The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)

Book Description

Marka Ragnos ruled the galaxy with an iron fist. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith -- the most powerful of the most powerful. But now he is dead. And two innocent hyperspace explorers, Gav and Jori Daragon, may follow suit if they get caught between the factions fighting to fill the Dark Lord void.

Customer Reviews:

Predictable and boring.......2006-11-10

Welcome to what is at this writing still the earliest chapter in the history of the Star Wars universe, a tale set 5000 years before the adventures of the film series.

CAVEAT ONE
Before you consider buying this, be aware that this volume is but one half of the story and that the conclusion is available in The Fall of the Sith Empire. This review covers both volumes.

CAVEAT TWO
If you're a pathological Star Wars collector, you'll buy this book regardless of its contents. If you're a Star Wars fan who wants to catch up on your history, save your money and read a summary of the events at Wookieepedia. If you're a discerning comics fan, then you must have found your way here by mistake. If so, don't stop. Keep moving. Everyone else, step right this way.

Despite a title that suggests something we never see, namely the glory days of the Sith Empire, author Kevin J Anderson came up with a promising premise. At opposite ends of the universe, the Sith Empire and the fledgling Republic seek to chart new futures, the Republic to end years of civil war and forge a new era of political and economic stability and growth, the Sith to revitalize their moribund Empire by throwing off their isolation and launching a new era of growth through conquest. In between are the innocents through which we view these events, a scholarly Jedi called to arms and a pair of young space navigators, brother and sister who through their explorations inadvertently open the hyperspace route across which the Sith reach to shake the foundations of the newly emergent Republic.

With a setting so far back in the past, Anderson has a wonderful opportunity to develop a good part of the Star Wars backstory. We find, for example, that the Sith were a separate species living on their own world in a relatively undeveloped culture that was then hijacked by a group of exiled Jedi who enslaved the Sith and built a new culture based on veneration of the Dark Force. Over the years these Jedi interbred with the Sith and a number of them left to conquer nearby worlds and create a system-wide Empire ruled by an all-powerful Dark Lord. The Jedi themselves are scholar-warriors closely aligned with political forces preserving civilization, pretty much the same as we have always known them, with one discernable difference - they don't carry lightsabers. And neither do the Sith.

They carry swords instead; swords made of steel. They also wear sandals, toga-like garments, and capes. They fly in spaceships that have sails, and the slavers have spaceships with oars. The Sith world of Korriban looks like it was cribbed from photos of Abu Simbel, with towering Pharaonic deities ensconced on thrones overlooking wide valleys and surrounded by sphinx-like guardians. In fact much of the costume and character design, from the scarab-like symbol of the Sith ruler to the elongated chins and goatees of the Sith, evokes Egypt in very obvious ways.

The artwork, provided across both volumes by Filipino Dario Carrasco, Jr., is not terribly remarkable. It's at best serviceable, in a style reminiscent of John Buscema, one of the iron men of the comic book industry who must have drawn tens of thousands of pages for Marvel for three decades beginning in the 60's. Carrasco, Jr.'s work benefits from a change in inkers and colorist in The Fall of the Sith Empire, where the lines become a little cleaner and the colors a bit more vibrant, but still it's not work that will ever be remembered or about which anyone has ever written more than a few sentences.

The same pedestrian touch is obvious in the writing. Kevin J Anderson wrote a few Star Wars novels in the 1990's and several of those books can regularly be found in "Worst SW Novels" lists. In this particular series Anderson has no protagonist, so he needs to develop his supporting players in order to give us more than just plot. Instead we get characters that are little more than props and literary devices. The Jedi scholar is the narrative frame, the brother-sister navigators the point-of-view characters and the vector of conflict, the Republic Queen and the Sith Lord wrestling opponents wearing good-guy / bad-guy personas. No one has any particular motivation except to get us to the next scene. There's nothing suspenseful or funny or touching or wondrous; it's storytelling about as developed and predictable as painting by numbers.

And with so many other comic books out there to read, you can surely find something more engaging, more worth you time and your money than this underdeveloped Star Wars adventure.

Happy hunting.

Highly Recommended!.......2006-01-23

This interesting book is the fourth book in the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.

This book takes a step back, another thousand years before the time of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. When Gav and Jori Daragon's parents are killed in a war, they are now free to roam the galaxy and discover interstellar routes. However, when they blunder onto the hidden empire of the Sith, they unleash a set of circumstances that will lead to either the return of the Sith empire, or its destruction.

