#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Crimson Reign #1

STAR WARS: CRIMSON REIGN #1 (OF 5)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Steven Cummings
COLORS: Guru-eFX
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Leinil Francis Yu with Sunny Gho
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Steve Cummings with Guru-eFX; Ario Anindito with Edgar Delgado; Clayton Crain; Valerio Giangiordano with Arif Prianto; David Lopez; Rahzzah; Khoi Pahm with Lee Loughridge
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated T

Part 1: “The Orphans”

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters was a Marvel Comics Star Wars publishing event that was comprised of 34 individual comic books, published from May to October 2021.  The series imagines a series of events that occur between the time bounty hunter, Boba Fett, collects Han Solo frozen in carbonite in 1980s The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back) and his appearance in 1983's Return of the Jedi (Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).

Coming out of War of the Bounty Hunters is the comic book miniseries, Star Wars: Crimson Reign.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Steven Cummings; colored by Guru-eFX; and lettered by Travis Lanham.  According to Marvel, Crimson Reign is the second installment of a trilogy that will reshape the history of the Star Wars Galaxy during the “Age of Rebellion.”

Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 opens in the halls of the group known as “Crimson Dawn.”  Qi'ra of Corellia is now the group's leader.  She has taken on the killers, liars, and thieves that make up this group and has given them a purpose.

Qi'ra has gathered a diverse group:  “The Knights of Ren,” “Chanath Cha and the Orphans,” Deathstick, Ochi of Bestoon, Margo and Trinia, and the Archivist to carry out of her plans, which is to destroy the Sith in order to free the galaxy.  Her main targets, of course, are Emperor Palpatine a.k.a. “Darth Sidious” and his apprentice, Darth Vader.  Qi'ra begins her mission by sending her allies against the galaxy's criminal syndicates, but has doom for herself and her group already been foretold?

THE LOWDOWN:  I have enjoyed the vast majority of the Charles Soule's Star Wars comic book work that I have read.  I have enjoyed Steven Cummings art since I was first exposed to it in some OEL (original English language) manga from Tokyopop, including Pantheon High (2007), Star Trek: The Manga (2007), and CSI: Intern at Your Own Risk (2009).

However, Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 isn't the kind of first issue that will inspire me to go out of my way to read the rest of the series.  It is professionally written, professionally drawn, professionally colored, and professionally lettered.  This isn't a bad comic book.  I simply have little interest in Qi'ra's conspiracy, which is contrived past the point of being credible.  I find it hard to believe that not one syndicate leader would notice that the troubles begin shortly after Qi'ra and her ilk begin meeting with the syndicates.  Does it take two issues for even one of them to figure this out?

Lucasfilm and Marvel seem determined to retcon the fuck out of the original Star Wars trilogy and the imaginary timeline surrounding it – known as the “Age of Rebellion.”  That is their prerogative, but it is mine to choose to read it.  I choose not to.  I have never been that curious about “what happened” between the films, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).  But if that is your thing, Crimson Reign is not only a miniseries, but it is an event that will take place in various issues across Marvel's line of Star Wars comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Marvel's Star Wars comic books may want to try Star Wars: Crimson Reign.

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Review: Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters – IG-88 #1

STAR WARS: WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS – IG-88 #1
MARVEL COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Guiu Vilanova
COLORS: Antonio Fabela
LETTERS: VC's Ariana Maher
EDITOR: Tom Groneman
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Mahmud Asrar with Matthew Wilson
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ron Frenz and Tom Palmer with Nolan Woodard; Caspar Wijngaard; Ray-Anthony Height with Guru-eFX
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated T

“Born to Kill”

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters is a Marvel Comics Star Wars publishing event that is comprised of 34 individual comic books, published from May to October 2021.  The series invents a series of events that occur between the time bounty hunter, Boba Fett, collects Han Solo frozen in carbonite in 1980s The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back) and Fett's appearance in 1983's Return of the Jedi (Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters – IG-88 #1 is the fourth of four “War of the Bounty Hunters” one-shot tie-ins that focus on the most notorious hunters and scoundrels of the Star Wars criminal underworld.  This comic book is written by Rodney Barnes; drawn by Guiu Vilanova; colored by Antonio Fabela; and lettered by Ariana Maher.

As Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters – IG-88 #1 (“Born to Kill”) opens, the droid, IG-88, who calls himself “the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy,” lies in the pieces.  [The reasons for this are shown in Darth Vader (2020) #17-18.]  Enter the cyborg, RB-919, who is a master at recommissioning droids.  He has been hired by Deva Lompop, the bounty hunter and member of the galactic criminal syndicate, Crimson Dawn, to restore IG-88.

Once IG-88 is back online he returns to being an advanced droid designed for death, destruction, and mayhem, flawless in design and possessing unparalleled weapons systems.  Lompop has a mission for the revived bounty hunter – find Boba Fett and steal Han Solo (frozen in carbonite) from him.  Can IG-88 find a strategy to overcome his old foe?  And what motivates him to come back from destruction time and again?

THE LOWDOWN:  Until I read Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters - IG-88 #1, I had not read a single issue of “War of the Bounty Hunters,” although I had initially planned to do so.  I am a fan of writer Rodney Barnes, so when I found out (via Twitter) that he'd written this tie-in comic book, I purchased a digital copy via comiXology.

Barnes doesn't disappoint.  I wondered if anyone could write a single-issue story that ties into “War of the Bounty Hunters” and that either illuminates IG-88's character or offers something new.  Barnes offers a credible tie-in and also a story that presents IG-88 as an intriguing character outside the main story.  Honestly, he seems more humanoid than droid, and he is an attractive character because he is both clever and homicidal.

I hugely enjoyed the art by Guiu Vilanova, which reminds me of 1990s Matt Wagner.  While stylish, Vilanova's art here conveys the edgy, violent nature of Barnes' story, while establishing a gritty sci-fi setting that recalls the original Star Wars film's Wild West vibes.  Antonio Fabela's colors light the story as if to bring together the sensibilities of Blade Runner and Star Wars.  Ariana Maher's lettering delineates this story's shifts and twists in a seamless fashion.

