Review: BATMITE #1

BAT-MITE #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Dan Jurgens
PENCILS: Corin Howell
INKS: Corin Howell and Andres Ponce
COLORS: Mike Atiyeh
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
COVER: Corin Howell with Mike Atiyeh
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2015)

“Transplant”

Bat-Mite is a  DC Comics character that is part of the Batman line of comics.  Bat-Mite was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Sheldon Moldoff and first appeared in Detective Comics #267 (cover dated:May 1959) in the story, “Batman Meets Bat-Mite.”

Bat-Mite is an “Imp” character that is similar to Superman's adversary, “Mister Mxyzptlk.”  However, Bat-Mite idolizes Batman, but is a nuisance to Batman because of his impish activities.  Bat-Mite's appearance is that of a small, child-like man, and he possesses seemingly near-infinite magical power.

Now, DC Comics has a new thang going on, and it is a publishing initiative called “DC You.”  It's all about us, the readers... actually, the fans.  June 2015 alone sees the launch of over 20 new titles.  One of them is a new comic book feature Bat-Mite.  It written by Dan Jurgens, drawn by Corin Howell and Andres Ponce, colored by Mike Atiyeh, and lettered by Tom Napolitano.

Bat-Mite #1 (“Transplant”) begins with the banishment of Bat-Mite, presumably from his home dimension.  When next we see him, Bat-Mite is interfering...err... helping Batman foil two criminals.  Things aren't what they seem, as Bat-Mite learns when he meets Doctor Trauma.  And Doc Trauma's latest Frankenstein-like scheme is positively... savage.

I laughed in derision when I read that DC was launching a Bat-Mite comic book, but I have to admit that I was curious about this new series.  I have loved Bat-Mite since I first encountered the character on “The New Adventures of Batman” Saturday morning cartoon series (Filmation, 1977).  I was later surprised to see that this new Bat-Mite comic book was only a six-issue miniseries, which makes sense, I guess.  I doubt that Bat-Mite is a character that can support an ongoing series.

Now, I won't be fake and claim that Bat-Mite 2015 is a great comic book, but I do like it a lot.  Dan Jurgens is an underrated comics creator.  Someone once described Jurgens as the kind of creator whose steady output of professional work kept the comics business operating in between brief but outstanding bursts of greatness that guys like Frank Miller dropped in to offer once a year or so (not the writer's exact words).

Well, Dan Jurgens – Mr. Professional – strikes the right tone for Bat-Mite as a character.  He is a pest, a confidant nerd.  He is funny because of his know-it-all superiority and sarcasm, but not necessarily because he is silly.  That is why I think that Jurgens could do much with this character if he were given the chance to produce a series of Bat-Mite miniseries.

Corin Howell and Andres Ponce make a good art team.  Howell's storytelling strikes the right tone because she maximizes physical comedy, especially facial expressions.  Howell makes Bat-Mite a character with believable motivation, attitude, and personality.  That is not necessarily easy.  Bat-Mite is always on the edge of being nothing more than a plush toy.

So, I am in with Bat-Mite for the long haul, or whatever kind of haul six issues make.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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Review: AKANEIRO #1

AKANEIRO #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Justin Aclin
ART: Vasilis Lolos
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Shu Yan
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2013)

“The Path of Cloak and Wolf” Part 1 of 3

American McGee is a game designer perhaps best known as the designer of American McGee's Alice and for Spicy Horse, his Shanghai-based independent video game developer. McGee and Spicy Horse’s latest game is Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, a re-envisioning of Red Riding Hood set in the world of Japanese folklore.

Dark Horse Comics is producing a comic book adaptation of Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, entitled Akaneiro. The series is written by Justin Aclin and drawn by Vasilis Lolos.

Akaneiro #1 opens on Yomi Island, the home of the Ainu people, who were the first to settle Nippon. The island is beset by yokai, who will destroy humanity if too many enter the world. The Red Hunters of the Order of Akane hunt and kill yokai, maintaining a balance, but the Ainu and Red Hunters, at best, only tolerate each other.

Kani is a half-Ainu girl (on her late mother’s side) who lives with her father, a shabby ronin. Her lineage makes her an outcast to the Ainu, but an Ainu ceremony, the Iomante, will change Kani’s life.

I can’t tell how much Little Red Riding Hood is in Akaneiro, but the influences of feudal Japan-set fiction, as well as Japanese folklore and mythology are clear. Honestly, I did not find Akaneiro interesting at first, but once Kani begins her journey, the story takes a nice, wicked turn. At that turning point, it seems as if the Japanese folklore aspect lessens. Now, Akaneiro has a Sam Raimi-Army of Darkness vibe.

