Customer Reviews

Star Wars Omnibus: Tales of the Jedi, Vol. 2

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

 

 

Of the many Star Wars comics issued by Dark Horse, the Tales of the Jedi line was far and away my favorite. The series' setting (5000 years before A New Hope) let authors Kevin J. Anderson and Tom Veitch really go wild in creating the early tales of the Jedi Knights and their Sith adversaries, and resulted in the creation of some of the Star Wars Universe's most memorable characters.

Since many of the original Tales of the Jedi trade paperbacks are out of print, Dark Horse has issued Omnibus collections of the Tales of the Jedi comics. This is the second volume, and it collects the following stories:

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Freedon Nadd Uprising
This 2-issue series picked up where Ulic Qel Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon left off. Our young Jedi Knights are under assault from the ancient spirit of Sith Lord Freedon Nadd (no snickering please), and any victory they achieve may prove fleeting as secret Sith lore is brought back to the Republic by a pair of Dark Side wannabes. The artwork for this series was less than stellar.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sith
Two powerful young Jedi come too close to the Dark Side of the Force. Exar Kun seeks forbidden knowledge, and Ulic Qel Droma attempts to defeat the dark from within. These Jedi's journeys towards the Dark Side will lead to massive galactic conflict and the return of the Sith Empire. The artwork in this series is better than the Freedon Nadd Uprising, but not by much.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War
Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun and his Sith disciples wage war on the Republic and their Jedi allies. The whole Tales of the Jedi saga has been leading up to this massive conflict. Dario Carasco brings some much needed detailed artwork to the series.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Redemption
This long out of print saga takes place years after the close of the Sith War. Nomi Sunrider's daughter Vima seeks a Jedi to tutor her in the ways of the force, and has decided on the one man universally reviled for his role in the Sith War - Ulic Qel Droma. This gorgeously illustrated series is the perfect epilogue to the massive Tales of the Jedi saga.

I love the idea of these mid-priced Omnibus volumes, but am not crazy about their size. Compared to Marvel's larger Omnibus hardcovers, these smaller (they shaved roughly an inch from the height and width of the trade paperback size) paperback collections fall a bit short (no pun intended). Still, if you're new to the Tales of the Jedi series, or like me never got around to buying all of the trade paperbacks, they are an ideal way to get the most bang for your buck.

PS - For what it's worth, my copy of this Omnibus has a different cover than what is pictured. I'll try and upload a scan to show the difference.

This omnibus edition from Dark Horse contains the Exar Kun war. To most Star Wars enthusiasts, this may or may not make a lot of sense. So, for those who have played Knights of the Old Republic, it contains the exploits of the Qel-Droma clan and Nomi Sunrider. For those who have read the Jedi Academy books where Luke sets up the Academy on Yavin IV, it tells the story of Exar Kun and how he got trapped on Yavin.

It is a good story. The art is okay until "Redemption", where it is phenomenal. It has the typical battle between the light side and the dark side. I just wish that someone would master WHY a person would turn to the dark side of the force, but at least this provides some explanation as to why the central characters turned (more like they were forced to embrace it).

The stories that comprise this book are solid and IMHO movie material (it definitely beats Jar-Jar, the Ewoks, and the "love story" of Episode III).

I would recommend this book and Tales of the Jedi Volume 1 for any Star Wars fan. It will not disappoint.

The entire Tales of the Jedi series was extremely well written and well drawn, and I recommend it to everyone. The Omnibus collections are an affordable and accesible way to get all the entries, and are recommended as the original issues and trades may no longer be available.

I prefer the old trilogy compared to the new prequels... would quite happily forget I ever saw Lucas' recent abortion of an effort. This title goes a little way in bringing a fresh insight into Jedi/Star wars lore. It's hit and miss but has some good concepts such as the fact that Jedi are not A-sexual/catholic styled monk weirdos. An enjoyable, light read.

This is where it's at folks. I'm sorry, but as an enormous fan of Star Wars, the movies, even the 'Holy Trilogy' just don't touch the Old Republic, where Sith are truly hard core advocates of off beat ideals, and the Jedi are demi-god like in their awareness and abilities.

This book covers the stories of Ulic Qel-droma, Nomi Sunrider, and Exar Kun, three of the biggest names in the Old Republic. If it's not obvious the story begins in the last third of the first volume of this series, though this book covers the vast majority of it, including a wonderful epilogue series in the end. As a very critical and cynical reader i can't help but say how pleased i was with the stories of this book. I'm not saying they are perfect, but perhaps that's why they were paired with the terrible storyline of Naga Sadow in volume 1; anything would look good next to that atrocity.

With various artists, the artwork varies; some better than others, but this fades away beneath the storyline. Should there be another trilogy made for the theaters i deeply hope this story is up for consideration. Here's a quick overview: The Sith Empire is extinct as of a millennium ago. A couple of aristocratic, rebellious youths just can't help but to unearth some ancient Sith artifacts. In time they come to encounter the force ghost of Freedon Nadd, who has gotten his claws into the world of Onderon. In time the two aristocratic cousins come to use their vast assets to setup a 'Sith wannabe shop' that does not escape the notice of the Jedi. Eventually this leads to all out war wherein Ulic Qel-droma, in his typical, overly passionate display hopes to end the war with minimal bloodshed by secretly infiltrating the newly established Sith. This ends very badly, as his master had attempted to tell him, resulting in his being poisoned by Sith alchemy, ultimatley turning him to the dark side. Meanwhile, an overly emotional Jedi Master watches his star pupil continually degrade beneath his tutelage. Finally, Exar Kun stomps off on the dark path; a path it would seem was inevitable for him to follow. The two, Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-droma, finally meet and are prepared to destroy each other in typical Sith fashion before being preempted by an entire council of force ghost, Sith ancients. Cornered into a coalition, the two launch out against the Republic with horrendous force. I'll leave the conclusion for those interested to read for themselves. Suffice it to say it is outstanding; especially the final piece "Redemption", the epilogue finalizing the story of Ulic Qel-droma.

Whether you are a fan of graphic novels or not, any fan of Star Wars is highly recomended to read this very important, and worthy piece of Star Wars history.

Tales of the Jedi Vol. 2 continues the story and themes in vol. 1. It provides a great back story for any Star Wars fan.

Great storytelling, fantastic art direction and great price all mark this graphic novel compilation. I was very impressed with both the writing staff (i believe even Kevin J Anderson lent his voice) as well as the visual designer for this book. Omnibus 1 and 2 do a fantastic job of telling a vital historical moment in the star wars timeline (introduction of the sith, hyperspace war, Exar Kun...) that you will find referenced in other novels and video games. So, in addition to filling in some holes in your galactic timeline, you get a fun to read and very well designed graphic novel collection that is perfect $$-wise. Highest recommendation

The Star Wars Omnibus is one hefty book. Jam packed with stories of the Jedi going back 4,000 years before 'current' events, the dark Sith and Jedi are at constant war. Dark Sith magic is not dead, and when powerful forces re-appear, powerful Jedi must combat evil with good.

That has always been the theme of Star Wars. Good vs evil. Sith vs Jedi. Throw a little biblical theming (light vs dark-light wins), some amazing talented jedi warriors dedicated to the force, and you have galaxy spanning battles.

This book is packed with them. Can't wait for the next Jedi installment? $24.95 gets you over 300 pages of pure adventure. Great art, great stories, and creative histories behind a franchise that will surely live centuries beyond George Lucas!

www.darkhorse.com

Tim Lasiuta