Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Dawn Of The Jedi #0
Dark Horse Comics
Ostrander & Duursema

The zero issue of the new Star Wars series is essentially a handbook for the new series. The book basically explains the general set-up of the Star Wars universe some 30,000 years before the films take place. Overall, the book does a good job of moving the massive amount of information and pieces into place in preparation of the new series but I was a little turned off by the price point and the absence of any story pages. Based on how dense this book is with information it sure seems like this will be mandatory reading if you want to hit the ground running when you pick up the first issue in two weeks.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War #1 of 5
Dark Horse Comics
Miller, Mutti & Baldassini

A couple of years ago there was a series that ran for fifty issues called "Knights of the Old Republic". That story was mostly about a young Jedi who witnessed his Masters killing off their apprentices. This mini-series uses that character, Zayne, but takes him into a completely different direction. If you haven't read any of the Knights of the Old Republic fear not, because this story is barely tied to that one. Overall this is a good start to the mini-series that gets back to the basics of Star Wars, which is the galactic conflict.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse #1 of 5
Dark Horse Entertainment
Ostrander, Roux & Hugonnard-Bert

The Star Wars Expanded Universe is a term that gets thrown around a lot and generally refers to the stories that occur outside of the films. However, to me, a general Star Wars buff, I think of the Expanded Universe to literally be the expansion of the known universe within the films. This series is centered exactly within those parameters, particularly in the age leading up to the original film. The hook is that this series is about an agent, not unlike James Bond, that operates for the Empire but will track down whatever he needs to, wherever he needs to. This is a terrific start to a series that is fairly unique that explores an excellent time period. If you have any interest at all in Star Wars and something different within Star Wars then give this one a shot.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars Dark Times: Out of the Wilderness #3 of 5
Dark Horse Comics
Harrison, Wheatley & Jackson

The middle chapter of the latest Dark Times arc provides a bit of crossroads for the lead character while the walls are closing in as the various plots are coming to a collision point. This is a good issue because it continues to show the metamorphous of the surviving Jedi post-Order 66 while evil characters continue to hunt them down for obvious and not so obvious reasons. The book has a little bit of everything in it but it continues to focus mostly on Dass Jennir and his path.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars Invasion: Revelations #5 of 5
Dark Horse Comics
Taylor, Wilson & Dzioba

The third arc in the Star Wars Invasion series ends with a very loud and very Star Wars- like comic. Reminiscent of Return of the Jedi, the book ends with a space battle and a lightsaber based clash, but the ending leaves quite a few plots open for the next series. Overall, this arc has been very good and extremely well focused. This issue helps to create an impatient wait for the next series to launch.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars: Dark Times – Out of the Wilderness #1 of 5
Dark Horse Comics
Harrison (Stradley), Wheatley & Jackson

The next arc of Dark Times launches as the previous have in that Hellboy mini-series style. This mini-series contains multiple threads as the primary character, Dass Jennir, takes a bit of a secondary role in this opening issue. Instead, the issue focuses on those that are pursuing him which makes the story fairly accessible to new readers. The art helps to give the story the classic Star Wars look to it. Overall, I found this issue to be a very good opener to one of my favorite Star Wars series.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars Jedi: The Dark Side #2
Dark Horse Comics
Allie, Asrar & Mounts

The second issue of Jedi: The Dark Side is a tension filled issue as master and learner, father and son and culture to culture all seem to come to some level of a boil. The issue is a good set up to further along the plot on multiple levels and it even serves up a bit of action to keep the issue moving along. The focus of the issue does seem to shift further away from Qui-Gon, which may not be a bad thing as I am underwhelmed with his characterization so far. Overall this is a good issue and gives me enough to keep me interested in this series.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Star Wars: Jedi – The Dark Side #1
Dark Horse Comics
Allie, Asrar & Mounts

Dark Horse unveils its new Star Wars series entitled, "Jedi", with an arc dealing with Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice prior to Obi-Wan. Set some fifty years prior to the Battle of Yavin (approximately twenty years prior to the Phantom Menace) this story doesn't hide the overall plot with its title, "The Dark Side". The first issue establishes a solid cast of characters paired with Qui-Gon and provides a glimpse of what future issues entail. It's a good first issue but it does present a few stumbling blocks that the rest of the arc will hopefully work through. I'm glad to see Dark Horse publishing comics during this era, particularly about this character so I view this issue as an overall win.

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