Darko Macan

This one is rather bleak story.

After years and years of conflict Jedi and Sith are reduced to the small armies scavenging food and materiel on the devastated world of Ruusan. Although they speak between themselves as if they are mighty commanders and lords (you gotta love Bane commenting "Now everybody is a lord?") these armies are gutted by long attrition warfare on surface of Ruusan.

In order to deprive their opponents of any Force-wielders as reinforcements both sides heavily recruit everybody with Force talent they can find. They recruit everybody - both adults and kids. This might be off putting to some but it does make sense - history has shown that Dark Side is very adept at recruiting people to its cause so Jedi (although it makes their commander Hoth sick) are aware that Sith must not be allowed to reinforce their ranks.

And so we come to follow our "mighty" trio - Tomcat, Bug and Rain. Together they will experience both horrors of war (particularly bloody reception they receive when they arrive to Ruusan) and their failings as persons - some will fight to the death for their ideals, some will prove to be of traitorous spirit while others will find their calling in most unexpected places.

This is not story of hope but story where both sides - Brotherhood of Darkness and Army of Light - are aware that to break the stalemate everything needs to go. Both sides are aware that they are no longer forces fighting out of ideals but for mere survival and it is better to perish on the battlefield then to live with shame. And so from the utter destruction modern Sith and new Jedi order will rise.

Some will compare this book with novels of Darth Bane and story does complement the novels but if you expect Darth bane to play major role here you will be disappointed. He does appear but only in the background because he has his own agenda to attend to and decision of warring parties [that he utterly detests] to wipe themselves out he welcomes with his whole heart.

I liked it a lot, especially because of depictions of war and unnecessary sacrifices and the ways immature people see war - in songs and epics it is usually depicted as something noble, idealistic but on the ground, no matter if one is civilian or member of warring factions, war is nothing but constant worry about survival.

Recommended to all Star Wars fans.… (more)

Star Wars: Vader’s Quest collects the four-issue Dark Horse Comics miniseries of the same name written by Darko Macan with art and letters by Dave Gibbons, and colors by Angus McKie. The series takes place in the immediate aftermath of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, with Darth Vader learning the name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star - Skywalker. While he begins hunting for Luke, a disgruntled Rebel pilot inadvertently gives away Luke’s location, leading to a showdown on a mining world under Imperial yoke. The story itself is fun and evocative of many of the lighthearted Star Wars works from the mid- to late-1990s. Gibbons’s art in particular stands out, with a distinctive visual style that matches the story’s tone rather than something photorealistic. A fun read that will entertain fans, but one that was quickly supplanted by other Expanded Universe content as the prequel films released.… (more)

This was a quick, easy read. The main event in the comic takes place after the death of Chewbacca. The droids R2-D2 and C-3PO are going around conducting interviews with people who knew the wookie for a tribute. This device serves as the frame for the stories presented about the life of the wookie. I liked it, but the stories at times seem a bit short. They are more like slices of life. However, if you are a fan of the character, or just want to see a bit more into the Star Wars universe, you will probably like this volume. I liked it. It was a nice addition.… (more)