Customer Reviews

A New Hope (Star Wars: Infinities)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This comic-novel tells a What-If story. What if Luke Skywalker's torpedoes had detonated short of their target, leaving the Deathstar intact? With the rebellion crushed, the Emperor has new schemes under way, and Leia Organa is part of them. While Luke trains with Yoda, the Emperor refashions Leia into the perfect tool, and now it is up to Luke, Han, Chewie, Threepio and Yoda to set the universe right.

This is a great book, with a great story. Honestly, from the cover, I expected a dark tale that ground the original characterizations into hamburger. Instead, this story takes the exact same characters as the original Star Wars movie, and moved them through a new set perils. Each character acted the way you would expect, giving the story a real sense of continuity with the movie.

Further, I found the story to be quite interested, and was held reading until the very end. This is a great Star Wars book, excellently illustrated, that I highly recommend to all readers!

I got this comic book, read in fifteen minutes and really found it a fun way to look at what could've happened in the SW universe. I am looking forward the TESB Infinities (and maybe they could do one for TPM - maybe kill off Binks!)

The art work is decent, the story line is plausable, and the characters are true to almost form. I only wish this could have been a longer series, say four books to a movie instead of one. Ohter than that, I'm lookig foward to the next installment, even if it is too short.

I thought it was one of the coolest ideas for a Star Wars comic ever: what if the Rebel attack on the Death Star had failed? What if the happy ending to the original Star Wars movie had never happened?
I personally really like both "what if" scenario's and Star Wars, so the prospect of a comic book bringing those two together sounded like a dream come true.
After having read the actual comic I must admit my initial enthusiasm has diminisched somewhat, but still...

By all accounts, this comic is a real fan thing. If you are just looking for a good sci-fi comic: look a little further because anyone with no particular interest in Star Wars probably won't like it all that much.
Most fans, though, will probably love this book. It has some ideas and concepts in it that could have made it the greatest Star Wars comic series since Dark Empire, and it fails to do just that by only a small margin.

But although it has all these really cool ideas (such as Leia making some unexpected careermoves and the Death Star's alternative end at the hands of a certain short, green Jedi-Master), the execution of those ideas just seems a bit lacking.
The storyline, for one, could have been a lot (and I do mean a LOT) better. People turn to the Dark Side of the Force and back with something of ashonisching ease, the dialogue seems tacky at times and some events and plottwists are just plain implausable. As for the art: it all tends to look a tad on the sloppy side and seems to have been drawn in something of a hurry (artists having problems keeping their deadlines? Low priority?).

All in all, this comic gave me the impression the artists had some really cool ideas but simply lacked the time to use those ideas to their full potential. A real shame, really.
Still, the end result should give most of you SW zealots a pretty good read. Only it could have been a LOT better than just that...

Star Wars fans have often wondered "What if...?" What if R2D2 and C3PO hadn't used the escape pod? What if Luke Skywalker had simply refused to help Ben Kenobi reach Alderaan? What if the Death Star hadn't been destroyed? What if Luke had completed his training before his fateful duel with Darth Vader? Well, now a new series of Star Wars comic books by Dark Horse Comics seeks to answer these questions and more. The series is called Star Wars Infinities and the concept is simple: Show the fans what the Star Wars trilogy could have become had certain events been altered.
The first movie to see such treatment is Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. In a 4-part miniseries, Star Wars Infinities tackles the question: What if the Death Star hadn't been destroyed? I just purchased the Trade Paperback version - a compilation of the four comic series. The first couple of pages offer a brief synopsis of events as they occurred in A New Hope. Then we get to see an alternate series of events centered on the Death Star trench run. "Alter one event and a new future comes to be. Splinter a link and a new chain is forged." Luke's photon torpedoes enter the reactor port, but nothing happens. What follows is an amazing turn of events that takes place over five years, during which we watch the fall of the rebellion, the rise of a new dark order, and the nurturing of a new hope.
I don't want to reveal too much about the storyline, because I think this is definitely a series that Star Wars fans should look into. Toted as "The World of Endless Star Wars Possibilities, Star Wars Infinities lives up to it's name! Great thought was put into the events as they might have occurred. The writing was excellent. Star Wars characters that we've grown to love and love to hate are perfectly captured in this series. A definite must have for collectors.
Now for the gripes, and believe me there are very few! For one thing, it seems that the writers completely forgot one of the main characters. Wedge Antilles was flying away from the Death Star with Luke, Han and Chewie when they received word that the mission was a wash. He's there one minute, and the next he's gone. Completely disappeared without a trace. Oops! My other gripe is only really half a gripe. It concerns the artwork. The cover art is exceptional (all 4 covers are showcased in a Cover Art Gallery). However, the interior art teeters from brilliant (as in the drawings of Leia, Ben, and Vader) and Manga-like (Luke and Han sometimes look like the original characters and sometimes appear to be characatures).
Those few simple gripes, however, definitely take nothing away from this series. I am greatly anticipating the next installment of this series: Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back is due out in July. Make your way to your nearest comic book store or search for this series on the internet. This is definitely a series to keep an eye on!

