Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader review

     I love Darth Vader. Darth Vader is easily my favorite villain of all time and nothing, not even the Prequels, could shake my love of the character. However, it's undeniable that the original Dark Lord of the Sith has suffered some villain decay since the days of A New Hope. Even Timothy Zahn, patron saint of the Star Wars EU, remembered Darth Vader more for his strangling subordinates than his tactical genius.

    Let us not forget that Vader is the one who found the Rebel Alliance's base twice and is always one step ahead of the Rebellion. Indeed, if Darth Vader has one flaw, it's that he always has too much faith in his subordinates since the reason we lose two Death Stars is because Vader lets the Rebels go with the plans the first time followed by letting Luke's crew land on Endor versus capturing them outright. Oh well, no villain is perfect.

    The last time I felt Darth Vader really had any respect from the Expanded Universe, aside from that one time when he killed a resurrected Darth Maul (before he was resurrected in canon), was the original Marvel comic book series. Marvel, perhaps because of their familiarity with Highness Doctor Victor Von Doom, *GOT* Darth Vader. Their version was a chessmaster and a subtle murderer who was personally running the Rebellion into the ground.

    The new Marvel comics series starring Lord Vader is a mixture of the good and bad Vader. This Darth Vader, newly back from the destruction of the first Death Star, isn't quite the Dark Lord at his finest. That's because this novel, shock of shocks, has decided to give Darth Vader an arc. Do you remember A New Hope when Vader released Admiral Motti from his force grip? That was because Grand Moff Tarkin ordered it.

    At some point, most likely due to George Lucas changing his mind about where he wanted to go with the story, Darth Vader wasn't 2nd in command of the Empire. He's the Dark Lord of the Sith's apprentice but clearly not terribly respected in the Empire's ranks. If Grand Moff Tarkin is the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff then Darth Vader is that guy the Emperor sends to check up on things. No real rank and kind of just there. It just so happens he's seven-feet-tall and a cyborg wizard.

    This comic is all about Darth Vader deciding, after a series of humiliations at the hands of the Emperor followed by the discovery of Luke Skywalker's existence, that's it's probably time to get serious about murdering his Sith master. I'm not sure that it should take twenty years of being the Emperor's errand boy for Vader to decide he should murder his master. Frankly, I think he should be plotting that after Mustafar but what do I know?

    Even so, I like Darth Vader deciding to take his destiny into his hands and he does it in an interesting way. Darth Vader also doesn't suffer humiliations well. One of the best scenes of the book is where Grand General Tagge decides to assign Darth Vader a "minder" to report on his actions as if he was a dog. The next mission, Vader kills him and brings evidence he's a traitor to let Grand General Tagge know he's not a man to be triffled with--even if the latter immediately assigns a second one.

    The book also deserves credit for creating some truly interesting new characters as well as reviving old ones. Cassio Tagge, the guy who said, "The Rebellion will continue to gain a support in the Imperial Senate" turns out to be alive and has been promoted to head of the Imperial military. He has a very valid philosophy that the Death Star was probably a stupid idea and a waste of resources but Vader argues big dramatic examples work too. There's also the introduction of "sexy evil Asian female Indiana Jones" a.k.a Doctor Aphra who is just this bizarre character who works perfectly as Vader's new sidekick.

    Do I think this book is perfect? No, honestly, I don't. I really can't get behind the idea Darth Vader has been loyally serving Palpatine these past twenty years with no thought of murdering him. I also think the Emperor wouldn't be coming down on Darth Vader so hard without a real reason. Not because Palpatine isn't a petty monstrous jackass but because he has reasons for everything he does. Still, I really am enjoying Vader's growth into becoming the best Dark Lord of the Sith he could be. I only wish it had happened one year after Revenge of the Sith rather than twenty. Still, Doctor Aphra more than makes up for it.

9/10

Star Wars: Legacy (hardcover) volume 3 review

    The third volume in the Star Wars: Legacy omnibuses is is the end of all the major plots from the beginning of the series. The original series managed to get up to fifty-issues before being abruptly cancelled but Dark Horse comics was kind enough to allow the creators to have an extra six-issue miniseries, entitled Star Wars: Legacy: War, in order to wrap up its outstanding plot threads. The fact they would eventually revive the series afterward before losing their license to Marvel comics makes this decision quite curious but that is neither here nor there. Volume 3 includes all of the remaining issues up to and including War which gives it a complete, if rushed, epic finale.

    In retrospect, it was clear they were laying the groundwork for the grand finale of the series from the very beginning. While Cade Skywalker remains as obstinate as ever, the alliance between the Empire/Jedi/Galactic Alliance is coming together in the background while the Sith have a new leader in Darth Wyrrlok. I'm a big fan of Darth Wyrrlok because he's a much more intelligent-seeming antagonist than Darth Krayt. The fact he has the ambition to convert the entire galaxy to the Sith way is both brilliant as well as insane. While it's no spoiler that Darth Krayt eventually returns for War, due to being on the cover and all, it's kind of a shame because Wyrrlok outshines him in virtually all respects.

