Star Wars: Purge
Trade Paperback | Kindle Edition
Written by Haden Blackman, Alexander Freed, John Ostrander
Art by Michael Atiyeh, Marco Castiello, Andrea Chella, Jim Hall, Alex Lei, Mark McKenna, Ronda Pattison, Chris Scalf, Douglas Wheatley
Cover by Adam Hughes
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 10, 2013
Cover Price: $17.99

The collected trade paperback of Star Wars: Purge draws together the standalone and miniseries issues released by Dark Horse that follow skirmishes involving Darth Vader as he continues his obsessive purge of the Jedi, following the rise of the Empire across the universe. While Palpatine endures as Emperor, the focus of the Sith become in strengthening the New Order, but Vader soon learns that to purge the galaxy of the Jedi, he must purge his very being of all traces of what once was Anakin Skywalker.

The first chapter, the self-titled “Purge,” was the first comic to be distributed to depict Vader on his Jedi Purge mission. A group of surviving Jedi, having evaded Order 66, collectively meet in an abandoned mine on Kessel, to discuss their options having now faced the fall of their friends and the rise of the empowered Sith. But the gathering’s organizer has something more devious planned, having heard of Vader’s obsession for locating Obi-Wan Kenobi, she puts out word he is with them to meet”¦ and Vader is coming to them.

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison
Written by Haden Blackman
Art by Agustin Alessio
Cover Artwork by Dave Wilkins
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Cover Price: $24.99

Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison is a cornerstone in the Star Wars expanded universe. It is a game changer that produces one of the most intense reads. I have read a lot of Star Wars expanded universe media, and there are a bunch of great novels and comics out there that have explored the depth of the in-universe history of the galaxy from a variety of viewpoints. But Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison has to be one of most superior examples of providing a different perspective – in fact, I think it is perhaps one of the best Star Wars graphic novels I have ever read.

Haden Blackman is the writer for this magnificent publication, and despite the fact that he has had his critics in the past; he truly delivers the good with Ghost Prison. Initially known for his criticized work on Star Wars Galaxies, and his praised efforts on The Force Unleashed multimedia project (the first series especially), Blackman provides a narrative for a perspective from the New Empire, in a dazzling fashion that will tug you emotionally in places, and have you rooting for what we’ve traditionally considered the villains of the Star Wars galaxy.

Star Wars: Darth Vader And The Lost Command
Written by Haden Blackman
Pencils by Rick Leonardi
Inks by Dan Green
Colors by Wes Dzioba
Lettering by Michael Heisler
Cover by Michael Kutsche
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 22, 2011
Cover Price: $24.99

“I am Darth Vader. I am a Dark Lord of the Sith. I am death!”

I have long been a big fan of Star Wars, so when it comes to comic book chronicles from the Expanded Universe, I’m relatively easily pleased. However, Darth Vader and the Lost Command (set 19 years before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) excelled far beyond my expectations, and is an admirable entry into some of the more memorable Star Wars publications in several years.