I will be a greedy fanboy and say that I wish there was more Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters - IG-88 #1.  I think Rodney Barnes and Guiu Vilanova could at least offer an enticing IG-88 miniseries.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars comic books will want Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters - IG-88 #1.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: The High Republic #1

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC No. 1
MARVEL COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Cavan Scott
PENCILS: Ario Anindito
INKS: Mark Morales
COLORS: Annalisa Leoni
LETTERS: VC's Ariana Maher
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Phil Noto
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ario Anindito with Rain Beredo; Joshua “Sway” Swaby; Stephanie Hans; Pascal Blanche and Gonzalo Kenny
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 6, 2021)

Rated T

“There is No Fear” Chapter One: “Trial by Ordeal”

Star Wars: The High Republic is a new publishing initiative that includes novels (adult, young adult, middle-grade, and young readers), comic books (including all-ages, graphic novels, and manga), and other prose and multimedia releases.  Lucasfilm, the bosses of all things Star Wars, announced The High Republic in February 2020, with the first publication to be released in August 2020.  Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, January 2021 sees the release of the first novels and comic books.

Star Wars: The High Republic is set 200 years before the film, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.   The Jedi Knights are at the height of their power, but they must face a deadly serious threat to the Republic, the antagonistic “Nihil,” a race of “space Vikings.”

The first comic book release is the ongoing comic book series, Star Wars: The High Republic, from Marvel Comics.  It is written by Cavan Scott; drawn by Ario Anindito (pencils) and Mark Morales (inks); colored by Annalisa Leoni; and lettered by Ariana Maher.  The High Republic comic book is set directly after the events depicted in the first High Republic novel, Star Wars: The High Republic – Light of the Jedi (released January 5th).

Star Wars: The High Republic #1 (“Trial by Ordeal”) opens on Shuraden, on the Republic frontier.  Padawan Keeve Trennis, under the direction of her Master Sskeer, prepares to complete her “Jedi Trials.”  It would help if one of the planet's inhabitants, a “Ximbi” named Kanri, would stop pestering her.  However, she will face a bigger challenge when she must protect the innocents from  the “Redadi” – a species of star-locust, but is the problem really what she thinks it is.

Meanwhile, the Frontier prepares for the dedication of the majestic “Starlight Beacon,” which will help Republic pioneers as they push into new territories in the Outer Rim.  Now, Master Avar Kriss faces two legendary Jedi “Grandmasters” who have arrived with a momentous announcement for her.

THE LOWDOWN:  I had not heard anything about the rumored “Project Luminous,” which was revealed in February 2020 to be the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative.  I am a longtime Star Wars fan, but I don't dedicate much time to following Star Wars news.

So what do I think of Star Wars: The High Republic #1?  It is good, but not great.  I have enjoyed writer Cavan Scott's work on IDW's young readers Star Wars comic book, Star Wars Adventures.  His writing on Star Wars: The High Republic #1 is a little more intense than his IDW work.  Right from the beginning, Scott makes Keeve Trennis a strong character that is very likable, and he seems to have a handle on Master Avar Kriss, another strong and engaging female character.

Ario Anindito's art looks like it was drawn for a young adult graphic novel.  It seems closer to the sensibilities of animation than it does to the work of other Star Wars comic book artists like Jesus Saiz, Will Sliney, John Cassidy, and Salvado Larroca, to name a few.  If anything, Anindito's art here reminds me of artist Denys Cowan's work on the 2017-18 miniseries, Star Wars: Mace Windu.  I think Anindito's art will make Star Wars: The High Republic appeal to young readers who don't go to comic book shops, but will find the eventual trade paperback or graphic novel collection of this first High Republic story arc, “There is No Fear,” in bookstores.

Star Wars: The High Republic #1 makes me curious about where this comic book is going, and I plan to read more.  I do recommend that Star Wars readers check it out.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars comic books will want to sample Star Wars: The High Republic.

[This issue includes afterwords by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito.]

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://www.starwars.com/the-high-republic
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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Book Review: STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: A Test of Courage

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: A TEST OF COURAGE
DISNEY/Lucasfilm Press

[This review was originally posted on Patreon, and visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

AUTHOR: Justina Ireland
ILLUSTRATOR: Petur Antonsson
COVER: Petur Antonsson
ISBN: 978-136805730-1; hardcover-reinforced binding (January 5, 2021)
256pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN

Ages 8-12

Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage is a 2021 Star Wars novel from author Justina Ireland. Star Wars: The High Republic is an all-new storytelling initiative set in the world of Star Wars that will be targeted at multiple age groups of readers.  A Test of Courage focuses on a new Jedi Knight whose first assignment finds her and a small group of survivors shipwrecked on a strange moon.

Star Wars: The High Republic's saga takes place 200 years prior to the events depicted in the film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), in an all-new time period.  The High Republic is set in an era when both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order are at the height of their power, serving and protecting the galaxy.  This is a hopeful and optimistic time, and the Republic and the Jedi are noble and respected.

Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage introduces Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh, a newly-minted Jedi Knight.  At the age of sixteen, she is one of the youngest ever, and she may be the first Padawan to pass her Jedi trials on her first attempt, as she did at the age of fifteen.  However, her first real mission for the Jedi Council, her first tasking as a Jedi Knight, feels an awful lot like babysitting.

Vernestra is at Port Haileap, where she has been charged with supervising 12-year-old aspiring inventor, Avon Starros.  The powerful Senator Ghirra Starros is also Avon's mother, and she sent her daughter to Haileap, which to Avon feels like a banishment.  Soon, Rwoh, Avon, and J-6 (Avon's droid) will leave Haileap on the “Steady Wing,” a cruiser headed to the dedication of a wondrous new space station called Starlight Beacon.

Soon into their journey, bombs go off aboard the cruiser. While the adult Jedi, Master Douglas, tries to save the ship, Vernestra, Avon, and J-6 join Imri Cantaros, Douglas's 14-year-old Padawan, and Honesty Weft, an ambassador’s son, and make it to a maintenance shuttle.  They escape the Steady Wing, but communications are out and supplies are low in the shuttle. They decide to land on a nearby moon, Wevo, which offers shelter but not much more.  And unbeknownst to Vernestra and company, danger lurks in the forest; the Steady Wing's saboteurs are also on the moon; and the darkness calls to some of them....

THE LOWDOWN:  Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage is one of the three novels that are part of Star Wars: The High Republic.  I have already read Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, the “adult readers” novel of the three.  As much as I enjoyed Light of the Jedi, I find myself utterly thrilled by Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage.

The main reason for that is that I think that author Justina Ireland focuses more on character development and on the personalities of the characters.  Ireland uses her characters' thoughts and internal dialogue to reveal their inner turmoil.  For instance, readers know how much his home planet of Dalna and its culture mean to Honesty Weft and how that brings him into conflict with others and especially with himself.  Ireland makes us feel Honesty's grief and guilt, which makes his heroic arc engage the readers.

