear influence here. However, there are enough changes in the premise, approach, characters and style to make it more than a simple rehash. The story does a good job in showing many aspects of how the modern Jedi Order could be shown combatting threats even as it built its numbers, of the efforts to introduce individuals foreign to even the concept of Jedi to their order, and how Kyp Durron could be written as a likable person. The story is still definitely flawed in spite of this, with a few too many conveniences and shortcomings in the character department, and the character arc of Dorsk 82 is rough at best. As such, it proves to be a good story rather than a truly outstanding one.
It's honestly a shame that we didn't get more of this sort of thing in the following years, as Leviathan did show serious potential for an ongoing Jedi Academy comic. Still, what we get is still an entertaining read, and later stories would build on some of the ideas introduced here. We should be thankful for that. If you're interested in this era I would give it a look, but if not there are some heavier going sagas out there.
At least some of those books will likely receive a review at some point in the future, but many people tend to forget his better contributions to Star Wars. While he tends to have very mixed results with novels, his successes when it comes to comics are much more notable. We already covered the first major arc of the Tales of the Jedi epic here, and Leviathan is at the extreme end of that spectrum at the time, showing Luke's rebuilt order starting to move out as watchmen and negotiators once more. It also shows how far reaching the legacy of the ancient Sith could truly be.
The Synopsis
In the wake of Admiral Daala's attack, the New Republic has been offered a brief piece with the Empire. Their enemy might be united under a single ruler, but due to losses they suffered while attempting to wipe out the Jedi at Yavin IV they have kept to themselves. Luke Skywalker has been using this reprieve to build up and expand upon his slowly growing cadre of Jedi Knights, so that they might once more fulfill the role of guardians to the Republic.
Dorsk 82, clone successor to the deceased Dorsk 81, arrives on Yavin IV but is uncertain of his future. Even with the encouragement of his predecessor's friend, Kyp Durron, Dorsk is unsure if he can even truly connect with the Force or his desire to remain in the academy. Unfortunately, he and Kyp are about to face a trial by fire in their role as Knights. Something has emerged on the remote mining world of Corbos. Something old, very evil and very hungry. As the two arrive, they are met only by the sight of a devastated mining village and an unending scream of thousands echoing through the Force...
The Good
The premise behind this story is very simple, but what makes it engaging is just how well executed it is. It's ultimately a very basic monster horror story, utilizing the tropes found in the likes of Them! or Star Trek's Doomsday Machine, where you see the devastation wrought long before the monster itself shows up. That use, however, helps to highlight the terror behind this creature and builds up tension so that, by the time it finally appears, you are utterly hooked. This story could have very easily rushed into simply showing the monster up front. By instead breaking down scenes prior to its attack, pacing them out and showing hints of what is to come it, the story gains a mystery quality which hooks you in.
The time spent prior to, and even alongside, the monster's reveal also serves to help flesh out the setting. The benefit of a comic written in this time is that they tended to spend much more time expanding upon key elements rather than rushing headlong into the saga, and that makes it all the stronger. The introduction features Luke thinking of all that has happened in the past year, and of those training under his direction. Dorsk 82's introduction comes well before it gets to be real meat of the action, while a conversation that he and Kyp hold reflects upon who his predecessor was and how he died. Through this, we gain a recap similar to that of the first Crimson Empire volume, which quickly brings the reader up to speed and outlines all that has happened, so that anyone can go ahead without being lost. The character moments, and interspersed scenes on Corbos, then helps to give something new to even those who have read these past events and are up to date.
What I personally like about this addition is that it offers an easy way to impress upon the reader just type of academy Luke is running. While it's a (sadly clickbait article fuelled) misconception that the old Jedi Order wanted nothing but faceless uniformed clones filling out its ranks, Luke's new Order definitely benefits from a greater variety of faces. We see more people of varying backgrounds here, from an aging former miner to someone raised by Force-sensitive witches making up their ranks, each with more distinctive styles and stances. It helps to show how Luke was willing to give almost anyone a chance to prove themselves, and their brighter scenes contrast well against the later carnage. Especially as, once the fighting starts, it does not stop.
Having page after page of fights would typically be quite boring, and rather tedious. Without good pacing, the occasional break or something to raise the stakes, it could quickly become white noise. However, Anderson keeps finding new things to throw at the reader during these points. There's always some grand "wham" moment to get you invested, from a surprising display of power to a shock reveal, ensuring that you can never fully predict how things will play out. These are rarely the stunts which seem like they were just pulled out of a character's rectum, as each receives some small foreshadowing or implication of difficulty. As such, when a character wins something, it's more out of guile or skill rather than a move which reeks of I'm-more-powerful-than-a-Skywalker! writing. Given that Kyp Durron is one of the main characters, that seemed as if it was worth emphasizing.