Two things to keep me coming back are, first, artist Vasilis Lolos’ peculiar, but compelling drawing style. The second thing is that the part of the story that begins in the last seven pages is just too good to be left hanging.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: STAR WARS: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2

STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN #2
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

["Star Wars Review" review page is here.]

SCRIPT: Tim Siedell – @badbanana
PENCILS: Stephen Thompson
INKS: Mark Irwin
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Ariel Olivetti
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (May 2013)

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin is a new Star Wars comic book series from writer Tim Siedell and artists Stephen Thompson and Mark Irwin. The series is set at the end of the Star Wars time period known as “The Rise of the Empire” era (the 1000-year period before the decisive Battle of Yavin in the original Star Wars film. Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin takes place some months after the events depicted in the film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin centers on a plot by a wealthy industrialist to kill Emperor Palpatine’s mysterious apprentice, Darth Vader, who killed the industrialist’s son. After eight assassins failed, the vengeful father hires a ninth assassin, who is mysterious and powerful.

As Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2 begins, the Heinsnake suddenly strikes. The Empire faces a wave a terrorist attacks. And an eons-dead, dark, ancient cult may be making its return.

In my review of Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1, I wrote that if the second and third issues and so on are good, they will continue to give us the awesome read that the first issue promises. One down: Damn, Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2 is a good comic book. I could have read another 100 pages of this in one sitting.

Writer Tim Siedell has crafted a story in which, the Emperor, Vader, and the Empire are actually, seriously menaced by a credible, but largely unknown enemy… or enemies. Artist Stephen Thompson graphically conveys Siedell’s story as an epic in big panels that capture the grandeur of power, the scale of Imperial infrastructure, but, most of all, the vastness of the galaxy and how that enormity can hide entities capable of destroying even a Galactic Empire. This is a Star Wars must-read comic book.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: STAR WARS: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1

STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

["Star Wars Central" review page is here.]

SCRIPT: Tim Siedell – @badbanana
PENCILS: Stephen Thompson
INKS: Mark Irwin
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Ariel Olivetti
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (April 2013)

In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, “The Rise of the Empire” era is the 1000-year period before the events depicted in the original Star Wars film. Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin is a new Star Wars comic book series from Dark Horse Comics. The series is set during “The Rise of the Empire” era and takes place some months after the events depicted in the film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1 introduces readers to a wealthy mining magnate who seeks revenge against Emperor Palpatine’s mysterious apprentice, Darth Vader. He has hired eight assassins to murder Darth Vader, and all eight assassins are apparently dead.

Now, the man seeks to enlist a ninth assassin. The ninth assassin, however, asks a high price, a cost higher than all the credits in the revenge seeker’s bottomless coffers. Is this price/sacrifice too great to acquire the one man who can kill the Dark Lord of the Sith?

If the second and third issues and so on are good, they will continue to give us the awesome read that Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1 promises. Series writer Tim Siedell seems as if he is planning to go into some dark places. In fact, Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin is darker than George Lucas ever made any of his Star Wars films. I can’t imagine The Walt Disney Company adopting a more sinister tone in their planned Star Wars films (but we can hope).

The pencil art by Stephen Thompson reminds me of Frank Quitely’s art, but with more texture and grit. Thompson’s compositions are well-served by Mark Irwin inks and Michael Atiyeh’s always high-quality colors. Thompson’s take on Vader is quite chilling; he has a way of making Vader’s ability to intimidate real rather than implied.

With Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin, Dark Horse once again proves that in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, it is the master.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

New "Knight Errant" and "Blood Ties" Star Wars Comics Coming

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES NEW KNIGHT ERRANT & BLOOD TIES SERIES!

Fresh from the panel at New York Comic Con, Dark Horse Comics is back with new series arcs from two of their most popular Star Wars books!

Star Wars: Blood Ties – Boba Fett is Dead

Established Star Wars writer Tom Taylor is back with another stunning Blood Ties series to be released in April 2012.

"Boba Fett is dead. The most infamous hunter in the galaxy has been hunted. He's lying, broken, on the desert floor. He's more blaster-holes than man. It's the ultimate ending. However, this is just the start of our story. With the fall of Fett broadcast across the galaxy, someone rises to avenge him. But who would care about the death of a man like Fett? Bounty hunters aren't exactly known for their enduring, close friendships but even a man like Boba Fett has family... and now a Blood Tie demands blood." -Tom Taylor

Star Wars: Knight Errant - Escape

The next installment of the sunning Knight Errant series was announced today. Star Wars: Knight Errant – Escapewill launch in June 2012 for a 5-issue arc.

