Book Description

The Last Command concludes the adaptation of Timothy Zahn`s best-selling Thrawn Trilogy, drawing to a shattering climax the events set into motion in Heir to the Empire and Dark Force Rising. Thrawn is creating an army of genetically engineered shock troops in an effort to overwhelm the forces of the Rebellion. Meanwhile, dark Jedi Master C`baoth plans to kidnap the newborn twins of Princess Leia and raise them as the first of a new legion of dark Jedi! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Best of the Thrawn Trilogy Adaptations
The comic adaptations of 'Heir to the Empire' and 'Dark Force Rising' tackled the problem of adapting a 400-page novel into a 160-page comic quite well, and 'The Last Command' does it better than even those two. While the adaptations does run into inevitale problems (like in explaining Delta Source) Baron has done a truly admirable job.

First off, the art. The late Eddie Buikovic's second and last art job in the world of SW comics is even better than his one with 'The Phantom Affair'. The detail is incredibly, with gorgeous views of Coruscant, Mount Tantiss, and even Hijarna. The characters are all done very well, also. The movie cast looks just like they did on the screen and original characters like Pellaeon, Mara, Karrde, Ferrier, and so forth are done better here than in the other two adaptations. The one qualm I have with the art is that the coloring switched halfway through. Pamela Rambo's watercolor-type style worked better in the 'Dark Force Rising' adaptation, but its just doesn't fit well with Buikovic's style. Thankfully, the second half is done by Dan Brown, whose style resembles 'The Phantom Affair's masterful colorist, Dave Nestelle.

My one qualm with the art is that it's not always faithful to the 'real' SW universe. Craft like Chariot LAVs, the Golan IIIs at Bilbringi, and Ferrier's DP20 gunship don't look a thing like they 'actually' do. I'm willing to overlook it, still, because Buikovic's art made the adaptation of 'The Last Command'

That said, its a very well done adaptation that retains the spirit of the novel itself and created a gorgeous, almost cinematic, feel to it as well. Highly reccomended.

Cool
This comic is so cool! The lettering is great, the characters do things that they would have done in the movies, and they look exactly the same. The plot is new, but it's possible. It also is faithful to Star Wars. The comic is a must read.

BRILLIANT!!!!!
BUY IT! The Story, Illustrations, Colouring and practically everything about this Book is Great. it wraps up Tim Zahn's trilogy ingeniously. If you are a true Star Wars fan, you wouldn't be seen without this. -Review By Violata ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse delivers another fantastic collection of rare classics from a comics legend! Russ Manning, famous for his spectacular work on the Tarzan newspaper strips of the late sixties, brought fans his "Tarzan of the Future" in Magnus, Robot Fighter. While the original comic series lasted only twenty-one issues,Manning's creation has survived generations, influencing countless science fiction artists and writers to this day. Fans of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, or Wally Wood should not miss this beautifully bound hardcover, the latest addition to Dark Horse's line of science fiction comics classics. ... Read more

Book Description

Star Wars Tales has explored every corner of the Star Wars galaxy and kept readers coming back for more! Collected for the first time into one prestigious volume, Star Wars Tales Volume 4 is sure to delight fans both young and old! ... Read more

Book Description

A loyal Stormtrooper, thwarted by the very bureaucracy which he serves, struggles to track down a Rebel saboteur on board the Death Star in the days and hours before the fateful Rebel attack. Darth Vader, the sole survivor of the explosion of the Death Star, crash lands on a primitive world where savagery is the key to survival. A young Imperial lieutenant learns all service comes at a price when his small company of Stormtroopers is attacked by thousands of angry aliens. Assassins vow revenge on the man responsible for killing their families - the Dark Lord, Darth Vader.Four compelling tales, all told from the point of view of the major villains of the Star Wars galaxy - the Imperials. But, as these stories show, even the "bad guys" are no strangers to loyalty, honor, and sacrifice! ... Read more

Book Description

In the eight years since the fall of the Empire, Luke Skywalker has trained a new group of Jedi Knights, among them the warrior woman Kirana Ti, the sky-hermit Streen, the scholar and lore-master Tionne, and Luke`s greatest student, the brash Kyp Durron. Once trained, a Jedi must go where he is needed, to defend the New Republic and use the Force to help those in need. And on the harsh world of Corbos, help is desperately needed after mining excavations awaken something ancient, powerful...and hideously evil! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fair story good artwork
Kevin J anderson wrote one of my favorite sets of SW novels, The Jedi Academy. This comic picks up after that trilogy, and now Kip is a student. The story was a little below what i hoped for so I rate it 2 stars, but I really liked the pencils, inking and general production quality of this comic, giving it 4 stars for a final rating of 3 stars.

The best part of the story was the inclusion of the many characters we have only read about, Kyp, Kirana Ti, Tionne, Streen, Dorsk 82, Luke and Leia.

