Amazon.com

Think Leia meets Sailor Moon, Luke meets Astroboy. Imagine Chewie as a sort of super-size, big-eyed Pokemon. If you love Star Wars and you love manga--and who doesn't, really?--then this manga-ized version of A New Hope is a match made in fan-boy heaven. A cool idea executed with style, this multipart Dark Horse comic serializes nearly verbatim the action and dialogue of Star Wars's seminal installment. (With the caveat that, in converting to Western left-to-right format, scenes got flip-flopped--Luke and Leia, for example, swing on Luke's grappling hook from left to right, a mirror image of the movie.) From Luke and Leia's icky kiss ("for luck") on that open drawbridge right down to stormtrooper dialogue ("T-K-four-two-one, do you copy?"), the original is faithfully followed, but the familiar story is made all the better by manga stylings, like the clipped "zipzipzip" and "zatzatzat" of blaster fights and some dramatic spreads devoted to the Vader-Kenobi duel. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The grand finale
Again, Hisao Tamaki captured the action an tension of the Death Star battle, don't miss the oportunity to live the Death Star trench run un manga style, I never imagined that was so stressing! Add that to the spectacular sigh of the Death Star blowing up and you'll almost feel like you're one recieving the medal.

What about Obi-Wan?
Ben is no more, and Luke needs to be a man for the first time on his life. With princess Leia Organa and with the company of a mercenary such as Han Solo and his old partner Chewbacca, a originary wookie from Kashyyyk, he'll only find out troubles and excitement. An adventure to buy!

Star Wars Manga:A gift to us all.
Greetings friends.I am here to tell you of the Manga Star Wars #4,and let me start off by saying...GIVE US MORE!!!I enjoyed the art of this book and the way that the characters are drawn are a breath of fresh air,trust me on this one,it is a good step not the same way we americans are use to(or at least me anyway)...You may ask why not 5 stars...well Star Wars is as time itself,forever,and while I enjoyed this ALOT it did have a few moments(drawings)...that I thought could have been a bit better(Yea,and that`s why I don`t draw)...BUT I am NOT sorry that I got this set of all four and I think in time you will be glad that you were along for the ride as well.And before I end if I may say...they ARE making Star Wars:The Empire Stikes Back Manga(And I do believe they will go on and make Return of the Jedi as well)...So until next time...May the Force Be With You. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Gonzo Journalism Redux
Spider Jerusalem is Hunter Thompson channeled for a new generation. This series is such fun to read because even though it is set in the future it clearly comments on the state of our world today. Ellis is a new kind of Gonzo Journalist and Spider is his voice.

Ellis comments on everything from politics to love to war to constant [chemical] use and drinking. All of the Transmetropolitan books are like a visual reinterpretation of Hunter Thompson's work and bring its crash through the door of [weak], comfortable people who just thought Hunter was a character played by Johnny Depp. Anyone whoever read and enjoyed Thompson's work should shovel all of the Transmet novels into their heads immediately and love it!

A new sense of focus
This TPB is a little bit lighter than the extremely dark volumes that came before it -- Spider shakes off his depression and resumes the fight against the exploitative powers that be with new vigor. The absurd (rather than purely black) humor of the early volumes returns, particularly in the hilarious first issue of this volume, in which Spider's life is parodied in a variety of genres... Ellis' comic writing is at its peak here.

As always, however, the comedy and vulgarity are tempered by a genuinely disturbing dystopian vision of a modern Western democracy gone subtly totalitarian. Among the comics being written today, _Transmetropolitan_ is nearly unique in its skillful satirical handling of serious issues.

The plot thickens.....
Thats the best way to describe this trade paperback. In this story arc, Spider grapples with the fact that his overexposure has made him a cartoon of sorts. He decides it's time to step up with war with The Smiler, a.k.a. President Gary Callahan. I cant reveal much more, except that it's a pivotal point in the overall Transmet story. If you read the series, you must pick this up. If you don't, START, then get this one. If you cant read learn. Yes I am ranting, but it's that damn good. ... Read more

Book Description

The Star Wars galaxy is populated by rogues, Rebels, and rabble-rousers, and many carry a hefty price on their head, whether put there by criminal overlords like Jabba the Hutt or by the iron fist of the Galactic Empire. And where bounties are offered, bounty hunters will be there to claim them: the stealthy and merciless Aurra Sing; the fierce and relentless Bossk; the sly and mercenary Dengar, the calculating and precise 4-LOM; the audacious and deadly Kenix Kil; and the most feared manhunter of them all--Boba Fett!Includes the hard-to-find, best-selling Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction.

"Stunning artwork and concise storytelling!"-Josepth Szadkowski, The Washington Times ... Read more

Reviews (4)

4 stories over a 40 year time frame
I am reviewing Star Wars: Bounty Hunters ISBN 1569714673 which was published in Sept 2000, printed in Canada.

It collects the comics called -

Star wars: Bounty Hunters - Aurra Sing and is story 1. Good story, pencils and ink -grade = 3.5

Star wars: Bounty Hunters - Scoundrels Wages and is story 2. This wasn't bad except that Lando looked like a black Geraldo rivera or the late sammy davis, Jr. Maybe Mel rubi was to busy to bothering finding out what lando looks like, but surely DH pays editors to assume some responsibility for quality control. Given that the story and inking were above average, you'd think someone would have cared if the pencil work was subpar. 2 stars.

Boba Fett - Twin Engines of destruction and is story 3. What a shame that the pencils and inking here were on par with a newpaper comic strip. I complained about the art in story 2, but the inking And coloring were rich and visually strong. The effort here was on par with that done in THE EARLY ADVENTURES - ranging from mediocre to good. Some pages are brilliantly done. Some are lazily done and other pages were washed out.

Star wars: Bounty Hunters - Kenix Kil and is story 4. The art, penciling and ink are pretty good here, there is a richness and detail that here accommodate for the darkness in which the story is drawn and colored. An interesting story of a character we see elsewhere in the DH EU.

My version has a completely different cover than the one shown by amazon. But the Darkhorse site is showing the same one that I have. Either way, if amazon has this one in new or used, it is a worthwhile read. The art and writing is a mixed bag, as this TPB is drawn from 4 different comics.

This one is hard to place on the time line but dark horse says it is -32+ BHN meaning that the stories take place anytime after the year 32BNH. Ok. That explains why Characters that are 8 years old in -32 can be adults.

The cover art. Dorman is the best. There is a new artist Duursema that is my second favorite.

Collective graded, the work here is to good to grade at a 2, but not nearly as good as other comics that I have graded a 4 so we give a weak 3.