This is further helped by the monster itself which, as the review cannot show you for the sake of spoilers, is increasingly horrifying as you learn more of it. Much of this is conveyed through implication or half-seen horror moments, but there really was a twisted genius behind its design which stays in your mind. Especially once you find out just where that screaming is coming from.
The Bad
A definite problem within the overall story is how it hinges upon the plot over everything else. Anderson's main strength as a writer tends to be these grand ideas and big concepts. It's why Tales of the Jedi retained such ambition, and how he finds ways to offer odd links between various eras without it seeming as if it shortens them. Exar Kun is the big one, of course, but there are others. However, while characters are given moments to really help them express themselves, they are usually just that. As a result, their major developmental arcs in this story are rather truncated, and neither Durron nor Dorsk gain much beyond a few fleeing passages. It's a real shame as well, because Durron hearing the voices of the dead could have helped to seriously emphasise his desire for redemption. This was someone who killed millions while under the influence of the Dark Side, after all.
The other characters beyond those two also do not leave much in the way of impact. Luke is a largely background presence, while both Leia and Ackbar show up in a welcome scene which covers a few possible plotholes but they soon disappear from the story. The others, meanwhile, show some hints of what they can offer stories but they either quickly fit into very secondary roles or disappear from the story. The characters themselves quite often serve the plot, but are given little to help stand out by themselves.
Another definite problem is how the story requires you to accept certain things without question, but then to turn a blind eye to errors relating to them. A fair few of these are logical errors rather than story inconsistencies, but it is nevertheless eyebrow-raising. A fairly facepalming one is how Tionne - the closest thing the Order had to an archivist at the time - is curious about Corbos following the Knights' departure. She researches into it, and within a space of seemingly seconds is able to put together how towns have been repeatedly massacred on the world hundreds of years apart. There are a few such moments in the book, and they often undermine the very drama they try to construct.
The art is also hit and miss at certain points. It does extremely well in big grand and defining scenes, but character expressions and moments which need more detail are somewhat lacking. How much this will influence your enjoyment is very much down to the individual so my advice would be to look over a few panels and decide for yourself. While these reviews would typically offer more positives and negatives on the artwork in question, and the delivery of sequential scenes, it seemed that it did one thing wrong for every two right. So, keep that in mind when you go to read this.
Finally, the story's end is not only very abrupt but it closes out with few questions answered. The nature of the monsters, a greater resolution in terms of the Jedi as a whole or something to better close out the story is all lacking. We get a few thoughts from Durron to help somewhat, and the indications that Dorsk might well be Force-sensitive, but that's it. It could have worked, but without something more to help with a sense of closure, it comes across as too sudden for its own good.
The Verdict
It would be easy to write this one off just as "Star Wars does Aliens" and that film is admittedly a clear influence here. However, there are enough changes in the premise, approach, characters and style to make it more than a simple rehash. The story does a good job in showing many aspects of how the modern Jedi Order could be shown combatting threats even as it built its numbers, of the efforts to introduce individuals foreign to even the concept of Jedi to their order, and how Kyp Durron could be written as a likable person. The story is still definitely flawed in spite of this, with a few too many conveniences and shortcomings in the character department, and the character arc of Dorsk 82 is rough at best. As such, it proves to be a good story rather than a truly outstanding one.
It's honestly a shame that we didn't get more of this sort of thing in the following years, as Leviathan did show serious potential for an ongoing Jedi Academy comic. Still, what we get is still an entertaining read, and later stories would build on some of the ideas introduced here. We should be thankful for that. If you're interested in this era I would give it a look, but if not there are some heavier going sagas out there.
June 24, 2024
Wildly entertaining
March 19, 2025
This is the fifth comic series on my read-through of all the Star Wars legends books and comics.
This comic isn't mind-blowing by any stretch, but it is a fun cozy little adventure with some great art and likable characters.
As an unabashed fan of Kevin J Anderson's Star Wars books, I liked to see his Jedi characters get the spotlight. The character designs in this were quite striking. The artist is also quite adept at action poses, of which there are many here.
The plot is utterly insubstantial and some of the dialogue is fairly stilted, but I like what they're going for. Star Wars but Aliens is a genius premise, even if it's not capitalized on as well as it could be.
I wish there had been more of a character arc for Dorsk 82. There really should have been an "I am a Jedi" moment for him during the climax where he discovers and uses his powers. This comic also doesn't really put Kyp Durron through any real character growth, but I did like seeing more of him.
