Jar Jar #1 is a one-off issue that puts together two very particular characters, Jar Jar Binks and Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Here are my thoughts and experience reading it.
I want more of this
When Jar Jar first appeared in Star Wars, he was just perceived as a dumb and annoying Gungan who only screwed things up. Since then, we have slowly witnessed his growth as an individual and as a politician. This issue lets us see how he has become a representative who truly cares about the people.
Because of this, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq has lured him into Urubai, a planet filled with rare and expensive minerals that are key to the creation of the Grand Army of the Republic. While the planet seems to be thriving, there is an awful truth behind all the mining.
But a second, and more important issue is brought to Jar Jar. A technology that could turn the tide of the war if it’s developed. As a result, an unknown enemy has targeted the people developing it. Master Beq and Jar Jar must evacuate her to safety, but that is when things get ugly.
I really like that this story doesn’t try to make Jar Jar look smarter than he actually is. Even if he’s well-intentioned, his mind isn’t the brightest, but that doesn’t stop him from doing what he thinks is best for everyone.
One of the highlights of this issue is probably the small dialogue he has with Palpatine at the end. Jar Jar voices his concerns, and Palpatine attempts to end the conversation with a very bureaucratic response.
Binks stands firm and offers a solution that doesn’t require Palpatine to do much but ensures that he personally oversees the entire matter. It truly shows how Jar Jar has evolved since The Phantom Menace.
After reading it, it surprised me that this is a one-off. This issue would be a very decent start for a whole series. I’m a bit disappointed that right when it establishes a starting point for future issues, it ends abruptly.
Watching Beq and Binks work together is something fresh. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing more of them in the future. Who knows, perhaps this was a test, and we’ll be able to see the pair work together in the not-too-distant future.
Easter eggs
That ship looks familiar
The ship that is taking Jar Jar to Urubai is an H-Type Nubian yacht, the same ship that Padmé and Anakin used to go from Naboo to Tatooine in Attack of the Clones. The pilot of said ship is Ric Olié, the man who also piloted Queen Amidala’s ship in The Phantom Menace.
Ahmed Best
This comic is special because it was co-written by Ahmed Best, the man who played Jar Jar Binks in the prequels and Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian.
This is referenced by Palpatine when he tells Jar Jar that he sees a lot of the Jedi Master in him and vice versa.
Mira Bridger
Mira Bridger, the woman whom Master Beq and Jar Jar take to Coruscant, is none other than Ezra Bridger’s mother.
Even before the Empire existed, she was already doing things to protect her people and defy the people in charge.
| Released: | February 11, 2026 |
| Publisher: | Marvel |
| Writer: | Ahmed Best & Marc Guggenheim |
| Penciler: | Kieran Mckeown & Laura Braga |
| Inker: | Kieran McKeown & Laura Braga |
| Color Artist: | Mike Atiyeh |
| Letterer: | VC’s Joe Caramagna |
| Cover Artist: | Taurin Clarke |
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I bought the comics from Amazon and read it on a tablet using the Kindle app.
Plot summary (spoilers)
Jar Jar arrives at Urubai, a planet that is often described as a paradise due to its economic growth. The reason for said growth is the fact that the planet is being mined of its Coaxium and other rare minerals for the creation of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Jar Jar gets lost really quickly, and a local sees this as a perfect opportunity to deceive and rob the clueless Senator. Thankfully, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq arrives just in time. Beq reveals that the contact Binks was supposed to meet was a pretext to get the Gungan to Urubai.
Beq takes Binks to the mining operations when he sees how workers are being “legally” worked to death thanks to the new laws that took effect after Palpatine was given his emergency powers. Additionally, if the mining continues, the planet risks a planetary core meltdown.
Unfortunately, there is another problem. One of the rare materials found on Urubai is Cyphristals, a type of crystal used to create a fractal radio network. This is used to create an encrypted communication network. Something like this could be used by the Separatists to turn the tide of war.
Someone already knows about this and sent two bounty hunters to kill the woman working on this. Her name is Mira Bridger. Beq and Binks decide to take her to Coruscant and then to an Outer Rim world where she can continue her work in secrecy. Before reaching the ship, Aurra Sing and Rum Sleg attack the group.
After almost dying multiple times, they make it to Coruscant. Jar Jar Binks convinces Palpatine to make him his official voice on Urubai. This way, he ensures that the workers’ conditions improve while continuing operations and preventing a planet collapse.
Jedi Master Kelleran Beq and Jar Jar Binks agree to continue working together, helping and being a voice for people who are unseen by most of the galaxy.
