Joe Books' second Rebels comic is Star Wars: Rebels - Path of the Jedi Cinestory Comic. Like the other books in this series, this 384 page fumetti-style book is priced at $14.99 and contains five episodes from the Rebels animated series:
Empire Day (season 1 episodes 8)
Gathering Forces (season 1 episode 9)
Path of the Jedi (season 1 episode 10)
Vision of Hope (season 1 episode 12)
Call to Action (season 1 episode 13)
Star Wars: Rebels - Path of the Jedi Cinestory Comic a - Joe Books, U.S. (November 2017)
Dark Horse Comics managed the Star Wars comic license admirably from 1991 until the license returned to Marvel Comics in 2015. They published many Star Wars titles during that run and, for me, a majority of those comics were well received. Unfortunately, their first Darth Vader title, the 5-issue mini-series Darth Vader and the Lost Command, failed to live up to the thoughtfulness Dark Horse has traditionally shown to the brand.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (January 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (January 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #2a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (February 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #3a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (March 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #4a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (April 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #5a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2011)
To be fair, the gist of the story itself is not terrible. While it does not specifically mention when the story takes place, visual clues and Vader's status place the tale during the early years of the Empire. Darth Vader has not risen to command the Imperial ranks and the Imperial Troopers are all wearing clone armor and the vehicles are mostly those seen in the prequel trilogy. Vader is tasked by Emperor Palpatine to rescue Grand Moff Tarkin's missing son, Admiral Garoche Tarkin, from the unexplored Ghost Nebula in the Atoan System. He is accompanied by Captain Shale, a friend of Garoche, and the 501st Legion. They immediately start fighting natives of the region and ally themselves with Lady Saro, a high priestess of the natives who agrees to help Vader find the missing Garoche if she is made queen of the Ghost Nebula. Vader convinces Palpatine that killing Garoche instead of rescuing him will allow Tarkin to focus his hatred on his tasks for the Empire. Throughout the story, Vader has vivid dreams of an alternative life with Padme Amidala, one where he did not kill her and help bring about the fall of the Jedi Order. These dreams intersect with the situations that Vader faces and influence his reaction to what is transpiring. Vader and Shale utilize Lady Sharo's knowledge in pursuing the location of Garoche. Eventually it is revealed that Garoche has turned traitor to the Empire and is working with Lady Saro. Captain Shale turns on Vader to help his friend and Vader eventually dispatches Shale, Garoche, and Lady Sharo.
Unfortunately, choices are made that ultimately undercut an otherwise serviceable story. Throughout much of the story Darth Vader does not wear his helmet for various reasons. This does not make sense since the helmet provides vital life-support needed for Vader to breath. Additionally, at this point in Vader's life, his face should be horribly scarred from his battle on Mustafar, but he is instead depicted at points as a bald person with a few bumps on his head.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (February 2011) page 5
To compound the visual problems, Vader is drawn as if his outfit is too big for him or his proportions in some panels are unnatural. Some of this could be forgiven if Vader was a secondary character, but this is a title that centers of him.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #2a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (February 2011) last page
Despite the problems with the artwork on the interior, the covers are nice and reminiscent of alternative cover artwork that is present on modern Marvel titles.
The first comic book mini-series was published by DC Comics cover dated from July to September 1979 with the 3-issue World of Krypton. The story was originally scheduled to appear in DC's recently revived Showcase title, but when that title was suddenly canceled with issue #104 cover dated September 1978 during the "DC Implosion", the story was instead published in it's own limited series the following year. DC would continue to publish a few more mini-series in 1980 and 1981 and they also debut the first maxi-series with Camelot 3000 in 1982.
Marvel Comics would publish it's first mini-series cover dated from June to August 1982 with the 3-issue Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions. Cover dated from September to December 1982, Marvel Comics published two 4-issue mini-series titled after superhero characters Wolverine and Hercules followed by the 4-issue mini-series The Vision and Scarlet Witch starting in November 1982. A 4-issue Hawkeye mini-series would follow with cover dates from September to December 1983. The next mini-series published by Marvel would be the 4-issue adaptation of Return of the Jedi starting the following month with a cover date of October 1983, but published in July 1983.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 1983)
All 4 issues are written by Archie Goodwin with artwork by Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon. This same trio performed identical chores for The Empire Strikes Back adaptation in Star Wars #39 - 44. As expected from the artistic duo, the artwork is excellent and Al Williamson's embellishments on the denizens at Jabba's Palace and Barge are fun to look at. It is unfortunate that the adaptation was cut down to 4 issues however, as both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back received 6 issue adaptations. Each issue has an opening splash page and a handful of trailing pin-up pages. Additionally, each issue has a full page panel in the middle of the 17 pages of story. This results in the story unfolding at a breakneck speed. One of the highlights of the movie is the speeder bike chase which in the comic is condensed down to two pages, one page of the actual bike chase and another page with Luke Skywalker using his lightsaber to dispatch the Imperial Scout Trooper after Luke is thrown from his speeder.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #2b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1983)
Unfortunately, there are several glaring omissions in the story, such as Princess Leia Organa's initial meeting with Wicket, which is instead glossed over quickly when Leia at the Ewok village tells a captured Luke:
Princess Leia Organa:One of these little folk-- the Ewoks-- found me after my run-in with the Imperials. I guess he was impressed since the Ewoks don't like them either!
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #3b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 1983)
Wicket, who is never shown in any issue, does get an incorrect mention in the fourth issue though with blurbs that read:
The Ewok's name is Wicket. He is the one who first befriended Princess Leia. He has reunited his new allies with their main strike force and led them to the Imperial shield generator bunker.
... And is now about to draw off the guards at its entrance!
The problem here is the Ewok that stole the speeder bike is Paploo, not Wicket! I find this humorous considering Wicket would be the lead character in the Ewoks title from Marvel a few years later.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #4b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 1984)
Another unfortunate omission is the funeral pyre that Luke builds for his father Anakin Skywalker and the appearance of the trio of force ghosts: Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda.
The same month Return of the Jedi #1 was released, the Star Wars title was on issue #76. It would not be until issue #81 before the Star Wars title moves the story beyond Return of the Jedi and issue #78 is a filler. I suspect the advent of the mini-series, the conclusion of the "Search for Han Solo" story in the ongoing title being several issues away, as well as Marvel not necessarily knowing how to proceed post-Return of the Jedi, prompted Marvel to publish the Return of the Jedi adaptation as a separate title.