As Bad As It Gets
1) This is the thinnest plot I have ever seen. It's like they called Kevin J, said "Hey, we want a comic related to the Jedi Academy, but we need the whole script in five minutes" and this is what they got. Nothing is ever explained, nothing makes sense, the characters repeat themselves constantly, and the whole point seems to be to make Dorsk 82, who never really shows up again anywhere else as far as I know, feel good about himself. And I'm not even sure he does that!
2) Luke looks like He-Man on a bad day, and I originally thought Leia was some totally new character. Does Dorsk 82 have to be drawn *shaking* in every frame? Why must everyone have spit lines between his teeth? The art in this comic is rock-bottom awful.

This You May Miss
This specific collection of chapters that form, "Leviathan", is one of the weaker installments from Dark Horse that I have read. The two key elements that are critical, a good story, and good illustrations are glaringly absent.

I generally don't enjoy when artists take great liberty with the appearance of characters that have been solidly established for nearly three decades. A way to get by this fault is to offer readers a great story, however this does not happen here. Luke starts the story by musing to himself about nothing of great importance, and this is followed by a task for his newest Jedi Knights that is vague and one dimensional. A planet appears to suffer total destruction on a fairly regular basis, and even though this is documented, new colonists keep coming back for more. For some unknown reason nobody ever catches on that this planet is a less than hospitable spot, and invariably the cause of destruction is routinely disturbed.

The only other consistent theme is how unsuited Kyp is as a Jedi, and how hopeless he would be as a Jedi Master. His treatment of a new potentially force sensitive recruit is hopelessly inept and abrasive. When the central conflict does arrive it is terribly predictable and not worthy of the material Dark Horse generally offers. It is rare when a written installment of this saga does not offer any new insight, however this one is nearly vacant.

Is this Star Wars?
It seemed more like Alien to me. It a good 'monster'-type story, despite Anderson's horrendously forced dialogue. But it has almost no elements of Star Wars, some bordering on the line of obscenely un-Star Wars-ish. My biggest complain may be regarding Dorsk 82. The idea behind him was by no means bad, but Anderson's writing turns him into an annoying, craven fool. Sometimes I wished that Leviathan would just step on him and put the reader out of his or her misery.

The art's good, although once again, not Star Wars-ish. It worked far better in the 'Tales of the Jedi' series than in the modern SW universe.

You wants real 'Star Wars' comics, see something like the X-wing Rogue Squadron comics, especially 'In the Empire's Service' and 'Mandatory Retirement'. You want a story transplanted to the SW universe, read this. I'm grading this as a Star Wars comic, and as a Star Wars comic its just plain bad.

Very Well Scripted
I picked this up since I am an Anderson fan and I was greatly pleased with everything- from the fight/battle scenes to the wonderous scripted speaking. All the characters are very well drawn and were presented in an exotic fashion. If you like the Jedi Academy novels, then you'll most likely enjoy this! ... Read more

Book Description

Dark Horse presents the definitve guide to Star Wars comics, complete with in-depth coverage all the way through Episode III!Written by Ryder Windham, Star Wars expert, and demsely illustrated with both brand-new art and classic images from the comics, this chronological compendium contains everything you need to be the ultimate Star Wars reader in-the-know.Follow Anakin Skywalker's descent into darkness, from his early days as a padawan, to his harrowing Clone Wars battles, up through his transformation and eventual death as Darth Vader.Get complete details on the exploits of Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie, and all the rest of the gang, with thorough rundowns of classic Star Wars history, from the very beginnings of the jedi order, no character goes unmentioned and no quadrant goes unmapped. ... Read more

Book Description

Kir Kanos is the last surviving member of the elite Imperial Guard. He`s on the run -- and the Empire will stop at nothing to destroy him! It`s the combined might of the Empire against a single man. Crimson Empire combines the dynamic artistic talents of comics superstars Paul Gulacy (Batman vs. Predator III) and P. Craig Russell (Elric: Stormbringer) and featuring a new cover painting by master Star Wars illustrator Dave Dorman. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

I LOVED IT
I heard the audio cassete version of this story by checking it out of the library. My mom, not even really a great fan of Star Wars, listened to it with me and we finished it the same day. I am now listening to it again. The actors do a wonderful job and as always the music and soiund effects make it sound like the battle is in your own room. This is the best! Great to see Wedge Antilles at the end. Mirith Sinn is the most idiotic character I have ever seen. How many times did Ki Kanos warn her that they were not allies? Not enough I guess. Still one of the best.

A very good story . . . if you like the Crimson Guard
While this story was not a complete loss, both the story line and the art were unremarkable. The story was definitely not a major event in the Star Wars universe, and it will probably not be one of the talked about story lines in the years to come. Overall it is just below average for a Star Wars tale. ALTHOUGH, if you are a fan of the Crimson Guard, this book is very enjoyable, and worth the money. The reader gets to see inside their training, and learns of their fate after the Dark Empire story line. Add to that several great action sequences of the Guard, and you have a great story for any lover of the Crimson Guard. (I am a fan of the Crimson Guard, hence the 4 stars.)

