Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi – Force War #5 is the conclusion to the Force War with the Ratakan Empire on the verge of accessing the Infinity Gate and unleashing its forces on the entire universe, and truly becoming an infinite empire. And with the Je’daii forces regrouping after many were presumed dead, the majority are just learning what the true aim of the Ratakan Empire is in attacking Tython. However they can’t all follow after Skal’nas especially Rath who is confronted by Trill, one of the hidden Ratakan agents who wants to put an end to his life. But Lok and Shae are already pursuing Xesh and Skal’nas into the Infinity Gate and Shae’s anger regarding Xesh’s betrayal puts her at risk while crossing into the Infinity Gate. And even though Lok wants her to use that anger to increase her power with darkness she feels that Xesh didn’t truly betray them and he’s just under Skal’nas control. Her belief is based on her understanding of the intimacy the two shared and knowing the story of how he gave himself the name Tau when he once considered himself more than just a slave so long ago. She believes this love is key to swaying Xesh and bringing him back over to the side of the Je’daii. And Skal’nas and Xesh are waiting for them, and Skal’nas defeated Lok before and vows to do so again. But will Shae be able to convince Xesh that he’s more than just a destroyer for the Ratakan Empire and turn the tide of battle before it’s too late?

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this series from the characters to the shocking developments to the electrifying action, and so I was hyped for the conclusion to this series and it didn’t disappoint. There was a lot that had to be addressed and wrapped up in this issue and an excellent job is done here. The face-offs between specific characters were inevitable but felt very organic and the one between Rath and Trill was handled first setting the stage for the main event. And even though Skal’nas hasn’t felt like the most imposing enemy the entire series he does come off as one again here in his confrontation with Lok and in an impressive, and unconventional fashion. And the confrontation between Shae and Xesh lived up to my high expectations based on previous issues and the conclusion was very believable and satisfying. And one of the great things about this series is how it’s been able to craft an incredibly story detailing the history of the use of the Force and the Je’daii but hasn’t once suffered from the pitfalls that can plague prequels, and has introduced new and exciting elements while maintaining the suspense. So the hidden defense within Tython that was introduced last issue is explained in detail here and it’s thrilling with its vague familiarity leading to an explosion of impressive power. And I don’t think it’s a spoiler to state that there’s a confrontation between Xesh and Skal’nas but what leads to it is great and the exchange is exhilarating especially with Xesh’s memorable response to Skal’nas about his actions. And even though things are wrapped up in a satisfactory manner after these events I was left still wanting more dealing with these characters and this entire world so I will be looking forward to all future entries into the Dawn of the Jedi series with intense excitement.

SUMMARY

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi – Force War #5 is a thrilling conclusion to what has been an excellent series providing both satisfaction and a strong desire for future Dawn of the Jedi series. The confrontations between characters lived up to the lofty expectations created by previous issues and the character depth created paid off very well. Throughout this series a rich story was crafted with great character development as well as introduced exciting elements that kept it from every falling victim to prequel issues. If you’re a Star Wars fan you have pick up this series, and I highly recommend it even for those just looking for a great sci-fi story about war, love, loyalty and choices.

 
Release Date: 3/19/14

Writer: John Ostrander

Artist: Jan Duursema