Being an older and devoted “Star Wars” fan, my dementia sets in right about the time Luke Skywalker marries Mara Jade, Han and Leia Solo bring up twins, and some dude named Starkiller betrays Darth Vader.
So as I sit down to try to digest Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Lost Suns (Dark Horse Comics, nos. 1 to 3, $3.50 each), yet another dense story based on a long, long, longer time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I find my head swirling.
The headache kicks in immediately in the first of this five-issue series as I learn a bit about Bela Kiwiiks, the ash planes of Lenico, Necroswarm Colonies and some Jedi named Jaric Kaedan, a master of Juyo-Kos, no less.
Aaagh, the pain.
Based on the upcoming massive multiplayer online role playing video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, players, I mean readers, dive into a comic book series taking place thousands of years before the Skywalker family ever caused the Sith any trouble.
Things eventually settle down in my noggin as an odd trio — failed Jedi Theron Shan (an agent of the Republic’s Strategic Information Service), Jedi Master Ngani Zho (an old guy with much knowledge) and prisoner Teff’Ith (a female Twi’lek slaver warming up to Theron) — work together to stop the evil plans of Darth Mekhis.
For me, just some small rescue lines of familiarity had me caught up in writer Alexander Reed’s prose and kept me riveted.
The help arrived by the second issue.
Someone’s using a lightsaber, a good sign. An Imperial Dreadnaught is in sight (kind of like a Star Destroyer), I remember those. Coruscant, Jedi Council and somebody said “May the Force be with you.” Yes, I’m in my comfort zone.
Unfortunately, my comfort with the artwork was not so satisfying.
Since I’ve also been reading Dark Horse’s Star Wars comics for quite a while, I’m biased toward my favorite artists.
No disrespect to David Daza and Dave Ross, but I’ll always be smitten with the style of Douglas Wheatley and Jan Duursema. Just let them draw everything, OK?
Suffice it to report, I’m waiting for the video game much like a padawan waiting to visit a crystal cave to build his lightsaber.
So I’ll enjoy Lost Suns in anticipation of the game and the Star Wars geekery is still proudly displayed.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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