One of the Best
Having read a lot of Star Wars Graphic Novels, I can safely say this is one of the best if not the best. Crimson Empire delivers the goods. Period. There's a reason almost all the reviews here are 5 stars: this story is unique, captures the essence of SW and takes you on a ride that is as enjoyable as the original films. BOLD. NEW. EXCITING. Read Crimson Empire.

You must purchase this comic series.
...I'm glad someone decided to give these Royal Guardsman their fame by publishing this comic series. The drwings are great. And tt gives you in depth perspective on how these guardsman train and use their force pikes. And how they train and are also force users.
It shows how these guardsman (former elite storm troopers) show up to the training facilities, and their strive to become the beat guardsman. And the cost of that is having to ultimately killing another top contender which was one of your own fellow trainees you trained with.
That's totally compelling.

Possibly the best of the comics
Wow. This is truly an original piece of work. With the exception of "Tales of the Jedi" series(s), this is my favorite Star Wars graphic novel. The story itself is told so skillfully, engrossing you in a world filled with characters, that you forget that they were not in the Star Wars movies (with the exception of Wedge.) The art is the best of ANY SW comic, including the drab and dull Dark Empire. It is a shame that the sequel did live up to this piece of work. ... Read more

Book Description

With the Death Star destroyed, the Empire has declared martial law throughout the galaxy. A thousand worlds have felt the oppressive hand of the Emperor as he attempts to crush the growing Rebellion. As the Imperial grip of tyranny tightens, Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of the small band of freedom fighters continue to press for the salvation of the planets -- but such a small crew stands little hope of succeeding against the dominant might of the Empire. But sometimes that's all it takes -- a little hope. Dark Horse Comics is proud to present, in an all-new package, the comics adaptation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back -- The Special Edition. By Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, this classic adaptation is reprinted from the original Star Wars comic-book series and is now collected with an all-new cover to celebrate the theatrical release of The Empire Strikes Back -- The Special Edition. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Dark Horse Finally Offers Hope
In 1997, the first Star Wars Trilogy, for better or worse, got a digital makeover and rereleased in theaters. As part of the "celebration", Dark Horse Comics decided to adapt the trilogy for the comic book format. Even though, I was disappointed with the SE adaptations for Empire and Jedi-they just slapped new covers, added sketches, and that's it-releasing the old adaptations basically intact. I am happy to say that for A New Hope, more care was taken to follow the updated film, making for a better book. Don't get me wrong, I think the films didn't need any tampering with, but if you advertise the Special Edition version then follow through...

THE STORY: Adapted by Bruce Jones, the story includes, the new scenes and enhanced special effects shots. Thankfully, Jones lets the action speak for itself, rather than using novel like prose to do it. It's still there but its kept to a minimum. The script is very faithful to the film.

THE ART: Eduardo Barretto takes more care to follow the film with his renderings. The characters and situations are fairly on target with their film counterparts. THe art is juiced by accurate colors and shades for the action.

The 109 page book includes a gallery of covers from the newstand single issue versions. There's also bios of the creative team behind the book and a well written introduction by series editor Bob Cooper. A solid read worthy of Star Wars. It's a shame that more care wasn't put into the Special Edition adaptations of Empire and Jedi. Hope is recommended

Frozen In Carbonite
When Star Wars creator George Lucas decided reissue the first trilogy, as "new and improved", into the multiplex in '97, several tie-ins also got an update as well. Dark Horse Comics put out special editions of each film's comic book adaptation.

THE STORY: The special edition version isn't all that different from the original book. Adapted by Archie Goodwin, the stroy follows the film pretty well. My main problem with his work here is his overuse of description. Comic books based on films can get bogged down with too much prose and such is the case here. Another problem is that the new material in the film is not reflected in the story itelf. I know the material doesn't amount to much but it would have been cool nonetheless.

THE ART: The team of Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon, who also did the art chores on the adaptation for Jedi, is adequate at best. Their work is uneven. Sometimes its breathtaking, and at others it seems rushed. Many of the characters seem off from their on screen counterparts.

The 104 page book includes 2 pages of scenes from the special edition in sketch/storyboard form. Overall though, the book is disappointing. A great film classic like "Empire deserves better--special edition or not

Trash!
I tend to rate books against other books of their type, so while I may give both a Star Wars book and Dune 5 stars, there is no comparison, Dune is better. By the same token, I won't judge a comic as harshly as a novel, because I have different and lower expectations of it.

Even so, this Graphic Novel is a complete waste of time, paper, and money. The interior art is pretty bad, and the character renderings uninspired, and 3PO has way too much freedom of movement. They put way too much effort into throwing in every last little detail added for the special edition of the film, and it was obvious.

This comic was EXTREMELY dependant on the reader having seen the movie. The dialogue and scenes jumped around so much that if I didn't know the movie virtually by heart, I'd be lost by only a couple of pages into the book. Though the lettering itself is good, it can't make up for the confusing, erratic clips of dialogue.