My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this series so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a pretty darn good book. I thought that the illustration work was very good, dark and yet realistic, and found the story to be gripping. We both enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.

Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you. We highly recommend the entire Tales of the Jedi series!

* barf *.......2005-07-03

I actually checked this out from my local library, so I can't ask for my money back.

Maybe I can sue the publisher for the time I wasted reading this.

...

A great place to start.......2005-05-19

After reading most of the reviews here I was rather skeptical about purchasing this series. I was fortunate enough to find the comic books and have not read the TPB version of this series. This comic pleasantly surprised me. I've read some really awful stuff by Dark Horse "Infinity's End" for example, but this is not like that in any way. In the context of the grand Star Wars universe this fits in very nicely and addresses many things not mentioned anywhere else such as: who were the Sith, pre-lightsaber era, discovery of hyperspace routes and a bit more. The Jedi are portrayed much as they were in The Phantom Menace as ambassadors and peacemakers not as "wimpy whiners" as was mentioned in another review. The artwork is easy to quibble about and the starships look like something an Ewok would have designed, but it was nice to see Korriban, and get the back-story on Naga Sadow, and to see a developing Coruscant. All in all a very good read worthy of purchase.

not very good.......2005-05-18

i read all the tales of the jedi comics lately and the best thing you can say about this one is at least it's not as bad as fall of the sith empire. poorly done

Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)

Average customer rating:

Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Kevin J. Anderson , Mark Heike , and Various
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
The Sith War (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Three)
Star Wars: Jedi Vs. Sith
Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume One)
Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)

ASIN: 1569713200

Book Description

The Sith Empire has rallied its forces for an all-out battle for control of the galaxy. Its goal: Crush the Republic. And with so many Sith Masters among them, the goal is not unachievable. As Naga Sadow readies his fleet to attack, one lone person threatens to undermine the entire campaign -- Jori Daragon. She isn`t a Jedi. She`s an explorer, a mapper of hyperspace who stumbled on the plans of the Sith. And she just may be the savior of the Republic.

Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume One)

Average customer rating:

A pretty darn good book
SEEMS THERE ARE 3 COMICS USING THE SAME COVER
An engaging storyline, but not a visual delight
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Feel, don't think. Use your instincts.

Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume One)
Tom Veitch , Chris Gossett , Janine Johnston , and David Roach
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
The Sith War (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Three)
The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)
Star Wars: Jedi Vs. Sith

ASIN: 1569710201

Amazon.com

Some 4,000 years before Leia bared her midriff in Jabba's palace, another Force-sensitive woman was doing the same for the good of the plot line: Jedi prodigy and lightsaber-wielding Nomi Sunrider, one of the featured Knights in this two-story collection from Dark Horse's quality Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi miniseries. Sunrider begins her training reluctantly, both to avenge the death of her Jedi hubby at the hands of Bogga the Hutt's minions and to realize her enormous potential in the art of "Jedi Battle Meditation." The other story in this volume also involves Battle Meditation, which Jedi Master Arca uses to save the hides of his young charges Ulic Qel-Droma and friends, who are sent to forge a peace between the beastmaster warlords and walled-city defenders on war-torn Onderon.

With plenty of twists, tons of action, and monsters and bad guys at every turn, these two stories are fully worth checking out, although purists be warned: the Ulic tale especially tends more toward the Jedi-as-superhero school of storytelling. It's saberin' time! --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Four thousand years before Luke Skywalker stood as the final Jedi, his predecessors wandered the universe, each playing his own role in keeping the peace and holding back the forces of the dark side. This 136-page collection focuses on Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, two young novices training to become Jedi warriors. Their training, however, turns into a trial by fire when they prematurely have to face off against reigning crimelord Great Bogga, a Hutt who has killed one of the universe's most powerful Jedi Knights.

Customer Reviews:

A pretty darn good book.......2005-11-04

This interesting book is part of the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.

This graphic novel contains two stories. The first one is Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, in which a young Jedi learns that a Jedi must have more than courage - he must have patience and perception. The second story is the Sage of Nomi Sunrider, in which a Jedi apprentice, who has rejected violence, learns that to defeat evil violence is too often unavoidable.

My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this book so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a pretty darn good book. The illustration work is very good, and the stories are quite interesting. We enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.

Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you.

SEEMS THERE ARE 3 COMICS USING THE SAME COVER.......2004-04-27

Anyone confused? Darkhorse has a comic called TALES OF THE JEDI THE COLLECTION that takes place 4,000 years before NH. The ISBN is 1569710203 published aug 1994. Dark horse does indicate that they published Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Knights of the Old Republic TPB on Oct 1994, but do not indicated an ISBN. I think that all 3 of these are the same comic. This comic is not to be found on amazon.

