It's that time again . . . this week's "graphic novel Sunday" is volume 3 in the Clone Wars series, and consists of three stories (but the first two are reviewed together below).
Blood and Rain, Thunder and Lightning
15 months after the Battle of Geonosis, the Republic forces on the rain-soaked planet of Jabiim are being steadily driven back by the Separatists and local forces. Many Jedi are killed, and Obi-Wan Kenobi goes missing and is presumed among the fallen. After weeks of loss, Anakin Skywalker and the Republic evacuate, leaving a small local force to fend for itself. It's a stinging loss for the Republic, and a betrayal the locals will not soon forget.
Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-
The Storm After the Storm
Six weeks later, the Republic is fighting on Aargonar, a desert planet much like Tatooine. Masterless, Anakin Skywalker finds himself paired with A'Sharad Hett, a half-Tusken Jedi who dresses like his desert tribe. The partnership is uneasy, and as the fighting gets desperate, Skywalker experiences flashbacks to his Tusken slaughter on Tatooine (in Episode II, after the death of his mother). Can he face and overcome his Tusken hatred to bond together with Hett and salvage the operation? At the end, we get some hint that Kenobi may not be dead, but a worse fate may await him . . .
Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-
Overall
Another decent entry in the Clone Wars series, volume 3 is a departure from the standard "we'll overcome despite the odds" story. Here, you see the Republic (and Jedi) taking heavy losses, and there's no hope in sight. You also experience the pain of a failed operation, and the bitterness locals feel after the Republic evacuates. That's a nice change, and sets the stage for some stories later on in the arc. Finally, I enjoyed (as always) A'Sharad Hett. Overall, pretty good stuff!
Rating: B+
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