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Star
Wars Tales #5 Review by Toryn
Farr |
Dark Horse is indulging their
bad habit of putting out multiple covers again, this time with a 20-year-old photo of
Billy Dee Williams (and a particularly muddy one at that) as the alternative to an art
cover by Andrew Robinson and Matt Hollingsworth. I might add that the vulgar Hasbro
advertisement on the back cover also rankled me. (Who really wants to explain the word
"horny" to their kids while standing in a comic shop?) Not an auspicious start
to my reading experience.
The error correction page provided the names of the contributors from last issue which got left out due to what should have been a career-ending blunder by somebody. (Not that I would wish that on anyone, even the person who greenlighted the Vader's Quest cover.) And it's straight to the stories ...
Yaddle's Tale: The One Below |
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| Script:
Pencils: Inks: Colors: Letters: |
Dean Motter Jesus Saiz Fernando Blanco Dave Nestelle Vickie Williams |
We open with the prequel-era Jedi Council considering the question of whether or not Yaddle is still a Padawan Learner. We flash back to the planet Koba, where Yaddle and her master Polvin Kut fall under an ambush. Kut is killed, and Yaddle ends up spending decades imprisoned underground. Finally freed by an earthquake, she spends decades more helping the people of Koba rebuild and face their old enemy who had enslaved them. Now, in the present, the Council debates whether or not she should still be considered a Padawan, or even a Jedi, after all these years.
I was completely buffaloed by this story. What does it mean? If, as the story states, Yaddle was a Jedi apprentice at age 200, and at the time of TPM we know from official sources she is 477, does that mean she spent nearly 300 years either imprisoned or marooned? I find it impossible to believe that a Jedi, even an apprentice, could not have levitated a few rocks (or even a few tons of rock) to escape, not to mention a good mind whammy on the folks who kindly brought her food. And once she's back on Coruscant, she's suddenly promoted to Master and put on the Council? (Perhaps it's the Luke Skywalker Method of Jedi Success!) This story did not so much ignore continuity as it trampled it and spat upon it. I feel insulted that the editors would give space to this story without first fixing all the logic holes.
As for the art, I'm not familiar with Saiz and Blanco, but the drawing is quite good, if a bit linear in style. I thought the colors were slightly garish. So, we find out that Yoda has a yellow lightsaber ... or does he? I guess with the endemic lack of continuity, we can't be sure of anything any more. Yaddle prefers fighting with a wooden quarterstaff. Odd, to say the least. Why is Yaddle sitting in a Council seat? I can't get past it. I wanted more stories about Jedi, but if this is what we're going to get, never mind! This one gets a C.
What They Called Me |
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| Story
& Art: Editor: |
Craig Thompson Dave Land |
Despite a stupid and pointless plot I liked this story. The unorthodox layout -- creatively curvy and flowery -- and the pastel palette appealed to me, mostly because they lent some variety to the book. If this story had gone on much beyond the four pages allotted I might have grown tired of it, but this short it works. I also liked seeing the Ewoks humiliated, if only briefly. The piece failed to truly amuse me, but I didn't hate it. You'll have to judge it for yourself, but I give it a B. (I wonder what "Lurdo" means?)
A Summer's Dream |
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| Script:
Pencils: Inks: Colors: Letters: Editor: |
Terry Moore Cliff Richards P. Craig Russell Matt Hollingsworth Clem Robins Scott Allie |
A boy named Ian, son of an advisor to King Veruna of Naboo, falls in love with a 14-year-old political force named Amidala, but when Verona's corruption is exposed, Amidala is elected Queen and Ian's dream is over for good. The writing in this tale of lovers caught up in political rivalry is very poetic, moving at times, but in the end the piece lacks import, and the main character doesn't do much of anything. He is simply swept along by events. As a "documentary" of the abdication of King Veruna, it lacks detail. As a love story, it lacks poignancy. If we're to see a story about Amidala, why not show her taking some sort of action worthy of Queenship?
The art was consistent with the idea of a dream, all summery and light until the crisis, when the colors become darker, more muted. The artists did a fair job of making Amidala look like Natalie Portman. Overall though, this is a bit of fluff, quickly forgotten. B-.
Hoth |
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| Story & Art: Colors: Editor: |
Tony Millionaire Michelle Madsen Phil Amara |
This is just a little one-line joke spread over two pages. Beautiful art, silly story. It made me smile, so I'll give it an A.
Lando's Commandos: On Eagle's Wings |
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| Script:
Art: Colors: Letters: Editor: |
Ian Edginton Carlos Meglia Michelle Madsen Steve Haynie Phil Amara |
A merchant convoy guarded by the New Republic military is ambushed and taken by TIE fighters, the sixth such pirate attack in a month. Desperate officials turn to Lando and his unconventional methods to stop the bandits. Given carte blanche for his operation, Lando recruits a motley assembly of cutthroats and criminals, many of whom hate each other intensely, few of whom are named. They trace the TIEs to a derelict system. Several twists and betrayals later, a traitor is caught and order is restored.
Meglia has an odd, angular style with noses and chins that are literally pointed and short hair on arms and heads that looks like rectangular maggots, all on top of swirly, blurred spacescapes. It's a distinctive, kinetic style that works well for this piece.
That said, the story held my interest most of the way, then disappointed me in the last couple of pages by leaving too many questions unanswered. The ex-Imperial Air Marshal tells a purple-haired girl named Siro that she must live because she has a destiny -- how does he know? And where did the bad guy get a lightsaber? Lando is apparently flying the Millennium Falcon -- how does that fit in with the tight timelines of the novels post ROTJ? Oh, yeah ... it doesn't have to, right? Because we readers of comics don't care about such niggling little details. I liked the art and the premise, so I'll give this one a B.
***
Official word has it that these Tales will be taking ever more liberties with continuity. It's my opinion that the current laxity toward continuity is just plain lazy and wrongheaded. It serves only to confuse (and infuriate) the readers. If future issues of Tales continue this way, I may stop reading them altogether.
Overall, I'll give this issue a B. I definitely am not looking forward to the next issue, and that's a shame. What lost potential! The Star Wars universe is a rich field to explore, but so far the comic writers and editors seem intent on covering the same, worn ground. Perhaps Dave Land and his people should check out the fan fiction and fan art that's being put out by amateurs, much of which is a good deal more interesting and imaginative than what the so-called professionals are producing.
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(Toryn Farr knew everything about Star Wars
back in 1977 thanks to Starlog Magazine. She's been trying to keep her know-it-all
reputation ever since. During the 90 minutes per day her preschooler is napping, Toryn
attempts to run an internet design business and write fantasy fiction.)