Ireland makes the readers feel the doubts and struggles of the Jedi, especially in the case of Imri Cantaros, although even the Jedi prodigy, Vernestra, still questions her own methods and the decisions she makes.  Ireland also makes young Avon Starros the kind of curious and inventive explorer of science and tech that could star in her own science fiction series.  I hope to see all these characters again.

I am decades older than A Test of Courage's target age group, but I had a blast reading it.  Once I got into it, I could not stop.  I wish I had Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage to read when I was a teen reader, but I can enjoy it now.  Author Justina Ireland has written a Star Wars novel that captures all that is the light that draws fans to the many worlds of Star Wars.  I hope to read more High Republic stories written by Ireland.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Young Star Wars fans will want to read Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage.

10 out of 10

[This book contains a 12-page preview of the upcoming novel, Star Wars: The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Book Review: STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC: Light of the Jedi

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: LIGHT OF THE JEDI
RANDOM HOUSE/Del Rey

[This review was originally posted on Patreon, and visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

AUTHOR: Charles Soule
COVER: Joseph Meehan
ISBN: 978-0-593-15771-8; hardcover (January 5, 2021)
400pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S., $38.99 CAN

Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi is a 2021 Star Wars novel from author Charles Soule. Star Wars: The High Republic is an all-new storytelling initiative set in the world of Star Wars.  This publishing program will feature interconnected stories that will be told across multiple publishers, including book and comic book publishers, and that will be targeted at multiple age groups of readers.

Star Wars: The High Republic's saga takes place 200 years prior to the events depicted in the film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), in an all-new time period.  The High Republic is set in an era when both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order are at the height of their power, serving and protecting the galaxy.  This is a hopeful and optimistic time, and the Republic and the Jedi are noble and respected.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi opens in a golden age.  Intrepid hyperspace scouts have expanded the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars and into the Outer Rim.  Worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate on the Core world of Coruscant and its leader, Chancellor Lina Soh.  Peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the order of Force users known as the Jedi Knights, who are at the height of their power.  The light of the Jedi spreads across the Republic, and every citizen knows that “We are all Republic.”

The Republic has a new project, “the Starlight Beacon,” which will connect the inhabitants and new settlers of the worlds of the Outer Rim to the Mid Rim and Core worlds.  In fact, the “Legacy Run,” a Kaniff Yards Class 4 modular freight transport, is traveling through hyperspace with a full contingent of new setters to the Outer Rim.  Then, a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears the Legacy Run apart, and multiple pieces and sections of the ship emerge from hyperspace like a flurry of shrapnel.

These “Emergences” from hyperspace into real space threaten disaster and total destruction for the entire Hetzal System, an Outer Rim system of mostly agricultural worlds.  The Jedi quickly race to the scene, but the scope of what will be called “The Great Disaster” pushes even the Jedi to their limit.  A single mistake on their part could cost billions of lives.

Behind this emergency is a new enemy, a band of marauding and mysterious “space vikings” known as “the Nihil.”  The threat of the Nihil has largely stayed beyond the boundary of the Republic, but this hyperspace disaster is part of a new sinister plan that just might strike fear into this golden age of the Republic.

THE LOWDOWN:  Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi is the first Star Wars novel that I have read in about eight and a half years.  The last one I read was author James Luceno's Star Wars: Darth Plagueis (2012), which was part of the defunct “Star Wars Expanded Universe.”  Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi is the perfect book to welcome a returning Star Wars novel reader to the franchise.

Charles Soule is a novelist and attorney, but I know him as one of Marvel Comics' very best Star Wars comic book writers … ever.  I was surprised to see that he would write one of the novels that would launch Star Wars: The High Republic, but Soule turns out to be one of those perfect choices.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi works because Soule's prose and storytelling slowly draws the readers into the narrative.  Then, he forces readers to race through this book that roils like a summer potboiler novel.  The chapters are relatively short; there are 44 of them, plus a prologue, an epilogue, and a few interludes, but almost everyone of them packs a wallop.  Anytime is the right time for a book that you, dear readers, can't put down.

Soule gives readers a good taste of the characters:  Jedi, non-Jedi, and adversaries in Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, but character writing isn't what Soule does best in this book.  In a way, the characters' personalities, conflicts, histories, relationships, doubts, goals, motivations, etc. seem somewhat allusive.  I think that is partly because these characters are still in a state of development so early in this publishing program.

Still, Jedi like Avar Kriss, Loden Greatstorm, Bell Zettifer, and Elzar Mann promise to be quite interesting and fun.  What is the highest recommendation that I can give Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi?  By the time I reached the end of this book, I really wanted there to be more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars novels will certainly want to give Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi a try.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS VOL. 1: The Destiny Path

STAR WARS VOL. 1 (2020): THE DESTINY PATH
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon, and visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Jesus Saiz
COLORS: Arif Prianto with Jesus Saiz (#1); Rachelle Rosenberg (#4); and Dan Brown (#5)
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: R.B. Silva with Guru-eFX
MISC. ART: Arthur Adams with Jesus Aburtov; Jen Bartel; Adam Hughes; Mahmud Asrar with Matthew Wilson; Phil Noto; Ema Lupacchino with Jesus Aburtov; Daniel Acuna; Patch Zircher with Edgard Delgado; John Tyler Christopher
ISBN: 978-1-302-92078-4; paperback (November 10, 2020)
152pp, Color, $17.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN

Rated T

In 2015, Marvel Comics began publishing Star Wars comic books again.  Marvel's new Star Wars #1 opened in the time immediately after the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (1977), which is also known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.  After 75 issues, that series ended.

In late 2019, the new Star Wars ongoing series began.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Jesus Saiz; colored by Arif Prianto; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  Star Wars (cover dated: 2020) starts during the last act of the 1980 Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) and then, goes on to tell the story of the aftermath of the events depicted in Episode V.

The first six issues of Star Wars (2020) are collected in the recently released trade paperback, Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path.  “The Destiny Path” is the first story arc of this new series.

Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path opens inside the Millennium Falcon.  Its passengers:  Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian have fled the Cloud City of Bespin, formerly owned by Lando.  They also escaped capture by the forces of the Galactic Empire, thanks to a save by R2-D2 (as seen in The Empire Strikes Back).  However, there are also feelings of recrimination and anger over Han Solo being the prisoner of a group of bounty hunters, led by Boba Fett, in service of Darth Vader – with the involuntary assistance of Lando.

Leia's plan is for the Falcon to reach The Mid Rim, Rendezvous Point: Delta-Three and join the “Fourth Division” of the Rebel Fleet.  But the Fourth Division is trapped there by Imperial forces led by Lieutenant Gorr of the Imperial Star Destroyer, “Tarkin's Will.”  Now, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, and Lando will have to put aside the anger, pain, and grief if they are going to save the Rebel Alliance.