    Much of the volume before the War portion of the book deals with the aftermath of Dac's poisoning by a Sith mad scientist named Vul Isen. The Mon Calamari have been a mainstay of the Star Wars Expanded Universe since Return of the Jedi so watching them forced to flee their homes is a heartbreaking development. Cade decides to split the difference between actually doing something with his life and pursuing the very high bounty on Vul Isen's head. I suppose if you're going to continue being a complete waste of space, then the best thing to do is do that while hunting Space Nazi war criminals.

The art is, as always, masterful.

    Darth Maladi intervenes during this period and we get some insight into her character as she tries to hunt down Cade Skywalker for her (new) master. On the Imperial side of things, Marasiah Fel is threatened (again) and it falls to Ganner to find out whether his loyalty is to her or his master. I could have done without that bit of story recycling since I was hoping Marasiah Fel would prove more competent than she's proven to be. She's less Leia and more Padme in this series.

    Really, though, most of these plot developments are just counting down for the grand finale. Darth Krayt's return, his revelation of a new group of Sith entirely loyal to him, and his genocidal plans for the galaxy. With the destruction of everything threatened by the One Sith, can everyone put aside their differences to defeat the Dark Lord? Can Cade Skywalker prove himself great enough to save the universe?

    Of course. This is Star Wars, not Warhammer 40K.

     I can't say I'm very pleased with Darth Krayt's transformation from a well-intentioned extremist who believed he was reformer the Sith to be less prone to infighting into a literal omnicidal maniac. He was always a genocidal monster but I was hoping he might keep some depths until the end of his journey. Likewise, neither Darth Nihl or Darth Talon ever get much character development. We also see a reverse of Darth Vader's rise from grace with the increasing instability and insanity of Roan Fel. His fall to the Dark Side had been telegraphed from the very beginning but was still disappointing in the end.

    The Jedi's role in the conflict was also minimized, keeping the focus squarely on Cade Skywalker's ability to defeat the Dark Lord. When I first heard about the Sith's return, I was hoping that we would get regular battles between the Jedi and their counterparts ala The Old Republic. Instead, they have ever remained the perpetual victims in this volume with the exception of Wolf and Shado. This was disappointing but not entirely unexpected. I have the feeling they wanted to tell a story about the Jedi Knighthood near-extinction but were forced by fan reaction or simply the sheer number of Sith to back down.

    One thing I appreciate in the story is its focus on redemption: both Nyna Calixte's and Cade Skywalker's. Both individuals have been hovering on the Dark Side for some time and it's a good thing to see them realize that's not where they wanted to be. I would have preferred seeing a truly evil character come back from the brink but that's just quibbling over details. The finale of the series gives everyone a chance to shine and there's plenty of other good stories spread throughout the volume.

     The art is, as always, very beautiful. It manages to capture the newly-healed Darth Krayt in a way which is both menacing and understated. I also like the fabulous renderings of characters whether they're in space, in jungles, on spaceships, or in cities. Dialogue is crisp and well-written with none of the franchise's usual clunkers.

Darth Krayt's new visual design is stunning.

    So what did I think of Legacy in the end? Mostly, I think it was a successful experiment. We got to tell a slightly darker, more-adult version of the franchise's story. Not everything was successful as the repetition of the Jedi Purge, Cade Skywalker's unearned status as the hero, and the sidelining of Marasiah Fel hurt the narrative.

    A story about a drug-addicted Skywalker who comes to terms with his unwanted destiny to become a better man seems like it would make a better novel than a comic. Also, it would have been better appreciated if the entire galaxy wasn't at stake. Given it's shown that Cade could have killed Darth Krayt at any given time, it's kind of underwhelming when he finally has his fatal confrontation with the man. As a certain President once said, "the only thing to fear is fear itself." Never was that more true with a Sith Lord who regularly got his butt handed to him by Cade.

    Ultimately, Volume 3 is a satisfying, if not spectacular, ending to the Legacy saga. I would have preferred if they hadn't gone with the very obvious direction they had with Cade Skywalker's journey or sped it up, either way, but it's still an appropriate ending. I also give props to Dark Horse comics for coming up with a fifty-six issue epic. It wasn't always hits but it was rarely misses and what other comic can say that, consistently?

    Only a few.

9/10

Star Wars: Legacy (hardcover) volume 2 review

    Star Wars: Legacy is no longer canon thanks to the old Expanded Universe being removed from continuity. It's still one of the more coherent and well-crafted stories of the Legends universe, however, which means I heartily recommend it to people who are looking for an enjoyable alternate continuity Star Wars tale. I see no reason why you can't enjoy the Star Wars Legends stories anymore than the Marvel Ultimates series.

    The premise of Star Wars: Legacy is the Sith have returned one-hundred-and-twenty-years after the death of Emperor Palpatine. Led by the diabolical Darth Krayt, they have managed to seize control over the galaxy and install a ruthless draconian dictatorship over the whole of the universe once more. As before, a Skywalker may be the universe's last hope, but Cade Skywalker is the only one left alive and he's a drug-addicted bounty hunter who wants nothing to do with heroism.

The attack on Dac is the first real victory of the new Rebellion.