The Millenium Falcon looked messed up, and the TIE Fighters looked pitifully small and smashed. This is a horribly bad adaptation of a great film. The only good part of this book is getting to see Dormans' fabulous cover work at the end.

Don't buy this book!

Comic Book edition.
The entire TESB adventure in comic book form. Very interesting and unique. ... Read more

Book Description

The third volume of Masamune Shirow's best-selling art book series features spectacular full-color illustrations featuring high-caliber treatments. Often a sci-fi military theme is evoked, with special emphasis on detailed weaponry, but there is also a healthy batch of fantasy themes and outer space action. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Must have for Masamune Fans
This is the best Intron Depot in my collection.
We, in the USA, don't get enough of Mr Shirows work, so if
you're a big fan, this is one to collect.
If you had his past Intron Depot, you will clearly see
how he has progressed with his incorporation of digital
graphics, with eith Photoshop or Corel Bryce. He has
taken his cyberpunk anime to another level.
The presentations of his art is outstanding. His details,
colors, depth, and his thoughts are well included in his work.
M only wish is that they included some of his works in CD-ROM, so I could display them on my PC the way he saw on his PC.
Many ppl scan his works but it only ruins the colors.
I hope in his next project they would include this CD-ROM like many graphic books are doing nowadays. ... Read more

Book Description

It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starlfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousand of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale--in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars. ... Read more

Reviews (322)

Decent follow up to the classic movies.
Frankly, Mr. Zahn did not have an enviable task ahead of him when he was to write the followup trilogy to Star Wars. I opened this book tentatively, fearing the worst. After all, with Luke as the New Jedi, Leia and Han itemized together, Chewbacca still as hairy as ever, and the Emperor and Darth dusty particles in space, what could any writer possibly do to continue the line?

Happily, though, I found Heir to the Empire nowhere near the disaster that normal logic would foretell. The characters of old SW films were believably drawn, although curiously timeless (I mean, come on...it's five years after Endor, and the only change is that Leia's pregnancy!), and Zahn's new people were either suitably grey in the background, or very colorfully developed indeed.

The plot seems very much Lucasian fare; shootouts, rescue missions, daring raids, and harrowing escapes. However, I became increasingly aware of an inexplicable flaw in the otherwise strong storytelling; that concerned the big baddie, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn is touted as a genius who can divine enemies' innermost psyches with nothing but examples of their artwork. That's okay; Zahn makes this seem convincing enough so that our disbelief is suspended. Thrawn is presented as an enigmatic leader who is feared but more importantly respected by his people. This too is okay; Zahn shows enough strategy and tactics to convince us that his character really deserves this. Many seemingly-impossible victories are pulled out of thin air, and Thrawn continues to win and win and win a little more.

Fine. We can accept that...how could we otherwise, with such skill expended in making him believable? By the time the book is over, Zahn even implies Thrawn's superiority over great villains like Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine (wonderful name, don't you agree?) - and we can readily believe this, because Zahn has given us the goods and not been found wanting.

So, the big question and flaw of the story: why does Thrawn lose? Zahn falls prey to the same trap that ensnares many writers of all genres; he has presented a full-bodied, fleshed-out character, made the reader love to hate him, shown this man to be utterly brilliant and utterly amazing and God-like...then kills him off.

No replay, no reset. Game over. Dead.

The 'God' syndrome, I think it's called, where the enemy is really powerful, but for an unsatisfactory reason is defeated. Without a doubt, Zahn is one of the best space-fantasy writers I have read, and his style is engrossing and engaging, but I could not help but feel that at the end of the tale, I was somehow cheated by the unconvincing and accelerated death of his Thrawn character.

The only reason I can think of for writing such an unappetising ending to an otherwise excellent trilogy, is that Zahn was pressured into it for reasons of PR. Certainly, the way is paved for a "Return of Thrawn" episode, as Thrawn dropped many hints of cloning facilities, etc. (qv Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future) but I thought it would have been better to just keep the guy and conclude the trilogy otherwise.

Also slightly problematic is the question of repetition: Thrawn is a purely tactical guy, so he needs a force-user to help him. Working together, Thrawn and the crazed Jedi Master named Joruus can just about equal Vader's total effectiveness (tactics + force). One cannot help but feel that Zahn is fighting a losing battle here regarding his villains; Lucas just made his ones too darn good.

Apart from those two (not immediately obvious) points, the books are all a great ride through Lucas' galaxy once again. If you liked the movies at all and don't mind reading good sci-fi, then these are the books for you. Certainly they are better than any later Star Wars efforts I have read (ah - K J Anderson - hem!).

A Wonderful Star Wars Continuation
This book is the first novel in Timothy Zahn's trilogy. This excellently written book takes place five years after Return of the Jedi, and is the authorized continuation to the original trilogy.

In this first book in the series, we are introduced to Grand Admiral Thrawn, the sole surviving member of the Emperor's vicious staff. He has resumed control over the Imperial Starfleet as he prepares for a suprise attack on the New Republic. Thrawn is a supreme villian. He exemplifies patience, tenacity, and extreme poise in all of the story's crucial situations.