“No … I am your father.”

Meanwhile, Luke struggles with his destiny as a Jedi Knight in the aftermath of his battle with Darth Vader at Cloud City.  He calls to his late mentor, Ben “Obi-Wan” Kenobi, but does not receive a reply, and Luke also feels out of sorts with the Force – as if it has abandoned him.  Then, Luke begins to have dreams and visions of a mystery woman who holds out a lightsaber to him – perhaps to replace the one he lost at Cloud City.  Now, Luke must find her, if he is to find his way with the Force … or so he thinks.  Plus, Leia, Luke, and Lando return to Cloud City, each for his or her own reasons.

THE LOWDOWN:  Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path takes place inside the final 10 minutes of The Empire Strikes Back.  It expands on what happens between the Millennium Falcon escaping the Imperial forces shortly after leaving Bespin and the film's final moments.  Then, The Destiny Path creates a larger story of what happens afterwards, which involves several sub-plots.

The Rebel Alliance must find a new base, but first, they have to escape Imperial forces, which have found a way to track the whereabouts of the separated “Divisions” of the Rebel Fleet.  The Imperials can track one Division in order to find a second; then, it destroys both.  The main goal of Leia, Luke, Lando, and Chewbacca is to find Han Solo, and if Boba Fett hasn't already turned Han over to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, then, they must track Boba.

Writer Charles Soule has previously said that he hopes to use this new Star Wars series to expand on what happened between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (1983), the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy.  And I'm all for that!  Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path is a very well written first arc.  Soule expounds on the conflict between Leia and Chewbacca against Lando.  Soule gives Lando a chance to settle his affairs at Cloud City and to reunite with a friend (and one of my favorite characters, Lobot).

Soule delves into Luke's struggles after his duel with Darth Vader, revealing a young man adrift and who may have to find his own way.  Soule plays up the idea that Luke's journey will be different from that of any other Jedi's.  The Destiny Path allows readers to see Luke take the first big steps that he takes alone on his path to being a Jedi.

I really like the art by illustrator Jesus Saiz and colorist Arif Prianto.  The graphical storytelling is moody and emotionally, but also offers edge-of-your-seat thrills, all of it well paced by Clayton Cowles' lettering.  For however long Saiz and Prianto work on this new Star Wars series, they seem capable of capturing the dark mood of a time when the Star Wars narrative fell into the deep, cold shadows of the Empire.

I have to be honest.  Although I was a regular reader of the previous series, Star Wars (2015), my excitement for the series's last 12 issues was about a third of what it was for the first 12 issues.  Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path is making me feel excited about Star Wars comic books the way the beginning of Star Wars 2015 did.  And I feel quite safe in recommending this collection to you, dear readers and Star Wars fans.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars comic books and of the time between Star Wars: Episodes V and VI will definitely want to sample Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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https://www.starwars.com/
https://twitter.com/CharlesSoule


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#IReadsYou Review: DARTH VADER ANNUAL #1

DARTH VADER ANNUAL No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. Visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

STORY: Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Leinil Yu
INKS: Gerry Alanguilan
COLORS: Jason Keith
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Leinil Yu
44pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Rated T

Annual

Marvel Comics recently released the first two “Annual” editions of its flagship Star Wars comic book titles, Star Wars and Darth Vader.  Although Marvel published three Star Wars Annuals for its original Star Wars series (1977 to 1986), this is the first Darth Vader Annual, and it is written by Kieron Gillen, who writes the ongoing Darth Vader series.  This inaugural annual features arts by Leinil Yu (pencils) and Gerry Alanguilan (inks); colors by Jason Keith; and letters by Joe Caramagna.

Darth Vader Annual #1 finds Darth Vader traveling to the planet, Shu-torun.  It is a Mid-Rim world known for producing valuable ore needed by the Empire for its ceaseless building projects.  The planet is ruled by the King who must also manage the dukes (“Ore-Dukes”), each one ruling over a domain that mines the precious ore so important to the Empire.

Of late, Shu-torun has failed to meet the delivery quotas set by the Emperor, so he has sent Lord Vader to reinforce the cooperation of the King and the Ore-Dukes.  There is, however, some game afoot.  The King has sent his third child, his daughter Trios, to meet Lord Vader, and perhaps to stall him.  Rebellion is reportedly brewing on Shu-torun, but against whom?  Plus, the malevolent droid duo, 0-0-0 (Triple Zero) and BT-1 (BeeTee One), have fun on their own.

I flipped through Darth Vader Annual #1 about two weeks before I got around to reading it.  Honestly, I put off reading it because it did not look appealing.  I was wrong – so wrong.  Writer Kieron Gillen offers a simple, straight-forward story, but it depicts Vader as the fearsome, bad-ass villain Star Wars fans want him to be.  That's all; this story is just Vader being Vader.

Gillen and Jason Aaron (who writes Star Wars) are proving to be the among the best Star Wars comic book writers ever, and at the rate they are going, I will likely think of them as the best if they can give us a few years of the same high quality at which they are already performing.  Gillen adds to the Star Wars universe, offering another world and another society, without altering anything.  It is nothing groundbreaking, but it enriches the ground that has already been broken.

Leinil Yu and Gerry Alanguilan's art stylistically resembles the work of P. Craig Russell, but the storytelling recalls Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, which I am sure is one of the works that influenced George Lucas' creation of Star Wars.  This touch of Flash Gordon makes Darth Vader Annual #1 seem like classic space opera, with a touch of interplanetary romantic courtly intrigue.

This is the perfect one-off story for a comic book “Annual” special.  Here's to many more.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS #1

STAR WARS #1 (2020)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon and visit the "Star Wars Central" review page.]

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Jesus Saiz
COLORS: Jesus Saiz; Arif Prianto
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: R.B. Silva with Guru-eFX
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Adams with Jesus Aburtov; Jen Bartel; Adam Hughes; Mahmud Asrar with Matthew Wilson; Phil Noto; Chris Sprouse; Karl Story with Neeraj Menon
4pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (March 2020)

Rated T

“The Destiny Path” Part I

In 2015, Marvel Comics began publishing Star Wars comic books again.  Star Wars #1 opened in the time immediately after the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (1977), which is also known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.  After 75 issues, that series ended.

Now comes Star Wars 2020.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Jesus Saiz; colored by Arif Prianto and Saiz; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  The new series takes place after the events depicted in the 1980 Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back).