    In my review of the first hardcover, I mentioned how I wasn't very fond of Cade Skywalker asa a concept. I've never been a great fan of Chosen Ones in fiction and Cade is kind of an insult to his forebearers. Luke Skywalker wasn't a hero because of his high midiclorian count, he was a hero because he wanted to fight the Empire and make the galaxy a better place. The fact the central premise of Legacy is that Cade Skywalker is the only person capable of defeating Darth Krayt caused me extreme distress.

    Thankfully, this volume makes up for it in numerous ways.

    Cade Skywalker gets plenty of development, don't get me wrong, but the series takes a moment to step away from him by giving some focus to other characters. Whereas Cade Skywalker wants nothing to do with being the galaxy's savior, there are plenty of other people who do.

    My favorite of these characters is Gar Stazi, a Duros Admiral of the fallen Galactic Alliance, who is waging a never-ending campaign of resistance against the Sith-controlled Galactic Empire. Gar Stazi is an unquestionably heroic character and contrasts strongly with morally ambiguous characters like our current protagonist.

Darth Krayt proves himself a true monster, equal to Palpatine in evil, if not skill.

    Another character I liked was Cade's uncle, Nat, another Skywalker who has chosen to abandon the Jedi way. Unlike Cade, he hasn't allowed himself to sink into debauchery and depravity. A committed family man, he's a far more admirable figure even if he's decided saving the universe isn't for him. Still, I would have been much happier if there were Skywalkers who were interested in saving the universe.

    That would defeat the need for Cade, though.

    A third character I came to enjoy was Azlyn Rae, Cade Skywalker's former lover and a Jedi padawan who left their order to become an Imperial Knight. She is a reminder of the better times of Cade's life while also a person who inspires him to be better. The fact she's a strong female character who chooses to do what's right over what's practical also helps cement her place in my fanboy's heart.

    Plus she's a ginger and they're a superior species (at least according to my wife).

    Hehe.

    The moments spent between Cade and his uncle are some of the best in the series, in my humble opinion, and go a long way to humanizing our antihero protagonist. Nat gives him firm but practical advice about his situation as well as directs him away from the Dark Side without being condescending. Cade is never more likable than when dealing with his uncle and we get some hints as to how he became the way he did. Cade, much like Anakin, simply wishes people to live and his struggle to keep his loved ones from leaving is his greatest flaw rather than his drug use. I'm never going to like Cade but, after this volume, I understood him.

Azlyn Rae is awesome. What happens to her? Well, you'll just have to see but her story goes in surprising directions.

     We also get the set-up for the central conflict of the Legacy stories in the massacre of the Mon Calamari. Long champions of freedom and democracy, they badly underestimate how deep Darth Krayt's madness goes. When the Mon Calamari population is set for genocide, the rest of the galaxy can only look on in horror at the pure evil on display. As with Alderaan, the event galvanizes Darth Krayt's enemies to unite against him too. Some of my favorite moments from this volume are centered around the Mon Calamari defense, like watching Imperial Knight Treis Sinde choose his loyalty to the Force over his service to Emperor Fel.

    In conclusion, Star Wars: Legacy volume 2 is an excellent continuation of a great series. While I don't much care for its lead, the setting is evocative, the art is beautiful, and the characters are fascinating. While the storyline can be a trifle depressing, I think anyone who likes their Star Wars a bit edgy will enjoy this.

9.5/10

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Star Wars: Legacy (hardcover) volume 1

    Star Wars: Legacy is one of the few grand experiments in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. A fifty-six issue comic book series with an ongoing sequel series, it was one of the rare attempts to do something original. Set a century and a half after the events of A New Hope, it followed the adventures of antihero Cade Skywalker as a new Sith Empire had risen to take over the galaxy.

    The problem is there's already some issues with this premise. The Sith returning after George Lucas made such a very big deal of the "Rule of Two" and their order being extinguished rang false. Likewise, I'm not sure any fans wanted to see a drug-addicted PTSD-suffering bounty hunter and occasional pirate version of Luke Skywalker.

    Much like Superman, Luke Skywalker is one of those incorruptible symbols of purity in modern mythology. Seeing Luke's "heir" as such a wreck of a human being while the galaxy was once more under the sway of a tyrannical regime couldn't help but cause me to feel like his quote-unquote legacy was being tarnished.

    The issue is further troubled by the fact Cade Skywalker has no interest in being either a Jedi Knight or studying the Force. The refusal of the call is a basic part of Campbellian mythology but it's usually resolved quickly. Watching the entire galaxy suffer while Cade talks about how hard it is to deal with the death of his father is hard to take seriously. Not to diminish his loss but a lot of people are losing their fathers during this time period and the fact Jedi Master Kol Skywalker was killed by the Sith should make Cade more determined to oppose them.

    The first third of this three volume collection of omnibuses mostly centers around Cade's series of false stops and starts along his road to (maybe?) getting his act together. Unfortunately, any number of events which would normally convince a hero to take up the fight against the Sith and their Imperial minions gets ignored by Cade. Quite simply, Jon Ostrander and Jan Duursema seem more interested in Cade's angst than I, the reader, am.

