Star Wars Addiction

December 20, 2007

It was with a fair bit of trepidation that I opened the latest chapter of Dark Times, the prequel-era Star Wars comic from Dark Horse now on its seventh issue. True to its name, the series has been not only dark, but borderline depressing, and, particularly at this time of year, even the heart of this hardened cynic yearns for a positive ending (or at the very least, a respite from the sorrow brought on by the after effects of Order 66).

Happily, the issue isn?t quite as brutal as I was expecting (especially given the ?sacrifice made in vain? headline and the teary-eyed pilot Crys who graces the cover). Make no mistake, though, this issue, number two in the five part ?Parallels? story-arc, deals with some heavy stuff. Thankfully, the emotional blow is softened somewhat by presenting most of it in flashbacks, but its still not the kind of thing you want to read if you?re already having a downer of a day.

Bomo Greenbark is reeling from the recent deaths of his wife and child, and, though he is safely aboard the tramp freighter Uhumele, he is haunted by his decisions and the knowledge that his family may yet be alive had he acted differently. He finds a kindred spirit in the Uhumele?s pilot, Crys Taanzer, a smuggler who doubts her decision to part with her Force-sensitive son in order to save his life.

The bulk of the comic consists of Crys? story as she relates it to Bomo, with a few scenes of her son and the Jedi Master K?ruhk thrown in for good measure. In addition to the weighty character development, there is also a healthy dose of action in Dark Times #7, as the issue concludes with a cliffhanger that leaves the crew of the Uhumele exposed in a firefight resulting from a deal gone bad.

While most of Issue #7 is exemplary, there is a slight misstep during the flashback scenes where Crys? son is identified by a Jedi as being Force-sensitive. The subsequent reference to Episode I?s wince-inducing midichlorians is really the only thing wrong with what is otherwise another stellar title from Dark Horse.

While not canonically inaccurate, or even unwarranted, seeing midichlorians raise their ugly heads is an unwelcome reminder of the deficiencies of the first prequel film, and the utter about-face of the nature of the Force from something akin to the divine in the original trilogy into something that can be scientifically quantified in The Phantom Menace. The same narrative effect could have been achieved by just having a Jedi sense the child?s presence, but instead we get a panel showing the testing device, and a bit of blather about blood testing.

Other than that bone of contention, the script by veteran Mick Harrison is tightly focused and provides a real sense of empathy for both Crys and Bomo. Dave Ross does an equally fine job with the pencils; his panels give Dark Times a unique look that falls somewhere in between the hyper-realism of Star Wars: Legacy and the cartoonish Knights of the Old Republic.

In a nutshell, If you?re looking for some Star Wars-style escapism to wile away your holiday hours, Dark Times #7 is for you, and delivers a pleasing mixture of high quality art and top notch storytelling. Do yourself a favor, though, and don?t expect a happy ending. While these characters may yet find their way out of the darkness, for now they?re left to forge ahead in an increasingly cruel galaxy.


	DarthDan December 20, 2007 Comment 1 Kick-ass review, as usual. I've really got to get crackin' on this series. begins flogging himself before an altar with a large obsidian horsehead Forever December 21, 2007 Comment 2 I thoroughly enjoy reading these reviews. Keep them coming! RebelFox December 21, 2007 Comment 3 This is the kind of emotional maturity and adult SW content that we have needed for years. It's good to see that the masterminds at Dark Horse know that and that there's a place like SWAC to recognize it, given the squeaky-clean family oriented perspective that permeates TFN. Another spanking fine review, Master Jef. Darth Pyriel December 21, 2007 Comment 4 QUOTE(DarthDan @ December 20 2007, 07:19 PM) Kick-ass review, as usual. I've really got to get crackin' on this series. begins flogging himself before an altar with a large obsidian horsehead <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think by now you know my point of view on this series, KOTOR, and Legacy! THey are awesome! So definantly get caught up, seeing as Vector soon begins my friend... Angyll December 21, 2007 Comment 5 flogging AND spanking in this thread.....fun!