Carlos D'Anda

A pretty good book about the triggering of two unknowing sleeper agents inside the Teen Titans and Outsiders teams of young super heroes. My main complaint is the ridiculous suspension of disbelief required for how both of them neglect to kill anyone on their teams when first triggered and catching them unawares, easily overpowering their teammates, only to then return with the express purpose of killing them once they've regrouped and prepared for it. I suppose there was no way around that, but it could surely have been handled in a way where it was easier, especially in the Teen Titans case, to buy it. Oh well. Otherwise a quick, fun read with some satisfyingly potent emotional repercussions.… (more)

Art as far as the backgrounds/landscapes/technology goes is beautiful, with the use of light being particularly noteworthy, however the character art is a bit more hit or miss.

As far as the story goes, I found the main plot involving Leia disappointing. Yeah, she's "badass", but her being a hotshot X-Wing pilot at this stage of the rebellion is distracting, and she has a annoying strop halfway through the story because Luke flirted with another woman. The Han and Vader stories were more interesting, but sadly suffered for being the sub-plots. Presumably in future issues/trades their stories get more focus, so that's something to look forward to.… (more)

Finally as the series reaches its end it is able to deliver. The characterization of the classic trio in this volume is the best this series has been able to do. I still have problems with the portrayal of Vader and his relationship with the Emperor, but overall the author seemed to focus on good storytelling rather than rewriting the main characters. All three story arcs kept me much more engaged than previous stories in the series, with my favorite being, "Five Days of Sith".

The "Five Days of Sith" arc had one of the first original characters in this series that I was actually invested in. Ensign Nanda and her narration give a very horrific view into what it would be like to follow Darth Vader on a quest for answers and vengeance. She is in a position that very few have ever been in. She spends her five days with Vader in constant fear, and we don't know if she will make it out alive.

I had an issue with Vader's initial conversation with the Emperor. He was a little short with his master and stepped a bit out of line, more than I would expect the Emperor to allow. Obi-Wan speaking to Vader does not work for me. The author keeps pushing this idea throughout the series that Obi-Wan is communicating with others during this time period. I see Obi-Wan as only using his power to speak to Luke beyond the grave when it is absolutely necessary, and to steer him in the proper direction. Using this power to taunt Vader is wasteful and un-jedi like. Vader clearly states in The Empire Strikes Back that Obi-Wan can no longer help him (Luke).

I'm curious what Marvel is going to do in 2015 since their main Star Wars title will also be set in this era. The original Marvel comics, Darkhorse's Empire and Rebellion series, and this series were all set in the period between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. With this series almost serving as a reboot for this era, what else can Marvel do that hasn't already been done?… (more)