    Despite this, I maintain the series still has much to go on it. The writers have taken a great deal of time to plot out the backstory of the characters they've created. Darth Krayt is a great villain, even if he's got a bit too many similarities to Anakin Skywalker (and visually resembles Mortal Kombat villain Shao-Khan). Likewise, I love the concept of the Imperial Knights (Jedi who serve the Emperor-in-Exile Roan Fel) and the entire Fel family.

    The art is incredible. Every scene is like a painting come to life and while it's a much darker world than the original trilogy, the world is both vibrant and realistic. I love the look of characters like Marasiah Fel, Roan Fel, Rav, and even Cade himself. The action scenes leap off the page and if the One Sith are a bit generic--I never get tired of seeing them sliced up by lightsabers.

The interrelationships and tie-ins between characters can be overwhelming but I like it.

    Much of this volume exists to set up the extremely complicated universe and its backstory. We find out how the One Sith took over the galaxy, what people are happy with the Sith Emperor, who prefer the "good" Emperor Roan Fel, and why Darth Krayt needs Cade Skywalker so badly. The situation is extremely well set up but I almost feel like the story might be better if it followed some of the supporting characters more than Cade.

    One thing I don't like is the attempt to do a more "gritty" version of Star Wars. Cade Skywalker is a drug-addicted bounty-hunter who turns a Jedi over to the Sith due to not wanting to 'out' himself as a Jedi. While he recants of this decision, it doesn't make up for the very negative first impression I have of the character. Luke Skywalker's Jedi spirit attempts to coax him out of his fugue state but even this ends in Cade threatening suicide over trying to do something for the galaxy as a whole. Watching Jedi knights Wolf and Shado talk about how Cade is their last hope is just depressing.

    I'm also not a big fan of the Imperial Remnant and the Imperial Knights being heroes this time around. While a lot of fans are excited about "good" Imperials, they come at the expense of those who might still believe democracy and the Jedi way are worth fighting for. Despite this, I'm quite fond of the characters and hope they'll remain as supporting cast. I just hope the series creators remember there's a reason we liked the Jedi and Rebel Alliance. Darker and edgier does not mean better.

    And that's me saying that.

Luke really deserved better than this Joker.

    Much of the early story is designed around setting up Cade to confront his demons but the expected "Road to Damacus" moment never happens. Cade becomes a slightly less awful person but he never quite manages to make the turn-around to full hero. The fact Cade is able to defeat Darth Krayt, his chief enforcer, and anything less despite not being a fully-trained Jedi also makes the conflict between them somewhat questionable. It's hard to root for a hero who can easily overpower the villain if they get within a few feet of each other. I would have preferred Darth Krayt to be more powerful than Cade, if only because of experience.

    The Sith are visually interested even if they're all rather one-dimensionally evil as many seem to think the Dark Lords should be. Despite the fact they're ostensibly supposed to be loyal to each other, they come off as the same level of scheming backstabbing Sith as before. I would have preferred a bit more camaraderie and love between them as even evil ones can have family. I'm also intrigued by third-side characters like Morlish Veed and Nyna Calixte who seem more on their side than Fel or Emperor Krayt's.

     Star Wars: Legacy Volume 1 is a rather small book, larger than a standard paperback but not by much. It is very reasonably priced, being only about twenty-dollars for four-hundred pages of color comics. If you're interested in an epic storyline, albeit one marred by an attempt to be "gritty" in the least gritty setting in fiction outside of My Little Pony, then you might enjoy picking up this volume.

8/10

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Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns review

    I am of two minds about Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns. On one hand, it is a perfectly serviceable Star Wars story. There's the Sith, they've built a nasty superweapon, and we have a hero with an interesting problem out to stop it. Unfortunately, the story is so dreadfully conventional I'm not sure I can rate it highly.

    What do I mean about conventional? Part of the appeal of The Old Republic is the fact the lines are a bit blurrier than normal. The Sith Empire has individuals who are motivated by the fact the Republic attempted to commit genocide against them millennia ago and believe they would do the same again given half the chance (they're right).

    The Republic includes people who believe there's no method too horrible for opposing the Sith. Yet, at the end of the day, the Sith are a "might makes right" dictatorship while the Republic is a democracy. It's genuine moral ambiguity without being contrived.

    Unfortunately, that moral ambiguity is completely absent from The Lost Suns. Jedi and Republic=Good. Sith and Empire=Evil. The Sith are building a bunch of superweapons and our heroes have to stop them. This isn't a bad story, really, but it is such a well-trod story that I find myself disappointed. Both The Threat of Peace and Blood of the Empire managed to nicely display the moral ambiguity of the setting without diluting either the Jedi and Sith's well-established roles.

    I perhaps am being too harsh on this particular point but even if the Sith and Imperials are evil, the least they could be is interesting evil. Darth Mekhis is a wicked Sith who wants to build a bunch of evil stuff and that's the extent of her characterization. Oh and she's a member of the Dark Council. I love the fact there's a Sith female main villain, I do. It's part of why I liked Kreia. However, that is not a substitute for personality.

