Comic Review: Star Wars Dark Times #13

 Gangs of the Inner Rim

By Jeffery Cox 

Star Wars Dark Times #13: Blue Harvest (1 of 5)

The Jedi have been outlawed for four months and the few remaining are hunted relentlessly by the Empire. In an attempt to find a new place for himself in the galaxy, former Jedi, Dass Jennir, reinvents himself as a gun-for-hire. On his first paid gig, he must balance his Jedi principles with the only job he can take that his skills are good for, a mercenary. Paralleling his story, Anakin Skywalker, now the deformed Sith cyborg, Darth Vader, is beginning to question his value to the newly instated emperor.

Dass is hired to break up a gang of Slave-runners that is ruining the tourist trade on a backwater called Telerath. Right away, he finds out the job is not as advertised. There is a second gang of Spice dealers that his employer, the distractingly attractive Ember Chankel, failed to tell him about.

He also discovers the unique way the peace is kept on Telerath - sword-law. All disputes are decided in private duals, and blasters are forbidden due to their lack of discrimination. And so the strongest sword arm makes the law. It just so happens that the strongest sword arm belongs to Mors Demanna, the head enforcer for the Slavers. Demanna proves to be a brutal captain, maiming and killing at any infraction.

Mick Harrison sets the stage for a fantastic asymmetrical showdown akin to a great spaghetti western with a tip of the hat to Kurosowa’s Yojimbo. He develops the story naturally without any artificial sense of urgency. Vader’s internal monologue is perfect, exposing his insecurity while maintaining all the menace the dark lord is known for.

Matching Harrison’s craftsmanship is the art of Douglas Wheatley and Dave McCaig. The scenery is lush with detail, and Wheatley is able to transmit subtle emotions in the body language and expressions of his subjects. This is a worthwhile read.

Specs

TITLE	STAR WARS Dark Times #13: Blue Harvest (1 of 5)
PUBLISHER	Dark Horse
BOOK RELEASED	April 2009
COVER PRICE	$2.99
WRITER	Mick Harrison
ARTIST	Douglas Wheatley
LETTERING	Michael Heisler
COLORIST	Dave McCaig

*Image via Dark Horse Comics (Used with permission)

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