Then we have Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume One) by Tom Veitch, Chris Gossett, Janine Johnston (Illustrator), David Roach (Illustrator) ISBN 1569710201 RELEASED BY Dark Horse Oct, 1995 with the same cover.

They also have Star Wars - Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi) by Tom Veitch, Chris Gosset, Dennis Rodier released by titan books May, 2000 with the same cover under ISBN 1840231726 It seems to be the same comic described by amazon here and called KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC, TALES OF THE JEDI 1 THRU 5 with the same cover art and a different ISBN.

I am reviewing a comic called Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The collection published by Dark Horse August, 1994 as a TPB compiliation, ISBN: 1569710201. These stories are revealed on Jedi Holocrons recovered by Luke Skywalker. Made in Canada the binding is excellent.
Story 1 - Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon. 51 pages, OK story with some good fights, the artwork is the comic-strip quality used throughout most of the 80's and 90's.

Story 2 - The Saga of Nomi Sunrider. 69 pages, the story of Nomi and her daughter, artwork is cheesy and uninspired.
Either way, they are all probably the same, with a title change. Dark horse published this comic in aug 1994, 3 years before its two comics TPB's that take place 5,000 years before NH. I think you should Skip the first 2 on the Timeline and just start here. While the art work is a C the coloring is a C TO D and looks more like the early 80's art and coloring offerings, the 2 stories here is pretty good. The Stories of Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider are worth a read.

An engaging storyline, but not a visual delight.......2004-04-19

It rains, it snows, I still say Ulic Qel-Droma and Kir Kanos look the same. And looks belie Knights of the Old Republic, vanguard in the Tales of the Jedi series that it is. This is actually two different stories: the Onderon arc, and the Ambria part, starring bald-headed Nomi. Considering the next installment, the elusive to find Freedon Nadd Uprising continues the Onderon storyline, they should have included it as well.

This is a time when the Republic is still growing, still exploring the stars for new worlds, still ripe for adventure. When Onderon requests Jedi meditation to resolve its internal strife, acclaimed Jedi Master Arca Jeth dispatches his three apprentices to end the civil strife. What they find is dark side mayhem and a 400-year-old Sith spirit, dead but not quite digested.

The art quality is a sample of what you'll put up with in TOTJ: horrible. Comics now, dominated by the ever-popular Republic series, have never looked better; and despite how art technology back then isn't up to today's standards, console yourself that at least this is better than that dreadful so-called art of Dark Empire.

Illustrations aren't so bad. It's just that things look cluttered and messy. But that's the theme, what things were like four millenniums ago: patchy apparel, bizarre starships that look more Transformer toy than space vehicle, ancient-style architecture. Though why lightsabers of that era were drawn with a shimmer glow rather than simple straight lines is a mystery.

Dialogue is nothing to applaud. Reader beware---we're dumb, so we need to be reminded of every character's full name every second appearance. It's enough to put you off the entire series.

It was Jedi Master Jeth that hooked me in. I admit it, purchasing this vanguard of the series merely from an online preview I saw. The aging Arkanian just looked so haunting, so ominous, I knew it would be worth it.

And worth getting despite the awful art quality it is. The plot moves along swiftly, and readers will eventually get used to the fact that the Jedi of this era can talk to animals, perform unusual feats, and bumble around like all good Jedi. I say this because Jeth's fortuitous arrival is all that saves the day, who then reprimands them for not sensing the dark side around them. Which then looks odd for old Jeth, when the students counter he never taught them how to repel it.

More disturbing is Onderon's moon. If it orbits so close that their atmospheres periodically brush, allowing the moon's hostile fauna to migrate to Onderon, how doesn't it succumb to gravity and drop into the planet as well?

Well? That sure heck needed explaining. And if that doesn't raise the cynical brow, then the implausibility of a Jedi character affixing a droid arm in place of his severed limb no probs surely will.

Ah well. It gets worse with the second section, Nomi Sunrider---and so does the art. The art quality is so dirty, so filthy, it's simply shocking. WHY is Sunrider's head half-bald. It's unsightly, ugly, and yes, red-heads have less hair than all other colours, but this was bad!

Beast Jedi Master Thon is a curious fellow, and about all that makes this story more so some tasty features. Like the brief flash of Jedi history, showing the origin of the Sith; and bizarre starships, hollowed out of kilometre-long space insects. Otherwise, you'll be wondering why the art was so poor, why Sunrider is severely balding, or how her late husband can pop in as a Jedi spirit when only wimpy apprentice.

