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Creative Team:
Writers: Timothy Zahn & Jody Houser; Artists: Pat Olliffe & Andrea Di Vito; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham; Cover Artist: Rod Reis; Variant Cover Artists: Rahzzah; Leinil Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. ; Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez.
Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances by Marvel Comics
I was first introduced to Thrawn in the animated series, Star Wars Rebels. However, I fell in love with him in the 2017 novel by Timothy Zahn titled: Thrawn. Followed by Thrawn Alliances, and Thrawn Treason. I was not far into the first book, before Thrawn moved to the top of my list for all time favorite Star Wars characters.
Now Timothy Zahn has teamed up with Jody House and they’re putting these stories into comic book form. It started with, Thrawn, and now we have moved onto Thrawn Alliances. Much like the book, the story goes back and forth to when Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker were on Batuu, to present day when Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader are on Batuu.
Check out the review for issue 1.
The Story for Issue 2
This issue kicks right off with the Then and Now of Thrawn and Vader at the Cantina on Batuu. Then, Anakin was looking for Padme, and stumbled upon much more. Now, Vader is looking for a disturbance in the force that Emperor Palpatine sensed. The story goes back and forth quite a lot, but stays easy to follow (and not just because it goes from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader). There are parallels to each time, which make the transitions smooth and the story flow. While neither mission is complete, we see the growth of the relationship between these two very misunderstood characters. Both are incredibly intelligent in different ways, and there is a mutual respect that seems to grow with each decision the other makes. I truly love seeing these two together, as they are an unstoppable force (no pun intended). I cannot wait for issue 3, out March 20,2024.
The Art
Star Wars comics are a bit a class of their own, in that many of their stories involve a character played by an actual person (and not just a version of). The art in this issue did a beautiful job of portraying Hayden Christensen, as Anakin Skywalker. All the while, every scene was perfectly detailed. The subtle background nods to Oga’s cantina based on the one at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge were just icing on the cake to the art portrayed in this issue.
Sidenote: If Batuu sounded familiar and you didn’t know why, that’s the planet that Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge is located on.
Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances, Issue 2 Rating 9/10
Every Star Wars fan needs more Thrawn in their life! He’s so strategic and intelligent, it’s just fun to see how his mind works. Seeing him next to Anakin/Vader is such a fun mix. One relies on instincts, the force and quick thinking, while the other calculates every single move, and always seems to be playing chess, while everyone else is playing tic tac toe. If you are a casual, or die hard Star Wars fan, you should definitely add this Thrawn run to your pull list!
Lauren is half of Hops GEEK News: a weekly podcast that discusses all things geek pop culture, while enjoying a craft beer of the week. They also interview many different people from the comic book world and beyond.
