Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol. 1: Path to Nowhere [Paperback]

Welles Hartley (Author), Mick Harrison (Author), Doug Wheatley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 2008

These are dark times indeed, when even the noblest of undertakings must rely on stealth, deception, and possibly the betrayal and abandonment of friends and loved ones. Jedi Dass Jennir and his companion Bomo Greenbark survived the Clone Wars, but the fate of Bomo's wife and daughter remains a mystery. The two friends are determined to find them, but their path leads them from danger to darkness - where each of them stands to lose more than they may hope to gain. Meanwhile, Darth Vader must deal with some unpleasant realities - and memories - of his own. Though he is a Dark Lord of the Sith, even he must bow before the power of the Emperor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (January 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593077920
• ISBN-13: 978-1593077921
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating new storyline, January 27, 2008

By 

Tom Knapp "Rambles.NET editor" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol. 1: Path to Nowhere (Paperback)

The Dark Horse line of Star Wars comics seems, at times, glutted with new ideas. Some are very good, and some -- for reasons of concept, execution or, in a few cases, both -- really should have been left on the reject pile.

The latest series, Dark Times, falls solidly in the "win" column. The first volume, The Path to Nowhere, sets readers up for a fascinating storyline at an era only slightly explored in existing Star Wars fiction.

Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side and become Darth Vader -- but the Rebellion described in the original trilogy of films is still many years in his future. Now, for all his brooding menace and power, Vader is still an unsure apprentice learning the ways of his master, Emperor Palpatine. And, with fragments of Skywalker's conscience still struggling in his mind, Vader is not sure his master always acts with the best interests of the Empire at heart.

The Path to Nowhere is bold storytelling that doesn't flinch from taking a dark turn in its plot. Some of Vader's secret thoughts may surprise readers; some of Jannir's actions certainly will. With a strong story supported by Douglas Wheatley's excellent artwork, Dark Times can consider me hooked.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(net) editor

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Greatest Star Wars Books, Period, January 27, 2008

By 

Stephen B. O'Blenis (Nova Scotia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol. 1: Path to Nowhere (Paperback)

Picking up on events in the last few issues of the "Star Wars: Republic" ongoing series, "Dark Times: The Path To Nowhere" (reprinting the first 5 issues of "Star Wars: Dark Times") takes place a short while after the conclusion of Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition). One of the central ingredients of the post-Ep. III Star Wars Galaxy is that the Jedi weren't all wiped out at once. The majority went down with the execution of Order 66 in the movie, but a small number either escaped or were operating at that time in a remote sector of space, or even just temporaily on their own on a given planet or city, so that they survived the Order; sometimes they didn't even immediately know what had happened in the rest of the galaxy. One of these is Dass Jennir, who was operating on the planet New Plymto at the time of the order (in Endgame (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Vol. 9). In that volume, Jennir found himself allying with the Nosaurians, short (about Ewok or Jawa height) bipedal creatures who resemble horned dinosaurs - a group that he'd been fighting against in the clone wars. One of these Nosaurians, Bomo Greenbark, is one of the main characters in this new tale. With New Plympto in the stranglehold of Palpitine's new Empire, hosts of Nosaurians are being rounded up for sale as slaves, and the quest of Bomo and Dass to locate Bomo's family - a quest they undertake with the aid of the crew of the Uhumele, a ship of eclectic misfits (in the great Star Wars tradition) who the two have ended up throwing their lot in with. Meanwhile, with such things as Imperial endorsement of the slave trade kicking into high gear, Darth Vader realizes that the new galactic order that's taking shape is very different than the one Palpitine initially outlined and promised...

Buoyed by awesome artwork by Doug Wheatley - I'd go so far as to say that the visuals in Dark Times are on par with Alex Ross's work in such books as Kingdom Come and the three "Justice" volumes - everything in this tale proceeds with vibrant life: the battles, the introspective moments, the panoramic scenes of exotic locales. The characters, places, and technology are all brilliantly rendered. The writing is some of the best in the Star Wars comics, with great plotting, characterization and dialogue. The tension provided by the protagonists often being in situations where they're clearly at a loss as to what's right and wrong given the circumstances, adds greatly to the darker flavor that was in Episode III and is continuing in the post-Episode III tales. This is one of the best Star Wars books you can get (and I'm counting the novels in that as well as the comics), and Endgame (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Vol. 9) is also extremely highly recommended for those wanting to follow the comics right from the conclusion of Episode III onward.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dark Times are here!, July 17, 2008

By 

Dog Eared Used Books (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol. 1: Path to Nowhere (Paperback)

I was not very sure about ANOTHER Star Wars comic series, so I started off buying individual issues, but after 3 or 4, I knew I had to get the TPB collection.

The art in this series is top notch. Sometimes only the main characters are given lots of detail, but here you won't find a better drawn Vader or clones in battle. The ships are very intricately drawn, and we are introduced to a wide variety of characters.

The plot suffers a little at the end...it almost seemed rushed, but in a way that's good. I was beginning to wonder how long they could run after Bomo's family. The plot, however, is just a means to an end to develop Jennir's character and move him through difficult choices. I think the choice he makes at the end is a noble one, when terms like "sacrifice" are applied.

I cannot wait until the next collection comes out! I HAD to pick up Issue #6 if only for the cover...Master K'Kruhk in action!