Overall, KOTOR introduces you to the main players and places of the series and is interesting and creative enough to well warrant a purchase.

Not bad. Not bad at all........2004-03-05

This graphic novel provides a decent way to kill an hour and a half or so, and for those interested in the Star Wars Mythos and universe this book has added value in expanding on earlier generations of jedi.

For those of you who have played the superb XBOX RPG - 'Knights of the Old Republic,' it is interesting to note similar story elements found in that game within this 1995 book. For example - Battle Meditation, construction of lightsabers with crystals, etc. The artwork is decent and the story flows at a nice pace. All together a snappy read but not quite a classic.

Feel, don't think. Use your instincts........2002-06-11

Unreal. Amazing. Jedi!!!
And so, with a few bucks to burn, I picked up this holy tome all those years ago. I was fascinated. Never before have I cared about a set of characters so much, save for Han and Chewie. This sets the stage for the next four volumes. The main characters here are Ulic Qel-Droma, Jedi Knight, and Nomi Sunrider, who inadvertently follows the path of the Jedi. Their paths interconnect eventually, and the story unfolds. This a rare set of comics that can actually be classified as a saga. Later volumes introduce Exar Kun, a name you may know from Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy.

Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)

Average customer rating:

The Best of the Jedi
A Great Star Wars Comic
A great book!
ok
I THINK I CAN

Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)
Tom Veitch , Kevin J. Anderson , Chris Gossett , and Art Wetherell
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume One)
The Sith War (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Three)
The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Star Wars: Jedi Vs. Sith

ASIN: 1569710953

Book Description

In the depths of galactic space, a foolish and arrogant young Jedi awakes an ancient, deadly power. This seductive evil will lead him down a path that will make him a Dark Lord of the Sith, and his darkling power will make the very galaxies tremble.

Customer Reviews:

The Best of the Jedi.......2007-09-06

This is the best of the Tales of the Jedi series. Before you read it, you should at least read the first volume, titled simply Tales of the Jedi (sometimes with the subtitle Knights of the Old Republic, but that name now belongs to a video game series and a new monthly comic). It would also be good to read the short TotJ: The Freedon Nadd Uprising. The Golden Age of the Sith and the Fall of the Sith Empire predate this volume in the story chronology, but aren't necessary for understanding Dark Lords. (In fact, they should probably be avoided.)

Why is this the best? Veitch and Anderson's writing plays off each other, presenting the best of each and compensating for their weaknesses. The art in the first five chapters is fantastic, as are Dave Dorman's covers. The early TotJ stories have just enough implied backstory to hint at the larger world but it never leaves the reader confused. Korriban is one of my favorite Star Wars locations, and it was created here in crisp detail with millennia of history only hinted at.

What is lacking? The art in the sixth chapter is not so hot. The narration can be a bit comic-booky. Veitch was not involved in the subsequent volumes of TotJ, which are hit-and-miss. The Sith War is ultimately disappointing, but the Redemption of Ulic Qel-Droma was a fine coda to the series.

A Great Star Wars Comic.......2006-12-23

Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith is the best Star Wars comic. It details how Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma join the Dark Side. My favorite parts are when Exar battled Master Vodo, Sylvar, Crado and Ulic. The writing and art in issue 6 are terrible. Cay Qel-Droma talks like a hillbilly in issue 6. He says things like, "Me an' Toq are usin' the Force to hold him." The art detierorated as the story progessed. The first issues had great art. Those are the only flaws. I recommend all the Tales of the Jedi series.

A great book!.......2005-11-08

This interesting book is the second book in the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.

In this graphic novel we are introduced to Exar Kun, a Jedi whose fascination with the ancient Sith teachings is leading him towards the dark-side. Also, with the ascension of a pair of Sith magicians to the throne of The Empress Teta system, the Republic is moving towards war. Ulic Qel-Droma thinks that he can destroy the menace single-handed, and avoid a bloody showdown between the Sith and the Republic, but what will be the cost?

My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this series so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a great book. The illustration work is very good, and the story is gripping. We enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.

Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you. We highly recommend the entire Tales of the Jedi series!

ok.......2005-05-18

probably the best of the tales of the jedi dark horse comics. exar kun makes this series, but the art is terrible and the story in all the TOTJ bland as a whole.

