Review: Star Wars: Purge by John Ostrander, Alexander Freed, et al.

Comic trade paperback, 124 pages
Published 2013 (contents: 2005-13)
Acquired August 2014 
Read December 2018

Star Wars: Purge

Script: John Ostrander, Haden Blackman, Alexander Freed

Art: Douglas Wheatley, Jim Hall and Alex Lei & Mark McKenna, Chris Scalf, Marco Castiello & Andrea Chella

Colors: Ronda Pattison, Michael Atiyeh
Lettering: Michael David Thomas, Michael Heisler

The contents of this collection-- five issues published across seven years-- overlap chronologically with that of Dark Times, so I read it alongside it. It's okay, but not great, but I doubt it could be great: a series of one-shots about Darth Vader hunting down Jedi after Revenge of the Sith can pretty much only go one way again and again. In each story, some minor Jedi character challenges Vader. Usually, the character has appeared in two previous issues since 1999, or perhaps they've never appeared anywhere before at all. Guess what? They go down. Hard.

Obviously most of the stories are trying to give us emotional insight into Vader after his fall, but there's not a lot to give: Vader is angry, even more so than Palpatine wants. Well, sure. The best story in this regard is the third, "The Hidden Blade" by Haden Blackman and Chris Scalf, where Vader's anger actually causes some conflict, getting in the way of his mission. I also liked the final story, "The Tyrant's Fist" by Alexander Freed, Marco Castiello, and Andrea Chella, because a lot of it was told from the perspective of a young Imperial officer, using her to show how the galaxy is adapting to the lack of the Jedi, as they have to be eradicated not just physically, but from the hearts and minds of the people. So a couple decent stories, a couple okay ones. You could do worse, but most of the people involved in this have done better.

Return of the New Jedi Order, Episode IX: "Revenants" by W. Haden Blackman, et al.

Digital comic issue, 60 pages
Published 2003
Acquired and read April 2014

Star Wars Tales #18: "Revenants"

Story: W. Haden Blackman

Pencils: Dub with Niko Henrichon
Inks: Pierre-André Déry

Colors: Phiz
Letters: Steve Dutro

Year One of the Invasion (Month 6)
This issue of the late, lamented Star Wars Tales contains five stories of Boba Fett, ranging from his childhood on Kamino to his time as Mandalore, and I'm here for the last one, set during the early days of the Yuuzhan Vong War (it fits seamlessly between Ruin and Hero's Trial). Han is scouting the Far Rim to see if the Yuuzhan Vong have invaded there when he's shot down on the junkyard world of Raxus Prime and has to fight Boba Fett to stay alive. Only he seems to be killing him again and again...

The art is decent; I like the foreboding backgrounds more than I do the cartoony foregrounds, and the colors done by the so-called "Phiz" are excellent. It was unclear to me that Han was actually killing Fett over and over (until the end, when it was stated outright), not just knocking him out and escaping.

Continuing the thread of the Mandalorians working for the Yuuzhan Vong begun in A Practical Man, "Revenants" is a nice a little tale, a good showcase for Han Solo, who is still awesome even as an old man on his own. It's narrated by a series of letters from "Scoundrel" to "Princess," and it's a strong turning point, well-depicted-- this is the moment where Han goes from moping to fighting back. Which isn't to say that his demons are gone, as we find out in Hero's Trial...