Comic Book Features
Star Wars continues in the pages of Dark Horse Comics
By Patrick Luce
Nov 5, 2006, 19:11 GMT

George Lucas may have finished his latest trip into the Star Wars universe, but the struggle between the Rebels and Empire continue each month in the pages of Dark Horse Comics - including three graphic novels In the Shadows of Their Fathers; Honor and Duty; and Jedi vs. Sith.

Of the three, In the Shadows of Their Fathers (that is how it is titled on the copy I was sent, but Amazon lists it as “In the Footsteps of Their Fathers”) is the best and collects six issues of the ongoing Star Wars: Empire series. The story takes place approximately eight months after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, but also features flashbacks to the days when Anakin was still a young Jedi.

In the trade, Luke Skywalker learns more about the Jedi father he never knew when he joins Princess Leia on a mission to Jabiim to recruit the rebels there to join their cause against the Empire. The group faces problems when the Jabiim rebels (who have been fighting their own civil war) learn that Luke is the son of Anakin – the Jedi that betrayed them years before and left them to the mercy of their enemies during the Clone Wars.

While Luke is struggling on the planet to come to grips with his father’s legacy, Darth Vader is on his way to collect the two rebels, and level the planet that continues to haunt his memories.

The trade starts off a bit confusing (especially if you haven’t read the other five volumes of the series), but you are quickly able to catch up with what is happening. The story has all the action you would want from a Star Wars tale, and the art is crisp. After a somewhat odd start, the story’s pacing flows quickly with tension continuing to build as Luke and Leia are betrayed by a member of their hopeful new allies.

In the Shadows of Their Fathers is written by Thomas Andres and Scott Allie with art by Adriana Melo, Joe Corroney, and Michel LaCombe. It features cover art by Tomas Giorello.

Honor and Duty (which collects Star Wars: Republic #46-48 and #78) begins approximately three years before the events of Revenge of the Sith and follows the rise of the Emperor and Darth Vader as seen through the eyes of a Senate Guard named Sagoro Autem. Autem is ordered to investigate the murder of a senator, and has to deal with a couple of Jedi Knights named Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

The story then shifts to two weeks after the events of Revenge of the Sith. Autem is named an enemy of the Empire, and is being hunted by Darth Vader and a bunch of hired bounty hunters.

The trade is written by John Ostrander with pencils by C.P. Smith (on #46-48) and Luke Ross (#78). The story drags a bit at first, but is worth taking the time to read thanks to the final issue and Ross’ art (who also does cover duty along with Jason Keith). The final issue is action packed, and features Vader doing his “force choke” on pretty much anyone who gets in his way.

Taking place 1,000 years before the events of the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars: A New Hope, Jedi vs. Sith is by far the weakest of the three titles. The story was written by Darko Macan with pencils by Ramon F. Bachs. The trade also features cover art by Ramon F. Bachs, Raul Fernandez, and Dan Jackson.

We all know that the Sith always number two – a Master and an apprentice, but it looks like that was not always the case. Only a thousand years ago, the Sith had an army of dark warriors that entered into a war with their enemies the Jedi – who consisted of an army of light.

The story’s plot is chaotic at best and follows a group of children as they are split up between Lord Kaan and his Sith Brotherhood of Darkness and Lord Hoth and his Jedi followers. The plot moves fast, but you get very little chance to figure out who any of the characters are, or why these kids need little to no training to become Sith and Jedi. Instead, we are treated to somewhat brutal battle scenes between the two sides, weird floating green creatures, and the Sith creating a “thought bomb.”

Although I have enjoyed some of Dark Horse Comics journeys into the early days of the Star Wars universe and the company’s explorations of how the Jedi and Sith came to be, I was somewhat disappointed with this book and the overall story. The art is solid and some of the battle scenes are entertaining, but it lacks any complete story. If this is your first trip into the comic book version of the Star Wars universe, I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book.

Hands down, Dark Horse knows how to handle Star Wars and its many characters, and I would highly recommend fans of the movie checking out any of the many titles they offer. Almost all the titles are a safe bet for enjoyment, and will feed your need for more of the force and Lucas’ iconic creation. Visit Dark Horse Comics for more information on these and other available titles.