Fan favorite John Jackson Miller is writing the series, with artwork from penciller, Marco Castiello, inking by Vincenzo Acunzo, colors by Michael Atiyeh and lettering by Michael Heiser.

John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant novel for Del Rey was a New York Times Bestseller.

Jedi Knight Kerra Holt continues her one woman crusade against the Sith from behind enemy lines on her most dangerous mission yet!

The New 52 Review: MISTER TERRIFIC #1

MISTER TERRIFIC #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Eric Wallace
PENCILS: Gianluca Gugliotta
INKS: Wayne Faucher
COLORS: Mike Atiyeh
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
COVER: J.G. Jones with Lovern Kindzierski
32pp, Color, $2.99

Mister Terrific was a Golden Age comic book character that first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 (cover date January 1942). Created by Charles Resizenstein and Hal Sharpe, he was a superhero who mastered martial arts, had a photographic memory, and was an Olympic-level athlete, as well as being a self-made millionaire.

In Spectre #54 (Vol. 3, cover dated June 1997), a young African-American male character, Michael Holt, who has a talent for learning, became the new Mister Terrific. Holt has an Olympic gold medal, owns Holt Industries, and is the third smartest man on the planet.

Mister Terrific #1 (“Software Update”) opens to find the titular character in London, England taking on a rival tech CEO and his biomechanical battle armor. After some internal exposition gives us some background on Mr. Terrific, strange things begin to happen. An ordinary guy gains the intelligence of someone extraordinary. Why is this happening and to whom will it happen next?

I see Mister Terrific as a blend of elements from Batman, Blue Beetle, and Iron Man, which all began as comics about rich playboy-types who became costumed adventurers and then superheroes. A more recent comparison is Hardware of Milestone Media, a smart black guy superhero, and I’d say that reading this first issue of Mister Terrific reminds me of reading a Milestone comic book.

Mister Terrific may go the way of Milestone Comics. One of the stores where I occasionally shop still had several copies (although I don’t know what they began with), and this first issue is NOT of such overwhelming high-quality that readers will be demanding that it stick around, as they would for a more high profile title. Mister Terrific is not at all bad; it’s just a little above average, which can be lethal for a comic book in a tight economy. The ending is interesting enough to make me come back, though, and I am curious to see where writer Eric Wallace takes this series.

B

September 14th
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-and-robin-1.html
BATWOMAN #1 2.99
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batwoman-1.html
DEMON KNIGHTS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/demon-knights-1.html
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/frankenstein-agent-of-shade-1.html
GREEN LANTERN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-lantern-1.html
LEGION LOST #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/legion-lost-1.html
RED LANTERNS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-lanterns-1.html
SUPERBOY #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/superboy-1.html

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #3

RAGE #3 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry
32pp, Color, $3.50

“After the Impact” Part 3 of 3

So Rage, Dark Horse’s comic book miniseries based upon RAGE, the upcoming first-person shooter game from id Software, has ended. I enjoyed it, but I was left wanting more post-apocalyptic shoot ‘em up. In some ways, this series is a bit thin.

This comic book series is written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti. Entitled “After the Impact,” it is an original tale set in and an introduction to the world of Rage. I hope this duo returns if there is a second Rage comic book.

Rage takes place on an Earth that was struck by Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – on April 13, 2037. Five billion people died within 24 hours, but a tiny fraction of the population survived the devastation by living in “burrowing cryo arks.” They emerged to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. It is 2095 when scientist Dr. Elizabeth Cadence is revived. The Authority brings her to a research facility in a vast necropolis where she hopes to discover the full extent of the Authority’s deceptions.

As Rage #3 opens, Elizabeth has learned the Authority’s dirty secrets: that they murdered her husband and son and that they are responsible for the creation of the rampaging mutants. With her old colleague, Dr. Antonin Kvasir at her side, Elizabeth prepares for her final showdown with brutal Authority officer, Colonel James Casey.

If Rage the game is as fun to read as Rage the comic book, gamers will be quite satisfied. Writer Arvid Nelson’s tight script and Andrea Mutti perfect-match art should get them a second chance at returning us to the world of Rage. Overall, this is good military and monsters science fiction, although I wish there were more to this in terms of the length of the narrative.