    The only real meat to the story lies in the character of Theron Shan. The son of Jedi Grandmaster Satele Shan, he was raised as a Jedi Knight from birth only to discover as an adult he was insensitive to the Force. In short, his entire childhood was essentially wasted.

    We get a sense of Theron's determination in the fact he decided to become a Republic SIS (their CIA-equivalent) instead but that's about the extent of Theron's characterization. It's not so much that Theron is a flat-character but he keeps to himself enough that we never really bond with him the way we've done with other characters.

    Oddly, my favorite character in the book is Jedi Master Ngani Zho. I enjoyed him consistently throughout the book and wished he would appear in other stories. Even then, there was a disconnect as the book depicted a Jedi Master living as a homeless person bumming rides from one side of the galaxy to the next as something we're supposed to find disturbing. Except, well, Jedi Masters do that sort of stuff all the time. Up until the halfway point of the novel I wasn't aware there was a problem with Master Zho's behavior.

    My least favorite character from the book, however, was undoubtedly Teff'ith. I can't point to anything specific about her but I have never wanted a Star Wars character to die in a manner as horribly as I did her. Everything about her set my teeth on edge and while I have disliked characters before, her sheer unnecessary-ness to the narrative made me despise her. These feelings were not improved by a likable character being removed in favor of her. In a very real way, Teff'ith is my Jar Jar or Ken Palpatine.

    Even the ending felt emotionally unsatisfying. We have a chance to have Theron confront the person who set him on his life's path, the person who shaped his entire existence, and devoted about ninety-percent of his existence to a cause which wasn't his own. He has absolutely nothing to say to this person. This is meant to be meaningful and profound but, frankly, isn't very good drama.

    The Lost Suns isn't bad but it sure as hell isn't good. It's quite possibly the most generic Star Wars story ever told. Even the relatively original idea of being the non-Force Sensitive son of an extremely powerful Jedi gets glossed over. Any angst Theron might have experienced about the subject he's outgrown years ago. It's just not very dramatic and everyone feels like they're characters in a paint-by-the-numbers Star Wars story. The only thing we're missing is some droid comic relief and that would have actually made the story better.

5/10

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Hard Targets review

    Jahan Cross is the best thing to happen to the Star Wars Expanded Universe in years. A relatively simple concept: James Bond in Space, he has adventures that don't feel like anything else in Star Wars but feel perfectly appropriate for the setting. Much like the X-wing books, the Agent of the Empire comics feel like stories that expand on the universe while not losing the specific flavor of the galaxy far-far away.

    The premise of Hard Targets is that Jahan Cross has been assigned to kill the new Count of Serenno. This is actually a minor spoiler for the first book but it's a fake-out which works just as well knowing what's going to happen. A minor relative of Count Dooku's, the noble is being courted by Bail Organa in hopes of bringing him into the Rebellion. Jahan Cross makes sure that doesn't happen.

    Permanently.

    The rest of the comic book deals with the fallout of this act. Jahan Cross has no objections to murder, he's a bit of a sociopath like that (much like Fleming's creation), but he likes his murders to be justified. Finding out that the Empire's intelligence network may have accepted a bribe to bring about the Count's death bothers him. There's also the issue of the Count's son, a defenseless boy Jahan Cross feels some small obligation to. Mostly because he's just murdered the kid's father.

    Throw in the fact that Jahan Cross' father is an Alderaanian rebel sympathizer and Jahan's next assignment takes him to Serenno then hit and presto! You have one of the most consistently entertaining titles in the Star Wars comic mythos.

    Unfortunately, it seems very likely that Hard Targets will be the last of Jahan Cross' adventures. The Force (and sales) are not with the agent of the Empire. This is an unfortunate side effect of a declining comics market, the lack of any movie-characters in a starring role, and the fact the economy sucks. I, myself, was stupid enough not to buy this when it first came out and only recently picked it up in TPB format.

    I think the chief appeal of Jahan Cross is his moral ambiguity. Much like James Bond, he's an agent of the state and a hired killer but with a certain degree of morality. He's not a complete monster like Tarkin or Ysanne Isard but lacks the kind of moral fiber which would allow him to rebel. Given he willingly breaks out a fugitive, it's also fairly clear he's not motivated by love of country either. At least, solely.

    The book has an interesting relationship with the female gender as well. Jahan Cross, at times, feels like a sexist pig. There's even a scene where he teases Leia and Winter in a manner which can only be described as flirtatious (despite the fact they're teenagers). He also hits on the loyal bodyguard of a man he just murdered while courting another woman. Yet, the book itself, isn't sexist. The women are incredibly capable and forceful with Jahan Cross just happening to have a serious blind spot regarding them.

    The action is excellent in this book, as always, and the writers know not to oversell Cross. Boba Fett and Jahan Cross have a couple of showdowns, only for the latter to get his ass kicked. Not only does this make sense, Boba being the most dangerous non-Force User in the Star Wars galaxy, but losing gracefully makes Cross that much more of a badass. The fact he survived is proof-enough he's tough. Besides, it would be ridiculous for Jahan Cross to defeat Boba Fett while the latter is covered in Mandalorian armor while the former is, well, not.