Star Wars #1 opens inside the Millennium Falcon.  Its passengers:  Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian escaped the Cloud City of Bespin, formerly owned by Lando.  They also escaped capture by the forces of the Galactic Empire, thanks to a save by R2-D2, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back.  There are also feelings of recrimination and anger over the capture of Han Solo by bounty hunters, led by Boba Fett, in service of Darth Vader.

Leia's plan is for them to reach The Mid Rim, Rendezvous Point: Delta-Three and join the “Fourth Division” of the Rebel Fleet.  But the Fourth Division is trapped there by imperial forces led by Lieutenant Gorr of the Imperial Star Destroyer, “Tarkin's Will.”  Now, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, and Lando will have to put aside the anger, pain, and grief if they are going to save the Rebel Alliance... and find a traitor.  Meanwhile, Luke struggles with his destiny in the aftermath of his battle with Darth Vader in Cloud City.

Star Wars #1 (2020) takes place inside the final 10 minutes of The Empire Strikes Back.  It expands on what happened between the Millennium Falcon escaping the Imperial forces shortly after leaving Bespin and the film's final moments.  Writer Charles Soule has said that he hopes to use this new Star Wars series to expand on what happened between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (1983), the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy.  And I'm all for that!

Star Wars #1 is a very well written first issue, as Soule expounds on the conflict between Leia and Chewbacca against Lando.  Soule delves into Luke's struggles after his duel with Darth Vader, revealing a young man adrift and who may have to find his own way.  Soule plays up the idea that Luke's journey will be different from that of any other Jedi's.  Soule also offers a tremendous mini action-thriller involving a besieged part of the Rebel Fleet, facing certain doom at the hands of Imperial Star Destroyers.  Soule creates the perfect scenario in which he can show how the post-Episode V core of heroes:  Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, and the Droids can work together to save the Rebellion.

I really like the art by Jesus Saiz and Arif Prianto.  The graphical storytelling is moody and emotionally, but also offers edge-of-your-seat thrills, all of it well paced by Clayton Cowles' lettering.  For however long Saiz and Prianto work on this new Star Wars series, they seem capable of capturing the dark mood of a time when the Star Wars narrative fell into the deep, cold shadows of the Empire.

I have to be honest.  Although I was a regular reader of the previous series, Star Wars (2015), my excitement for the series's last 12 issues was about a third of what it was for the first 12 issues.  Star Wars #1 2020 has not made me feel the original highs I felt, but it's close enough.

8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: The Rise of Kylo Ren

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF KYLO REN
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.  Also, visit Star Wars Review Central here.]

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Will Sliney
COLORS: Guru eFX
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Clayton Crain
MISC ART: Carmen Carnero with Rachelle Rosenberg; John Tyler Christopher; Jodie Muir; Stefano Landini and Nicola Righi; Giuseppe Camuncoli with David Curiel
ISBN: 978-1-302-92418-8; paperback (August 11, 2020)
112pp, Color, $15.99 U.S., $20.99 CAN

Rated T

Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren is a Marvel Comics trade paperback collection of the Star Wars comic book miniseries, Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1-4 (December 2019 to March 2020).  The miniseries is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Will Sliney; colored by Guru eFX; and lettered by Travis Lanham.

The Rise of Kylo Ren is an official part of the Star Wars “canon” and explores the backstory of Kylo Ren.  He is the face of the Dark Side in the Star Wars “sequel trilogy” of films:  Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren opens long ago and introduces the mysterious leader called “Ren” and his “Knights of Ren.”  Two brothers, Karrst and Filin,” learn the high cost of being recruited by Ren.  The story moves to the present which finds the Jedi Temple of Luke Skywalker in flames, as Ben Solo, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo and the nephew of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, watches.

Soon, Ben is accused of murder by three fellow Jedi students:  Voe, Hennix, and Tai.  Escaping their attempts at justice, Ben seeks the counsel of Snoke, a user of the Dark Side of the Force, who has been in contact with Ben for some time.  Snoke points Ben to the Knights of Ren as a “good stop” on his journey to the Dark Side.

But will Ben truly be able to find himself and his place with the Knights?  How will he measure up to the expectations of the Knights' leader, Ren, with his talk of “good death” and of the “Shadow?”  How will Ben deal with his former classmates as they pursue him in the name of justice.  And most of all, when will Ben be able to embrace his new name?...

THE LOWDOWN:  In the recent “Skywalker Saga” Star Wars films, Kylo Ren is a figure of intrigue and mystery.  Except for a few flashback sequences, visions, and what little Luke Skywalker and Kylo himself say, little is known about his past.

In a little more than 90 pages of narrative, writer Charles Soule illuminates the history of Kylo Ren and chases away at least some of the shadows of Kylo's past.  In the little more than five years since Marvel Comics resumed publishing Star Wars comic books, Soule has made himself one of the very best writers of Star Wars comic books.  While he offers a tale of duplicity and violence, Soule also reveals the true struggle of Kylo Ren, to be liberated from the expectations and legacies of others so that he can chart his own path.

After reading Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren, I have no doubt in my mind that Charles Soule could spin many a wonderful yarn featuring Kylo Ren.  I don't want to minimize the work of artist Will Sliney, who is a good graphical storyteller.  Or the work of Guru eFX, which brings this story's settings to life with a variety of hues.  Or the work of letterer Travis Lanham, who is always quite good at capturing the right tone of the characters' dialogue.  However, Charles Soule's writing is the star in Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren simply because he does what so few have done – deliver on the potential of the character known as both Ben Solo and as Kylo Ren.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars comic books and of Star Wars canon will certainly want to read Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren.

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Target Vader #1

STAR WARS: TARGET VADER No. 1 (OF 6)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. and please visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

STORY: Robbie Thompson
ART: Marc Laming; Cris Bolson
COLORS: Neeraj Menon; Jordan Boyd; Andres Mossa; Federico Blee; Erick Arciniega
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Nic Klein
VARIANT COVERS: Carmen Carnero; Marco Checchetto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated “T”

Part 1 of 6: “On the Hunt”

Star Wars: Target Vader is a new six-issue comic book miniseries.  It is written by Robbie Thompson.  The art for the first issue is drawn by Marc Lamming and Cris Bolson, with coloring by Neeraj Menon, Jordan Boyd, Andres Mossa, Federico Blee, and Erick Arciniega.  Series letterer is Clayton Cowles.  Target Vader finds the Dark Lord of the Sith hunting for a mysterious criminal syndicate that operates outside of the rule of the Galactic Empire.

