Star Wars Comics: Shadows of the Empire #2-4 , Splinter of the Mind's Eye #4, X-Wing Rogue Squadron #9-10, The Golden Age of the Sith #0

My Recent Reads

Shadows of the Empire #2

Originally Published June 1, 1996

Writer: John Wagner

Artist: Kilian Plunkett

In-Story Timeline: 3.5 ABY

via Amazon

• Prince Xizor is the new baddie in Shadows of the Empire.  He's an underworld kingpin and the Emperor has enlisted his help in crushing the Rebellion.
• Vader, however, sees Xizor as a rival.
• Luke, Leia and Chewie head to Tatooine to save Han from Jabba the Hutt.

Shadows of the Empire #3

July 1, 1996

Wagner/Plunkett

via Wookieepedia

• Jabba's goons attack and capture Luke but they leave him alive.  He's not sure why.

Shadows of the Empire #4

August 7, 1996

Wagner/Plunkett

via Wookieepedia

• Apparently there are two separate bounties out on Luke: one from Vader requiring he be taken alive and one for slightly less that he be dead.  As yet, the patron for the second bounty is unknown.
• Meanwhile, rival bounty hunters attack Slave I, hoping to bring Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt themselves.  Boba Fett successfully fends them off.

Splinter of the Mind's Eye #4

June 25, 1996

Terry Austin/Chris Sprouse

Based on the novel of the same name by Alan Dean Foster

2 ABY

via Wookieepedia

• Luke wins his fight with the Coway warrior, thus earning his respect and a banquet invitation for the whole gang.
• Vader spoils the party, attacking the Coway village.
• Luke wins his duel with Vader by default when the latter trips over his own severed arm and falls into a dark pit.
• Obviously, Vader must get out somehow in time for the events of The Empire Strikes Back.
• The Kaiburr crystal is obtained and Halla gives it to Luke.
• Fun series - quite faithful to the book.

X-Wing Rogue Squadron #9: Battleground: Tatooine, Part 1

June 25, 1996

Michael A. Stackpole and Jan Strnad/John Nadeau

4 ABY

via Amazon

• Rogue Squadron is off to Tatooine.  With Jabba the Hutt's death, all of his stolen Imperial hardware and weapons is seemingly up for grabs.  The Rogues must claim it for the Rebels before anyone else can get it and use it against them.

X-Wing Rogue Squadron #10: Battleground: Tatooine, Part 2

July 2, 1996

Stackpole and Strnad/Nadeau

via Amazon

• The devoted know the name Biggs Darklighter, Luke's buddy growing up on Tatooine.  He joined the Rebellion before Luke and was killed during the Battle of Yavin.  In this issue, we meet his father, a criminal warlord in his own right.
• Darklighter has an important data disc.  Winter and Tycho go undercover to try to steal it but in the midst of the heist, it's stolen out from under them by a band of Rodians.

Tales of the Jedi - The Golden Age of the Sith 0: Conquest and Unification

July 31, 1996

Kevin J. Anderson/Chris Gossett

5,000 BBY

• A new Jedi-archive story begins, set yet another 1,000 years before the Ulic/Exar Kun saga.
• The new heroes are Gav and Jori Daragon, the young adult children of two supply runners who have just been killed.
• As much as I admire the purpose of Tales of the Jedi in expanding the history of the galaxy far, far away, I don't think I'm up for investing in a whole new story.  
• My exploration of Star Wars comics is taking sharper focus.  I prefer stories with the original characters in more or less the original timeline.  Also, the Rogue Squadron series offers something a little different, breaking away from the broader Jedi/Sith narrative, bringing in the grunt soldier perspective - something I often enjoy in any idiom.  At least so far, any series beyond those have trouble drawing me in.