    I approve of the art in this volume as well. Serenno is beautifully realized, as is Alderaan. These are worlds which have received little attention in Star Wars so watching them get expanded on is delightful. While I don't think we'll see another Agent of the Empire volume, I'd absolutely love to see one.

10/10

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Prisoner of Bogan review

    I admit, I was underwhelmed with Into The Void but Force Storm has proven the Dawn of the Jedi setting has great potential. I was eager to plow into the Prisoner of Bogan arc as soon as I finished its predecessor.

    The heart of this story is a trope I'm surprised we haven't seen more of in Star Wars. Basically, someone sees a vision of something bad in the Force and starts taking actions which may or may not make it come about.

    It's a classic plot from Greek mythology, most notably the story of Oedipus, but it isn't limited there. Troy Denning attempted to retcon Jacen Solo's fall into having elements of this but I'm not sure he succeed. I like to think Kreia's fall in Knights of the Old Republic 2 had to do with her farseeing skill revealing the devastation her apprentice would wreck.

No, that's not evil Jimmy Smitts with a mullet and a lightsaber. It just LOOKS like it.

    The unlucky seer in Prisoner of Bogan is Daegen Lok. He saw a vision of the Rakata destroying Tython and its people. Daegen Lok found no receptive ears in the Jed'aii Council and ended up getting banished to the moon of Bogan for it.

    Banishment for darksiders was a punishment first introduced in The Courtship of Princess Leia but we haven't seen much of it in the EU. It's cool to see it revisited with a guy who may or may not have actually been corrupt before his banishment. Unfortunately, for our heroes, years of focusing on his vision have driven him crazy. Well, perhaps not crazy, ruthless and obsessed may be a better description. After all, he's lost a lot of time to prepare for the Rakata's now-imminent invasion.

    We get a bit more backstory on the Jed'aii and what they've been doing for the past few decades too. Much like the Mandalorian Wars broadened our understanding of the Jedi in Knights of the Old Republic, so does the Despot Wars do the same for the Jed'aii here. The Barons of one of the settled worlds in the Tython System rose up to destroy the Jed'aii only to get themselves annihilated as a result.

The comic has excellent action throughout.

     The losers, having been massacred in the battle, justifiably hold a grudge against those who crushed them. It's a surprisingly realistic source of Anti-Jediism. After all, people usually don't think of themselves as bad guys when they're defeated in a war and these Jedi are pretty ruthless.

    I admit, I also liked Daegen Lok's causal description of how he defeated the rebels. The Jed'aii are efficient and don't mind getting their hands dirty. I'm fairly sure this method brought a swift end to the war, which might have otherwise devastated the system, but it caused me to put my comic down for a second. I have no doubt the other Jed'aii would have done the same as Lok and that makes them dangerous.

    Xesh's journey continues in Prisoner of Bogan and I'm intrigued by where its headed. The dark-sider is less than thrilled at the Jed'aii's treatment of him as a walking bomb, even if that's close to what he is. The Jed'aii's awe over his lightsaber is also cool, highlighting the monumental moment it is for them to find it.

    There's something fascinating about the fact it was originally not only a Darksiders-only weapon but something used to oppress slaves. The Jed'aii fact the took it, made it their own, and used it to defend the galaxy for 20,000 years is awesome in its symbolism.

    Much of the comic is set-up for later events in the saga but the escape of Daegen and Xesh from Bogan provides an excellent story to keep us occupied until the payoff. Daegen has no hesitation in harming his fellow Jed'aii and that brutality makes us fear for our heroes. The action and emotional conflict is Star Wars at its best.

Clearly, the Rakata are fond of Image comics.

     If I had one complaint, it's a small one. I'm not fond of the character design of newcomer Trill. She looks like a rock album cover and it kind of undermines her role as the harbinger for the Infinite Empire. This is a small complaint, however, and I enjoy her story. It's a nice deconstruction of the "Morality Pet" trope as you can't pin all of your hopes and dreams on a single person. Because, no matter how good they are, you're bound to be disappointed.

    We get some more information on the Rakata, Jed'aii, and Blue Desert People. I'm kind of disappointed the Blue Desert People's past as "godlike precursors" is being linked to Tython as I was never particularly fond of the retcon they were sentient beings. It seemed to undercut Luke Skywalker's lesson to Isoldor that animals think--even if they don't think like regular beings.

    Still, watching the Jedi learn the history of the Rakata was worth the issue price alone. I will say, in a storyline filled with varying motivations of intricate complexity, it's interesting to learn the Blue Desert People's explanation for why the Rakata went bad boils down to, "they were a bunch of murderous bullies." You have to wonder why they gave the Blue Desert People gave them super-technology and Force powers. You'd think they'd have noticed this quality.

    Oh well, great trade. Buy it.

10/10

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm review

     I admit I wasn't initially interested in the Dawn of the Jedi series. The prospect of finding out about the origins of the Jedi Order didn't particularly tantalize me the way new stories about existing characters did. There was so much going on in the Old Republic and Legacy Eras it seemed silly to have stories set in another one.

     I am pleasantly surprised to say I was mistaken in my assumptions. Dawn of the Jedi is the best Star Wars material I've read in years. It's almost equal to Knights of the Old Republic, which is high praise for anyone who knows my opinion of Zayne Carrick.

