Old Friends: the regular cast from A New Hope Review: Star Wars Infinities starts off with a very familiar feel. Luke and the Rebel Alliance prepare for an attack on the Death Star. Armed with the knowledge of the chain reaction, which will destroy the Empires' super weapon, Luke fires and hits the exhaust port. Familiar to us all so far, but Star wars Infinities chooses this moment to branch off and send us into a parallel Star Wars universe. Luke's torpedo fails to detonate at the correct time, exploding too early to cause maximum damage. No catastrophic explosion occurs, and the Empires dreaded Death star continues on its way almost unharmed. The storyline is one that asks what if this never happened? And takes us on a journey featuring familiar characters but in unfamiliar circumstances. I'm sure you can start to see in your mind some of the possibilities. The empires firepower bearing down on the Yavin base, the rebels at the mercy of the Death Star. They are forced to scatter and flee. Star Wars Infinities have some amazing fun with these possibilities. Among many new twists we see Luke arriving at Dagobah early, and with none of the events occurring as they would later in The Empire Strikes Back: he stays and becomes a fully trained Jedi under Yoda's training. I enjoyed seeing Han Solo meeting Yoda. The plotline, which sees Leia, captured and manipulated to serve the empire in the five years during Lukes training is a major feature of this novel. And one which sets up the climax of this first Star Wars Infinities adventure. Yoda, a fully trained Luke, Han and Chewie embark on a daring rescue mission to Coruscant to free Leia and crush the Emperor. Some of the artwork at the Imperial home world is fantastic in this book. The true might of the Empire is depicted well, with the twin Death Stars in orbit around the Imperial capital world. It will take all Yoda's force skills and those of the newest Jedi, Luke Skywalker to carry out this mission and make it succeed. The finale to this first parallel universe tale is one of the most exciting I can remember. The whole story is imaginative and even though it features events that have no place in Star wars history as we know it up to now, it remains well thought out and has a very real feel to it. The fantastic scenes featured in the book really are amazing and you will be left wishing that you could see them brought to life one day on a cinema screen. This is Star wars at its best, you can even hear the Imperial march in your head as you scan across the fleets of super star destroyers and see past the Death Stars to Coruscant. The popularity of this graphic novel has ensured two sequels are to be put into print, quite where Star Wars Infinities- Empire Strikes Back will take us I have no idea, and what the writers have in store for the parallel universe Return of the Jedi I can't begin to imagine. But my order is placed at the comic shop right now! And I can't wait to read on. If you want to get back to some classic Star Wars reading this is perfect, and unfamiliar. Definitely the best graphic novel since Dark Empire!
Title: Star Wars Infinities |
1/26/05