I THINK I CAN.......2003-07-22

I am reviewing Tales of the Jedi Dark Lords of the Sith, ISBN: 1569710953 A TPB comic published Feb 1996 covering individuals issues 1 through 6 of the Dark Horse comic series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sith written by Tom Veitch and KJA. It has the same Hugh Fleming cover as the comic shown in Amazon as Titan books ISBN 1840231297 published nov 1999.

The Art and coloring are still the older style and get about 2.5. the story, as Tom Veitch tells us is intended to reflect what was revealed in Holocrons that are discovered 1,000's of years later. In particular, they foreshadow what happens to Luke Skywalker in dark empire. This is an intense and serious contribution to the star wars Galaxy, and my version is over 100 pages. I think it is worthwhile, and I did like it better the second time I read it, especially if you later read the Jedi Academy Book Trilogy by Kevin J Anderson, I Jedi and Dark Empire by Dark Horse.

Book Description

Ulic Qel-Droma has spent a lifetime learning to control the Force. He wanted to be on the side of the good, a member of the Jedi elite. But it is not the Force one must control to become a Jedi; rather, one must learn to control oneself. Ulic Qel-Droma has tasted power, and now he cannot fight the dark hunger inside him . . .

Customer Reviews:

The Sith War.......2007-01-10

I found this volume of the Tales of the Jedi to be fairly good. The other volumes of this series were imaginative and did a good job of introducing this storyline and the broader history of the Star Wars universe. This book is more of a closing to that story line than anything else. There are many exciting points, such as a climactic battle with the leader of the Mandalorians, the turning of many Jedi to the dark side, and what seems like an unbearable judgment carried out on the traitorous protagonist of the series, Ulic Qel-Droma. Overall, The Sith War nicely closes many story lines from the previous books while at the same time not closing the door to the next book in the series, Redemption.

Highly recommended.......2005-12-30

This interesting book is the third book in the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.

Events are beginning to pick up speed - Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma are preparing to launch a war against the Republic and the Jedi Knights that protect it. Can they bring about a new golden age of the Sith? And, win or lose, what will the cost be?

My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this series so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a pretty darn good book. I thought that the illustration work was very good, and found the story to be gripping. We both enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.

Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you. We highly recommend the entire Tales of the Jedi series!

just terrible.......2005-09-25

The artwork is wanting, the storyline appeared to be very thrown together and I did not get any real sense of why the Sith legends were so impressive. None of the characters in the graphic novel was particularly compelling nor were any of the battles (were the Mandalores necessary?)

Jedi hero Ulic Qel-Droma is tempted by the dark side.......2003-07-22

This Comic can be found listed 3 ways. I am reviewing the first of the 3 that is called: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War written by Kevin J Anderson and published July, 1996 with ISBN 1569711739. This is a dark Horse TPB comic covering issues 1 through 6 of STAR WARS: TALES OF THE JEDI - THE SITH WAR.

Other editions with the same title and cover art are: Titan ISBN 1840231300 published April, 2000 and

TALES OF THE JEDI 3 - THE SITH WAR published by McMillan march, 1997 under ASIN: 075220369X.

I have assigned the timeline year of -3996 before NH to this comic. As did Exar Kun before him and Luke Skywalker 4,000 years later, Jedi hero Ulic Qel-Droma is tempted by the dark side following the murder of master Arca. Before there was Darth Vader, Dark lord of the Sith, there was Ulic Qel-Droma, Dark lord of the Sith.

This comic was written by KJA who has contributed much of the Old Republic Comics. He also did The JEDI ACADEMY trilogy, one of my favorites. Since Kevin also did the SW Essential Chronology we find few continuity problems here. The art and coloring is a in the old style, cartoon strip style, but some of the drawings and dramatic and inspired. Given what Dark horse is turning out now I grade the art a solid "C" grade, though some pages are stunningly awesome.

The action is tremendous. The story is a little hard to follow. Ulic is in the Empress Teta system (not on the galaxy maps produced in the NJO). Ulic is seduced by the Dark side and by Aleema. At about 150 pages long, the story twists and turns and is generally as unpredictable as an episode of LAW AND ORDER.

Made in Canada, the binding is holding up very well. Some of the new TPB's that are now made in China had awful bindings, where the comic can fall apart in your hands, even when you are being careful.

If you have started reading these Old Republic comic and liked them, you'll like this one.

