#grandea

I love how General Hux acts more like his TFA self than his TLJ self in this comic, especially in this issue. Then his moment gets undercut by Kylo Ren, who then reduces his accomplishments to the throne he's built for him as he single-handedly takes out the planet's military leadership.

Something I love about what the comic is exploring is why Hux betrays Kylo Ren. I appreciate how we get to see that a part of Hux's betrayal stems from his genuine attempt to help the Supreme Leader, only to have his advice dismissed.

Kylo Ren's quip about bringing the Jedi's head to be "friends" with Vaneé is definitely a Dark Side Anakin moment.

My favorite image in Issue 6 is the brief moment where Kylo Ren silently walks through the snowy forest. There's just smth calm yet foreboding given Kylo Ren's mission. The arc also reminds me of his duel with Rey on Starkiller Base.

It always makes me sad when I get reminded that most people aren't aware of the chips in the Clones. History mostly remembers Clones as willing assassins.

Grandea is one of the best Order 66 survivors despite appearing in two issues. She's the definition of a survivor in the post-Order 66 landscape. The comic also raises an interesting fact that the Empire would have the information of all the Jedi and list them out for any bounty hunters, which explains why becoming a hermit is pretty much the safest route for any Jedi survivor. Of course, Grandea wanted to live and not survive. She basically hones the Mind Trick until she's the master of it. I really love how we get to explore that she considers her time in the Jedi as part of her life, but one that doesn't define him. In some ways, she parallels Kylo Ren, but she also is a foil who chooses to find peace rather than pursue a self-destructive path.

I also love seeing the cameos by the Ninth and Thirteenth Sisters as brief as they are. I also like the nod to Vader's encounter with Kirak as the first Jedi he's slain after being put inside his iconic armor.

It's so interesting how Kylo Ren didn't sense Luke's death. Grandea is right to ask who Kylo Ren is if he, the nephew and former student of Luke Skywalker, couldn't sense his death. I love how the ending heavily implies that Grandea has departed from the area at some point or was never there and had simply put Kylo Ren in an elaborate Mind Trick. It really highlights the pointlessness of the whole quest.

This arc is a good summary of why Kylo Ren will ultimately never find satisfaction in following Vader's path. Charles Soule keeps proving why he's one of the best Star Wars writers in the comic and book mediums.

"Die! And now...Skywalker." Kylo Ren

"Oh, that's what you want? Then I'm sorry to have to tell you this." Grandea

"Wh-What?" Kylo Ren

"Luke Skywalker is dead." Grandea

"You lie." Kylo Ren

"Not at all. I felt it when he passed. A very strong sense of loss through the Force. You were his student, yes? I wonder why you didn't sense it? Who are you, Kylo Ren? Who are you? Who are you?" Grandea