In his campaign for domination, he employs the powers of a long-lost dark Jedi Knight, which later leads to several conflicts. All of the original characters are back in Heir to the Empire, as well as some interesting new ones.

Zahn writes with incredible detail that makes for a descriptive plot. He develops the storyline and teases you just enough to make you want to read the next book in the trilogy.

This book is action-packed and Zahn mixes the characters together nicely. He cohesively loads the book with mystery and suspense, and the character development is fabulous.

The underlying conflict of good vs. evil is interesting because it is hard to tell who is good and who is evil. All in all, this was a nice, easy-flowing book and an entertaining read. You will enjoy it.

Spoiler alert. Some comments.
Hi.

I would like to start out by saying that the book was very good but some things made me dissapointed (Maybe I had to high expectations to start with). I have a few comments I'd like to share. First of all it seems odd to me that Luke, as the big hero he is, only because he's out of Force he can't disarm Mara Jade when she holds him prisoner on the ysalamari planet. I mean, come on, he has the lightsaber in his hand, she points a blaster at him and he surrenders. Even without the force he should be a quite adept warrior shouldn't he?
Why doesn't he do anything when she puts her blaster away on the ground?
I get the overall sense of Luke as being quite naiv and going around the galaxy not really knowing whats he's doing.
Then there's a time in the beginning of the book when Thrawn uses C'Baot to sense Luke presence and he talks to him a little. Then later in the book, Tnrawn and Pelleon is wondering if Luke is with the reps at a certain time and they wait to see. Why don't they just use the old Jedi to find out?
There's a phrase in the book that goes something like: a Jedi can't be too caught up in events regarding galactic safety that he forgets about individuals. Isn't the motto supposed to be the other way around?
Well, well. These small things made the book a little less entertaining than i'd hoped, but overall it's a good read.

(Ps: Anyone know of a good place to discuss star wars litterature?)

Awful!
I very, very rarely put a book down once I commit to it, but 200 pages into this thing and the story's going nowhere. Zahn took the characters we loved and turned them into one dimensional bores. No one in the book has any tension with any other characters, and none of them go anywhere. The whole book revolves around a "defeat the bad guy" plot. Don't get me wrong, I love books that offer nothing but entertainment, but I have to care about the characters to be entertained by their battles and struggles. "Luke flipped away from the blaster shots" just doesn't cut it with me. This book was boring, the characters were all turned into one dimensional bores, and 200 pages into the book I couldn't have cared less whether the characters I loved just died right then. If you love the movies, stay away from this low brow garbage.

great fro star wars fans
this book continues the story of the Star Wars characters 5 years after the destruction of the 2nd Death Star. It was interesting to see how far the New Republic has advanced in that time and it was also cool to see what our favorite characters were up to. A good book for all Star Wars fans ... Read more

Book Description

This is the story of how we could have gone to space. Maybe how we should have gone to space. This is the story of the Ministry of Space: The black budget that financed the move into space. The deaths of the test pilots taken from the surviving Spitfire flyers of the Battle of Britain. And in 2000, the end of the Golden Age, as America and Russia begin moving into space. The secret revealed, and the destruction of a man who sacrificed himself for the Ministry of Space. Plus, a sketchbook section by Chris Weston and an all-new appendix by Warren Ellis revealing the facts behind the fiction! ... Read more

Book Description

Volume 2 of Checker's comprehensive reprint of the hard-to-find original Star Trek comics.This volume collects issues 9 through 16 and features the original Enterprise crew in adventures to be found nowhere else. ... Read more

Book Description

He was born a poor farm boy on a forgotten planet in the galaxy’s Outer Rim. Taken under the wing of a wise mentor after the violent death of his family, he would rise up to lead a band of fighters struggling for survival against a dark force that threatens to wipe them out completely. His name would become known throughout the systems, and his legacy would change the galaxy forever. But his name isn’t Skywalker it’s Jango Fett! The Sith have begun the final maneuvering in their quest to take over the galaxy and are looking for the perfect specimen to take part in their secret experiments. Lord Tyranus may’ve just found a prime candidate in Jango. Recounting Jango’s story from his early days on the Fett farm, through the annihilation of the once proud Mandalorian warriors, to his transformation into the galaxy’s most feared bounty hunter, Tyranus outlines why Fett’s the right man to help bring the Galactic Senate to its knees, whether Jango knows it or not. Open Seasons offers an in-depth look at the most exciting new character from Attack of the Clones, and details the beginning of the infamous Fett legacy — one that would come back to plague the Rebellion a generation later. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A must purchase
Open Seasons is one of those comics that is highly recommended reading. This is where you'll find Jango Fett's backstory, which seamlessly ties into what little is known of his cloned son Boba Fett, and his Jaster Mereel alto ego. The comic derives its name from the four issues subtitled after the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, fall, and provides reason for Montross's animosity in the Bounty Hunter console game.