Star Wars: Target Vader #1 opens on the “Lower Bay Docks” of Eikari in the Outer Rim.  Holaq, a gun-toting criminal, has chosen his new allies badly.  Darth Vader is on the hunt!  He is searching for “The Hidden Hand,” a highly-secretive criminal syndicate that is selling weapons to the Rebel Alliance.  Emperor Palpatine wants Vader to find The Hidden Hand and to expose and destroy every member and to also tear any allies or associates to pieces.  Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the notorious bounty hunter, Beilert Valance, is about to get an offer from The Hidden Hand.

Sometime before the debut of the 2015 film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a commentator wrote that he would like that film and the Star Wars films to follow to be more like the original Star Wars (1977) film.  To him, that first film was a kind of science fiction that had the elements of an American Western film.  I can see the spaceport town of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine as something like an isolated Western outlaw town.

Star Wars: Target Vader #1 has a vibe that suggests the original Star Wars film.  The settings and action could be from either a Western or even from an urban gangland fairy tale like “The Untouchables” (1959 to 1963) television series.  Robbie Thompson's script for this first issue is a lean, mean, fighting machine – quick to the point and quick to dispatch characters to their violent deaths.  Thompson manages to make even Darth Vader seem vulnerable (somewhat) in this scenario.

The other star of this comic book is Beilert Valance, now an official character in the Star Wars canon.  He is a re-imagined version of Valance the Hunter, a character that originated in Marvel Comics' first Star Wars comic book series (which began in 1977) and not in the Star Wars films.  [Valance was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Walter Simonson and first appeared in Star Wars #16 (cover dated: October 1978).]  Thompson makes Beilert seem quite intriguing:  a loser with a bad-ass streak and the skills to kill.

The art for this issue is split between Marc Laming and Cris Bolson.  Both deliver comic book art that is in the spirit of science fiction comic book artists of the pasts like Al Williamson and Dan Barry.  The coloring is bright and vivid and shimmers like starlight, and Clayton Cowles proves to be a letterer whose fonts are perfect for Star Wars.

I really like Star Wars: Target Vader #1, and I hope the rest of the miniseries can offer the excitement this one does.  This series might even offer readers a kind of Star Wars take on DC Comics' Suicide Squad.  I can say, once again, that Marvel's Darth Vader titles are consistently good.

8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: The Legends of Luke Skywalker #1

STAR WARS: THE LEGENDS OF LUKE SKYWALKER: THE MANGA, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

MANGAKA: Akira Fukaya and Tikashi Kisaki; Haruichi; Subaru; Akira Himekawa
ORIGINAL NOVEL: Ken Liu
TRANSLATION: Satsuki Yamashita
EDITOR: Fawn Lau
COVER: Akira Himekawa
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1584-8; paperback; 5 3/4 × 8 1/4 – trim size (January 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
212pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN

The Star Wars media and merchandising franchise has been hugely popular over the time since the debut of the original film, Star Wars, some 43 years ago in 1977.  Some of that popularity is the reason that there has been, except for a few years, at least one comic book publisher producing Star Wars comic books since 1977.

One of the latest is Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga.  This is a single-volume graphic novel containing four manga short stories set in the Star Wars universe.  The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga  focuses on four characters who have encounters with the elusive Jedi Luke Skywalker.  The stories is this book are adapted by Japanese manga artists:  Akira Himekawa, Haruichi, Subaru, and the writer-artist team of Akira Fukaya and Takashi Kisaki from The Legends of Luke Skywalker.  This is the 2017 young adult novel by award-winning author Ken Liu's that is also part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi book series.

The writer-artist team of Akira Fukaya and Takashi Kisaki starts the volume off with “The Starship Graveyard.”  The story stars a young gunner aboard a Imperial Star Destroyer who finds himself face to face with a mysterious rescuer who may or may not be the legendary enemy of the Galactic Empire, Luke Skywalker.  Haruichi's story is “I, Droid,” in which a newly enslaved construction droid finds himself in the company of an unusual pair of droids that seem to know one another.  They may also have a connection to someone who might save them all, Luke Skywalker.

In “The Tale of Lugubrious Mote,” Sabaru chronicles the adventures of a “mole-flea of Kowak” and how he helped Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker during a legendary moment in Star Wars history.  Finally, the manga-ka duo, Akira Himekawa (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess), take readers into the “Big Inside” of an “exogorth” [The “giant space slug” in The Empire Strikes Back is an exogorth.]  In the story, a young biology student and Luke Skywalker must escape from inside a creature from which few beings escape.  Along the way, the duo will discover the “Master Weavers” of “the Luminous Mist.”

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been looking forward to reading Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga since I first heard of it a few months ago.  I have not read Ken Liu's original novel, and I don't plan to.  I have nothing against Liu, and I am not at all familiar with his work.  I simply have not read any Star Wars novels that have been published since The Walt Disney Company revamped the Star Wars line of novels to make every one of them fit in “Star Wars canon.”

The Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga graphic novel is a good read.  The stories are not great, but Liu managed to create a version of Luke Skywalker that feels authentically fearsome, legendary, mysterious, and unknown.  That is no small feat as, obviously, Luke Skywalker is so familiar to fans of Star Wars.  In fact, Luke Skywalker has been my favorite Star Wars character ever since I first encountered him over four decades ago.

The art in “The Starship Graveyard” is rough, even ugly at times, but the story is fun to read.  The heroic arc of the young Imperial gunner is quite captivating.  “I, Droid” is okay, but I can see fans of Star Wars droids really getting into it, although it doesn't do much for me.  “The Tale of Lugubrious Mote” is a fun, throwaway, and ultimately nonsensical spin and take on the part of the film, Return of the Jedi (1983), that deals with Jabba the Hutt.  I would describe it as a young readers' Star Wars “Legends” or non-canon story rather than as a young adult tale.

By far the best story in Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga is Akira Himekawa's “Big Inside.”  It reads like one of those weird stories that Marvel Comics published in its Star Wars comic book series from the 1970s and 80s.  The art is beautiful, of course, because Himekawa always delivers beautifully, drawn, lyrical art that conveys a sense of history, magic, mystery, and romantic adventure.  “Big Inside” has all that and also feels like a non-canon Star Wars story because of its mystical take on “the Force.”

Honestly, I would not recommend this Star Wars manga to all fans of Star Wars comic books, unless I knew what kind of Star Wars comic books they liked.  I would, however, recommend Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga to any readers always on the lookout for Star Wars manga.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars manga and fans of Luke Skywalker will want to try Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga.

6 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.