I’m not into video games, but I enjoyed reading this video game adaptation in a way I never do when it comes to video game comic books. Are there any other good ones out there?

B+

Leroy Douresseaux on STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC – The Lost Suns #3

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC – THE LOST SUNS #3 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

["Star Wars Central" review page is here.]

SCRIPT: Alexander Freed
PENCILS: David Daza
INKS: Mark McKenna
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Benjamin Carré
32pp, Color, $3.50

The new Star Wars comic book, Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns, is based upon the LucasArts online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Set over 3600 years before the events depicted in the first film, Star Wars (1977), this series takes place after a great war between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire. Although the war ended with a Republic victory, the Sith gained control of seven star systems.

Agent Theron Shan, a spy working for the Republic’s Strategic Information Service (S.I.S.), reunites with the long-missing Jedi Ngani Zho. Zho trained Theron’s mother, Satele Shan, and was once Theron’s guardian. Zho and Teff’ith, a female Twi’lek Theron captured, join the young S.I.S. agent on a mission to discover the secrets of Darth Mekhis, an old enemy of Satele’s.

As Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns #3 opens, the three, by hook and crook, enter Imperial space. They gain entry into the Vesla star system and set up S.I.S. spy rays and telescopes. What Theron discovers is beyond anything he expected.

Because this third issue of Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns focuses on infiltration and espionage, it is the most tension-filled issue to date. Also, the narrative grows more suspenseful as it draws the reader into the secrets of Ngani Zho’s past. The last few pages race towards an exciting cliffhanger. This was the put-up or shut up issue for The Lost Suns; it put up.

This is one of the better Star Wars comic books, so fans of Star Wars Expanded Universe will certainly want to give it a try.

A-

Leroy Douresseaux on STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC – The Lost Suns #2

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC – THE LOST SUNS #2 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

["Star Wars Central" review page is here.]

SCRIPT: Alexander Freed
PENCIL ROUGHS: Dave Ross
PENCIL FINISHES: George Freeman
INKS: Mark McKenna
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Benjamin Carré
32pp, Color, $3.50

I’m not really into that part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe known as Star Wars: The Old Republic, but I like the comic book. Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns is a comic book based upon the LucasArts online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. While Dark Horse has published two previous series set in the Star Wars: The Old Republic time period, this is the first one set concurrent with the game.

In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the Old Republic is the time period 1000 to 25000 years before the Battle of Yavin (abbreviated at BBY). For those that don’t know, the Battle of Yavin is the climactic battle in Stars Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, during which Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns is set in 3632 BBY and focuses on Theron Shan, a spy working for the Republic Strategic Information Service. Theron’s superior sends him on a mission to find Ngani Zho, the great Jedi who may have important information. Theron has strong ties to the long-missing Jedi, as Zho trained Theron’s mother, Satele Shan. Darth Mekhis, an old enemy of Satele’s, also wants Zho.

As Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns #2 opens, Ngani Zho reveals the dark history of the Republic’s war with the Sith and the tragic peace accord. Theron finds Zho, but both his and Zho’s past complicate their mission.

While I’m only vaguely familiar with the whole “Old Republic” universe within a universe, I am enjoying The Lost Suns. The script for the second issue by Alexander Freed, a senior writer on The Old Republic online game, is more streamlined than the one for the first issue. Freed seamlessly weaves back story and the present action to create an engaging, enjoyable read. The art, with its clean compositions and no-frills design, makes it easy to comprehend this story, which is steeped in arcane Star Wars stuff.

B+

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #2

RAGE #2 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry
32pp, Color, $3.50

“After the Impact” Part 2 of 3

Rage, the upcoming first-person shooter game from id Software, is also a comic book. Dark Horse Comics is publishing the three-issue comic book miniseries, also entitled Rage, based on the game from the developers of Doom and Quake. Written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti, “After the Impact,” is an original tale and an introduction to the world of Rage.

Rage takes place on an Earth that was struck by Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – on April 13, 2037. Five billion people die within 24 hours, but a tiny fraction of the population survived devastation by living in burrowing cryo arks. They emerged to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. It is 2095, and Dr. Elizabeth Cadence is revived. Now, she is the scientist determined to discover the full extent of the Authority’s deceptions.

In Rage #2, Elizabeth believes that the radiation from Apophis is not the cause of the mutation that has turned survivors into mindless, bloodthirsty marauders. She confronts her old colleague Dr. Antonin Kvasir, a fellow survivor who is also working for the Authority, but whatever he knows, he is afraid to discuss for fear of being murdered. Meanwhile, Elizabeth discovers just how much of a bastard Authority officer, Colonel James Casey, is.