The introduction where force-users from all over the galaxy are transported to one place is quite magical.

     Dawn of the Jedi does something different with the Jedi, which is something I had long despaired of seeing. The Jedi Knights of the DOTJ period are a diverse and multifaceted lot. They have family troubles, relationship issues, doctrinal differences, and even varying senses of fashion.

    There was a weird moment when I was looking at a couple of Jedi with one of them being a shirtless flirtatious Sith hunk and the other being a sexy blonde with a low-cut outfit. Initially, I thought this was just the comic providing fanservice before I realized these Jedi don't wear robes because the attachment issue (and, by proxy, sex) isn't a big issue.

The art, as always, is beautiful.

     Which is the central crux of the setting: that the ancient Jed'aii didn't fear the Dark Side. Much like Luke Skywalker, they are beings who have grown stronger for their association with multiple types of beings and being willing to stretch their philosophical assumptions. Most notably, the Jed'aii believe in Balance rather than the Light Side.

    This has its dangers. There's a couple of parts to the Jed'aii's story which are unsettling. They perform genetic experiments like the ancient Sith to domesticate their animals, they don't think hate is something to stamp out (merely that it has a place and a time), and quite a few of them have a confidence bordering on arrogance. Still, I think I'd like to be part of these guys versus the Jedi proper. Luke should pay a visit to Tython and have a talk with these guys via holocron or surviving offshoot. It would be an interesting book or comic series, to say the least.

    The Force Storm arc has the tough job of not only introducing the new time period but telling a coherent and interesting plot. Thankfully, it manages to pull this off. The first story arc deals with the introduction of Xesh into the Jed'aii's world. Xesh is a force-user raised and trained by the Rakata to be one of their 'Hounds', a figure who seeks force-sensitives for the Infinite Empire to enslave.

    Xesh is an intriguing character because not only is he a Darksider, he's a figure who has grown up in a hellish environment where the Light Side was practically nonexistent. As a result he's unfamilar with mercy, pity, remorse, or other concepts central to a Jedi. Watching him get 'seduced by the Light Side of the Force' and his reaction to these strange concepts is interesting. Likewise, as a Force User totally given to the Dark Side, he represents an ideological challenge for the Balance-seeking Jed'aii.

Xesh introduces a certain weapon to the sword-fighting Jedi.

   The choice of the Rakata as the first major villains of the setting, if not the entire comic series, is inspired. First introduced in Knights of the Old Republic, they represented a fascinating look into the early life of Star Wars' history. While the hammerhead shark-looking aliens are somewhat silly looking, I am amazed at how expressive the artists have been able to make the creatures. They're simultaneously completely given to the Dark Side but somehow more pathetic than the Sith--given to pettiness which undermines their sense of authority. The future Dark Lords have inherited a dignity from their Jed'aii forebearers it seems. I also like their "kill, prey, scavenge" mentality as it fits with a race descended from sharks.
   
    The lead trio of the comic is also a plus as each of them brings something into the table. We have a member of the original Sith series, who is a cocksure ladies man. We have a beast-riding human female who has issues with her parents' Jed'aii past. We also have the daughter of what passes for the local nobility. They're all fascinating characters and, combined with Xesh, I want to see where they all go storyline-wise.

    I applaud Dark Horse, this was a great idea for a series.

    10/10

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse review

 
    James Bond in Star Wars.

    It's such a wonderful premise, I wish we'd seen it before. We've had loyalist Imperials before. Soontir Fel, Gilad Pellaeon, Maarek Stele, Kir Kanos, and Janek Sunber are some of my favorite characters. However, there's always a nice undercurrent to the storyline that these individuals are struggling against the tide. No matter how honorable and noble a person may be, none of that means anything if your cause is rotten.

     Our protagonist is Jahan Cross, a member of Imperial Intelligence who has all the suaveness of James Bond but a bit more professionalism. He also occasionally cracks a smile at something other than the death of a henchmen. I don't know if the idea for an Imperial Agent protagonist came before or after the Old Republic announced their use of a similar character but I suspect it's just natural parallel development. After all, who would be the best employer for a spy in the galaxy but Imperial Intelligence?

    Jahan Cross is a nice balance of idealism in the Empire's purpose and cynicism about the universe. Alderaan has yet to be destroyed and the Jedi Knights were mysterious enough that you could believe they weren't the heroes they were. It was a gusty move by the writers to have Jahan badmouth the Jedi Knights yet it invokes pity more than derision. Jahan is yet another dupe of Darth Sidious and all of his efforts to protect the people of the galaxy are only keeping Darth Sidious in power longer.

    Iron Eclipse is a mini-series chronicling Jahan Cross investigating a smuggling ring which turns out to be so-much more. There are numerous nods to Sean Connery's James Bond with Jahan Cross employing techniques ranging from starfighter piloting, seduction, sharpshooting, seduction, intimidation, and seduction to win the day. Okay, not that much seduction but it's interesting to see the ease with which Jahan persuades attractive women to fall under his spell.

    Human or alien.

