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Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Star Wars (Dark Horse))

Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker -- alive. Prince Xizor, the largest trader in the galaxy, wants Skywalker dead. And Skywalker, along with Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids, have a goal of their own: rescue Han Solo. But Solo has been encased in carbonite and taken by the most notorious mercenary in the galaxy, Boba Fett, who intends to deliver him to Jabba the Hutt. It's a clash of good against evil, of right against wrong, and it comes to a head in the Shadows of the Empire . . . Featuring all your favorite characters from the Star Wars motion picture trilogy and a score of new ones, Shadows of the Empire is everything a Star Wars fan could hope for.

Star Wars: Dark Force Rising

The Empire is dying; but like a dog near death, the Empire is at its most dangerous, ready to lash out with nothing to lose. Grand Admiral Thrawn may have found just the firepower needed to take a bite out of the New Republic: some two hundred Dreadnaught heavy cruisers, lost to hyperspace in the days of the Old Republic. Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca may be up against more than they bargained for, but it`s not the first time the odds have been stacked against them!

Death, Lies, and Treachery (Star Wars: Boba Fett)

Is there anyone cooler than Boba Fett? Like a cross between Clint Eastwood and Chow Yun Fat--but with a jetpack and kneepad rocket dart launchers--Fett has always symbolized cool, quiet power. If Fett wants you, you're as good as got (that ridiculous incident over the Great Pit of Carkoon in Return of the Jedi notwithstanding).

So any book or comic featuring his royal Fettness had better be good. Fortunately, our boy gets his due in this quality Dark Horse collection of three previously published comics (Bounty on Bar-Kooda, When the Fat Lady Swings, and Murder Most Foul). The story, by John Wagner of Judge Dredd fame, is by no means brilliant, but it's clever enough to rise a cut above the more schlocky Star Wars spinoff fare. What really sets this collection apart, though, are the moody colors and expert composition of Cam Kennedy (Star Wars: Dark Empire). From our favorite bounty hunter nonchalantly capping some thug without even turning around to breezing through the defenses of a H'unn's criminal stronghold, Death, Lies, and Treachery is classic Fett. --Paul Hughes

Hired by a misguided Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett pursues an intergalactic magician who may hold the key to the Hutt`s future. The fact that the magician has died only poses a slight problem for the bounty hunter . . . not even the dead can escape Boba Fett!

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire (Dark Horse Collection.)

Escape to Hoth (Classic Star Wars, Volume Three)

This is the final volume of reformatted newspaper comic strips from 1981-1984 describing Luke, Han, and Leia's adventures during the time between the end of Star Wars, the movie, and the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. Their previous rebel base has been destroyed and our heroes must escape an Imperial blockade on the world of the Mon Calimari in order to establish a new base on the ice planet of Hoth. Al Williamson, best known for his work on Weird Fantasy and Flash Gordon, provided the lavish artwork.

After the initial euphoria of the Rebel Alliance's first major success -- the destruction of the dreaded Imperial battle station known as the Death Star -- the Empire began to rally. It had been staggered, but not destroyed. Even Darth Vader still lived. And he sought to avenge himself upon the still-ragtag forces of the Rebel Alliance. This is the story of how Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids graduated from the triumphal reception at the conclusion of Star Wars: A New Hope to their new lives as hardbitten guerrillas fighting against the tyrannies of a still-dangerous Empire in The Empire Strikes Back.

Star Wars - Jabba the Hutt: Art of the Deal

Sort of funny and fairly bloody, but not bloody enough to be a caricature of violence, Jabba the Hutt: The Art of the Deal is probably one of the more lackluster Dark Horse titles. Bringing together four previously published comics--The Gaar Suppoon Hit, The Hunger of Princess Nampi, The Dynasty Trap, and Betrayal--this collection is an exercise in Jabba worship, a worthy pursuit to be sure but one deserving of more inspired hands. True to its title, the plot line revolves around Jabba's byzantine wheeling and dealing, but the clumsy writing and cartoony art end up making the Hutt look more silly than sinister. A good one for the kids if it weren't such a gorefest. Check out Gorga the Hutt in Dark Horse's top-drawer Boba Fett: Death, Lies, and Treachery for your Hutt fix. --Paul Hughes

Jabba the Hutt lives to negotiate, and the art of the deal is his only discipline. But the goods he trades are the lives of others, and in that line of business you can`t lose your head. These stories hold a valuable lesson: In a deal with the devil, you can always refuse. In a deal with Jabba, it`s not advised. Follow his adventures into the seediest corners of the galaxy as he encounters vile gangsters, hungry princesses, and back-stabbing opportunists. You`ve seen how Jabba handles negotiations -- but how will he handle betrayal?