If you are one of those folks with a vivid imagination and have played "what if" scenarios in your mind for Star Wars: ANH over the years, this comic is good for you.

The story is generally solid and the artwork is decent. The book only gets 4 stars though for the end parts, which I found a little strange with a little bit of unexplained information.

But still worth it for most star wars fans!

I was intrigued when I heard that Dark Horse was creating an alternative history series to the Star Wars universe. I am a major Star Wars Fan and a fan of 'what if?' scenarios and alternative history. I was very pleased with the Infinities take on Episode IV: A New Hope.

When Luke's torpedoes detonate prematurely, he, in his X-Wing, and Han and Chewie, in the Falcon, are forced to flee Yavin 4. Princess Leia and other rebel generals manage to escape the moon just before a lethal blow is delivered. However, Leia manages to end up in the hands of Vader and the Rebellion is crushed. Vader and the Emporer begin a slow brain washing of the princess.

The story unfolds from there, and the writers did a good job imagining the 'future' from the divergence they created. Most of their decisions were plausible inside the Star Wars Universe. They also did a good job writing dialogue for most of the characters. Han's dialogue is especially true to spirit. I felt the conclusion a touch controversial, and maybe outside the bounds of what a Jedi Master would do, but that could be just me.

The art is good, but not great. The best treatments were saved for Vader and Leia. The 'dark side' look for Leia was especially good. There is a sabre duel in the second half of the book that is a little weak. I won't spoil it by giving away all the details, but most of the panels that involve the combat are just the two combatants with their sabres crossed. I also felt that Coruscant was not adequately represented.

I'm not certain anyone who is unfamiliar with the Star Wars story would appreciate this graphic novel. Fans of the Star Wars saga should really enjoy it. I can't wait for the Infinities treatment of The Empire Strikes Back.

For the hardcore Star Wars junkie the appeal of the 'Infinites' series is immediately apparent. Who amongst us isn't curious to see how alternative scenarios would've played out in the Star Wars universe should certain key events not have taken place. In this volume readers are presented with the intriguing scenario on what happens when Luke Skywalker fails to blow up the Death Star as we've come to know based on events in Episode IV. Readers are taken through an epic arc that would've encompassed 3 full movies but somehow seem boiled down to general thumbnail sketches thanks to the cramming of this storyline into four issues of 22 page comics. Surely this series should've been stretched out a bit more to fill in the blanks and to embellish the drama a bit more.

With that being said, it's still worth your while to read through this series if you find the idea of such alternate-scenarios in the Star Wars universe to be of interest.

The first in the trilogy of re-written Star Wars tales, this series changes one small piece of the story we all know and love and lets it unravel into a tale we've never heard. A New Hope begins at the Death Star trench run where Luke makes his heroic proton torpedo launch with the help of Han Solo. However, the missiles don't hit their target! Now, the Empire is still in control of a fully operation battle station and intend to use it on the Rebel base and Leia and the General barely make it out alive before the entire planet explodes! Leia is held captive (thought to be dead by Luke and Han) and Ben tells Luke to go to the Dagobah system to see Jedi Master Yoda and train to be a Jedi. Luke learns that he's slowly falling to the dark side and must train to become a Jedi to combat Vader. At the same time, Leia, held captive by Vader and Palpatine, becomes Vader's new apprentice and eventual Senator for the Galactic Empire. She trains in the dark arts with Vader and Luke finds out that Vader is his father and Leia, his sister and that he must confront them both in order to bring balance to the force. With the help of Yoda, Han, and Chewbacca, Luke must confront his foes on the planet Coruscant right in the middle of an Imperial rally! Only with the help of the light side of the force can any of them make it out alive!

So, an interesting concept come to life, this story basically crams three movies worth into one TPB. It shows how the story can radically change with the alteration of one event and does a decent job at telling the story. The tale seems a bit rushed at points due to a page constraint obviously but conveys it's meaning well. The art is well done and the writing is notably well done. Seeing Yoda in action during the Original Trilogy was a treat as was seeing Leia as a Sith apprentice. It's worth picking up if you want an interesting read and find it at a cheap price.

Star wars will never get old if ur a fan pick up this new twist u won't be dissoppointed