Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi – Force War #2 picks up with the Je’daii coming off their latest victory in the battle for the Tython system against the Rakatan Infinite Empire. The defeat has left the Rakatan Infinite Empire stalled in their invasion of the system but the Je’daii aren’t pleased with that because they know the Empire hasn’t been defeated completely. And with the interception of secret communications between a Rakatan emissary and Lord Ryo where the emissary is claiming that they only want the planet Tython and would end their invasion if the planet was surrendered to them. This is of course a tactic designed to break the ranks of the opposing forces and no one knows that better than Xesh, the former Rakatan force hound, who’s convinced that the Rakatan wouldn’t stop with just the surrender of Tython. They would enslave all the Je’daii while treating all those who have no connection to the force as nothing more than food. And with the seer Tasha having another vision warning them about waves of blood, they decide on a course of action. They would have to take this opportunity to take the fight to the head of the Rakatan Infinite Empire using Xesh’s unique abilities from when he was a force hound to locate him. But the warning might not be what they think as the Rakatan Empire isn’t without their own assets, and by that I mean their own spy. Will the Je’daii’s plan to launch an assault on the head of the Rakatan Infinite Empire succeed in completely changing the tide of the war or is it doomed to failure from the start?

I enjoyed the first issue in this series, and as I wrote in my review, it did a great job in making it feel like it was an all-out war. This issue deals with the aftermath of a huge battle and opens up with Xesh and Shae getting even closer and strengthening their bond. I enjoyed those scenes of character development with Xesh telling Shae his real name, which he chose and is his only connection to his life before becoming a force hound. This is part of his journey in reclaiming himself and striving to become free of his nightmares connected to his fear of falling back under the control of the Empire. And as much as it’s character development for Xesh, it also shows why the Rakatan Infinite Empire is feared because of the damaging effect they have on its victims. And that view is reinforced when they attempt to persuade the Je’daii allies into surrendering the Tython planet, and even though it was revealed that this was indeed their focus, they would still kill anyone in the system who wouldn’t serve their goals. So the plan to attack the Rakatan hierarchy was a good one and I enjoyed seeing Xesh use his abilities as a force hound and locate the head. It did feel somewhat contrived that they wouldn’t expect a trap at all even without knowing the identity of the spy but once the action got started it was easy to let that go. It was a little harder to accept Xesh being temporarily naive especially considered how he felt uneasy about something last issue and I’m avoiding spoilers but it’s still interesting to see how that will ultimately unfold. Of course the action in this issue wouldn’t be the same as the first issue but the stakes actually feel bigger this time around with more being risked and with the potential of failure being even more disastrous. It’s also interesting to see Je’daii struggle in maintaining the balance and how the revelations in this issue can affect them moving forward.

SUMMARY

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi – Force War #2 is a solid follow-up issue chronicling the war between the Rakatan Infinite Empire and the Je’daii and their allies. The stakes are raised in this exchange of attacks and counterattacks, and things get personal in the midst of it all. The story line with the spy has the potential to reveal even more of Xesh’s past and the workings of the Rakatan Infinite Empire and I definitely want to see how that unfolds. And even though a part of this issue felt predictable, it still does a really good job of moving the story along (with some cool use of force powers too) and so I’m very intrigued as to how the stakes will be raised even more in this war that can change the use of the force permanently going forward.

Release Date: 12/18/13

Writer: John Ostrander

Artist: Jan Duursema