Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol 4 (Light & Dark).
February 17th 2008 21:45
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
“Begun the Clone Wars have.”
- Master Yoda to Master Kenobi & Master Windu.
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics.
Production Team: John Ostrander – writer, Jan Duursema – pencils, Dan Parson – inker, Brad Anderson – colours,
Sno Cone Studios & Michael David Thomas – lettering and Tomas Giorello – cover art.
Cost: US $16.95.
The Clone Wars, an epic moment within the Star Wars movies that until George Lucas got around to doing his prequel movie saga had only been a three word phrase mentioned once or twice by characters in those original movies. I can still remember the halcyon days when I first saw the original Star Wars and hearing Ben Kenobi admit to a young naïve Luke Skywalker that he had been a Jedi and fought in the Clone Wars, there passed through my mind the thought that went something on the lines of “Clone Wars wow that sounds cool.” Of course at the time I have to confess that I had no real idea what a clone was, that piece of information was something that I found out about later on down the track. Years later of course I joined the rest of the world watching as the Clone Wars exploded on the big screen first in Episode II Attack of the Clones and then when the circle was finally complete (to use a phrase of Darth Vader’s) in Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
In this particular volume of the graphic novel series Clone Wars by Dark Horse the primary protagonists are Aayla Secura, a female Twi’lek Jedi Knight and her former master and mentor, Quinlan Vos. For trainspotters the character of Aayla manages to get a brief spot in the movies, she’s the blue skinned female Jedi Knight who is involved in the fight scene in the arena and in Episode III she is shown on an exotic jungle world getting shot by her clone troopers when Order 66 is issued. Master Vos is briefly mentioned by Obi Wan during a scene involving him and Anakin in the Jedi temple where Anakin has turned up late (again) for a briefing. So for the protagonists in this volume the writers have opted to go with original characters rather than the main protagonists from the movies, this in my opinion is a good move as it gives the Star Wars universe a wider focus rather than narrowly zooming in on the exploits of Anakin and Obi Wan.
Naturally Count Dooku is the primary antagonist in this series; let’s face it he is the instigator, along with his master Darth Sidious, of the entire conflict between the Republic and the Confederation of Independent Systems (CIS) that is raging throughout the galaxy. It would be silly not to show him and his various machinations in some shape or form, almost like trying to show Peter and the Wolf without the Wolf; a rather pointless exercise. Here though we get to see precisely how the ‘good’ count operates and his schemes for the reordering of the galaxy first hand through the viewpoint of Quinlan Vos. It would be very easy to look at the character of Quinlan Vos and say that he is nothing more than a pale imitation of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, easy to say but without any real substance behind it. Vos and Skywalker certainly share some parallels with each other but there are also significant differences between the two characters to dispute the possibility that one is the pale shadow of the other.
Vos is a far more worldly character than Skywalker who has walked in the shadows and knows the ins and outs of the galactic underworld from places like the smuggler’s moon Nar Shaddaa to Ryloth, home planet of the Twi’leks, and its various dens of traffickers and slavers. He is an individual skilled in the ways of infiltration and stealth, of insinuating himself with those who deal in the shadows. Unlike Skywalker Quinlan remembers his family from before he went to the temple, he comes from the ruling family of his home world Kiffu and is immersed in the culture and traditions of its people and in the end what actually lures him to the dark side is not so much doubt of the Jedi order or love but good intentions. Vos seeks to find the second Sith, the one who is Count Dooku’s master and dispose of him so that the war will hopefully end and the loss of life and carnage will cease. His faith in the Jedi and their order is absolute even as he slides ever closer into the darkness what blinds him to his constant downward spiral is that he arrogantly feels that only he and he alone can rectify things.
This blind spot comes about due to Vos’ mission entrusted to him by his old Master, Tholme and the two major luminaries of the Order; Masters Windu and Yoda. Tholme felt that if the Jedi could infiltrate an agent into the inner circle of Count Dooku they could learn of the Separatists plans hopefully ahead of schedule as well as track down the second Sith Lord who was likely the count’s master. A bold plan and Tholme believed that his former padawan Quinlan was the only one likely to succeed due to his having skirted close to the dark side previously and the fact that he was someone who was prone to operating in the shadows. Unfortunately for Master Vos things get very difficult and in the end it seems that the lure of the dark side has grown too strong for him to resist, his fellow Jedi especially his old master, wonder about his true allegiance.
Aayla Secura, Vos’ former padawan, feels that there is still some hope for her former master and that he can be returned from the dark side. The Jedi Order feel otherwise, despite her feelings Master Tholme warns her not to focus on her old master but instead concentrate on her duties as a general in the Republic army, one of several on a mission seeking out Confederacy raiders attacking the shipping lanes. Reluctantly Aayla acquiesces to Tholme and the will of the council but in her heart she still feels that some effort should be made to draw Quin back from the yawning abyss at which he stands. Girding herself for the trial to come she, Master Tholme and the Dark Woman, a Jedi who felt that she should even give up her own name, infiltrate the world of Devaron where it seems the raiders have been making their attacks. This is unusual as Devaron is a system that is loyal to the Republic and its cause, so someone in the government must be working both sides in order to further their own agendas, but whom? Finding the traitor as well as the raider’s base becomes the twin objectives for the three. What they don’t realise is that they are walking into a trap, a trap laid by the psychotic and deadly Jedi hunter Aurra Sing.
Aurra Sing was once a former padawn learner of the order, the padawan of the Dark Woman in fact, until she was sold into slavery and then taken by the Anzati who trained her in their ways as assassins as well as modifying her with a cybernetic enhancement that allows her to feed off the fear of her victims. Over the years she has made a career out of killing Jedi and collecting their ligthsabers as trophies, her very name is said to haunt the nightmares of more impressionable padawans and knights. However Aurra has never encountered a Jedi like Aayla Secura, the young Twi’lek has faced and overcome her own fears and despite the seeming invincibility of her foe she does not let this daunt her instead focusing on being at one with the force and overcoming her.
Clone Wars Volume 4: Light and Dark has all the elements a great graphic novel needs, great story and fantastic artwork all put together in a glossy cover that just looks fabulous. Once again as with other works by the team of Ostrander and Duursema I was really impressed by the expression and atmosphere that they have managed to convey in these pages, it really is almost like watching a movie or TV program. With Quinlan there is almost a kind of Noir feel to his tale as he slowly and inexorably slides into the abyss under the constant promptings and urgings of his new master; Count Dooku. All in all a fairly exciting read, and so very fresh which is the virtue of this series of comics. The movies may tell the grander picture of events but these graphic novels give us an insight into other events and characters and broaden the scope of the Star Wars universe, always a good thing in my humble opinion.
- Master Yoda to Master Kenobi & Master Windu.
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics.
Production Team: John Ostrander – writer, Jan Duursema – pencils, Dan Parson – inker, Brad Anderson – colours,
Sno Cone Studios & Michael David Thomas – lettering and Tomas Giorello – cover art.
Cost: US $16.95.
