The Star Wars #1
Written by J.W. Rinzler
Illustrated by Mike Mayhew
Adapted from an Original Rough-Draft Screenplay by George Lucas
Colored by Rain Beredo
Lettered by Michael Heisler
Cover by Nick Runge
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: September 4, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

At first glance, the “The” in The Star Wars #1 looks like an unfortunate typo. After all, everyone knows (or should know) that the George Lucas-created Star Wars franchise doesn’t and never has carried an article before the title. It’s simply Star Wars. The “the” in this comic book series, however, isn’t a typo or mistake. It’s intentional. It’s the new eight-issue mini-series produced by Dark Horse Comics based on, as the cover proudly proclaims, Lucas’ “Original Rough-Draft Screenplay” for Star Wars (“Longer ago, in a galaxy even further away”¦” per the cover copy), as in the first screenplay Lucas produced on the long road (three years) between the release of American Graffiti in 1974 and the release of Star Wars three years later.

Mass Effect: Foundation #2
Written by Mac Walters
Art by Tony Parker
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Michael Heisler
Covers by Benjamin Carré
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: August 28, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

In Mass Effect: Foundation #2, we are brought through a day at the citadel. Wrex and Rasa separately are trying to track down Mr. Fist. With Rasa’s purpose to delay Wrex, whose aim is to kill Mr. Fist. Wrex though is having fun fighting through the “distractions” and by distractions, I mean thugs and hired killers.

The writing in this issue is great and flows amazingly well. The story is easy to follow, and not particularly long. This is a much more engaging story than the first issue.

Mass Effect: Foundation #1
Written by Mac Walters
Art by Omar Francia
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Michael Heisler
Covers by Benjamin Carré
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 24, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Mass Effect: Foundation #1 is the first of a 13-part series based on the popular science fiction video game franchise, Mass Effect. Written by Mac Walters and illustrated by Omar Francia, the story takes place 22 years before the first game, looking into the past to establish the origin story for what we can assume will be the main character going forward.

The comic has potential but has a few flaws. The story seems a bit forced and the dialogue more suited for a video game than a comic. The art is inconsistent in a way that seems almost detrimental to the flow. It also didn’t help with following the plot and catching all the exposition. There is nothing particularly great about it, and the problems I mentioned aren’t very obvious, but they are when you read it more than once.

Star Wars #6
Script by Brian Wood
Art by Carlos D’anda and Gabe Eltaeb
Cover by Rodolfo Migliari
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 12, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

While the first five issues of Brian Wood‘s Star Wars "self-titled" series from Dark Horse have been spectacular, the latest chapter seems to take an unusual turn, as the story delves from what felt and seemed to be an inevitable conclusion to a transitional tale.

Stranded in the middle of space, Leia’s small stealth group of starfighters float helplessly – after being discovered by an Imperial fleet and attacked, the group retreated blindly, resulting in the Princess’ X-Wing sustaining extensive damage, and with her dangerously wounded. Luke, along with new friend Prithi both rush to the rescue of the stealth group – but the Empire is on to them, and it is only a matter of time before that Star Destroyer shows up.

The new Star Wars series has brought with it some substantial character-focused content, highlighting elements (both emotional and transitional) that have rarely been opened up in previous Expanded Universe media. This has been a welcome breath of fresh air – though with issue six, the writing is relatively void of this content. Though we follow a spacewalk-based rescue (which is actually pretty damn cool) revolving a dilemma into a tactical advantage (also cool)”¦ The action is then followed by a sequence of events that do very little to wrap up significant elements and instead act as lackluster teaser material for the next installment.

Star Wars: Dark Times – Fire Carrier #5
Script by Randy Stradley
Art by Gabriel Guzman
Colors by Garry Henderson
Cover by Douglas Wheatley
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 5, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

The Dark Times series of Star Wars is, mostly, as what the title says: a darker era of the saga. This largely unexplored epoch of the history of the galaxy is ripe for exploration, examining the events of those two decades between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. While the series has largely followed new personalities, two of the dramatis personae are known to many fans: Darth Vader (of course), and Jedi Master K’Kruhk, first introduced in the Dark Horse comics.

I have a soft spot for K’Kruhk, and he has become one of my favorite characters, mainly because (like the droids C-3PO and R2-D2) he is a metatextual symbol of the followers of the Star Wars saga, be they viewers of the films, readers of the Expanded Universe, or both. He is ever-present in the galaxy, first surfacing in the prequel era of the comics, and not only outlasts Order 66, but lives on in the Star Wars: Legacy series, which is over 100 years after Return of the Jedi. It seems that K’Kruhk’s species of Whiphids also have very long life spans like Wookiees or Yoda’s species.