Gripping tale of ancient Jedi lore.......2002-12-19

Lucas Books latched on to a brilliant concept for telling the stories from ancient Jedi lore. Instead of telling these stories in book form, which could be a bit much in terms of asking the fan base to learn and empathize with new characters, they contracted with Dark Horse Comics to tell these stories in graphic novel format. The series was called "Tales of the Jedi". "The Sith War" was the first of these graphic novels that I read and it is also one of most compelling, involved, and relevant tales of the old Jedi order. The time of the events in this story takes place some 4000 years before the original trilogy and the events and characters involved will have an impact in the modern Star Wars universe.

"The Sith War" focuses on the evil machinations of a corrupt Jedi named Exar Kun (who will play a major role in the "Jedi Academy Trilogy" books) who has become poisoned by the seductive dark side power of the Sith. Kun used his influence to corrupt a number of good Jedi with this power. One of these Jedi, named Ulic Qel-Droma, was so perverted by Kun's influence that he turned on his family, friends, and the entire Republic and was responsible for actions that thrust the galaxy into a devastating war. Qel-Droma is not an evil man, just a vulnerable man corrupted by the pure evil of Exar Kun. He comes to realize, to his horror, the consequences of his actions and tries to fight back at against Kun at great consequence to himself.

"The Sith War" provides a continuation of earlier "Tales of the Jedi" stories and answers many questions that readers may have from reading the current Star Wars novels. "The Sith War" is notable for showing the culmination of this bloody conflict, while also explaining what happened to Exar Kun. In addition, the warrior who was the inspiration for Boba Fett and the armor he wore is introduced here. A brilliant military strategist named Mandalore (the inspiration of Fett's Mandalorian Armor) allied himself with Kun and Qel-Droma in this war and fought valiantly. This graphic novel is one that the reader will go back to time and time again to read about the events of that war and to try and pick up on additional details they may have missed the first time around. It is definitely worth getting.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Redemption

Average customer rating:

Artwork's Better, Story's Okay, But Overall: Still Lacking
A great book and a fitting end to a great series!
Finally!!!!, A great story on Audio CD
good art
Redemption is something Anderson will never find.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Redemption
Kevin J. Anderson , and Chris Gossett
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Star Wars Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Dark Empire I (Star Wars)
Star Wars: Crimson Empire, Volume 1
Star Wars Dark Empire II (Star Wars: Dark Empire)
Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)

ASIN: 1569715351

Book Description

Ten years after the Sith War, the Dark Lord of the Sith's chief lieutenant, Ulic Qel-Droma has been stripped of his Force powers and has isolated himself in a distant corner of the galaxy, trying to escape from a life he would rather forget. But his past is about to catch up with him as he is tracked down by Vima, the daughter of Nomi Sunrider, the woman who blinded Ulic to the Force. Vima seeks a teacher and Ulic sees in her a chance at redemption. Unfortunately, Vima's disappearance draws attention, and the search party sent to look for her includes a vicious Jedi seeking revenge upon Ulic for killing her mate.

Customer Reviews:

Artwork's Better, Story's Okay, But Overall: Still Lacking.......2006-08-14

This out of print and ultra-rare graphic novel, 'Tales of the Jedi: Redemption', is in my opinion a step forward from the previous 'Tales of the Jedi' (TOTJ from here on) storylines/graphic novels in terms of artwork. Actually, a step forward is incorrect: the artwork has progressed by leaps and bounds! However, as is usual with Star Wars, the storyline is the same ol', same ol' with little to offer readers and newcomers (although SW nuts and fanatics would eat this up, or anything George Lucas does for that matter).

One of my grumblings with this one is the writing style of the plot via Kevin Anderson. For some reason, Anderson's dialogue always feels rushed to me. While comics are not real life, a good creative team is able to force the reader to suspend their disbelief through an intriguing storyline, lucid dialogue, and beautiful colors. From panel to panel, a good artist knows which poses and facial expressions to put in each one to give the mind the illusion of continuous movement on, what are otherwise, stagnant frames on a page.

Normally, in terms of dialogue, the transition from panel A to panel B is a fluid motion; however under Anderson's writing, the action expressed via dialogue from panel A to panel B feels more like panels A, B, C, and D squeezed into two, A and B, thus giving the impression of a "rushed" feeling gleaned from Anderson's too fast-paced writing. The story in 'Redemption' literally goes by in one big blur, not ever really giving you a chance to focus on any one situation, develop any characters, or become situated with one area. (The latter, "planet-hopping", has always been a staple of Star Wars and while the oodles of worlds makes the SW Universe seem eternally vast, a negative side to this is you never really get to take in everything of one particular place because everyone's always moving around.)

