IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Cavan Scott
ART: Derek Charm; Chris Fenoglio
COLORS: Derek Charm; Chris Fenoglio
LETTERS: Robbie Robbins
EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton
COVER: Francesco Francavilla
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Chris Fenoglio; Francesco Francavilla; Derek Charm
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.
“The Haunting of the Ghost”
Star Wars Adventures is an all-ages Star Wars comic book series from IDW Publishing. The series is geared toward readers ages 7 to 10 and features one and two part stories that are not steeped in Star Wars continuity. Star Wars Adventures features a rotating cast of characters, and the stories range from settings that take place before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace all the way up to Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) and beyond.
There has already been one spin-off miniseries, Star Wars Adventures: Forces of Destiny, a five-issue miniseries published weekly in January 2018. The second spin-off miniseries is entitled, Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle. This five-part comic book event will see a new issue in comic book stories every Wednesday in October 2018, of which there are five. Fan-favorite Star Wars Adventures creators, writer Cavan Scott and artist Derek Charm, team up with a roster of guest artists for this special miniseries, which will explore the creepiest corners of the Star Wars universe just in time for Halloween.
Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle #1 (“The Haunting of the Ghost”) opens with an adventure of Lina Graf that is recounted in her journal. Graf, an ace pilot and engineer, is a commander in the Rebel Alliance and is captain of the freighter star ship, “The Auric.” She and her crew: Skritt the technician; Lieutenant Hudd; XM-G3, the former bodyguard droid; and CR-BR, a droid that has been Graf's life-long companion and is an intelligence specialist, are on the run from Imperial TIE fighters.
Graf is forced to land “The Auric” on the planet, Mustafar. To lift everyone's spirits, CR-BR recounts a tale involving Kanan Jarrus, Captain Hera Syndulla, and the astromech droid, Chopper, aboard their star ship, “Ghost.” Both Graf and company and Captain Syndulla and company may not escape from situations that are not only difficult, but are also both scary.
Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle #1 has a framing sequence, which focuses on Lina Graf and her crew and that is written by Cavan Scott and drawn by Derek Charm. This will apparently run through all five issues of Tales from Vader's Castle. I am interested to see where this story goes, but it is only seven pages long – five to start the issue and two to finish. So I cannot really grade it, but I can say that it has potential.
The main story stars characters from Disney XD's popular “Star Wars Rebels” series and is written by Scott and drawn and colored by Chris Fenoglio and lettered by Robbie Robbins. It is a nice little story that stays true and consistent with the characters' television iterations. This is certainly the kind of Star Wars comic book tale that I would have loved as a kid, and it is one of the better Star Wars Adventures stories that IDW has published over this first year or so of publishing all-ages Star Wars comic books. I am surprised, but delighted, by how much drama and tension Scott and Fenoglio pack into 13 pages.
Chris Fenoglio holds his own as a Star Wars Adventures artist against the formidable Derek Charm, who seems to be the marquee Star Wars Adventures artist. Robbie Robbins' lettering simply looks like perfect comic book lettering to me. I hope Cavan Scott writes more stories set in the world of “Star Wars Rebels,” preferably with Chris Fenoglio as artist.
Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle is a publishing mini-event that I can get behind. I recommend it for young Star Wars comic book readers, and those young at heart... like me.
7.5 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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