The artwork here is just superb. Colours shine off the page, illustrations are depthful, more 3Dish than the standard fare you get, what more could you want? I strongly believe that comics, being the visual material they are, must have the best artwork possible, to show what a standard novel can only express in words. If that's the case, Open Seasons is gold.

The dialogue is up to par. Could have benefited with more humour, but the cast worked well for given characters. Then again, given the nature of the plot, too much would have detracted from the persona of Jango Fett.

The storyline is your typical coming of age: peaceful youth avenging the death of parents and a shattered childhood, forged into one of the galaxy's finest bounty hunters. The setting is soon after Phantom Menace, Dooku recounting to his master Sidious why Fett makes the ideal prime clone for their clandestine operations. It even provides some explanation for why Dooku himself--if you can believe the old man--broke from the Jedi Order.

You see what Jango is made of here in the Galidraan debacle, where the Jedi and Mandalorians have it out. You'd get the impression the Jedi really are dependant on their saber sticks to be dangerous, as though that made any difference to the Fett. Does leaving you wondering in AOTC if script limitations hadn't necessitated Mace Windu to survive Fett.

Just a few trivialties here. Jango looks more lighter complexioned than he did on the screen. Without enough names in dialogue, it does make it challenging to identify your Mandalorian in near-identical uniforms. Most annoying, why do these people always have to be farmboys (Luke, Baron Fel, Jango, etc)? And the biggest one of all: at the end, when Jango flies across space to crash through a ship's bridge viewports, in a vacuum without breathing or decompression?!

Overall, with art quality and storyline this good, Open Seasons is one fine gift to get, and definitely worth getting.

Fett is in the House!
This book really delivers on the mysterious and wonderful character Jango Fett. He is a legendary Mandalorian warrior who witnessed his whole mercenary army being wiped out by the Jedi. Beautiful illistrations. The best illustrator who could draw "Mandalorian armor" to date. A great story line, and really stresses the fact that Jango is a neutral, fearless warrior.

Best Ink and Coloring Award
I do know what to say about the art work. I own every Darkhorse TPB comic and this one has the best inks and coloring of them all, getting a 6 on a 5 scale. The drawing itself is a 4 on a 5 scale, and the story is also a 4.

the story missed some oportunity here, but it does address what you are probably curious about with regard to jango.

Darkhorse be warned, I'll expect this kind of quality in the future. I have suffered through lazy editioning from you guys, most disappointingly in UNION and others.

wow.
I've read most of the Star Wars comics, and this one is among the best. Open Seasons interweaves the story of Jaster and Concord Dawn (known to Fett fans) with the events prior to Geonosis.

The story is very involving, although I wish it had been longer. A few things were glossed over pretty quickly. But it was a refreshing change from Kevin Anderson's usual soulless SW tales. I had a few "goose-bump" moments.

What can I say about the art? Like Jedi vs. Sith, some will think that it is too cartoony. I disagree. The artist captured action and emotion, and that's what this is about...telling a story through art. Personally, I adored it. I hope Dark Horse uses this guy, and fires the Sith Empire folks. Kudos also for the colors. (The lightsabers really seemed to glow!)

All in all Open Seasons is gorgeous. Buy it. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Feel the pain ooze off the paper.
This book is amazing. This is the first graphic novel that is both emotionally disturbing and fixating. The pain O'Barr must have been going through, must be emense and it translates well on the paper- The pain simply oozes off the papers.

This graphic novel is a must for those who like the darker side of life, and those who like a good story. It's poetic, sad, funny (in brief moments) violent and disturbing. All the hallmarks of a classic. (You could go as far as to say it is Hamlet for a messed up generation, but I'm not.)

All in all, a great read. This graphic novel has to be up there in the graphic novel top ten list (which would also include sin city, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and others.)

A Love Story masterpiece
It took me seven long years to finally find this novel. When I recieved it in the mail and openned it up, I was not dissapointed. As a matter of fact, this is the only piece of art (movies, books, etc.) that has ever really made an impression on me.

The story is a classic love and revenge story. Man and woman who are deeply in love are both murdered and man comes back to life to avenge their murder. However, James O'Barr has written this story with such a passion(this story is loosly based on his own personal tragedy). It's as if he bleed his soul on paper and put it into book form.

However, this book should be read with a slow pace. It is easy to miss some of the smaller things in this book. I made the mistake of reading it fast. I went back and read it slowly and it was five times better.

A must read if you are into a. Comics b. Love Stories or c. Poetry

Worth The Money
Well, it was a few months ago when i ordered this book off Amazon, having heard so many good things about it. I am not heavily into comcis and graphic novels, but read the odd one now and again. And for those of you who seem to think this book is for teenage goths, I am just a normal teenage lad who was looking for something to read which was a bit more involving than the mainstream rubbish you seem to get these days.

And all I can say is 'wow'. The art is possibly the best I've ever seen (even if I was kind of suprised by Eric's somewhat femine appearance at times), and the writing is equally impressive. OK, so the gore is a bit over the top and perhaps un-needed, but if you look beneath it all you can see a very tragic story.

