WRITER: CHARLES SOULE / ART: WILL SLINEY / PUBLISHER: MARVEL / FORMAT: TRADE PAPERBACK / RELEASE DATE: MAY 26TH

While the ending of Kylo Ren’s story may have split fan opinion, he remains an intriguing character; the brutal leader of the First Order, consumed by destructive rage, troubled by inner conflict. This miniseries, now released in collected format, sheds light on his steps towards the dark side.

It must be tempting, when writing such a prequel, to cover the character’s whole backstory, from childhood to The Force Awakens. But knowing he has a mere four issues to tell his story, writer Charles Soule wisely decides to focus on one key turning point in Ben’s life.

After his destruction of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple, Ben is on the run and unsure of his next steps. Under advice from Snoke, who’s pushing him towards the dark side, he seeks out the Knights of Ren. To be accepted into their ranks, he must prove himself, and fighting off the trio of Jedi pursuing him may grant such an opportunity.

This tightly plotted story adds substantially to our understanding of the character, while leaving some elements of mystery. Soule captures Ben’s voice perfectly – the arrogance of a future Supreme Leader is starting to emerge, but he’s also plagued by insecurities, pulled in different directions by conflicting influences.

There’s also time spared for a flashback in which a younger Ben, along with Luke and Lor San Tekka, first encounters the Knights; Luke’s at his Grand Master peak here and anyone who wanted more action from him in the sequel movies will be pleased.

Artist Will Sliney’s compositions have a cinematic feel, while his convincing likeness of the young Ben is as emotive as any of Adam Driver’s powerful performances. There are also some great new character and location designs, all made even better by Guru-eFX’s colours – dramatic and foreboding but not gloomy.