Customer Reviews

Honor and Duty (Star Wars)

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Set in the days preceding Geonosis, Honor and Duty is a both a political whodunit and a human drama, the story of the disintegration of the government mirrored in the unraveling of one family sworn to protect the Republic. Sagoro Autem is a 4th generation Senate Guard, the men with blue capes and helmets you may have noticed in the background in the prequel films. While investigating the murder of a Senator killed just prior to a vote on legislation that could cause several worlds to leave the Republic, Sogoro discovers some painful truths about his family and the system to which he has pledged his life.

It's a story told in every civil war, the story of a family set against itself, two brothers divided by competing loyalties and brought into direct conflict by the implacable forces of war. Fortunately, John Ostrander is on hand to tell the tale. He is without question the most talented writer to work long-term on any Star Wars comic, and this particular volume shows why. He does as good a job as possible with the politics in a series in which not many authors get into the details about exactly what kinds of corruption cause so many to believe the only recourse is secession. Where Ostrander excels is in building his characters, creating people the reader cares about. The final scene of the initial 3-part story ends with the shedding of a tear, and while I wasn't in need of a tissue when I closed the book, there was the making in my throat of a tiny lump.

The fourth and last installment of the story takes place several years later when Sagoro Autem reappears as a captain in the Republic Navy, now at the service of Sidious and Vader following events in Revenge of the Jedi. Whereas the previous story arc was about things falling apart, this one is about paying old debts and putting things back together.

You don't need to have read all of Dark Horse's Star Wars series to enjoy this book, (although you might be interested to know Autem makes appearances in Clone Wars Volumes 2 and 8). Honor and Duty stands well on its own and is perhaps unique in the Star Wars Extended Universe in presenting a story about an average citizen of Coruscant, rather than smugglers, bounty hunters, clones, or super-powered Jedi and Sith.

The art on this series is handled by C.P. Smith in the first 3-part arc, published in Star Wars Republic #'s 46-48 (Sept, Nov, Dec 2002). His style here has a European feel, open and airy, featuring heavy dark outer lines and lots of open interior space - not much hatching within the characters and minimal background detail in most frames. This is exploited well by colorist Joe Wayne to produce a color-saturated look. It appears Smith was perhaps rushed at the end of the series, but overall he does a fine job conveying the action. Luke Ross brings a different style to the final chapter, published in Star Wars Republic # 78 (Sept 2005), in what appears to be painting more than illustration, much darker in tone, more static and less kinetic than Smith.

Overall, this is a fine example of Dark Horse's Star Wars publishing, a welcome addition to the EU, and one that I am happy to recommend.

A nicely written side story of the Star Wars saga. This gives the reader a view of things for the view of individuals not normally seen or heard from, unless Darth Vader is killing them. Good quality graphics and a nice flow of the dialogue. It would be a good addition to your Star Wars collection because it shows that there were others involved and how their upbringing, duty, honor and family affected their decisions, ultimately affecting how the "big" conflict turned out.

The Honor and Duty trade paperback is a story arc in the Republic comic series, issues #46-48 that tells the tales of a couple of "boys in blue" and the troubles and conspiracies they face to instill the laws of the Republic. The story takes place shortly before the conception of the Trade Federation droid army and involves a Senate Guard named Segoro Autem and his partner Isaru Omin trying to figure out who murdered Senator Jheramahd Greyshade and if the killer's next target is Greyshade's cousin, Simon Greyshade! Autem and Omin end up trying to rescue Autem's wild son and his girlfriend and learn that one of Autem's relatives is behind the entire operation and has hired a royal assassin to do the job! Autem must prove his worth and wipe the stain from his family name and take down his menacing relative and save his son from a life in prison; or worse! Anakin and Obi-Wan are also in this story as the Senator's Jedi guards and while Autem is dealing with the man behind all the assassins, it's Anakin and Obi to the rescue fending off the various assassins themselves. However, Autem himself must sacrifice his career as a Senate Guard and his life with his family in order to save them and protect the new Senator Greyshade so the important swing vote can go through.

The book then jumps ahead a few years in issue #78 of the Republic comic series entitled Loyalties to the beginning of the Galactic Empire where Autem is now an Imperial officer. Darth Vader and the Emperor use a show of force against officers that do not completely meet Palpatine's standards and a list is made of all the officers that will be arrested (and possibly executed) and Autem is one of the first to go. However, his old friend and former partner Omin gives him fair warning (at the cost of his life) and just enough time to slip through Vader's fingers and almost out of reach. However, persistent Vader hires a set of bounty hunters to hunt him down and bring him back; dead or alive!

The book has a cool story arc in it and I like the inclusion of the later issue involving the same characters and concluding their story. The famous duo Ani and Obi are in the story but take a backseat for once for some unheard-of minor characters and to provide a seldom-covered look into the lives of the Senate Guard. They're frequently seen in the movies with their elaborate robes and cool rifles but never seen in action really until now! I enjoyed the story although it started off quite cliché and was quite predictable. I did really like Autem's son's mask being an homage to Michael Myers in the Halloween movies though. It was a good read and this is the end of the Republic series until the Clone Wars starts up! The artwork wasn't the best I've ever seen but it worked and the writing was pretty good as well. Get it for the story but don't expect a spectacular story like some of the other arcs in the Republic series. By no means does that mean it isn't good, however.