As I mentioned earlier, the storyline found in 'Redemption' is the same old SW formula: a talented but arrogant and overzealous Jedi falls to the dark side (this time, Ulic Qel-Droma), commits evil acts, and later has the internal desire to redeem themselves. The Jedi archetype - a basically good person does evil but becomes good again - worked once, but any more than that and it becomes boring, stale, and...well...dumb. (SEE: The overuse of the `twin archetype' in Star Wars, e.g. Luke/Leia, Jacen/Jaina, Gav/Jori, etc.) If you're a Star Wars junkie, you'll eat this tasteless, drab, substanceless drivel up, but truly, if you've seen/read one SW movie/comic/novel, you've seen/read `em all really. How many ways can you flip the same formula without it getting monotonous?

While the story isn't great, it's slightly enjoyable if you have about half an hour to kill (the graphic novel is five issues long). However, some parts are laughingly far-fetched and unrealistic. For instance, the Jedi knight Nomi Sunrider (yes another cheesy SW archetype: the legendary surname; e.g. Sun-Rider/Sky-Walker...it worked once guys, not again.) fails to train her only daughter Vima because she's so caught up in politics (ooo exciting). Hmmm...okay, what about all the other Jedi knights that could've trained her, including the weird Jedi rhino-ankylosaurus Thon (who is supposed be close to Nomi because her husaband Andur was supposed to train under Thon)? And I just shook my head at the way Nomi and Cathar let the space pirate Hoggon get away at the end...weren't you guys going to chase him down or something??!?!?

While I thought Nomi sucked, Tott Doneeta's character was flat, Vima was basically an Anakin prototype in the form of a girl, and Ulic's flat dialogue got boring at times, I did think the cameo made by the Arkanian Jedi Master Arca was nice; actually, I think Arca's pretty darn cool (he looks like a character from WarCraft or something).

Like I said, if you have time to kill or are between graphic novels, this one'll serve as "filler reading". It's not very good but enjoyable under average circumstances. This is the only TOTJ graphic novel that had artwork worth paying attention to which probably makes up a small percentage of what the overall plot lacks. As this title is rare and out of print, it's not cheap, so in my opinion, I don't think it's worth spending your hard earned dollars on. Luckily, I found it in the comic section of my local library and saved some money.

A great book and a fitting end to a great series!.......2006-02-17

This interesting book is the final book in the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.

This graphic novel brings the story to its conclusion. Ulic Qel-Droma is a broken man, blinded to the Force, and exiled from everything he has known or loved. But, Ulic's past is catching up with him. Nomi Sunrider's daughter, Vima, is looking for something missing in her life, and thinks that Ulic might just have it. And, Sylvar, mate of Crado, is looking for Ulic to gain the revenge that will allow her to release her hate. Ulic has walked a long hard road, and he has learned a thing or two...

My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this series so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a great book, and a fitting end to a great series. The illustration work is very good, and the story is gripping. We enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.

Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you. We highly recommend the entire Tales of the Jedi series!

Finally!!!!, A great story on Audio CD.......2005-06-22

Star Wars Tales of the Jedi is finally out on audio CD it tells the story of the jedi knights 4000 years before Star Wars Episode 4. Star Wars Tales of the Jedi & Star Wars Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith are a must read. These stories are heavily referred to when playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic & Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. This is a great story to listen to and sounds even better on audio CD, I'm glad the publisher released it to audio CD this no doubt is a timeless classic.

good art.......2005-05-18

this features the best looking art in the tales of the jedi dark horse books, but like the others the story isn't really that great. blah

Redemption is something Anderson will never find........2003-10-10

I am a person that loved the old Tales of the Jedi Saga. Originally Started by Tom Veitch, It was a Series ripe with Character, heart, action, and the certain charm that the jedi mythology is known for, all writtem magnificently well. In the Beginning tales of the Jedi was Dark Horses Flagship Star Wars Series. It was a Golden Age.

Then Tom Veitch made a horrible mistake. That mistake was Working with Kevin J Anderson, to create a Villan that would Appear in Andersons Novels, and in the TOTJ Series; Exar Kun. The Villan was one of the favorites in Star Wars expanded universe, but working with anderson meant that Veitch would have to allow Anderson to write the later half of the 12 issue series revolving around Exar Kuns rise to power from Jedi student to Sith Lord. From that Point onward, Thanks to Andersons horrid writing and complete dirth of talent, the TOTJ series started a downward spiral. Andersons Assault and the TOTJ series started with the Sith war, a lackluster story compared to the magnificent Dark Lord Of the Sith Prequal that set it up... Then Anderson Continued to obliterate this once grand series with Golden Age Of the Sith, and Fall Of The Sith Empire. This, was Andersons last chance to revive the series, why they didnt just ask Veitch to write it, I dont know. But this is the last TOTJ story that has been, and likely will ever be published. The Breathtaking and grand saga that Tom Veitch Began, was destroyed by a force darker then any Sith Lord or Dark Jedi; Kevin J Anderson has MUCH to answer for.