Hunting amongst the Stars
Want a guide to the notoriously infamous benefactors feeding off the rage of others, dealing exclusively with an eclectic montage of bounty hunters from all species and all walks of life? Well, this just be the book for you then. It pits not on the popular into a world of hunting and trying to survive, but it also sports newcomers as well, introducing its reader to why these faces are revered as some of the most successful seekers in the business. First there's the lovely Aurra Sing, Jedi-hunter extraordinare, capable of capturing the most elusive prey in the best and worst of conditions. In fact, she makes a great deal of sport out of it, finding herself capable of outwitting even the most dangerous proponents. This is something she finds herself entwined in now, the calling card of the face she seeks taking her to Endor and beyond. Switching gears, see how Bossk, Dengar, and 4-Lom work into the plans of Quaffag the Hutt as he decides to deal once and for all with Lando Calrissian while playing games that Hutts are known to play. Then its off to see the most reviled of the feared in action, with Boba Fett finding himself needing to take out a little trash by the name of Jodo Kast; a bounty hunter who thinks that he's in the same league as the man with the Mandalorian armor. Lastly, we join Kenix Kil as he makes his way through the remnants of the empire disguised as a bounty hunter, the last of the Imperial Guard left in circulation and one of the most dangerous men alive, still loyal to his oath of destroying all those enemies of the Empire years after the Emperor's departure.

All the stories collected within these pages are good despite being short, with Aurra Sing, Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction, and Kenix Kil rating within the praiseable ranks. Of these three, I'm partial to the telling of the Boba Fett story because it is written well and is drawn well, plus its dealing with the most infamous of the big kids. Aurra Sing comes in a close second with Kenix Kil right behind her because these stories are done well themselves, and they are also about characters that many haven't yet tasted that much. Scoundrel's Wage, while an interesting story in some rights, doesn't do much in regard to bounty hunters at all and only explains how Lando manages to get himself into Jabba the Hutt's palace in Return of the Jedi. It paints the hunters out as ineffective and is more about Lando himself and the cunning he possesses than the minions commanding the high dollars.

If you find the forces working outside the boundaries of both good and ill, then this might be something you'd like to check out. All the stories are pretty good in this TPB form, and the Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction tale needed to be harvested for quite some time now. So, sit back, barter on the outcome of who will and won't taste the talents of the figures lurking in the shadows, and read up on some rather exquisite struggles. For the Star Wars seeker, it is something that comes highly regarded.

Dave Dorman Is The Best
Dave Dorman rendered the cover art for this work. Mr. Dorman is by no means the only artist that creates the visual work for this and other Star Wars Series, but I have always felt he is one of the best. I wish I could say the same for the collection of short stories profiling some old friends and some new, but that would be a stretch for even science fiction.

The books short stories vary greatly in terms of the quality of the stories, and several of the "Hunters" are worthy of their own books, as some of them have already enjoyed solo pieces with the focus on only one of their guild. Boba Fett has already extended well beyond a few pages in a mediocre collection, and his character enjoys a following that is almost as large as the gap between his skills and those of his fellow hunters. He is in a class by himself, and I believe that is how he should be portrayed.

There are two newer entries that were not part of the original trilogy and they both seem to have strong futures. The first is Aurra Sing who appears to be headed to a level of performance second only to her male counterpart Fett, and then Kenix Kil, who brings the whole storyline of the Imperial Guards that were seen in the first movies, but never spoke or revealed anything about their elite group. This same character has appeared in the "Crimson Empire Series" which I feel is one of the better groups of collections.

One of the three of these I read recently covered in detail the work that goes into the cover art. It also documented how careful Lucas and his people are to be sure that characters have consistent visual appearances. In this work that quality control stopped at the cover as far as Lando Calrissian was concerned. I don't know who was drawn for that episode, but this guy didn't even look like a distant relative. Very often the level of enjoyment I get out of these is determined by the quality of the art, and I think that is appropriate given the level of effort involved. And I guess that is why I continue to be mystified that you can read one book and the renderings are as faithful to the characters as film, and then pick up another volume and view images drawn with no care given to the fact that a real actor played this part, in many cases for hours at a time on screen. Who they are and what they look like are not open for interpretation. When they are badly rendered you have to wonder how they ever got approved.

Short story collection
This new title from Titan/Lucas books introduces some characters I have not seen in other Lucas books (I am a professional reviewer). Aurra Sing is a good character who we may get to see more about - she kicks off the first story. The ending was a might predictable however. The next story was of Lando, our old friend from Sky City, then a story about Boba Fett which I found rather boring. The last story is about Kenix Kil AKA Kir Kanos and is probably a prelude to further adventures of Kanos. An uneven collection, all out of different stables, Lucas books are usually of a higher quality than this. Rather disappointing which is why it has a low rating. One for addicts only! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is the second volume of Star Wars newspaper strips from the early 1980s reformatted for the comic book page. The stories, which take place between the end of Star Wars, the movie, and the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, feel natural instead of forced like so many of the other Star Wars spin-off books. After the events in the previous volume, Luke, Han, and Leia find their rebel base under attack. And so the search for a new home base begins. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Our heroes are busy battling Monsterous creatures.
This is a review of classic Star Wars Volume 2 - the rebel storm. This is the continuing collection of newspaper comic strips produced in the early 1980s published July, 1995 and printed in Canada.

Vader is alive and Han is not in carbonite, so this is the continuing story of our heros during the period of episode 4 thru 6. The stories are fun to read and the artwork is slightly better than the typical comic strip. Our heroes are busy battling Monsterous creatures much more than batling the empire. Ben and Vader make appearances.

The inking and binding are excellent but this is not up to the standards that exist today, hence the 3 star rating.

Unlike some of the early SW work, these stories DO fit in with the Expanded Universe that fits around the movies. Recommended.

Decent Star Wars addition
This book is the second part in a series of collections which brings back all those classic Star Wars comics. Although it is nice to have all these hard to find classics available again, the stories and art just don't match up with whats being produced today. For great Star Wars comics, check out the Rogue Squadron books also being distributed in paperback form by Dark Horse.

Useful read
Not a must read, but certainly helps fill in the gaps between the movies. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

steal this review
The Invisibles might be dead but it could be the most important comic book series yet. Revolutionary Grant Morrison mixes pop culture, the anti-establishment, mind expansion, magic, sigils, linguistics, conspiracy theory, and disinformation into a complex of meaning known as The Invisibles.

It is becoming an abstraction, a symbol and map of the potential of the counterculture.

Douglas Rushkoff says, "counterculture...is no longer valid as a label...Because the War is Over. We've won. Period. They - whoever they are - have surrendered to us...It's hard to be in the so-called counterculture anymore cuz as soon as we've figured out something it's at the mall two weeks later."

But Grant Morrison not only thinks we won, but that we can still change the world.

The Invisibles, action movie style...
This short but sweet trade paperback colects the OTT beginings of the 2nd Volume of this wonderfull series.

This is a good introduction to the Invisibles, as this story reads like a highly entertaining, psychadelic blockbuster, making it more acessible than most of the other stories in this series, which can (at times) redifine the word "odd"...

Read it and, if you like it, check out the other trades... the series is really varied and is, literally, about EVERYTHING!

Sex, love, gnosticism, rebellion, music, art, death, friendship, drugs, science, magic, literature, meta-physics, ... its all in there somewhere...

Stories about sexy Anarchists dont get any better than this...

Americanized Action
The Invisibles' fourth volume begins their second major storyline in America, doing American things with American people.

Grant Morrison had just begun to write the JLA during this volume, and it affected the Invisibles to a major extent. The story becomes simpler; there are a ton of gun fights and the whole tone of the series changes. Morrison claims he did this on purpose, but it's unclear as to why he did it.

Regardless, Phil Jimenez really compliments the story's general feel, very Perez influenced and detailed, very American.

A necessary volume if you're reading the Invisibles and a very good starting point if you haven't started.

Short but Sweet
"Bloody Hell in America" kicks off volume 2 of Grant Morrison's punk/conspiracy brainchild, which began with "Say You Want a Revolution," "Apocalipstick," and "Entropy in the UK." A year has passed, and our oddball heroes have spent it recuperating in America after the harrowing rescue of their leader, King Mob. Now, rested and refreshed, they're ready to spring back into action with a gripping attack on a top-secret military base. Arrayed against them are gun-toting goons and desert poltergeists, not to mention the incredibly creepy Mr. Quimper. Several startling revelations follow, and...well, let's just say that the US military recovered a lot more at Roswell than everyone thinks they did.

The one major flaw of this tome is its length; it only contains four issues, as opposed to the seven or eight of the other "Invisibles" volumes. Also, there is no continuation of the intriguing "Division 6" plotline that ended volume one, and no new insights on Jack Frost's bizarre psychology or the mysterious entity known as Barbelith. I can only hope that the answers lie in the final three volumes, which I have yet to get my paws on.

"Bloody Hell in America" is a little on the thin side, but it's a good book to start with if you're new to the Invisibles and can't get "Say You Want a Revolution." Needless to say, fans of the series can't afford to miss it.

EXPLOSIONS
This is when The Invisibles enters the cream stage of its existence, smoothly entering the minds of the readers with the beautiful art of Phil Jimenez and action-filled experimental narrative set to make your mind trip. If you've never read the book, this might be the place to start since it's less literary than the first volume, and the first 25 issues can always be revisited if you like what you see here. ... Read more

Book Description

A solitary figure, clad in the distinctive armor of a Mandalorian Warrior, cuts through a throng of soldiers, bounty hunters, and cutthroats, unleashing a barrage of blaster fire with graceful, cold-blooded dexterity. This could only be the most notorious assassin in the galaxy: Jango Fett! This Christmas, Dark Horse Comics is giving you something you've always wanted, a glimpse of Boba Fett, the most mysterious and beloved of all the Star Wars rogues. First you'll meet a bounty hunter and killer for hire who is looking for a lucrative big job. When Jango is hired to recover a rare and extremely valuable artifact, he thinks this could be his biggest score. Only one obstacle stands between him and his prize: a beautiful and deadly rival! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Rare, recently produced, poorly done SW comic.
This is a review of the Dark horse comic ISBN 1569716234 published January, 2002 Printed in Canada, story by Ron Marz, Art by Tom Fowler. I have put this book on the SW timeline at -27.1 before NH.

This comic features some of the worst artwork I have seen in a star wars based comic produced in the last several years. This story features Jango, Zam and a cameo from Boba. The story is a 3 but the artwork is a 2.

I buy these comics for 2 reasons. First is so I can read them with my son. The second is that Lucas licensing sometimes allows Dark Horse to make an important contribution of fact and context to the SW expanded universe. One also buys a comic for its artwork. Because this one fails based on its art, I rounded down to 2 stars.

Ready to charm the Fett fan
When Jango Fett makes a lucrative assassination, he finds that the bounty hunter Zam Wesell's involvement cuts out a lot of the profit. So, when a contract to retrieve a stolen artwork is offered, he takes the job. Unknown to him, though, his employer has hired Zam Wesell to undertake the same task. What will it be, competition or cooperation? Their lives may depend on it...

My son and I first read the Darth Maul graphic novel, which we both enjoyed immensely. Sad to say, this book does not hold a candle to that one. This book has more of a story line, and the look at Fett's home life is nice. The problem is, though, that the artwork is nowhere near as good as the Darth Maul book. That said, my son loves this book, and gives it an enthusiastic recommendation. Overall, I thought that it was a good book, ready to charm the Fett fan (such as my son).

More great information
This is a great book for all Jango Fett fans, all over the United States. Little is already know to the people who heard or "researched" of Jango Fett. But with the ever growing surplus of new books, including this great one, and information a lot can be learned about my favorite Star Wars character.

Same Warning Not For Everyone
This is the first of a two-book cycle, number one is entitled, "Jango Fett". The second is titled, "Zam Wesell", who is alleged to be the equal of Jango and has at least one skill neither he nor his son Boba will ever have. One other manner that she stands well above Jango is in the volume named for her, it exceeds this book in a variety of ways.

There are fans that have searched out every piece of advance information they can about Episode II, this installment is for them. If you wish to enter the theater in May with only the information the trailers have provided, you will want to stay away from this story. This first book has less in the way of spoilers than the second, but again, it will shorten the list of surprises at the theater.

For those accustomed to the emotionless hunter that Boba Fett becomes it takes a bit of time to get used to him as a young child. His Father Jango is also much different from the bounty hunter his son will become. He is no more of a welcome sight to those he hunts, but when he is at home everything changes. These first two books with Episode II characters really need to be read in order but there is nothing on the covers to tell the reader which to choose. Once you are inside the books they are extremely different in the way they are illustrated, and for me the Zam Wesell is far better. The second volume also explains a great deal more about both characters, but they are a continuing tale, so all will have their preferences. This first volume also substitutes rough images alone with absolutely no dialogue, and then continues with alien dialogue that are just markings as well. This is a fairly brief work and having a good 15 percent without a storyline dialogue and with art that is more like sketches than a finished product, the second of the two is a better all around book. ... Read more

Book Description

Rogue X-wing pilot Plourr is requested to return to her home planet . . . as a princess! While attempting to stop an internal rebellion, the planet's government finds that she may have her own way of running things. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Satisfactory but not recommended reading
The Warrior Princess is one Rogue Squadron comic I'm afraid is just satisfactory, not a must purchase. It is not essential reading in this series, in fact, is ideally bought if a discounted half-price copy is available.

The title, for starters, is painfully cliched. It brings to mind Xena images. Even later comics, like the Leia Organa story in the Empire series has similar titles, showing just how generic it is.

The art is just like Battleground: Tatooine, which I thought of as too light and sketchy. Here, in Eiattu's verdant swamps, it seemed even worse. Most of the new cast were typecast by their personalities: the revolutionary leader was a carbon copy of Earth equivalents, down to the "comrade" reference to his people; the new Rogues not quite as well presented as they are in later comics.

The dialogue was nothing fancy, but at least not the horror Tales of the Jedi was renown for. Plourr here lacks even her hair wig, bringing to mind how long you can look at a bald lady.

Having read Masquerade before this, I wondered what Tavira meant by Tycho's actions lost her control of Eiattu, which made her flee offworld. Unless I'm mistaken, I couldn't see what he did here that would have Tavira making that comment. He angered a pro-Imperial noble and escaped from Tavira's custody . . . but that's it. It wasn't he who liberated the world from Imperial ownership.

Tavira has better screen time in forthcoming comics, but not here. She's young and awfully cute but just doesn't offer more than the stereotypical Imperial governor scheming away. And if you're sharp enough, you might wonder why Plourr's brother looked too much like Hitler in his younger-years frames---something done, perhaps, just to emphasise his vicious villainy.

Only thing really going for The Warrior Princess is Plourr's revelation at the end, what happened behind the curtain of her shattered childhood. Otherwise, this is a comic to be bought for those uninterested in bad art, bland speech, predictable storyline to just complete a collection.

2.5 star rounded down to 2 stars, as worst X-Wing comic.
Volume 4 Continues the decline started when we went from the highs of Vol 2 to vol 3. But hang in there Vol 5, Requiem is an big uptick in quality and Vol 6 through 9 are good.

Story gets 3, Pencils 2.0, ink 2.0 and cover 3 for a grade of 2.5, rounding down to 2 stars for the hugh number of poorly done panels in this comic.

This comic starts with a very well done space dogfight that lasts 7 pages. Then we get page 8 and some of the least inspiring pencil work you will ever see at Dark horse. Whats worse, is that the coloring and inking is equally mediocre and washed out. This badly done art and ink goes on for 15 pages! Finally on page 24 do we get a panel that resembles art and only because the color and inking is better. From there the quality, visually varies, from a 2 to at best 3.5. Only near the the end of the comic do we see anything approaching the richness of color that DH is capable of.

And what was with the dull, subdued cover that could have been pretty cool.

I am sorry to disagree with a fellow Tampa Bay resident over there in St. Pete, and with HandofThrawn but I own every Dark horse Star Wars TPB comic ever printed, and this one ranks in the bottom third in terms of quality.

To the lady readers, ask yourself, would you rather look like the Plourr draw by Biukovic in volume 2 TPA or the lazy art drawings by Nadeau. If this is a 5 star comic, where do you grade RFAR the next X-Wing comic which is vastly vastly vastly superior visually in every way.

The best part about this comic is the introduction of new people, who you will like a lot better in future works; Nrin Vakil a Quarren, Ibtisam from mon Calamari who is important to a novel to come, Feylis Ardele, a human, Leonia Tavira who appears in the novels and Herrian a Bith.

I read this comic once, nothing happens that is particularly important and it is depressing to look at that artwork here especially compared to the next TPB in this series.

Nothing wrong with a break in the action
'The Warrior Princess' is probably my favorite first-half XWRS story arcs. Stackpole uses politics in an expanded role, and it won't be the last time. Plourr Illo is the main character here, for better of for worse. Her history and that of her planet are rather interesting and parts of them parallel of the Russian Revolution, which is good in the opinion of the speaking history buff, at least.

The art is by John Nadeau again, and he does it well. The architecture and landscape of Eiattu is well done, from the wide-open fields to the majestic royal hall. David Nestelle returns as colorist and does a superb job once again. Overall, 'The Warrior Princess' is one of the most visually well-done XWRS comics.

Perhaps most important is the script by Scott Tolson. 'The Warrior Princess' introduces four new Rogues: Nrin Vakil the Quarren, Ibtisam the Mon Cal, Herrian the Bith, and Feylis Ardele, ex-TIE pilot. Tolson writes good 'banter' dialogue and sets up the four new additions well. He does a particularly good job setting up the relationship between Nrin and Ibtisam, and it is one that will continue to evolve for the rest of the series. It is also interesting to note that the lettering size is shrunk by about a third compared to the other arcs. Tolson likes to write a lot of dialogue, and he does it well.

Overall, it is a good read. Those who dislike Plourr may not be too fond of it, as she is the main character, but at the same time we also get a chance to see another side of the usually brash and loudmouthed pilot. The introduction of four new Rogues makes it worthwhile, though. And, like in 'Battleground: Tatooine', it introduces a host of new characters that will appear later on, including Rial Pernon, Count Labaan, and Leonia Tavira of the 'I, Jedi' fame.

Every comic-book series has its problems.
This book is probably the worst of the Rogue Squadron series. It does have some of the things that we all love in the Rogue books like space battles and good characterization. However, it is not all woven together as convincingly as books like "Mandatory Retirement", or "In The Empire's Service." Plourr being a princess, (in case you didn't guess from the cover, don't worry, it isn't a spoiler, you find that out in the first 3-4 pages)is very implausible, and goes against everything Stackpole had before hand estabilished. Also, the story lacks the general importance in the SW world. In "In The Empire's Service", you felt the conflict to be a galactic concern, here it is nothing more than a small government squabble. Overall, this story just lacks the appeal of the rest of the series. I do have to give it points for good art, and a good flashback of Plourr's brother (you'll see), but overall, "In The Empire's Service", "Mandatory Retirement", or "Battleground:Tatooine" are miles above this story.Buy those instead.

The weak link
I feel very strongly that The Warrior Princess is the worst of the Rogue Squadron line to see print in a collected edition. This is the fourth story arc in the series, and it's just not that good. The art's not bad, and there's some good character development, but I just couldn't care less for the story or for the bad guys.

The premise -- This is really a retelling of the Anastasia story and the Russian revolution with a few modifications. Years ago there was a people's revolution against the King of Eiattu, and he and his whole family were brutally killed -- except, possibly, for the two youngest kids. Now, it's years later, and the world is divided into several factions -- the Priams, or nobles, who want things the way they were, the common people, who simply want some equality, and then there's the Empire who just wants to take control. The twist is that many of the people have been organized into a People's Liberation Battalion by the long thought dead son of the murdered King, but he wants to lead the people against the nobles. And as it turns out -- one of Rogue Squadron's pilots, Plourr, is the long lost princess. The nobles want to bring he back and put her in power to take away her brother's validity. But of course she won't be their pawn.

I found this story, like my explanation thereof, drawn out and boring. Moff Leonia Tavira was a stupid character, the background was obviously somewhat unoriginal. This did have its points though -- there were some interesting new characters, some great character development and interaction, a few surprises, and we get to see Plourr kick a lot of butt.

Overall, though, I can't really give this book a recommendation. It's not bad, but it's just not that good. ... Read more

Book Description

There are few occupations more dangerous than flying an X-wing fighter for the Rebel Alliance, but Rogue Squadron is about to discover that diplomacy can be more deadly than a fleet of Star Destroyers! Sate Pestage, the interim Emperor, is losing his grip upon the Galactic Empire and seeks contact with Princess Leia to negotiate his defection to the Alliance in return for offering up the keys to the Imperial Throneworld of Coruscant. But Pestage`s moves have been anticipated by Isard, the woman who would take the Empire`s reins for herself, and a lethal game of chess ensues with the fate of the Empire--and Rogue Squadron--hanging in the balance! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

3.5 stars rounded down to 3
Vol 8 of 9 in the X-Wing comic series returns part o the art team that produced BAH vol 7. We get better consistency and I think good detailing in the pencil work. The characters are draw rounded and fuller, some call it cartoonish. To me Jedi vs Sith is cartoonish but I see their point. The inking color and backgrounds are a 3.5. The story is very enjoyable, also a 3.5. The cover was a 3.5 for a solid grade of 3.5. I'm gonna round down, becuase it is not difficult to find out what Han Solo is supposed to look like.

The comic opens with a space battle that uses muted orange and brown for its explosions, rather than a more potent coloring with reds and brighter yellows. The overall effect is still visually interesting and fun to see. Visually everything is clean and sharp. The rounded characters start to get anowing after a while. Further, I tried reading this to my son, and he kept asking me who was who. I did always have an answer that I was 100% sure of. When everyone looks round and full and sharply drawn I guess it can become confusing. Reminds me of the problem I have with the character renderings in Union. Everyone looked to much alike.

Because Johnson and Hall drew the main characters differently then they have been rendered in previous comics, if takes a bit to get into the flow of who is who. Fel is the guy with the beard and goatee. We still have Wedge, Tycho, Hobbie, Wes, Nrin, Ibtisam, Feylis, Avan Beruss, Plourr, and Xarcee Huwla. Han, Leia, Chewy, Winter, Ackbar, Pestage, Isarde, and Leonia Tavira.

Still this is better than some of the X-Wing comics and a worthwhile read.

An enjoyable read
Masquerade is the second last part in the Rogue Squadron series, and is an enjoyable read.

The art is why I rated this one star less, and can best be described as average. It certainly had a cartoonish feel to it, as though it was simply done. Nothing too detailed, but it looked more 2D than three. While the background detail was not lacking and the frames were overall well done, the people just looked a bit "flat" on the page. That aside, it was still visually appealing and no reason to avoid what is a good purchase.

Ah . . . the dialogue, and you'll love it, all right. When Han and Fel pair up for their role in the story they just can't stop their sharp, witty banter! Stackpole did good work there. The scenes when Winter and Tycho are together flow just as smoothly, as does their budding romance. Xarcce offering Chewie help and indignantly saying, yes, he does know which end of hydrospanner is which is one sample of humour you'll find here.

All comics have their quirks, though, and the Wedge here looks nothing like his movie counterpart. Tavira has been shown in just as many ways; here she is girlish, petite and beautiful as the sharp blades her lines deliver. But that's all in keeping with the cartoonish style this was done.

Admiral Krennal makes his debut here, and doesn't hold back that tempered hospitality of his. Pestage was artfully rendered as always. The framing ranged from large to small, and like its cousin Mandatory Retirement, the scenes ended properly and not in mid-page, as Battleground:Tatooine did, so as not to feel rushed.

Overall, Masquerade is not to be missed, and truth be told, the cartoonish feel of the art was still adequate to be but a trivial bother if you're thirsty for top quality. A definite required purchase.

The best of times, the worst of times (3.5 stars)
Masquerade is the third Rogue Squadron story set in the "Rise of Isard" story arc. Picking up shortly after Blood and Honor, Masquerade at times epitomizes the best aspects of the Rogue Squadron comics, and yet at other times is just silly, pointless, and forgettable. The art, for one thing, is nothing to cheer for. It is very cartoonish, and the characters really don't look anything like their counterparts in the movies or the other X-wing comics. Hairstyles are different, facial hair is different, characters' builds are different. Still, there is lots of good dialogue, plenty of action, and many familiar faces including Han, Chewie, Leia, and Winter.

The story is pretty much that Sate Pestage is fast falling out of power with the Imperial Cabal, and so he organizes a secret meeting with Leia on Axxila to negotiate terms of surrender. Meanwhile, Winter, masquerading as Leia, travels to Eiattu with Han and some of the Rogues for a meeting of some sort. Pirates, acting under Leonia Tavira, kidnap Winter thinking they've got the real Princess, and take her to Tavira's secret headquarters on - you guessed it - Axxila. Thus begins the search and rescue mission for Winter, since the Rebels need it to seem that she's really Leia.

The story is fun. Tycho and Winter get back together, there is lots of classic dialogue, some fun space battles, and old friends as well as old enemies are reintroduced. Plourr finally returns to Eiattu, Isard is portrayed well, and all around most of that is developed nicely. However, as I've said, the artwork leaves something to be desired. In addition, all of the animosity towards Colonel Fel that was so apparent in the previous issue seems to have just disappeared. Now he's just one of the guys, getting along with everyone. There is some conversation with Han about what it's like changing sides, but I would have liked to have seen more tension there. There is quite a bit of fantastic dialogue in this issue. One more issue I have is the "Uglies." An Ugly is a concept introduced in the novels - it's a starfighter scraped together of various pieces of other starfighters, and is commonly used by pirates. I like that the concept caught on in the comic, except that every single Ugly in this comic is a "die-wing," with no variation between individual ships, which kind of defies the purpose. Oh well.

While this is not the best Rogue Squadron has to offer, it's not bad either. Recommended.

Not Bad
I bought this book for my nephew who has been reading this series with great delight and this time I also joined in on the reading. It wasn't bad-better then alot of the extended universe books (not that that is very hard to do). The material is reasonably appropriate for older children (i.e. violence level is about that of the films and all sexual content is kept low key except all the female characters a drwan a bit on the sleezy side).

The plot is a bit lame but my hopes were not set on that anyway so I had alot of fun with it. It was good to see old faces, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Liea (who does not look much like the Liea I remember form the films) as well as the usual X Wing crowd. Another reason I liked this one is the character of Winter is more then just a useful babysitter for the Solo kids as is common in the extended universe. For the hard core Star Wars fans I am sure this one will be enjoyable and worth aquiring. ... Read more

Book Description

Set off by the bullet of a would-be assassin, Neo-Tokyo has been leveled by Akira's godlike psychic fury. Now cut off from the rest of world, the Great Tokyo Empire rises, with Akira its king, Tetsuo its mad prime minister, and a growing army of fanatic acolytes. Forces on the outside still search for a way to stop Akira, and the answer may lie in the hands of the mysterious Lady Miyako, a powerful member of Akira's psychic brotherhood. But the solution to harnessing Akira may ultimately be more dangerous than Akira himself! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Otomo Throws His Readers A Curve-Ball......
At the end of Volume Three, Akira, reacting to the death of his friend at the hands of Nezu, once again leveled Tokyo. We last saw Akira and Tetsuo floating above the wreckage of the devastated city....

Well, creator Katsuhiro Otoma has taken the status-quo, and turned it upside-down with Volume 4. Neo-Tokyo is now a wasteland, with warring factions of savage survivors roaming the streets.....and Akira and Tetsuo as their King and Prime Minister, respectively. Tetsuo is busy creating an army of psychics to strengthen his reign, Kaneda is apparently dead, Kei and Chiyoko are desperately trying to protect the surviving "Children" (Akira's fellow psychic powerhouses), and the outside world is trying to figure out just what in the hell is happening in Tokyo.

The book is a non-stop thrill-ride, and Otomo's art continues to be breathtaking. I could have done without the almost continuous "Kei is about to get raped" motif (The series takes a MAJOR "Mature Readers ONLY" turn as of this volume), but aside from that minor quibble, Akira continues to be well worth the money. Highly recommended!

POST-Apocalyptic Adventure!
The serias swerves into a great change in this issue, and frankly, I like the change. Not that I didn't LOVE the first three; It's just that giving the series such a drastic change in this issue peaks more interest in the story.

On with the story itself! Neo-Tokoyo has blown up once again, thanks to that Chile-god,Akira! (Actually, I think Nezu should be the one to blame; I mean, he's the one who fired the gun! The little gofer-faced weasel in the cheap suit!) Hey, if they rebuild Neo-Tokoyo, would it be called Neo-Neo-Tokoyo? Anyway, Now Akira and Tetsuo have joined forces and rule half of Tokoyo, with an army of trigger-happy mainiacs serving them! The other half of Tokoyo is "ruled" by the kindly Lady Miyoko and her priests, who run a temple for the sick and needy. Truth be told, I think Tetsuo and Akira couldn't give one hoot in heck what happens to their empire: Akira just plays with some toys and rocks, and Tetsuo spends the whole issue trying to get over his drug problem. The only person who really seems to care about the Empire is Tetuo's aide (we never find out his name).
Now, when Nezu died, I thought "Uh-oh. There's a gap of slimy evilness left open here. How will it be filled?" Luckily, Otomo is a genuis, and also saw this gap, so he filled it with this new villian. Now, everyone refers to this guy as the commander, but by no means does he look like an army guy: Instead, he's much, MUCH seedier. He basically has big, elvis style hair and wears a suit and tie. He's the type of guy who barks orders to guys who have lower ranks than him, but quivers in fear whenever Tetsuo shows up. As the story progresses, he grows steadly more deranged, and before long, he's leading the empire into a full-out assault against Miyoko, cruely slaughtering priests and sick refugeess. Basically, Otomo really wants to point out that this guy is EVIL, and he does it very effectivily. He's yet another obstacle our heroes have to get past in order to kill Tetsuo.

All in all, the story is very good, and I liked all the new baddies that were added (Tetsuo's aide, the big guy in the glasses, the ugly ape (as Yamada called him), and the birdman(the guy with the blindfold))Keep up the good work, Otomo!

oh, and on a side note, some people may dissapointed that Kanedea was not in this one. But, i think it was good maunever. This way, Kie is the star of this one, and therefore her character is developed a lot more.

A New Chapter of Neo Tokyo
The wind of change triggered by Akira's mega psychic wave has finally leveled Tokyo. In the wake of September 11th, reading this issue gives you tremendeous chill as how very bad it is to live in a post apocalyptic world. Great mirroring of our contemporary war-anxious world.

The plot thickens, so to speak ...
Already the fourth of a total of six volumes that collect the complete Akira tale. It's vital to read the previous volumes though because this tale is ONE big story and not divided into self-contained arcs. Therefore it's good to know that after two volumes that were decreasing in the number of pages here is the biggest volume yet.

After last issues events, where Akira's powers were triggered, Tetsuo has now set things to his will. The ruins of what was half of Neo-Tokyo have been renamed 'Great Tokyo Empire' with Akira as emperor and Tetsuo his right hand. They (mainly Tetsuo really) rule strictly and totalitarian, not allowing outside influences. The population of the Great Tokyo Empire sees a new messiah in Akira though and happily accepts all that. The other side of Neo-Tokyo, led by Lady Miyako who takes in the sick and the needy to help them, is opposed to all this. They try to live peaceful and rebuild what they had while Tetsuo, who has serious health-problems, is having his people trying to conquer her part of Neo-Tokyo as well.

In this part of the story the prior life of Akira, before he got buried to keep safe, is revealed a little. The grander scheme in the uncovering of project Akira is becoming clearer as well. Off course that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of action-for-the-purpose-of-action pages in here as well. The art, black-and-white except for the first few pages, is the same as it has been all along. Instead of using a lot of text-panels the story is told through it for a big part. Off course that makes for a very speedy read but with the number of pages up to score (again) that's not too much of a problem. Quality reading ...

The Best Yet
Kaneda DEAD!? Neo Tokyo in RUINS!? Akira KING!? Yes, all this has happened in Vols. 1-3. In Vol. 4, Neo Tokyo is no more! Now out of the rubble rises The Great Tokyo Empire, with Akira it's emperor, Tetsuo it's prime minister, and a mass of crazed zealots it's citizens. The empire is cut off from Japan and the rest of the world, but that isn't stopping the superpowers from trying to get through... This volume brings back some of the characters you know and love from the previous volumes, Kei, Chiyoko, Lady Miyoko, The Colonel, Masaru, Kyoko, Tetsuo, and of course Akira. It also introduces some new characters, Kaori, the Navy Seals, etc. If the promise of gunfights, daring chases, hand-to-hand combat, laser mounted satellites, mind trips, psychic combat, and catacysmic destruction dosn't sell you on buying this book, then the return of a beloved character will. "Who is it?" you ask. Read the book and find out... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Approaching this as a SIMONSON fan....
To be perfectly honest, I'm not what you would call a Moorcock fan. Oh, he writes the kinds of things I find interesting, to be sure, but there's always been a point in the story where he leaves me cold, where the inherent flow of the story dictates one direction, but Moorcock goes another, and this always has made him seem undisciplined and unprofessional to my literary eyes. I view him as a genius who never really pushes himself enough or disciplines his craft enough to utilize more than a tenth of his natural ability. It's like he enjoys plotting or verbose tangents more than the chore of actually writing the darn stories.

For that reason, I approached MULTIVERSE with a bit of trepidation. However, I certainly trusted Walter Simonson to always deliver an excellent comic worthy of reading. He's one of maybe three creators in the medium who will NEVER FAIL to deliver excellence under any circumstances. His ORION, despite being a part of a shared superhero universe and being an all-ages read, is probably the most literate and intelligent comic ever written, surpassing even the more "mature" fare of Sandman and various indy tales.

So, how did I like it? Well, I was pretty good. I thought it was the most "digestible" Moorcock story I've read. The graphical format kept him honest in ways he normally wouldn't have been, I think, and the narrative flow is much the better for it, as are the dramatic sensibilities of the conclusion, which unlike some other Moorcock endings, really delivers.

Walt only drew a little over half the book, but his pages are excellent, some of his better work, and yes, the Simonson "feel" definitely is present in the story itself. It reads at times like a Walt Simonson adaption of the source material, which could never be a bad thing.

The Zeitjugo- the mythical game of time
To call this an ambitious project would be an understatement. That is because this is an attempt to express the totality of Moorcock's conception of the multiverse in graphic novel form. In other words, it describes not only our somewhat familiar universe, but also all possible universes. Not only that, but it describes them all, over the entire range of time, because as the author points out, all of time exists simultaneously. It is only human consciousness that organizes it in a linear or cyclic fashion. In fact, that is what the main protagonists of the story, the Chaos Engineers, do- they range the entire multiverse, upscale and downscale, in their living organic vessels. They do this in the service of complexity and diversity. They do this in opposition to their sworn eternal enemies the lords of sterile, dead, and static Order.

Now, operating on the margins of this great eternal conflict between Chaos and Order are the Jugadors, who are the Great Players who play the multiverse as a game- or is it as an instrument? They maintain the great dynamic equilibrium between Order and Chaos. This is because one must never be allowed to totally triumph over the other- that would spell the end of the whole. It is the Balance, the perfect equilibrium, which is the ideal. Most of the sentient and nonsentient universe is rooted in this struggle. This includes a majority of Moorcock's major characters, from Elric to the Rose, to Begg, Von Bek, Keraquazian, Cornelius, Bastable, etc.

This is not an easy story to follow. The logic is complex, but it is consistent. You almost have to be a metatemporal detective like Sir Seaton Beggs to follow it. Indeed, the principle artist makes an appearance in the story proclaiming that he doesn't understand the rules! That is what makes fiction like this so enjoyable- it is so utterly challenging in the way that Moorcock has thrown away all the rules of conventional fiction. It is a grand jazz riff of metaphysics of flow of consciousness- or higher consciousness. It is no wonder that this has been described as the crowning achievement of all the decades of his work.

See you on the moonbeam roads....

Moorcock the Merrier
This is a classic Moorcock irony, to bury much of the core material of his multiverse theories in a graphic novel. Where another might have written a philosophical text, or at very least a novel, Moorcock decided that the place to set out the fundamentals of his multiverse theories was in a monthly comic book (collected here without the letters and features, which is a pity). The final sequences are faultlessly coherent as they move towards the central redemption, showing how, why and where the Cosmic Balance is at last restored. And there's some wonderfully off-beat humor -- the vast battles which involve different types of music (rock and roll versus Andrew Lloyd Webber) -- the London trams on which the aliens arrive for the Final Game -- the introduction of Moorcock himself (and Walter Simonson -- here with his best work to date -- though his current Orion work is also superb -- maybe even better) into the stories as the game within a game within a game is played out. This is RPG for keeps! Great, stuff. Moorcock will hide the key to a theme in a rock and roll song, a comic book or a throw-away newspaper piece but sooner or later, if you read for long enough, you'll come across it -- or it won't matter, because sometimes you didn't even know there WERE answers to those questions. Or that the questions were there to be asked! Check out the WW2 Lancaster bomber crewed entirely by existentialist philosophers (including Wrongway Heidegger); check out the rhyming couplets frequently found in the dialogue. Read in conjunction with The War Amongst the Angels and the books in that sequence, this is the work of a brilliantly original mind as able to draw characters as he is able to come up with stunning scientific notions! Brain candy, maybe. Addictive, maybe. A bizarre stimulant, maybe. But nourishing, through and through. A metaphysical meal at Mr Moorcock's Terminal Cafe always leaves the customers satisfied!

Flawed format.
As an immense fan of Michael Moorcock, I picked this graphic novel up as a completionist tendency. Comics are not my usual choice of reading, yet it was written by Moorcock, so I really did not know what to expect. What I found was something doomed to failure from the beginning. It is the comic format that kills this experiment in mediums. The story itself is actually three initially insular tales that ultimately weave together. If written as three separate short stories and published in a pure textual format they would have constituted rather typical Moorcock "Eternal Champion" tales. In one story we have Rose from his novel "Revenge of the Rose", and Sam Oakenhurst from "Blood". In another we have Sir Seaton Begg heralding from Moorcock's much chronicled von Bek/Begg family histories. In the third we have his most famous character, Elric. And tying them all together in a narrative frame we see Jack Karaquazian (once again, from "Blood") and Moorcock himself. If one were not already intimately familiar with Moorcock's vast works chronicling the many facets of the Eternal Champion, I am not sure any sense could be made of this rather opaque telling.

The prominent flaw of this work is the miserly allowances for textual explanation in the comic format. Moorcock is a rather verbose author with a tendency for flourish and poetry. When reduced to word balloons on a handful of panels per page, all of his stylistic strengths are annihilated. The end result is quite frankly a mass of confused hokum. It becomes impossible to understand what he was really attempting to communicate as the story panels sweep us along much too expeditiously. Compounded with the maelstrom of psychedelic artwork, I found myself unable to take it seriously as a narrative. The three stories as told by the narrative frame seemed more the destruction of a skilled raconteur than an entertaining romp through the multiverse. While I am not a connoisseur of comic art, I felt that the images by themselves were often striking and powerful statements, but failed as proper tools of story telling. Often I wished that one of the more striking images could have been painted in a more serious manner and used as a frontispiece for one of Moorcock's novels instead of as another page in a confounding comic.

My frustration with this work perhaps stems from the fact that I do not read comics and thus found it bewildering. I would be very interested in reading a review from someone who picked this up because they are a fan of the graphic novel medium, and not necessarily Moorcock. And more so, I would be interested in knowing if someone without prior knowledge of the Moorcockian Multiverse could actually make heads or tails of this. I hypothesize that one could not, and that those who can will not like it because of the medium. And that leaves no real audience.

www.multiverse.org
If you want to sample some of the artwork before you buy, please visit my website, where I have a few scanned in images of the comic. But I'm not making it easy on you; you'll have to hunt them out on the official Michael Moorcock website. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not up to snuff, but still some entertainment
Portrait of a Killer was probably the best of the Crying Freeman series, understandably since it was the first. This book however, is not up to the standards set by that first book. The artwork as usual is incredibly realistic and stylized. The story is however pathetic. The villains turn out to be nothing short of perverts who like to kill and masturbate. It's still some fun to read, but in the end it is probably one of the worst Crying Freeman books ever made. If anything, get it for the artwork alone. ... Read more

Book Description

A crisis in time and space threatens the future of Earth and the entire galaxy. Kyle Rayner, the current Green Lantern from Earth, must somehow find enough heroes from Earth's present and past to stop an alien threat to the continuity of space and time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A real blast from the past!
If you grew up reading, and loving, those great old DC science fiction comics of the 50's and 60's then you'll love this book. It is a nice little sampler of such comics as Tommy Tomorrow, Captain Comet, Star Hawkins, Space Cabby, Adam Strange, Space Ranger, the Atomic Knights, plus some really good general science-fiction themed stories. If anything, the printing is brighter and sharper than the originals were when they were first published. Other than the nostalgia value, these are some very good stories and some excellent retro art work (though it was anything but retro back then.) Funny, some of this stuff is more futuristic looking than anything you see nowdays.
My only disappointment was that my all time favorite sci-fi comic story "Brain Robbers of Satellite X" wasn't included. I got over it though- unlike some reviewers who didn't get their favorites....