    The miniseries takes place in the Corporate Sector, a lesser known part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe that is one of the two places in the galaxy which can be considered a foreign country to the Galactic Empire (the other being Hutt Space). Jahan Cross is continually stymied by the fact the Empire's reach isn't nearly as far as it normally is for him. We also get some nice tie-ins to the Clone Wars era with explanations as to what happened to a number of the corporate bodies which followed Count Dooku into war.

    My favorite part of the story is the revival of a character I liked from the Old Republic period: Iaco Stark. Iaco Stark was a sleazy corporate raider who managed, through a variety of genre savvy methods, to nearly defeat the entire Prequel-era Old Republic. Unlike most villains in Star Wars, he managed to escape and live to tell the tale. This story shows what happened to him and I confess a certain level of disappointment. The Iaco of the Stark Hyperspace War would have eaten the bad guys of this story for breakfast.

     The art is gorgeous with the period-piece in space feel of 1960s spy culture making the covers exceptionally lovely. Also, despite my complaints regarding Iaco Stark, the story is enjoyably serious with the villains having a suitably grandiose plot. I even liked the token love-interest of the story, Faabri, who proves herself more capable than she absolutely had to be. In short, this is an excellent Star Wars story and I hope Dark Horse continues to make them.

10/10

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War review

    Zayne Carrick is my second favorite Jedi Knight. If you haven't heard of him, he's not in the movies or even books. Instead, Zayne Carrick is the star of a comic book based of a video game he's not even the star of.

    Ouch.

    These extremely humble beginnings are appropriate for Zayne, however, because he's the antithesis of your usual Star Wars hero. Not because he's gritty, dark, or angsty. No, in fact, he is a return to the kind of goofy Farm Boy nobility that went out of style circa mid-90s. Zayne is a gentle, kind, and somewhat silly soul who is lacking the kind of earth-quaking force powers we've come to expect from our protagonists.

    Zayne Carrick doesn't need to be a redeemed Sith Lord, an edgy antihero, or even a Jedi Knight raised from birth. He's just a guy who wants to do good in the galaxy and flunked out of Force training (under extremely unpleasant circumstances). For fifty issues, fans followed the adventures of Zayne Carrick during the Pre-Knights of the Old Republic video game timeline and witnessed him trying to do good despite constant temptations to be the bad guy.

    The cancellation of Knights of the Old Republic is one of my least favorite moments in comics. So when I heard they were going to revive the series I was very excited, less so when I found out life would be taking me away from the comic book shop for almost a year. Oh well, I finally got my hands on the trade and just finished it moments ago. Knights of the Old Republic: War is a five-issue self-contained story containing the next chapter of Zayne Carrick's story.

    War is an interesting title for a Zayne Carrick story because the character is a pacifist. In fact, really, I'm not sure if he's ever deliberately killed anyone. Accidents have a way of disposing of Zayne's enemies and he's even further than Luke Skywalker along the peaceful spectrum. The comic book surprised me by showing this is the central conflict of Zayne Carrick. He hates war, has no interest in fighting war, but is drafted into the Republic's forces.

    The comic book series also introduces the Mandalorian Knights. This is a concept that's tailor made for abuse, combining two of the most beloved icons in Star Wars. John Jackson Miller nicely avoids this sort of fanboyism by showing how such a union turned out to be a giant cluster****. The Mandalorians don't trust Jedi sorcery and the converted Jedi Knights adopt viewpoints that don't really mesh with the culture. I love Mandalorians but consider their philosophy horrifying so watching this failure of an idea self-destruct is wonderfully entertaining.

    I also appreciated Zayne Carrick dealing with one of the unspoken elements of the Old Republic that is consistently portrayed but rarely commented on--the rampant nepotism. The Old Republic's senators pass down their seats and privileges to their children while the Navy has ruling families stretching back thousands of years.

    Here, Zayne is forced to deal with a military officer who has no credentials whatsoever but a prominent family willing to pull favors for him. Given his past history with Lucien Draay, the Jedi version, it's fascinating to watch Zayne deal with a man he genuinely dislikes.

    I question the continuity of one element; the statement the Old Republic didn't have an army but only made use of planetary militias. This is something that makes sense in the 1000 year period before The Phantom Menace but is strange to see in the Revan era. Given we see the Old Republic make use of armies in, well, Star Wars: The Old Republic, it seems a little strange. Oh well, it was just a little hiccup that didn't ruin my enjoyment of things.

    If there's one thing I didn't like about the book, it's the general lack of Zayne's supporting cast. Jarael and Griff are two characters every bit as important as Zayne in terms of making the Knights of the Old Republic comic formula work. Still, this is a very personal story about Zayne's morality and their absence doesn't hurt the book too much. I just hope we get to see more of them in the future.

    The ending of the book is something that I am curious about since the future of the Old Republic era is filled with darkness. Zayne Carrick is capable of finding humanity in the Mandalorians and others but the future of his adventures is the Sith. In the face of the Dark Side, pacifism isn't really going to do much good (though Darth Vader shows only the Emperor is beyond redemption). It might be an interesting story to see Zayne Carrick finally decide he has to kill someone to protect others.

    I'm looking forward to it.

9/10