The Clone Wars, an epic moment within the Star Wars movies that until George Lucas got around to doing his prequel movie saga had only been a three word phrase mentioned once or twice by characters in those original movies. I can still remember the halcyon days when I first saw the original Star Wars and hearing Ben Kenobi admit to a young naïve Luke Skywalker that he had been a Jedi and fought in the Clone Wars, there passed through my mind the thought that went something on the lines of “Clone Wars wow that sounds cool.” Of course at the time I have to confess that I had no real idea what a clone was, that piece of information was something that I found out about later on down the track. Years later of course I joined the rest of the world watching as the Clone Wars exploded on the big screen first in Episode II Attack of the Clones and then when the circle was finally complete (to use a phrase of Darth Vader’s) in Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
Vos is a far more worldly character than Skywalker who has walked in the shadows and knows the ins and outs of the galactic underworld from places like the smuggler’s moon Nar Shaddaa to Ryloth, home planet of the Twi’leks, and its various dens of traffickers and slavers. He is an individual skilled in the ways of infiltration and stealth, of insinuating himself with those who deal in the shadows. Unlike Skywalker Quinlan remembers his family from before he went to the temple, he comes from the ruling family of his home world Kiffu and is immersed in the culture and traditions of its people and in the end what actually lures him to the dark side is not so much doubt of the Jedi order or love but good intentions. Vos seeks to find the second Sith, the one who is Count Dooku’s master and dispose of him so that the war will hopefully end and the loss of life and carnage will cease. His faith in the Jedi and their order is absolute even as he slides ever closer into the darkness what blinds him to his constant downward spiral is that he arrogantly feels that only he and he alone can rectify things.
This blind spot comes about due to Vos’ mission entrusted to him by his old Master, Tholme and the two major luminaries of the Order; Masters Windu and Yoda. Tholme felt that if the Jedi could infiltrate an agent into the inner circle of Count Dooku they could learn of the Separatists plans hopefully ahead of schedule as well as track down the second Sith Lord who was likely the count’s master. A bold plan and Tholme believed that his former padawan Quinlan was the only one likely to succeed due to his having skirted close to the dark side previously and the fact that he was someone who was prone to operating in the shadows. Unfortunately for Master Vos things get very difficult and in the end it seems that the lure of the dark side has grown too strong for him to resist, his fellow Jedi especially his old master, wonder about his true allegiance.
Aayla Secura, Vos’ former padawan, feels that there is still some hope for her former master and that he can be returned from the dark side. The Jedi Order feel otherwise, despite her feelings Master Tholme warns her not to focus on her old master but instead concentrate on her duties as a general in the Republic army, one of several on a mission seeking out Confederacy raiders attacking the shipping lanes. Reluctantly Aayla acquiesces to Tholme and the will of the council but in her heart she still feels that some effort should be made to draw Quin back from the yawning abyss at which he stands. Girding herself for the trial to come she, Master Tholme and the Dark Woman, a Jedi who felt that she should even give up her own name, infiltrate the world of Devaron where it seems the raiders have been making their attacks. This is unusual as Devaron is a system that is loyal to the Republic and its cause, so someone in the government must be working both sides in order to further their own agendas, but whom? Finding the traitor as well as the raider’s base becomes the twin objectives for the three. What they don’t realise is that they are walking into a trap, a trap laid by the psychotic and deadly Jedi hunter Aurra Sing.
Aurra Sing was once a former padawn learner of the order, the padawan of the Dark Woman in fact, until she was sold into slavery and then taken by the Anzati who trained her in their ways as assassins as well as modifying her with a cybernetic enhancement that allows her to feed off the fear of her victims. Over the years she has made a career out of killing Jedi and collecting their ligthsabers as trophies, her very name is said to haunt the nightmares of more impressionable padawans and knights. However Aurra has never encountered a Jedi like Aayla Secura, the young Twi’lek has faced and overcome her own fears and despite the seeming invincibility of her foe she does not let this daunt her instead focusing on being at one with the force and overcoming her.
Clone Wars Volume 4: Light and Dark has all the elements a great graphic novel needs, great story and fantastic artwork all put together in a glossy cover that just looks fabulous. Once again as with other works by the team of Ostrander and Duursema I was really impressed by the expression and atmosphere that they have managed to convey in these pages, it really is almost like watching a movie or TV program. With Quinlan there is almost a kind of Noir feel to his tale as he slowly and inexorably slides into the abyss under the constant promptings and urgings of his new master; Count Dooku. All in all a fairly exciting read, and so very fresh which is the virtue of this series of comics. The movies may tell the grander picture of events but these graphic novels give us an insight into other events and characters and broaden the scope of the Star Wars universe, always a good thing in my humble opinion.
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