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"Outlander:
Review by Chad Clark |
(Note: Click on images to see full cover art)
Outlander: Exile of Sharad Hett |
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| Writer: Pencillers: Inkers: Letterers: Colorist: Editors: Cover Artist: |
Tim Truman Tom Raney, Rob Pereira, Rick Leonardi Mark Lipka, Stephen Hawthorne Michael Taylor, Steve Dutro Dave McCaig Dave Land & Peet Janes Ken Kelly |
Events really take off and roll in the first issue. The writer and artists do a fabulous job introducing all the characters involved and giving them all enough storyline to whet our appetite and bring us back for more. The story begins on Tatooine where we learn that the Sand People have raided Anchorhead. Then they appear and raid a Jawa trading post and we see their leader brandishes a lightsaber and speaks Basic. Watching from afar is Aurra Sing, bounty hunter. (Supposedly she made a brief appearance in the new film but I've seen it 5 times and still haven't spotted her.) The scene shifts from Tatooine to Coruscant, where the Jedi Council has convened to discuss this lightsaber-wielding Tusken Raider. It seems the lightsaber is rather famous and its presumed-dead Jedi owner disappeared years ago. Jedi Knight Ki-Adi-Mundi is assigned the task of investigating this mystery and sent back to Tatooine (read Star Wars #1-6 "Prelude to Rebellion" for his first visit).
The next two issues slow down the pace a
little, but don't be discouraged; there is simply more room for the story to play out.
Writer Tim Truman mixes enough action with exposition that you won't get bored.
Ki-Adi-Mundi departs for Tatooine but not before another Jedi, a female who refers to
herself as "the dark woman" warns Ki that his life will be forever changed
"within the deserts of another's heart." Shift to Aurra Sing destroying a
cantina because someone thought she was a Jedi. As she watches (with macrobinoculars)
Ki-Adi arrive she appears to recognize him. Ki travels to Jabba's palace where a truce
between the gangster and the Jedi. Then Jabba offers Ki transport across the desert. Of
course Jabba betrays him, the Jedi Knight is attacked by Jabba's henchmen in the middle of
a sandstorm. I won't spoil any more of the story; it’s good enough that I hope you'll
pick it up and find out for yourself what happens. Suffice it to say that banthas, womp
rats and even a Krayt Dragon are involved.
My only real complaint about this series is a
small one: the change of artists from issue to issue. In the first issue we have
pencillers Tom Raney & Rob Pereira with Mark Lipka inking. Next up is Rick Leonardi on
pencils but still using Lipka for inks. Issue three brings back Rob Pereira on pencils but
now with Stephen Hawthorne laying ink. Usually this is very disconcerting for a reader as
the style changes from one issue to the next. But these artists all have similar styles
and the casual reader won't even notice. More discerning readers will notice but, like me,
will probably marvel out how well the story still works. It'll be interesting to see who
finishes up the second half of this story.
Going above and beyond the call of duty is cover artist Ken Kelly. The first cover is just beautiful and should be offered as a print somewhere down the road. It is that good. The next two are really terrific, too, but simpler in design so lack the striking features so prevalent on the first. Still very nice though. All in all I'm going to have to recommend this storyline to everyone. I think fans of the classic trilogy will like it. Fans of the new film will like it. Even comic book fans with no Star Wars interest will like it. Once again Dark Horse has reaffirmed my belief that they should keep the Star Wars license to publish comics. Good job. A+
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(Chad Clark is an aspiring actor and fanatic devotee of Rogue Squadron. When he isn't practicing his heart-melting smile, he writes reviews of the comics he reads while basking in the California sunshine. His agent answers his fan mail at chad@echostation.com)