I’m not sure if Rage the comic book will make anyone want to play Rage the came, but if they read Rage, they’ll be getting a good read. The streamlined script by Arvid Nelson offers deft characterization and engaging conflict. The excellent art by Andrea Mutti is ideally fit for science fiction comics and has a graphic style that captures this story’s grittiness. I don’t know about the game, but the comic book is certainly good.

A-

http://www.rage.com/

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #1

RAGE #1 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry (alternate cover by Stephan Martiniere)
32pp, Color, $3.50

Dark Horse Comics is publishing a comic book based upon Rage, the upcoming first-person shooter game from developer, id Software, creators of Doom and Quake, and publisher, Bethesda Softworks. The three-issue comic book miniseries is written by Arvid Nelson (the creator of Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti, and the story, entitled “After the Impact,” is an original tale and an introduction to the world of Rage.

In the back story of Rage, Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – strikes Earth on April 13, 2037. Five billion people die within 24 hours. A tiny fraction of the population survives the attack by living in burrowing cryo arks, but they emerge to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority.

In Rage #1, Dr. Elizabeth Cadence emerges from her life-sustaining ark and is immediately confronted by murderous marauders. She is rescued by Authority forces and taken to their home base, The Dead City. Cadence is also familiar with an Authority officer, Casey. As a scientist, Dr. Cadence helps the Authority, but discovers that what she has learned is not the truth.

Between the title page synopsis and this first issue, comic book readers will have a nice introduction to the world of Rage, and they will certainly have an entertaining read in this comic book.

The script by Arvid Nelson is clean and streamlined, and Nelson manages to introduce the personalities of and the conflict between the two characters that are the focus (at least at this point), Dr. Cadence and Casey. The only problem here is that this first issue seems like a prologue to the real action, which, in the context of a three-issue miniseries, suggests that there may not be a lot of story in the series. [Of course, I could be wrong.]

Artist Andrea Mutti’s graphic style is perfect for this science fiction tale. Mutti’s clean compositions make for good storytelling, and Mutti has a knack for drawing faces that convey personality traits and complex emotions. Cover artist Glenn Fabry may be the big name here, but Mutti’s interior art is the star.

B+

http://www.rage.com/

Leroy Douresseaux on STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC - The Lost Suns #1

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC – THE LOST SUNS #1 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

[Visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

SCRIPT: Alexander Freed
PENCIL ROUGHS: Dave Ross
PENCIL FINISHES: George Freeman
INKS: Mark McKenna
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Benjamin Carré
32pp, Color, $3.50

I love me some Star Wars, especially the original trilogy of films. To a lesser extent, I enjoy the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I try to read Star Wars comic books whenever I get a chance, so I decided to try the latest new Star Wars comic book series.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns is a new Star Wars comic book from Dark Horse Comics. This new series is based upon the LucasArts online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, which was developed by BioWare. Dark Horse has published two previous series set in the Star Wars: The Old Republic time period, but, according to them, this one is set concurrent with the game.

In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the Old Republic is a time 1000 to 25000 years before the Battle of Yavin (abbreviated at BBY). The Battle of Yavin was the climactic battle in Stars Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, in which the Rebel Alliance attacks the Death Star and Luke Skywalker destroys the monstrous station.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns #1 is set in 3632 BBY and focuses on Theron Shan, a Republic spy working for the Republic Strategic Information Service. Theron’s superior sends him on a mission to find Ngani Zho, the great Jedi who may have information important to the Republic. Theron has strong ties to the long-missing Jedi. Zho trained Theron’s mother, Satele Shan, known as the “Guardian of the Republic.” Theron isn’t the only one looking for Zho. Darth Mekhis, an old enemy of Satele, wants the information Zho may have.

I have never played a Star Wars video game, and I’m only vaguely familiar with the whole “Old Republic” universe within a universe. Still, I enjoyed the first issue of The Lost Suns. I guess that having Alexander Freed, a senior writer of The Old Republic online game, writing The Lost Suns is supposed to be a good thing, and it is, for the most. After squeezing what amounts to a book’s worth of backstory into the first five pages, Freed manages to establish the main players, conflicts, and goal in the remaining 17 pages in a way that makes me want to come back for the second issue. Also, the art looks good, although the visual storytelling is stronger than it is pretty.

I imagine that everyone who reads Star Wars comic books will want to at least try Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns.