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Title: Dark Encounters (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 2) by Archie Goodwin, Carmine Infantino, Terry Austin, Various ISBN: 1-56971-785-0 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: 10 July, 2002 Format: Comic Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Classic Marvel Star Wars
Comment: I read the first volume in this series, "Doomworld," and enjoyed it, but thought it was a bit corny and too cartoonish in places. I was surprised and pleased that the comics got much better with time.
A good portion of this set of 19 comics revolves around the Tagge family, who generally opposes Darth Vader, but also opposes the rebellion. Baron Tagge even hopes to supplant Darth Vader himself, though we know where such schemes end. In "Doom Mission," we find Baron Tagge has created a space station within the stormy atmosphere of the gas giant Yavin where Tie fighters launch attacks against the rebel base on the fourth moon. This story is quite creative with how Baron Tagge created the space station, how it was discovered and how it was eventually attacked.
There are quite a few creative moments in the various stories. In a series of three stories, "The Jawa Express," "Saber Clash," and "Thunder in the Stars," we see the Tagge family test and implement an interesting device that freezes anything between implanted towers. The Tagge family uses this device as a weapon against rebel forces.
In one of the most creative stories, "Riders in the Void," we find Luke and Leia have jumped into the void between galaxies. In one of the emptiest places in the universe Luke and Leia discover a unique, organic space ship with only one inhabitant, who is marginally insane. The ship and its inhabitant have an interesting and unique history, and there are moments when I wondered how Luke and Leia were going to escape.
Creature creation was similarly unique and better than in the first 20 comics of "Doomworld." In "The Long Hunt/A Duel of Eagles" we meet the winged people of Skye. In "Cavern of the Crawling Death" we learn about stone mites that destroy everything they contact as they eat it.
There are a few departures from the Star Wars universe as we know it today that are forgivable given that the second two Star Wars movies had yet to be released. We see a Jabba the Hut very different from the slug-like creature we came to know and loathe. We also see the continuing romance between Luke and Leia, though we also know that they are brother and sister. Yet, the general tone of the stories fits well within the Star Wars universe, and the astute reader can see some of the substantial creativity yet to come.
If you read "Doomworld" and liked it, you'll find that "Dark Encounters" is substantially better and more interesting. The quality of the stories is still lower than the general caliber of the Dark Horse stories, but some of them are very creative and interesting. For those readers that look back fondly on memories of comics from the 60s and 70s, these are the types of stories that you remember well. Enjoy!
Rating: 4
Summary: Solid Improvement
Comment: 3.5 stars actually.
The artwork, and the plotting improves dramatically in this second collection of Marvel stories. Unlike most of the first collection, these stories mostly feel like they could take place in the Star Wars universe and are viable adventures that the heroes could have had before The Empire Strikes Back.
Still though, they are not stellar work by any means, merely solid. In retrospect, due to the authors not knowing where George Lucas was going, some of the things you see cause some cognitive dissonance. No fault of the authors, but it is still jarring to see things you know are untrue.
Decent artwork, and stories in a rather large collection make this a worthwhile collection if you'd like to read a sort of slightly altered universe of what the Star Wars characters did between the movies.
Rating: 5
Summary: Green Rabbits and Cyborg Bounty Hunters...
Comment: I've just ordered the reprint trade paperback reprints of these Marvel books. I remember reading and re-reading all of these "beyond the movie" adventures when I was a kid. It was just such an incredible charge to see what Luke, Han, and company were doing between the movies. Water worlds, gambling satellites, Darth Vader learning the name of the Death Star's destroyer(a nice plot device), the blocky artwork and awkward poses of Carmine Infantino artwork, wondering WHY these adventurers NEVER changed their clothes as they NEVER seemed to make their way back to Yavin Base after their Flash Gordon-esque side-adventures... Oh, and we can't forget that Obi-Wan Jedi story with the droid 68RKO (which were the call letters of a radio station if I'm not mistaken)...They really DID capture the imagination. Hopefully, Dark Horse will get around to publishing a VOLUME 3 because therein lie the BEST Marvel STAR WARS tales. But these first two will take you to a Long Time Ago in a Decade Not Far Away Enough--The Seventies. You'll see the pop-cultural impact of the first wave of STAR WARS mania, in many ways as endearingly cheesy as that Thanksgiving Holiday special. If you remember these, you will LOVE them all over again...if you don't, then prepare to be mightily entertained, whether you like comics, STAR WARS, or pop-culture in general. These books definitely belong on your shelf...
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Title: Doomworld (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 1) by Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, Don Glut ISBN: 1569717540 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Screams in the Void (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 4) by Chris Claremont, Carmine Infantino, Walter Simonson ISBN: 1569717877 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Fool's Bounty (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 5) by Mary Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, Tom Palmer ISBN: 1569719063 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Wookie World (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 6) by Philip Wilson Simon ISBN: 1569719071 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Far, Far Away (Star Wars: A Long Time Ago..., Book 7) by Various Authors ISBN: 156971908X Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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