The Rebel Storm (Classic Star Wars, Volume Two)

This is the second volume of Star Wars newspaper strips from the early 1980s reformatted for the comic book page. The stories, which take place between the end of Star Wars, the movie, and the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, feel natural instead of forced like so many of the other Star Wars spin-off books. After the events in the previous volume, Luke, Han, and Leia find their rebel base under attack. And so the search for a new home base begins.

There was no peace for the crew members of the Millennium Falcon between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back! Follow their adventures as they plunge head first into an underwater hunt that leads to a demonsquid, a treasonous and plotting Kraaken, the ferocious night beast, lost power gems, stranded Calamarians, and giant sea worms! Will the depths of the oceans spell defeat for the Rebels, or will they emerge victorious?

Dark Empire (Star Wars)

Tom Veitch's original comic strip story traces Luke Skywalker's entrance into the Dark Side in the years after the fall of Darth Vader. The Empire is fragmented, and the Rebels seem on the verge of winning their long struggle when the sinister power of World Devastators emerges from the galactic core. These Devastators chew up worlds and manufacture robotic war machines out of the resources they consume. Luke's dark journey seems the only way to halt the massacre. But despite the importance of Luke in Dark Empire, the portrayal of Leia as an emerging Jedi is really the centerpiece of this volume. Married to Han (who goes flat in Veitch's hands) and with two children, Leia is torn between her role as mother and her role as Jedi warrior. While the story sometimes jumps too quickly between major scenes, Veitch does a good job of capturing the epic feel of George Lucas's masterpiece trilogy. Cam Kennedy's artwork is mixed in quality. Some of his drawings of the Millennium Falcon, hunter-killer probes, and robotic TIE-fighters seem to leap directly from the movie screen, while his human figures (especially of Han and Luke) can appear generic. Also, his style of coloring, using washes of similar colors on each page, is good for capturing moods but tends to obscure details. Despite these occasional shortcoming, this comic is recommended for one simple reason: once you start reading it, you won't be able to put it down. The other two parts of the Dark Empire trilogy include: Dark Empire II and Empire's End.--Patrick O'Kelley

Six years after the Battle of Endor, the fight for freedom rages on. Darth Vader is dead, but a reborn Empire -- under a mysterious new leader -- strikes back at the struggling Rebel Alliance. Massive World Devastators, more powerful and unstoppable than the Death Star, ravage entire planets, while the ruthless heirs of Jabba the Hutt place a monumental price on the heads of Princess Leia and her husband, Han Solo. Along with Lando, Chewbacca, Artoo, Threepio, and other old allies, Han and Leia struggle to protect the future for their unborn child. But their greatest foe may be their closest friend: Luke Skywalker...

Battle of the Bounty Hunters (Star Wars) [Pop-up Comic Book]

First-ever comic book fully produced as a pop-up! The notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett is heading through hyperspace with priceless cargo. His destination: Tatooine, home of Jabba the Hutt. The cargo: one Han Solo, frozen solid in carbonite. But if Boba thought encasing Solo in carbonite was the hardest part of this mercenary mission, he's going to have his eyes opened. It seems Boba's not the only one who wants to collect this bounty . . . Taking place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Battle of the Bounty Hunters is part of the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire storyline. Battle of the Bounty Hunters is a first-of-its-kind pop-up comic book, and with the awe-inspiring painted artwork of Christopher Moeller, it's sure to thrill readers both young and old!

Han Solo at Stars' End (Classic Star Wars, Volume Five)

This trade paperback collects all three issues adapting Brian Daley's classic novel! For fans of the film -- fans of all ages -- this is one worth waiting for.