Sulimo
First Post
Hows this for a potentially cool comic (taken from the Newsarama comic site):
With Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones currently ruling movie theater box offices, if makes sense that the comic book license holder Dark Horse would announce a brand new ongoing Star Wars series. The interesting part, however, is that the new series will actually take place in the era of Episodes IV – VI.
In September, DHC’s current ongoing series, set in the final years of the Republic (or the Episodes I – III era) will be joined by another ongoing series, Star Wars: Empire, and as expected, it’s set during the time when the Empire was in control of the Galaxy … or what has come to be known as "the Classic Era".
The series’ first four-issue story arc is titled “Betrayal”, and it’s written by DHC editor Scott Allie and illustrated by Ryan Benjamin, Curtis Arnold and Dave Stewart with covers by Brian Horton. StarWars.com describes the story arc as, “An original story of deception and intrigue in the highest echelons of the Imperial court. The Republic is no more - the corruption of the Senate and the inefficiencies of the Jedi have been swept away following the turbulent Clone Wars. In its place stands the Galactic Empire, ruled over by two Sith practitioners, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
“Not everyone sees this as an improvement, however. Some believe that the Empire needs to be saved from these two shadowy cultists, and thus a quiet insurrection begins to form. Readers will not only revisit classic villains like Darth Vader, but will meet new villainy such as the mysterious Grand Moff Trachta.”
“It's set just before Episode IV,” Allie told Newsarama.com. “High-ranking Imperial officers are planning a coup d'etat against the Emperor and Vader. The ringleader, Grand Moff Trachta, has arranged for a hundred stormtroopers to do the dirty work for them.
“Appropriately, it's really all about betrayal. The generals are betraying the Sith, the generals wind up betraying each other, Vader considers betraying the Emperor, and most of the main characters wind up betraying themselves in one way or another. The Emperor sends Vader to look into rumors of a young Jedi adept on a backwater planet, and the Emperor deliberately plants the idea in Vader's head that this could be the offspring of a fallen Jedi.”
And although Allie admits this time period has been pretty well mined by Star War novels in the past, he says he doesn’t think there's been a story set this close to the beginning of A New Hope.
”The Death Star's being constructed during my story,” he said, “and at the end, Vader is sent to oversee Grand Moff Tarkin's work.”
In order to better distinguish the two ongoing series, also beginning in September the title of the existing ongoing Star Wars series will be amended to Star Wars: Republic.
“No doubt there will be certain characters who appear in both time periods,” explained DHC Star Wars editor Randy Stradley, “but my plan is to make any ‘crossovers’ between the two books strictly a matter of maintaining continuity, and not telling stories that begin in one series and end in another.
”And we're really trying to make both of these books as reader-friendly as possible. There's a huge ‘Expanded Universe’ built up around Star Wars, but our goal is to tell stories that are accessible and enjoyable to even the casual Star Wars fan who may know nothing of the franchise beyond what he or she has seen in the films.”
As to future story arcs for Empire, Stradley told Newsarama.com that stories set anytime during that era and starring any of the classic cast are possibilities, and that the next story following the four-issue “Betrayal” is written by Paul (Concrete) Chadwick and penciled by Doug Wheatley.
Said the editor: “Not to give away the store, but the story is entitled ‘Darklighter’. Star Wars fans will know what it's about…
With Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones currently ruling movie theater box offices, if makes sense that the comic book license holder Dark Horse would announce a brand new ongoing Star Wars series. The interesting part, however, is that the new series will actually take place in the era of Episodes IV – VI.
In September, DHC’s current ongoing series, set in the final years of the Republic (or the Episodes I – III era) will be joined by another ongoing series, Star Wars: Empire, and as expected, it’s set during the time when the Empire was in control of the Galaxy … or what has come to be known as "the Classic Era".
The series’ first four-issue story arc is titled “Betrayal”, and it’s written by DHC editor Scott Allie and illustrated by Ryan Benjamin, Curtis Arnold and Dave Stewart with covers by Brian Horton. StarWars.com describes the story arc as, “An original story of deception and intrigue in the highest echelons of the Imperial court. The Republic is no more - the corruption of the Senate and the inefficiencies of the Jedi have been swept away following the turbulent Clone Wars. In its place stands the Galactic Empire, ruled over by two Sith practitioners, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
“Not everyone sees this as an improvement, however. Some believe that the Empire needs to be saved from these two shadowy cultists, and thus a quiet insurrection begins to form. Readers will not only revisit classic villains like Darth Vader, but will meet new villainy such as the mysterious Grand Moff Trachta.”
“It's set just before Episode IV,” Allie told Newsarama.com. “High-ranking Imperial officers are planning a coup d'etat against the Emperor and Vader. The ringleader, Grand Moff Trachta, has arranged for a hundred stormtroopers to do the dirty work for them.
“Appropriately, it's really all about betrayal. The generals are betraying the Sith, the generals wind up betraying each other, Vader considers betraying the Emperor, and most of the main characters wind up betraying themselves in one way or another. The Emperor sends Vader to look into rumors of a young Jedi adept on a backwater planet, and the Emperor deliberately plants the idea in Vader's head that this could be the offspring of a fallen Jedi.”
And although Allie admits this time period has been pretty well mined by Star War novels in the past, he says he doesn’t think there's been a story set this close to the beginning of A New Hope.
”The Death Star's being constructed during my story,” he said, “and at the end, Vader is sent to oversee Grand Moff Tarkin's work.”
In order to better distinguish the two ongoing series, also beginning in September the title of the existing ongoing Star Wars series will be amended to Star Wars: Republic.
“No doubt there will be certain characters who appear in both time periods,” explained DHC Star Wars editor Randy Stradley, “but my plan is to make any ‘crossovers’ between the two books strictly a matter of maintaining continuity, and not telling stories that begin in one series and end in another.
”And we're really trying to make both of these books as reader-friendly as possible. There's a huge ‘Expanded Universe’ built up around Star Wars, but our goal is to tell stories that are accessible and enjoyable to even the casual Star Wars fan who may know nothing of the franchise beyond what he or she has seen in the films.”
As to future story arcs for Empire, Stradley told Newsarama.com that stories set anytime during that era and starring any of the classic cast are possibilities, and that the next story following the four-issue “Betrayal” is written by Paul (Concrete) Chadwick and penciled by Doug Wheatley.
Said the editor: “Not to give away the store, but the story is entitled ‘Darklighter’. Star Wars fans will know what it's about…