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Book Review: STAR WARS: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

STAR WARS: LUKE SKYWALKER AND THE SHADOWS OF MINDOR
DEL REY/BALLANTINE BOOKS

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

AUTHOR: Matthew Stover
COVER: David Seeley
ISBN: 978-0-345-47744-6; hardcover (December 30, 2008)
331pp, B&W, $27.00 U.S., $32.00 CAN

In the Star Wars® Expanded Universe (EU), there were apparently, at one point, six eras, measures of time in which the Star Wars stories were set.  The Expanded Universe was rendered moot a few years after the Walt Disney Company bought Star Wars' parent company, Lucasfilm Ltd. in December 2012.  The EU eras were Sith, Prequel (Star Wars: Episodes I-III), Classic (Star Wars: Episodes IV-VI), New Republic, New Jedi Order, and Legacy.

Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, is a 2008 “New Republic” era novel from author Matthew Stover.  Stover has penned other Star Wars novels including the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith novelization.

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor opens six months after the events depicted in the film, Return of the Jedi.  The victorious Rebel Alliance is still struggling with the remnants of the Empire.  These surviving Imperial forces are determined to crush the rebellion, and now there is a new enemy.  Calling himself Lord Shadowspawn, he commands black-armored stormtroopers and launches raids and acts of piracy and terrorism against the New Republic, and their path of pillaging and wholesale slaughter leaves a wake of destruction.

General Luke Skywalker and the NRDF (New Republic Defense Forces) trace Lord Shadowspawn to a strategically advantageous base on the planet Mindor and launch a raid that actually plays directly in Shadowspawn’s hands.  Using ancient Sith knowledge and secret Imperial technology, Shadowspawn decimates the NRDF forces, and Luke Skywalker is seemingly lost during raid, possibly killed.  Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, See-Threepio, Artoo-Detoo, and the Rogue Squadron rush to the rescue, but are they in time to stop Shadowspawn’s power play for galaxy-wide dominion?

THE LOWDOWN:  It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve read a Star Wars novel (the last being Vector Prime), but I was ready for Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor.  For one thing, this book features many of my favorite characters from classic Star Wars.  In Mindor, author Matthew Stover seems to have written a book with two minds.

One of them is a space opera with non-stop action; the other is hard science fiction that is jargon-heavy and has enough dogfights to feel like a sci-fi flight simulator.  The former is a page-turner – an exciting read for a Star Wars fanboy like me.  The latter is sometimes dry, sometimes mildly interesting.  Luckily, both sides come together to create a potboiler of a novel by the middle of story.

The characterizations, in general, are good, and I especially like where Stover has Luke Skywalker at in terms of the post Return of the Jedi character.  Luke in this book is the confident last Jedi, the hero we saw in ROTJ, but he is conflicted about his place in the New Republic, especially about the lives of the men that are placed in his hands when he becomes a general.  As many reasons as there are why this book is fun to read, it’s Stover’s take on Luke Skywalker that makes Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor a quality Star Wars novel.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  People who read every Star Wars novel or who come close will, of course, want Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor.  Fans of the original trilogy will definitely want to give this a read, precisely because the story takes place so close to the “Classic Era.”

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Obi-Wan and Anakin #1

OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

WRITER: Charles Soule
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Marco Checchetto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2016)

Rated “T”

“Part I”

At the end of the the 1999 film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, newly minted Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi took on, as his student (Padawan), Anakin Skywalker.  The two were together for the ten years between The Phantom Menace and the 2002 film, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

Marvel Comics' latest Star Wars comic book miniseries takes place during that decade.  It is entitled Obi-Wan and Anakin.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Marco Checchetto; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Obi-Wan and Anakin #1 (“Part 1”) finds Obi-Wan and Anakin on the planet Carnelion IV, located in the farthest reaches of the galaxy.  This world was not part of the Republic, so there was nothing to stop the denizens of that far-reaching planet from destroying themselves.  However, a distress call was broadcast, using “archaic phrasing,” so Obi-Wan and Anakin have been sent to help.  To the extent that it may be needed, however, is Jedi help wanted?  Meanwhile, Anakin's behavior has drawn the interest of a powerful figure, even as that behavior concerns the Jedi Council.

I liked Charles Soule's work on the five-issue miniseries, Lando, and I liked Marco Checchetto art on the four-issue miniseries, Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  I am intrigued by Obi-Wan and Anakin, although this first issue is mostly introduction, but the creative team makes me look forward to it.  What gives me hope that this will be an exceptional comic book is the flashback that takes place on Coruscant.  This leads me to believe that Obi-Wan and Anakin will be an important chapter concerning the development of Anakin Skywalker, leading up to Attack of the Clones.

There is not much else to say.  Still, I think that Star Wars fans that read Star Wars novels and comic books should consider Obi-Wan and Anakin a publishing event not to be missed.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS #108

STAR WARS No. 108
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

STORY: Matthew Rosenberg
PENCILS: Giuseppe Camuncoli; Andrea Broccardo; Kerry Gammill; Jan Duursema; Stefano Landini; Luke Ross; Leonard Kirk
INKS: Cam Smith; Andrea Broccardo; Ze Carlos; Jan Duursema; Stefano Landini; Luke Ross; Leonard Kirk
COLORS: Chris Sotomayor
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Walter Simonson with Antonio Fabela
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: John Tyler Christopher; Michael Golden; Carmine Infantino and Dan Green with Dean White
52pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (July 2019)

Rated “T”

Marvel Comics is in the middle of celebrating some kind of 80th anniversary or birthday.  Marvel is 80 when you count the debuts of Marvel's “predecessors,” Timely Comics (1939) and Atlas Comics (1951 to 1971).  The declaration, “80 Years,” is currently emblazoned on the Marvel logo.

As part of the celebration, Marvel has been publishing a series of one-shots that act as a brief continuation of odd, off-beat, and forgotten Marvel and Timely comics titles (such as the recent Ziggy Pig - Silly Seal Comics and Gunhawks one-shots).  One of those one-shots, Star Wars No. 108, is a continuation of Marvel's original Star Wars comic book series, which was published from 1977 to 1986 for a total of 107 issues, three annuals, and the Return of the Jedi miniseries, which was a comic book adaptation of the 1983 film.

Star Wars #108 is written by Matthew Rosenberg, who divides the story into eight chapters.  The team of Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith draws the first four pages of Chapter 1, with Andrea Broccardo drawing the rest.  Chapter 2 is drawn by the team of Kerry Gammill and Ze Carlos.  Chapter 3 is drawn by Broccardo.  Chapter 4 is drawn by Jan Duursema (who drew numerous Star Wars comic books for Dark Horse Comics).  Chapter 5 is drawn by Broccardo.  Chapter 6 is drawn by Stefano Landini.  Chapter 7 is drawn by Luke Ross (who has drawn several Star Wars comic books for Marvel).  Chapter 8 is drawn by Leonard Kirk.  The colorist for this comic book is Chris Sotomayor, and the letterer is Clayton Cowles.

