Leroy Douresseaux on STAR WARS: JEDI – The Dark Side #4

STAR WARS: JEDI – THE DARK SIDE #4
DARK HORSE BOOKS

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

SCRIPT: Scott Allie
ARTIST: Mahmud Asrar
COLORS: Paul Mounts
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Stéphane Roux
32pp, Color, $2.99

The only reason that I’ve become a regular reader of the Star Wars comic books that Dark Horse Comics publishes is because Dark Horse sends me advance review copies in PDF form. Since I don’t make regular (or even semi-regular) trips to the comic book shops that are closest to me (and they’re not that close), I avoid getting into series that require me to buy consecutive issues. If I were a regular comic book guy, I’d probably buy these Star Wars comic books. They’re quite good.

Star Wars: Jedi – The Dark Side is a Star Wars comic book set during “The Rise of the Empire” era, the thousand-year period before the original Star Wars film. This particular storyline takes place two decades before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

The Jedi Council has sent Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, his headstrong Padawan Xanatos, the beautiful Jedi Master Tahl, and the Padawan Orykan Tamarik (whose master is deceased) to the planet Telos IV. Their assignment is to quell the unrest caused by the mysterious death and possible assassination of High Priestess Liora.

As Star Wars: Jedi – The Dark Side #4 opens, Qui-Gon and the Jedi deal with the aftermath of the attack on Lord Crion, the ruler of Telos IV and father of Xanatos. The attack resulted in a shocking death, which Crion uses to his political advantage. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon must do without one his companions, and he must also deal with the fact that the Jedi are being used for political purposes. And still the true villain behind the murder of the High Priestess remains unknown.

Writer Scott Allie has turned in a Star Wars comic book story that is part palace drama and part conspiracy thriller, in addition to having the usual Star Wars elements. Plus, in this issue, there is plenty of hot light saber action, courtesy of Qui-Gon. Speaking of the master, Allie has generally presented a richly characterized version of Qui-Gon in the series. With this issue, however, he is vapid, although I think the character is supposed to come across as perplexed? Anyway, this series is steadily moving towards a conclusion that I hope can live up to the build up.

B+