Anyway, I am going to give this comic a generous 7/10 for being likable and fun.
This comic isn't mind-blowing by any stretch, but it is a fun cozy little adventure with some great art and likable characters.
As an unabashed fan of Kevin J Anderson's Star Wars books, I liked to see his Jedi characters get the spotlight. The character designs in this were quite striking. The artist is also quite adept at action poses, of which there are many here.
The plot is utterly insubstantial and some of the dialogue is fairly stilted, but I like what they're going for. Star Wars but Aliens is a genius premise, even if it's not capitalized on as well as it could be.
I wish there had been more of a character arc for Dorsk 82. There really should have been an "I am a Jedi" moment for him during the climax where he discovers and uses his powers. This comic also doesn't really put Kyp Durron through any real character growth, but I did like seeing more of him.
Anyway, I am going to give this comic a generous 7/10 for being likable and fun.
June 29, 2017
12 ABY
When a mining planet sends out a distress signal, Leia calls Luke to send out some of his Jedi Trainees to investigate. While Kyp and Dork 82 arrive too late, they find that the planet is inhabited by ancient monsters that seemingly collect the souls of those they devour. While the Jedi are too late, Kyp knows that he must defeat the leviathans and release the souls of the victims and rid make the planet safe for the next settlers who choose to live there.
This is a single volume following Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy. It features some of the main Jedi that Luke brought to his new academy on Yavin 4 including Kyp Durron, Kirana Ti, and Streen, and introduces us to Dorks 82, who hopes to have some connection with the Force as his predecessor did. The art is good and the story adds just a bit more to the training of the new Jedi.
June 24, 2018
A companion piece to the old-canon Jedi Academy novel trilogy, this graphic novel follows Luke's students as they undertake their first mission. A mining colony is in trouble and Kyp Durron is dispatched to investigate along with Dorsk-82, a prospective student who initially visited Yavin 4 to pay his respects to his predecessor Dorsk-81.
It was nice to see characters that I've mostly only read about actually depicted in visual form. Equally, it didn't feel like the story would matter all that much in the wider galactic context - it felt a bit "monster-of-the-month" despite the fact it did show some development for the students and their abilities.
A fun read, but not essential to the old-canon chronology.
It was nice to see characters that I've mostly only read about actually depicted in visual form. Equally, it didn't feel like the story would matter all that much in the wider galactic context - it felt a bit "monster-of-the-month" despite the fact it did show some development for the students and their abilities.
A fun read, but not essential to the old-canon chronology.
July 4, 2021
I would have enjoyed this much more if the main character weren't the "he destroyed an entire planet but everyone forgate him and gave him no consequences whatsoever" Kyp Durron. It was frustrating to see how he and the other Jedi treated Dorsk 82 - constantly calling him out for not being confident enough then the guy literally has no Jedi traning and doesn't even know if he's Force-sensitive. The giant monster bad guy wouldn't have been original at all, except for it trapping the souls of its victims and being able to read their memories in order to find more victims - chilling!
June 26, 2021
Eh it was ok, very skippable and pointless imo
January 3, 2020
Had to start the year off with a Star Wars comic. This old canon, little known comic was such a blast to read. I’ve long time maintained that Star Wars is at its best when it leans into the high fantasy aspect of the story, and this terrifying scream/soul eating monster was VERY Legend/Conan in nature. I’m also a sucker for group dynamics and team stories, so this was also great in that regard.
Have to admit I didn’t love Dorsk 82, or the fact that there was only one alien lead, but other than that, it was wonderful.
Reminded me a LOT of the KOTOR comics with Nomi Sunrider.
Have to admit I didn’t love Dorsk 82, or the fact that there was only one alien lead, but other than that, it was wonderful.
Reminded me a LOT of the KOTOR comics with Nomi Sunrider.
January 1, 2010
An attempt by Kevin J Anderson to use some of his Star Wars novel supporting characters into a jedi adventure squad. The story was originally told in 4 parts and feels like it was intended to be another X-wing series with continuing stories but never did. It was all right for the time. Nothing offensive but nothing memorable.
June 22, 2010
A nice supplement to Kyp Durron's story, with some good Jedi action thrown in. Nicely done artwork and the story format is easy to follow.
Read
August 4, 2011Kind of low-budget. Dialogue was not impressive.
February 23, 2012
I give the art and the story a 3 out of 5. This is the first of the Star Wars trades I have read so I have no way to compare it to the rest of the books but I did enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews