Star Wars Omnibus: Long Time Ago... v. 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)Hi friends RKStud here. Just recently bought this from my comic book shop.I have to say if your really into the universe you really need to get this. The majority of the art is by Walt Simonsen whose known for a long run on Thor. This book contains issues 50-67 and annual 2. The stories in here expand on the original first 2 episodes episodes 4 and 5 and before Return of the Jedi comes into play. Character wise it does an awesome job. These Dark HorseOmnibuses have been awesome can not say enough about these. Highly recommended. My video review is here:
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Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection Volume 11--Union (Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection, Volume 11) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is absolutely a must have for any Star Wars fan and especially for those who are Luke/Mara fans. It entails the two weddings of Mara and Luke in a very beautiful manner. The scene where Mara Jade is trying on the first set of wedding dresses made me laugh so hard I was nearly crying. The dressmaker's slogan was "Maximum is Minimal" meaning the less material the better. Hearing Mara bicker with Leia over this is extremely interesting because both woman are strong willed and beautiful. The quality of the book itself is exquisite - meaning it's on that nice heavy paper and the inks are brilliant. Well worth the money.

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Luke Skywalker, Last Hope for the Galaxy (Star Wars) Review

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(More customer reviews)Wow! This is a nice book. To start with it is HUGE. It is nicely bound and about the size of a family Bible. It comes with a nice protective cardboard sleeve to store it in and the paper stock is very heavy. Production wise this is one of the nicest books in my vast collection.
The stories collected are:
* Luke Skywalker's Walkabout (colorized)
* Falling Star
* The Day after the Death Star
* The Return of Ben Kenobi
* Star Wars 17: Crucible (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars Empire: "General" Skywalker
* Star Wars Empire: The Wrong Side of the War
* Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy
* Star Wars 38: Riders in the Void (Marvel Series)
* Splinter of the Mind's Eye
* Star Wars 60: Shira's Story (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars 61: Screams in the Void (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars 62: Pariah (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars 63: The Mind Spider (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars 95: No Zeltrons (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars 96: Duel With a Dark Lady (Marvel Series)
* Star Wars 97: Escape (Marvel Series)
* Dark Empire (The entire first Dark Horse mini-series)
* The Boy I Once Was - Star Wars: Chewbacca 4
Now I beg Dark Horse to put together a Darth Vader collection. I can't rave enough about this fantastic book. A great value.


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Luke Skywalker's greatest adventures from over thirty years of comics are compiled in a single slipcased hardcover!A deluxe edition worthy of the hero who saved the galaxy, this massive volume follows Luke Skywalker on his journey from the moisture farms of Tatooine to the final days of the Dark Empire! Each story is painstakingly selected from every Luke Skywalker comic ever published - from Marvel's first issue to Dark Horse's latest. This masterpiece collection is the ultimate portrait of one of the most widely known and widely loved heroes of modern mythology!

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The Stars at War II (Bk. 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)Like THE STARS AT WAR, this is not really a new book. It is a collection of two previously published works although there are reputedly about 20,000 new words included. If you already own either of the books, there is little reason to buy this volume. Otherwise, it is a good buy.
The two included books are THE SHIVA OPTION and INSURECTION. Reviews of each appear below.
THE SHIVA OPTION
THE SHIVA OPTION conludes the story begun in IN DEATH GROUND. The story and the options are just as horrific and the consequences are just as bad.
Humanity and its allies face a war to the end with a race that will either eat every race it comes across or die trying. They cannot be negotiated with. They can either be killed or allowed to win. Killing them is not easy because they don't care about their own casualties. They have only a hunger and nothing can assuage it.
The space battles are well though out as is the strategy presented. They should appeal to fans of space battle. Like the predecessor, however, the real story concerns the hard choices of the leaders.
This is not a fun book to read but it is interesting and worthwhile. It also leaves open the possibility that more bugs will appear in later volumes.
INSURECTION
Insurrection takes place in the same universe as IN DEATH GROUND and THE SHIVA OPTION about a generation after the events of the latter. Humanity has been at peace but that doesn't stop nasty politicians from trying to do nasty things to people. Finally, a time comes when the people will take it no more and the result is civil war.
This book makes clear that there are honorable people on both sides of the conflict but the horrors of war are such that innocents are bound to suffer. Like the other books of this series, the action sequences are well though out and well written but the main lessons come from choices faced by the protagonists. Weber and White are good at writing about space battle. They are even better at writing about political issues and human choices.


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The war wasn't going well. The alien Arachnids were an enemy whose like no civilized race had ever confronted. Like some carnivorous cancer, the "Bugs" had overrun planet after planet . . . and they regarded any competing sentient species as only one more protein source. Defeat was not an option. . . . The Grand Alliance of Humans, Orions, Ophiuchi, and Gorm, united in desperate self-defense, have been driven to the wall. Billions of their civilians have been slaughtered. Their most powerful offensive operation has ended in shattering defeat and the deaths of their most experienced military commanders. Whatever they do, the Bugs just keep coming. But the warriors of the Grand Alliance know what stands behind them and they will surrender no more civilians to the oncoming juggernaut. They will die first-and they will also reactivate General Directive 18, however horrible it may be. Because when the only possible outcomes are victory or racial extermination, only one option is acceptable. The Shiva Option.And peace isn't always wonderful Once the enemy is defeated, the central governments of the Inner Worlds were anything but willing to relinguish their wartime powers. To insure that their grip on the reins of power remained firm, the bureaucrats are allowing the non-human beings of the Khanate in, while keeping the Fringe Worlds out, smugly confident that this will keep the colonial upstarts in their place. The Fringers have only one answer to that: Insurrection.

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Star Wars: The Lando Calrissian Adventures Review

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(More customer reviews)First thing first: My review is biased. I love Lando Calrissian. He is probably my favorite character in the whole series and I'll explain why. When we first see him in Empire Strikes Back, he is someone that doesn't have the same freedom that the others have. He is responsible for the well being of an entire populace, on his own. His apparent betrayal of our heroes is one of necessity. Only when he realizes that his betrayal will not save his city and will make things even worse for his friends does he correct the situation as best he can. By the end of the trilogy, he is the hero of Endor, having led the defeat of the Death Star.Lando is a transitional hero; he is not as clear cut as the rest, but develops with the story. His actions are weighed by responsibility and eventually he does the right thing; not only that, but he redeems himself for his apparent betrayal. So, let's look at the book itself. We get to see what Lando did while he owned the Millenium Falcon, back before he became Baron Administrator, previous to his heroics in the rebellion. And his story is very fun to read. It takes place when the Jedi are gone, the Empire strong and growing, and the galaxy falling to despair. Never a better time to make one's fortune. He flies his ship through uncharted backwater worlds to become involved in an "international" adventure that leads to some terrific conclusions and plot twists. Not only that, the scenes that stand out are Lando's James Bond-like lifestyle and the casino scenes are well written. Lando could beat 007 at a hand of cards and with style. Don't look for an all out battle that redefines the fate of the galaxy. Instead, sit back and enjoy the suspense of a good card game, the mystery of the past revealed, and the wonder of discovery in classic sci-fi fashion. Lando is young, the Millenium Falcon, well, still an old piece of junk that can outfly anything, and there are destinies to be made. This book lays the foundation of Lando's adventures and gives us a glimpse into his past. p.s. If you want to find out what happens after the Lando Calrissian Trilogy, read the second Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin; highly recommended.

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Star Wars Omnibus: Shadows of the Empire Review

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(More customer reviews)I missed Shadows of the Empire when it first came out. It was a project in the mid-90s that used a novel, video game and comic to fill in the gaps between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and was a fair hit. This book reprints the original comic and then 2 mini series the followed it.
The lead story telling how Luke, Chewie, Lando and Leia tracked down Han Solo and Boba Fett is fairly weak. Mostly taken from the novel it feels rushed, new characters like Prince Xizor and Dash Rendar appear but are never properly introduced. In the final battle the villain dies off camera. The art is more stylized than most Star Wars books, it looks like one of the hundreds of Todd McFarlane clones that populated the mid 90s.
The second story by novelist Timothy Zahn and Carlos Ezquerra follows Mara Jade an Imperial assassin targeted for death after the Emperor's death. The focus on one character makes for a stronger story with twists and turns. Ezquerra's art is a delight as always.
The last story follows the human-looking android Guri as she tries to leave her life as an assassin behind. It's kind of a light story but the art by Ron Randall is pretty and there's a lot of cheesecake. Guri of course looks like a statuesque blond and her jumpsuit gets torn up quite a bit.
This is a fun book but not great, it's got a good price and you'll enjoy it but it's not worth hunting down.

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Beginning with Shadows of the Empire, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca are determined to foil Boba Fett's plan to deliver carbonite-encased Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt. But these heroes are up against more than they realize. Darth Vader searches for Luke, hoping to turn him to the dark side, and a new threat, Xizor, the ruthless leader of the criminal organization Black Sun, seeks to gain the trust of the Emperor by killing Skywalker and overthrowing Vader! Then, in Shadows of the Empire: Evolution, a beautiful human-droid - previously an assassin for Xizor - searches to find her human side as Luke Skywalker tracks her across the galaxy, determined to bring her to justice! And finally, in Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand, the Emperor's personal assassin carries out her last mission, determined to succeed despite the death of her Master - even if it costs her life!