Star Wars #108 is a sequel to “The Crimson Forever,” which was published in Star Wars #50 (cover dated: August 1981) and was written by late Archie Goodwin and drawn by the late Al Williamson and Walter Simonson.  The story also features the character Valance the Hunter, a character that originates in Marvel's original Star Wars comic book and not in the Star Wars films.  Valance was created by writer Goodwin and Simonson and first appeared in Star Wars #16 (cover dated: October 1978).  Simonson, with colorist Antonio Fabela, provides the main cover art for Star Wars #108.

Other Star Wars comics-only characters appear in #108.  First, they are the bounty hunters, Jaxxon (a rabbit-like humanoid) and the female, Amaiza Foxtrain, both of whom first appeared in Star Wars #8 (cover dated: February 1978) and who were created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin.  Another is the lead villain of “The Crimson Forever,” the vengeful Domina Tagge, who first appeared in Star Wars #35 (cover dated: May 1980) and who was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Carmine Infantino.

Star Wars #108, entitled “Forever Crimson” opens some time after the events depicted in Return of the Jedi.  The story finds Domina Tagge again seeking to use the mysterious twin red jewels to avenge herself on both the Rebel Alliance (now known as the “Alliance of Free Planets”) and the remnants of the Galactic Empire.  When separated, the jewels create a deadly plague called “the Crimson Forever.”  Now, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO must stop Tagge.  Jaxxon and Amaiza Foxtrain are allies-of-sorts to Luke and company, but they have their own plans.  And Domina's actions have inadvertently served to revive Valance the Hunter, but whose side is he on?

First, let me say that I am disappointed and somewhat upset that Lando Calrissian does not appear in Star Wars #108, especially because he was directly involved in the original story, “The Crimson Forever.”  That aside, this is a really nice way to celebrate and to remember – even honor – Marvel's original Star Wars comic book series.  For many Star Wars fans (myself included, dear readers), Marvel's Star Wars was the only way we got a regular Star Wars fix during the three-year wait between the release of the original Star Wars films.  [No newspaper local to me carried the very good Star Wars newspaper comic strip that ran from 1979 to 1984.]

Writer Matthew Rosenberg was also someone who was a big fan of those early Marvel Star Wars comic books.  His love for them shows up in “Forever Crimson,” which is true in spirit, tone, and storytelling style to those old Star Wars comic books.  We would be so lucky if Rosenberg produced sequels to other Star Wars stories from those bygone days.

The artists turn in excellent work, and Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith expertly mimic Walt Simonson's graphic style in their four-page retelling of the story of Valance the Hunter.  Luke Ross delivers his usual stellar work, and Leonard Kirk's closing chapter, with its Art Adams and Mike Mignola-like flourishes, gives us award-worthy art.

Superstar colorist Chris Sotomayor displays his wicked skills coloring seven different artists or art teams in bright colors that recall old-school Marvel comic book coloring.  And superstar letterer Clayton Cowles helps to give each chapter its own tone and atmosphere.

I was quite excited when I first heard about Star Wars #108.  It surpasses my expectations, and it makes me anxious to go back and reread those old Star Wars comic books.  That is high praise indeed.

This issue also includes an afterword in which several people who worked on the original Star Wars comic books recount, to editor Mark Paniccia, their experiences working on the title, some taking a paragraph or more to tell their story.  These include Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, David Michelinie, Tom Palmer, Louise Simonson, and Walter Simonson.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS #68

STAR WARS No. 68 (2015)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

STORY: Greg Pak
ART: Phil Noto
COLORS: Phil Noto
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebuski
COVER: Phil Noto
VARIANT COVER: John Tyler Christopher; Kaare Andrews
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated T

Part I: “Rebels and Rogues”

In 2015, Marvel Comics restarted their publication of Star Wars comic books with a brand new Star Wars #1.  I wrote a review of it and went on to review a few more issues of the series, plus the first annual.  Jason Aaron was the new series first writer and wrote issues #1 to 37.  He delivered a number of really good story arcs and several really good stand alone, single-issue stories.

Kieron Gillen replaced Aaron.  Gillen did stellar work on Marvel's initial Darth Vader (2015) title, which was drawn by Salvador Larroca.  In fact, I can make a good case that Gillen and Larroca's Darth Vader was the best of Marvel's new line of Star Wars comic books, and, to this date, still is.  Gillen and Larroca reunited as the new Star Wars creative team with issue #38, and Larroca drew the series until issue #55.  Gillen recently ended his tenure on Star Wars with issue #67.

Star Wars #68 introduces the new creative team of writer Greg Pak and artist-colorist Phil Noto.  Letterer Clayton Clowes completes the creative team.  The first story arc, “Rebels and Rogues,” chronicles the missions that take place just before the 1980 Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back).

As Star Wars #68 opens, the Rebel Alliance has learned that Darth Vader has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space to find the new rebel base, which will lead him to the young rebel with whom he is obsessed, Luke Skywalker.  Now, the rebel leadership is sending Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and the droids, C-3PO and R2-D2, on a mission, but this is a desperate three-pronged mission of deception that will send these friends in different directions.

First, Luke and R2-D2 must find a way to protect a rebel refueling station in the Inner Rim.  Leia and Han will head to the “Core World” of “Lanz Carpo,” in order to infiltrate the communication center of a Imperial-friendly crime lord.  Finally, Chewbacca and C-3PO head to K43, an uninhabited volcanic world on the edge of “Wild Space.”  Rebel leadership wants to lure as many Imperial Star Destroyers to K43, which, with the use of detonators, Chewie and Threepio will turn into a mini-Death Star.  Two of the three prongs of this mission will encounter surprising interlopers.

This first chapter of “Rebels and Rogues” is intriguing, but only Luke and Artoo's mission really interests me.  I can give Gillen credit for writing a story that feels like classic era or original trilogy Star Wars.  I have mixed feelings about Phil Noto's art.  I liked him as the primary artist on the recent Poe Dameron ongoing series (2016-2018), but I was not that impressed with Noto's art on the Chewbacca miniseries (2015-2016).  Here, his graphic style and graphical storytelling seem perfect for Luke's mission, not so much for Chewbacca's, and even less for Han and Leia's.

But I am a rotting-to-the core “Marvel Zombie” when it comes to Marvel's Star Wars ongoing comic book series, so I will keep reading.  In the case of the new Star Wars comic books, I am not ashamed to be a fanboy.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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