I am not even goin to mention James O'Barr and whatever it was that happened to him and inspired him to make this book, because it has no relation to the pure quality of it all.

An excellent read, and not just for goths!

Art
I have been a fan of "The Crow" for years and believe it to be one of the greatest graphics novels ever inked. The pain reflected in the story line is monumentous. It took a man on the edge of sanity to write something this. I feel that J. O'Barr has written something here that may never have an equel in its field.

disappointment
Melodramatic- falls flat. I liked the art well enough, and amidst all the nonsensical crap, there were a few nice lines, but Lord. How on earth can anyone take this seriously? I don't want to harp on O'Barr's (apparently) working out his grief through this, but maybe it wasn't the best idea. Instead of 'bleeding pain,' mostly it just screams teenage wish fulfillment. Edgy face paint, killing for the beloved and then dying by her grave? Come on. And let's not even get started on the freaking poetry quotations scattered throughout.

I don't know, I kept waiting for it to go somewhere. And it didn't, really. I saw no point to it. I understand it as catharsis, but beyond that... well, there isn't really any other story. And everyone's very one dimensional, they exist only to carry out their predetermined functions, it's all quite boring to read through. Not commenting on O'Barr's personal loss, but as an aside- [Eric's] reaction to her death was ridiculously overblown, and only tangentially related to her at all. She was completely inconsequential and bland, could have been replaced at any moment by any other beautiful buxom blond and have it not matter a whit to the story.

I'm sorry for tearing into this, but I had high expectations for this book, and they weren't, well, met in the slightest. Maybe it'd appeal to young goths, I don't know, try it if you like. ... Read more

Book Description

In Rising Stars, Volume 2 J. Michael Straczynski continues the tale of The Specials, 113 humans born with extraordinary powers.The specials wage war, not only on each other, but on the rest of the world as well in this epic story of the struggles of the real world against extra-ordinary power. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pretty good almost to the end
For some reason i remember this comic getting really knocked, but i'm looking again at the reviews (only 4?) and they're uniformly good. Huh, maybe my memory is slipping.

i'm not going to describe the book because it's the second half of the Power duo. Read the first, see the cliffhanger, read this story which starts 10 years later.

i thought i heard reviews claiming this book wasn't as good as the first one. i suppose that's true, although this is one really good book. i also remember reading that people thought this was kind of cliche comic book stuff, and it really isn't. It's still in the Moore/Miller adult theme where the characters have insecurities and make mistakes and all that. It's good stuff.

My one complaint is this - the book completely wimps out in the end. And by end i mean the very, very end. All this build up about complex politics and factions and ideas and conspiracies and in the very end we find out who the real villan is and it's... lame. Really lame. Standard comic book villan stuff. Nothing interesting or realistic or insightful or novel. That was a let down. But i'm still glad i spent the money to read this whole series

Even More Fantasic
With J. Michael Stracynski you know you're going to get something good, and he doesn't let you down. The story is fantasic, and the artwork is really good. I don't read as many comics as I used to when I was younger, but after Babylon 5, I've been looking for other things JMS has done. This was amazing, highly recommended - story telling at it's best. I can hardly wait for the third (and apparently final) volume.

Good Stuff
Great characters and fantastic writing. My only little beef is that a new artist took over the last few chapters. While not as good as the original, still solid. I really enjoy consistency with artwork, which is a rarity for any comic these days...

Reached all my high expectations
Rising Stars continues to be one of the better comic book series out there. This second act of the story continues to develop the specials and drop more hints on what's really going on. Also you'll start to get a better idea of how (and why) the story ends the way it does, as was seen in the very first issue of the first book.

When it comes to telling stories over a long period of time, JMS is easily one of the best. His planning and foresight is exceptional, and as the story unfolds you'll want to go back and reread the previous issues to see all the foreshadowing.

As I've come to expect, the story ranges from the most intimate character development, to intense action, to very broad dramatic themes. This really is a comic to look for.

Another amazing story from JMS
On a whim one day, while browsing amazon.com, I decided to pick up both this and the first volume in the Rising Stars series. I had never heard of the series, but I've always been impressed by JMS's story-telling ability, so I thought they were worth a shot. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

The story is one of the most imaginative re-workings of the superhero genre I've ever read. Engaging characters and superb artwork make this series a great read. I can't wait for the third (and final) act to be available in collected form. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Not bad for a pair of smugglers...er, comic book artists....
The struggle for mastery of the galaxy continues in this second installment of Dark Horse's Dark Empire graphic novel series. Although Leia Organa Solo and her twin brother Luke Skywalker defeated the clone of Emperor Palpatine, his minions, led by Warlord Sedriss, continue their campaign to wrest star systems away from the New Republic and back into the Imperial fold.