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Star Wars Omnibus: Boba Fett Review

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(More customer reviews)Mostly the purpose of this review is to tell you what's in here for the curious:
Collects 4 Boba Fettastic trades:
-Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire 1-4 (Star Wars - Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire) Fett vs. Darth Vader after the latter betrays the former, kinda a good story but Cam Kennedy's art is kinda a mixed blessing for a SW tone. Still, it's probably about a 4 star yarn.
-Star Wars Underworld: The Yavin Vassilika 1-5 (Star Wars: Underworld - The Yavin Vassilika) This,for me, was the weakest link in the volume. The very zany anime art kept me from getting into it entirely, you know, like Boba Fett's mask does raised eyebrows, and the body hair on Han Solo looks like he's got strips of wood glued to his arms and chest for some reason. Why they stuck this artist on a "serious" SW tale I'll never know. Two stars. Story not bad but the art just blew it for me.

-SW Empire 7 & 28, Boba Fett: Overkill, Wizard Star Wars 1/2: Salvage, Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction one shots, Fett: Agent of Doom (Man with a Mission) I really enjoyed Salvage and Twin Engines was the one where Fett went after an impostor. I felt these were probably the strongest for the collection on average, 5 stars.
-Boba Fett: Bounty on Bar-Kooda, When the Fat Lady Swings, and Murder Most Foul one shots (Death, Lies, and Treachery) that form a tale involving Fett doing missions and taking out other guys. Again, Cam Kennedy's art is a mixed bag.. but overall I feel for this tale he was the perfect match, better than in Enemy of the Empire. 5 stars again.
Anyway, just trying to provide what you're getting and links to reviews for what's in here for the curious.

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Star Wars Omnibus: Emissaries And Assassins Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an amazing collection of stories in the Star Wars universe. Emissaries opens on it's lowest note- a mostly boring redux of the Episode 1 movie (including an embarassing extra adventure starring Padme and Jar-Jar). That chapter partially redeems itself with a great version of the Darth Maul fight scene. The following episodes focus mostly on the adventures of Jedi who are not as prominent in the movies. Coneheaded Jedi Ki-Adi Mundi is a thrilling main character who is seen only briefly in episodes 1-3. The book concludes with the dark tale of Jango Fett, who Star Wars fans will immediately recognize. Emissaries is a fantastic compendium that any fan of the series will love. And given the length and quality of the artwork, you can't argue with the price.

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Discover more stories set during the time of Episode I: The Phantom Menace in this mega collection bridging the gap between Episodes I and II! Star Wars: Episode I Adventures is a group of four tales featuring Anakin Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon all set during the events of Episode I! Then, in Emissaries to Malastare, Outlander, and Jango Fett: Open Seasons, we get a closer look at members of the Jedi Council, Jedi-slaying bounty hunter Aurra Sing, and the life of bounty hunter Jango Fett - the man without whom there would be no Clone Wars!

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Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago... Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)As a kid, Marvel's Star Wars comics were just as important to me as the original movie trilogy. Beginning publication in mid-1977 with a 6-part adaptation of Episode 4: A New Hope, the Star Wars comics provided a much-needed monthly fix for the fanatical devotees of George Lucas' nascent vision. Current license holder Dark Horse Comics is now in their second round of reprinting the classic Marvel series, this time using its affordable digest-sized omnibus format to collect 27-or-so issues per volume. It's a great deal and a much appreciated break for this struggling comic reader.
Anyone demanding stories that fit perfectly with today's Star Wars universe should pass on STAR WARS OMNIBUS: A LONG TIME AGO... VOLUME 1, as Lucas' only plan at the time was that there was no plan, no matter how much he'd like us to believe otherwise. Nevertheless, writers Roy Thomas, Don Glut, Archie Goodwin, and Mary Jo Duffy do an admirable job of adapting and continuing the adventures initiated in ANH. The movie adaptation was put together from an early draft of Lucas' script, so it contains scenes that were deleted from the original theatrical release and offers interesting expansion on certain elements. After that, it's a wild ride that continues to focus on the original group of heroes while bringing in a huge supporting cast of colorful characters. Multi-part stories include an adventure in the vein of Seven Samurai, an excursion to "Doomworld", and the life-or-death stakes of The Wheel. These are broken up with some welcome one-shots that focus on specific characters. Whether they feature a talking humanoid rabbit, delusional Jedi knight, self-loathing cyborg, smart-alecky droids, gaily attired space pirates, aquatic dragons, or even an unintentional precursor to Lando Calrissian, these stories fascinate me. Maybe it's simply due to their making such a huge impression on me as a child, but whatever the reason, I have no problem reconciling these stories with the original trilogy. The Star Wars universe was wide open in the late `70s, and this series simply made it that much more interesting.

As for the art chores, it's a very solid lineup. Howard Chaykin pencils the first 10 issues with inkers of varying quality. After that, the majority of the art is provided by the legendary Carmine Infantino. Infantino had already shifted to a more distinctive style in the '70s that really brought these stories to life, and being inked by the great Terry Austin never hurts. Herb Trimpe fills in for one issue, and Walt Simonson, who would eventually go on to become the regular series artist, provides his initial contribution.
This release encourages me to try some of the Omnibuses that feature Dark Horse's own contributions to the Star Wars legacy, and there are plenty of those to keep me occupied for a while.

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Collecting the first twenty-six issues of the Marvel Comics Star Wars series that launched in 1977 (the same year as the first film), this first volume of Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago . . . . is a must have for any Star Wars fan!Future volumes will include material not previously collected along with the consecutively numbered Marvel run: the comics adaptation of Return of the Jedi, material from Marvel UK, the Droids and Ewoks series, and other rare Star Wars comics.

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Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy Review

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(More customer reviews)A bit of a history lesson here is necessary for the uninitiated. Odds are that there will be few (uninitiated) here, given that most drawn to this review will have working familiarity with the subject matter, but I'll supply a few details from memory anyhow. Call it posterity. Once the lights in the theatre went out on STAR WARS: EPISODE 6: RETURN OF THE JEDI, serious Star Wars enthusiasts had no idea when (or even if) they'd be treated to another adventure in their most favorite cinematic universe. The original trilogy had come to its close with mild controversy (Ewoks? Really, George? Were they necessary?) with some fanfare -- after seriously amping up the stakes in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK -- and 1983 seemed to bring an end to the continuing adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the rest of the gang.
Then, in 1992, science fiction novelist Timothy Zahn's new trilogy of Star Wars tales began, and it reminded Star Wars fans everywhere of the latent potential still lingering like a welcome disturbance in the Force in that galaxy far, far away. Over the course of the next few years, Zahn did as Lucas had done with the original trilogy, amping up the stakes just a little bit at each crazy turn, whetting fandom's appetite for even more visits to these distant worlds ... and the good folks at Dark Horse Comics were all too happy to oblige. Eventually, Dark Horse stumbled onto the brilliant idea to adapt Zahn's books; these novels had, after all, earned a special place in the hearts of most Star Wars fans, so much so that most consider these outings as unofficial Episodes 7, 8, and 9, picking up the events of Luke & company nearly a decade after JEDI ended.
Dark Horse completed three miniseries adaptations -- each with six issues, each miniseries focusing on one of Zahn's novels -- ultimately and inevitably re-releasing each of these three miniseries in trade paperback forms, and now Dark Horse Books has finally put them all together in one grand spanking adventure. At over 400 pages, STAR WARS: THE THRAWN TRILOGY is the ultimate fan package, returning Star Wars fans to the excitement they felt with each passing chapter of Zahn's massive adventure. It's not a light undertaking in the slightest: these comics go to great lengths to capture the details of the books, bringing many new characters, worlds, ships, and situations that, honestly, fit like a glove in Lucas's fantastic universe.
In a nutshell, the New Republic has grown to encompass many worlds, but elements of the Empire -- namely, several surviving ships, bases, and one nasty Grand Admiral Thrawn -- have come across data that indicates the Emperor held a few tricks up his sleeve even in death. A hidden Dark Jedi Master ... ship cloaking technology ... and a mountain fortress complete with cloning cylinders mean that the return of the Empire has always remained a virtually galactic heartbeat away, leaving Adm. Thrawn to hatch his plan to return the forces of evil to reign in the galaxy. Standing in his way? The usual suspects of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and they each have special roles to play, alongside a growing legion of smugglers and Rebel fighter pilots ...
Read closely, and you'll find it hard to believe that the theatres were dark with new cinematic Star Wars adventures for two decades!
Zahn weaves his tale with several new faces and even some new twists on the ol' ones, and he brings an adult, dramatic, treacherous sensibility to bare on every development. THE THRAWN TRILOGY is a massive undertaking -- wouldn't it be great to get three more Star Wars stories up on the silver screen -- and, while it might not be to everyone's liking, it certainly tickled mosts fancies when so little else was happening in this universe. While some of the events feel a bit rushed toward the end of the collection, this is one story worth visiting again and again, not only for nostalgia but also because it's great to have Star Wars making all of us feel like a kid again.
May the Force be with you. Always.

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