The official adaptation of The Last Jedi from Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli, After Earth) and illustrator Michael Walsh is really a must-own for any self-respecting Star Wars fan.
For one, it presents key moments from an alternate perspective, while also bringing us that little bit closer to the story and direction of Rian Johnson’s somewhat contentious sequel. We say contentious because ever since The Last Jedi debuted, a very vocal minority have lambasted just about every aspect of Episode VIII – chief among them being Luke Skywalker’s final moments on Ahch-To.
Be that as it may, we’re here to tell you today that The Last Jedi‘s official comic expands on Luke’s death, and it’s even more poignant than the one depicted on screen. Coming to us by way of Screen Rant, here’s an extract from Whitta’s novel:
Pretty cool, no? This added commentary from Luke is a nice touch, though it arguably would’ve been considered overkill had it been included in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Whether it’s the twin suns of Tattooine or the swell of John Williams’ incredible score, it’s clear Rian Johnson is harkening back to Luke’s formative days as a young, cantankerous farmboy, and the cyclical nature of his arc is pretty remarkable. It heralds a changing of the guard, too, as this shot is closely followed by the one of a young, Force-sensitive boy looking up to the skies, all but confirming that a new era of Jedi is upon us. And not a moment too soon.
Expect Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker to make a small, yet significant appearance in Star Wars: Episode IX next Christmas, which faces the somewhat tricky task of concluding the Sequel Trilogy. No pressure, then.