Even worse, the spirit-force of Palpatine still resonates even though it is disembodied, and although rebellious members of his own court have destroyed more of his clone bodies all the Emperor needs is one in which to take physical form. Knowing that he will really die forever without another body to inhabit, Palpatine sets his sights on Leia's third child, Anakin Solo. If he succeeds, Palpatine will achieve two of his most cherished goals: continued survival and revenge upon the man who betrayed him at Endor, Darth Vader.

Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy return to dazzle Star Wars aficionados with their story and artwork in Dark Empire II. As in the best Expanded Universe novels, this creative team mixes classic Star Wars characters from the movies and meld them with a cast of new friends and foes, while enriching the "galaxy far, far away" with new worlds and exotic aliens. They even follow the trilogy's structure by making Dark Empire II a cliffhanger, making sure we readers looked forward to the concluding installment, Empire's End.

Oh No! The clone had a clone!
The clone emperor cloned himself and Luke must stop him again. This is the sequel to Dark Empire and is very entertaining. There is a Dark Empire III, but you can skip that one. Dark Empire II is worth a listen.

Dark Empire and Dark Empire II take place Six years after the Battle of Endor, (but after the Zahn trilogy). Luke discovers that the emperor is still alive. Luke researches whether a jedi has ever returned from the dark side. This is cool, because this acknowledged the earlier comics dealing with the jedi and sith 3,000 to 5,000 years ago (learned in the holocron's that Luke has gathered.)

This is the description of the comic which the audio tape is based on.

A Death Star's Dead End
As much as I liked the first part of Star Wars Dark Empire, its sequel, Dark Empire II, should never have been given the go ahead at all-much less been published.

Following Luke's encounter with the dark side and his capture by the Emperor and the mission to rescue him, he returns to the alliance to begin rebuilding the Jedi. With the empire in retreat, all seems as though the galaxy is on the road to stability. But it doesn't last--Luke is being haunted by the power of the dark side of the force and the command of Palpatine.

Let's see, not only was Palpatine defeated in Return Of The Jedi, he was behind the events of Dark Empire, ultimately defeated again--now he is back. How many times is that? And he has yet another doomsday weapon ala` the Death Star to crush his enemies. I liked how Tom Veitch made the first Dark Empire story borne out of what author Tim Zahn created in his Thrawn trilogy. The story for DE II is just a retread of what DE was all about. The Emperor's surprise return worked once because you weren't really expecting it. But twice--c'mon. What a cheat and very lazy way out.

Cam Kennedy returns to handle the art for this sequel. I didn't care for his work on the first Dark Empire, and I feel the same way about the art for DE II. The only difference now is, the story is as bad as the art.... Everything and everyone in the book looks abstract.

Bonus material in the book features a foreword by Original trilogy illustrator Ralph McQuarrie, an afterword by Dark Empire author Tom Veitch, and a series cover gallery with great work by Dave Dorman--and reason I gave the book a second star. What a disappointment...

Oh boy, he's at it again!
To put in bluntly, this sequel has mostly the exact same plot as it's predecessor.
The Emperor returns from the dead, again...he has a superweapon, again...and he is out to blow people up...again.

In that sense, this book is actually something like the prototype sequel. It takes everything readers liked about the original, and provides us with more of it without bringing in anything really new.
Of course the writers did bother to invent some new ships, characters, weapons and sofort, but nothing that really adds to the story. It is just more of the same stuff we got from Dark Empire I.

In addition to this, one of the major drawbacks to this comic is the fact that a lot of the new things the artists DO come up with are kind of ridiculous. I mean, which Evil Emperor would give his new superweapon a name like "the Galaxy Gun"? And how come the Emperor can magically turn any random underling into a powerfull Dark Jedi all of a sudden? If he could do that, why did he bother with Luke in the last book?

If you were one of the people who enjoyed Dark Empire I, and you insist on reading more of the exact same thing, then you might want to buy this book. If you didn't like the original, you're certainly not going to like this one either.
The only other people who might wish to bother with this comic are the vivid Boba Fett-fans. Like all other villians from DE I, he returns in this one AND he has a lot more screentime than he did in the last book.

Final Fantasy Meets Emperror Palpetine!!!!!
I like this book. I like it because it's cool. I like all the sound effects that this book has such as lazer fire, Light Saber sounds, and finaly the walker sounds. This is the book in which I meet the emperror, and stand with him face to face. I highly recommend this audio book. ... Read more

Book Description

In the rolling asteroid rings above a remote planet, General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker play a deadly game of cat and mouse against Separatist droid fighters - and a squadron of highly skilled human pilots who have pledged their guns to Count Dooku. Findout why Anakin is known as the greatest pilot in the galaxy!Also in this volume, Jedi Master Luminara Unuli and her Padawan Barriss Offee race against time to evacuate farmers and their families before the droid forces of General Grievous overrun their village. When Barriss and her squad of clone troopers are caught in the path of the enemy army, only fast thinking and steel resolve can save the day!Incredible action, hot art, and lightning-fast pacing are coming your way in this new take on the Star Wars galaxy! ... Read more