A Disappointment for Silver Age Fans of Adam Strange
I ordered this volume, with expectations that I was going to get a selection of the best of Adam Strange material. Apparently, unknown to the editors, Mystery in Space became uniquely sucessful due to it's long term hosting of ADAM STRANGE in the 1960s, not due to it's secondary stories and certainly not due to the few science fiction stories they reprinted from twenty years later when the magazine had virtually no circulation.
Don't get me wrong, I like the silver age secondary stories, but they don't really have much to do with Mystery in Space per se and could have occured in Strange Adventures or whatever as fillers. Adam Strange is synonymous with MiS, and it's dumb to waste a celebration of MiS on a hodgepodge of other minor stories.
NOTE to DC:
We need a "Best of Mystery in Space with Adam Strange" from the Silver Age, or better yet an "Adam Strange Archives".
A Complete collection of the Atomic Knights silver age stories would be great also, as one of the minor series which had something special to offer.

Interesting, but only in an average sort of way.
I find it interesting to read old comic stories of the past. Unfortunitaly many of the short sci-fi stories of the 40s, 50s, and 60s that are presented in this volume are just a little to dull for my tastes.

This collection was by no means bad, it's just that I found most of the stories collected here to be bland or semi-interesting.

Interesting for sentimental reasons would be a perfect way for me to put it.

I'll rate it 3 stars out of 5. Based on the Amazon rating system this falls below the mandatory 4 star level that makes a book a worthwile read.

Unless you have a strong need to revisit past comics of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, then I would suggest you skip this book.

DC Space stars of the past return
I truly enjoyed seeing some of the classic science fiction comics stories from DC comics past. 33 stories in just 223 pages! They did know how to get to the point back then. The stories range from the years 1946 to 1981 and include just about every DC artist, writer and character that was involved in their space comics. Space Ranger, Adam Strange, The Atomic Knights, Tommy Tomorrow, Space Cabby and even Ultra the Multi-Alien are there, as well as a number of non series stories. Mind you, you don't get a lot of any of them. I for one would like to see the Atomic Knight reprinted in it's entirety... But I will take what I can get. There are also examples of the writing and art work of Gardner Fox, Kirby, Binder, Kubert. etc. Like I said just about all of them.I found this a very entertaining bit of nostalgia. ... Read more

Book Description

Deep in the swamplands of the planet Mimban lies a powerful crystal, capable of giving its possessor an invincible mastery of the Force. In the right hands, it could save the galaxy. In the wrong hands, it could destroy it! While the explosion of the first Death Star still reverberates through the cosmos, Luke and Leia find that the war they thought they won was only a battle and that the dark side of the Force still stalks the galaxy. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

great star wars book
besides having a terrific plot, i liked how it dealt with a few issues that none of the movies and none of the star wars books i have read have touched on.

when luke accompanies leia on a diplomatic mission, leia runs into trouble with her y-wing and they are forced to crash land on a nearby planet. what they find from the beginning is nothing but trouble. for among other things a legendary crystal that amplifies the force leads to a race to find it to give the bearer
unimaginative power.

the action is nonstop from beginning to end, and it is obvious that this book was written after the first star wars movie but it gives a fresh outlook on a story that started almost 30 years ago. it gives some interesting ideals on princess leia that has not ever been brought up that i find quite refreshing which makes her seem more human and approachable then the first 2 movies made her. this is a book that all star wars fans should definitely read.

The Best "other than movie" Star Wars book
The book captivated me from start to finish. Terry Austin is faithful to the Star Wars universe and to the characters. If you are looking for stories beyond the movies, this is the only one to read.

Excellent comic adaptation of Foster's novel
This comic is an excellent adaptation of Foster's good Star Wars novel. It remains true to the story and dialogue of the book, while at the same time fleshing things out a little and making it easier to place in the timeline, as well as giving the fans a few little goodies such as an appearance from then-still-Captain Piett.

The script is good, as is the artwork, to a point. My only complaint in this area is in the first issue, the contrast is pretty bad, with a bunch of dull browns and greens and the pure black shirts. However, it is refreshing to see Leia wearing something other than that pure white for once, and the character representations are pretty good, though Luke's features are occasionally overdone.

The fights and lightsaber duels are fun, especially Leia's sparring with Vader, and the bickering between Luke and Leia is interesting, and reminds us how close they were before they learned about their common heritage.

This is a fun, colorful, and faithful adaptation recommended to everyone.

If you dont like the book well... you wont not like it
This is one of the best star wars books of all time anyone who says it doesnt fit in with the timeline your wrong. It doesnt really affect any major plots.Now i know this book was written in '78 but it fits in great with Empire Strikes Back i mean luke was thinking about leia alot and in Empire after the way leia was behaving (pashing him) he'd probably be right and only until the battle of endor is it deemed impossible for luke to get onto leia

this book is ok
this book is ok but not one i think you should get the best part of the book is at the end when they meet some natives of mimban i wont tell anymore because i dont want to ruin it if you do get it ... Read more

Book Description

The super-villainy of Kang the Conqueror... unleashed at last! In a classic contest, the Grandmaster and Kang pit the Avengers against the Squadron Sinister and the wartime Invaders! And when the self-proclaimed "Ultimate Kang" sets out to conquer his alternate-reality counterparts, only one force can possibly halt his mad march: himself! Plus: Kang takes on Thor and the Hulk! Collecting Avengers #69-71 and #267-269, Thor #140, and Hulk #135. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This Dark Horse compilation pulls together some of the formerly top-secret files of Project Smellhound, the snickering code name that series editor Peet Janes gave to all of DH's Phantom Menace-related comics (à la Blue Harvest). The Episode I Adventures flesh out background on four of the film's main characters--Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Amidala, and Anakin--in four separate one-shots, all concurrent to the movie but sometimes catching action that the camera "missed." All four stories revolve around Anakin in some way (for better or for worse), but the quality of the writing and art keeps the series on fairly solid footing. Of particular note are the dancing lightsabers of Martin Egeland (Adrenalynn) and the always slick stylings of Robert Teranishi (Xena, Star Wars Tales). A nice bonus: Adventures also includes the ancillary short stories first released in the premium Wizard Episode I #1/2 issue. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Richly made graphic story that adds detail to Episode 1
This is review of the Dark horse TPB comic Episode I Adventures ISBN 1569714436 published march 2000 and printed in Canada.

Here is who will like this comic... Did you like the movie? Did you read the novelization for more? Do you like the Graphic Novel aspect presented by a well done comic book? If you answered yes to all 3, you will probably grade this at 4 to 5 stars.

SWE1 Adventures is a little like the Journal series where the original