Freedon Nadd Uprising Review

Tom Veitch continues the saga of Ulic, Cay & Nomi in this 2-Issue story arc.

On the plus side - the characters continue to hold my attention, especially Nomi & Arca. Ulic & Cay are more side characters in this arc, which disappointed me a bit. The action is big, and the threats are more directly Jedi related.

On the minus side - the art is abysmal, and the story feels rushed. This should have been at least 4 issues, if not 6. In addition to the sloppy art, coloring, and inking, there were numerous errors in the text. Several characters turn out to be merely blips in the action - the unfortunately named Warb Null and Jedi Master Vodo among them. I didn't much care for Vodo's lobster look - another type of animal on which it is hard to project emotion.

But the Teta cousins are a good addition, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. This is where I stopped reading the DH SW comics back in the 90's, so I have no clue how it all pans out.

It's funny being reminded of our pre-prequel ideas. Like many fans, I too imagined that the Jedi were scattered across many worlds, with many informal temple/dojos. Here we have Jedi allowed to marry and have children - although this may just take place before ordinances against such 'attachments' were put into place.

Overall, a solidly entertaining linking arc - but looking forward to seeing the series get back into full swing. And - sigh - I shudder at the thought of more KJA...why oh why oh why...???

 

Surprisingly, KJA actually ended up writing the best arc in the series but with unspecified ammounts of help from the artist.

When I read Freedon Nadd uprising in the Omnibuss, it was more of a "what and why just happened?" moment.

The name isn't the only crap thing about Warb Null. He's like the dorkiest examples of medieval platemail all distilled into one armoured suit of pure suck.

Am I the only person who likes the splashy lightsabers in this comic series? The colour inconsistancy is terrible but I think the actual effect is quite interesting and makes the lightsaber duels easier to follow than in Legacy. It's differant to the movies but the movies are just a single visual interpretation (even if they are the canon one). They also visually represent the sound of the lightsaber, which is a big part of lightsabers in the movies but impossible to show in the comics without overusing those soundeffects I mostly see in Manga nowadays.

 

I thought the story was very clear & well laid out, myself.
I agree about Null's armor - along with all the art of these two issues, it was lazy stuff, looked more like D&D than SW, IMO.
Yeah, I like the 'sabers too. Wish they'd bring a few back!

 

The FNU did a good job in establishing the background for Satal and Aleema Keto, as well as Dace Diath, Qrrl Toq, and Shoaneb Culu. But the artwork was definitely sub-par to the artwork in the previous issues and to Dark Lords of the Sith, and definitely to Redemption. I also agree that the FNU should have been expanded a little. At the very least it should have been a three-issue arc.

 

Naked Jeth. You forgot to say Jeth was absolutely naked in that issue. Unprecedented for a star wars comic.

 

Master Arca, you mean?

 

We were on a surname relationship, Jeth and I.

 

I agree. I will say I quite enjoyed The FNU. (Maybe cause I've only read it once) Yeah, one more issue might have fleshed things out a bit better but on the hole, it was fine. It seemed a necessary introduction to the Tetan monarchy, the Jedi we'd come to know in more detail in Dark Lords of the Sith as well as giving us some fairly important information about what & how the Nadd thing got started as it carries until then end of TSW. It's strange that a short bridge comic like this was read by so few as compared to the others, save Redemption.

 

Yeah, I enjoyed TFNU, too. In its comic form, that is. The audio drama sounds like a high school production. "Tott Doneeta!"

 

I remember trying to listen to that and turning it off after 5 minutes!