In all honesty, for most of this story, it seemed as though Anderson was on the right track. Ulic Found that during a near death experiance, in which he was welcoming death, he had a jedi vision from his dead master. Which should have been impossible, seeing as how his jedi powers were supposed to be sealed. This gave Ulic hope, and purpose to continue living, later... The daughter of the woman he once loved, Vima, showed up asking him to train her in the Jedi arts. Why him, well its a contrived plot point, but Nomi was supposedly too busy As a Jedi to train her daughter, and the other 5000 jedi that were around at the time were busy doing stuff to, or so would Anderson have you beleive. But despite the hideous amount of Plot Contrivance, including Andersons most hideous attempt at a romantic pairing yet, he did manage to create some decent story telling for once... Ulic finds peace with the force, forgive for his crimes, a place back amongst his former comrades, and potentially a way to feel the force once again... Until in the last pages he is shot in the back and killed by a smuggler wanting to be known as the man who killed Ulic Qel Droma, and runs back to the bar to tell his friends. *IM NOT KIDDING*

I dont know what Anderson was smoking at the time, but the thought that this is a suitable way to end Ulics tale of Redemption was just plain Idiocy. In the prior Stories, Ulic had been poisoned by Sith Chemicals, been driven mad by the murder of his master, Disowned the jedi and his lover in his madness, fought and murdered his own brother, and had his Jedi powers sealed by the very woman that once loved him. If he was meant to die, there could have been a thousand more suitable deaths then just to be shot in the back by a unnamed piece of Bar Trash. In the Ten years since he was punished by Nomi Sunrider, his life was one of isolation, and dedication. such a death, is as pointless and meaningless as it is contrived, and a slap in the face of the fans that were looking for The Tales of the Jedi Series to return to its former greatness.

Book Description

Darth Vader was a Dark Lord of the Sith—now discover the terror of the Dark Lords who preceded him in this stunning sequel to Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Ulic Qel-Dromoa and Nomi Sunrider are young Jedi Knights drawn into a battle for the survival of the Old Republic. But as the power of the evil Sith spreads across the galaxy, it threatens the existence of the Jedi themselves, and draws one of their greatest allies over to the dark side!

Customer Reviews:

YOU CAN FIND THIS UNDER A DIFFERENT NUMBER.......2003-06-26

Some Times Dark horse makes it tough to figure out which comic is which. If you are looking for the early sith - Jedi comics try this one: Paperback: 160 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.34 x 10.18 x 6.67
* Publisher: Dark Horse Comics; (April 1996)
* ISBN: 1569710953

Tales of the Jedi Companion (Star Wars RPG)

Average customer rating:

A must-have.
One of the "Must Have" SWRPG Sourcebooks...

Tales of the Jedi Companion (Star Wars RPG)
George R. Strayton
Manufacturer: West End Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Jedi Academy Sourcebook (Star Wars)
The Star Wars Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
The Star Wars Sourcebook (Star Wars RPG, second edition)
Star Wars Roleplaying Game (Second Edition, Revised and Expanded)
Dark Empire Sourcebook (Star Wars RPG)

ASIN: 0874312892

Customer Reviews:

A must-have........2007-09-02

If you are into the Star Wars roleplaying game and prefer the old WEG D6 system to the overly-comlicated d20 system published by Wizards of the Coast, then do not hesitate to buy this book.

Basically, it's a book that compiles all of the Jedi rules (then adds many more) into one tome. If you have any interest in playing a Jedi character or running a Jedi-centric campaign, you really do need this book.

If you check out my other reviews, I don't just hand out 5 stars that easily; this book truly does deserve it!

One of the "Must Have" SWRPG Sourcebooks..........1999-07-05

Although it only contains RPG info on "Tales of the Jedi" and the "Freedon Nadd Uprising", and even if you didn't Dark Horse comic series this is a great book of archiac weaponry and history that can spice up any campaign. Includes some new Forcepowers, 7 character templates, and a solo adventure.

Star Wars - Tales of the Jedi #1 : Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beats Wars of Onderon (Dark Horse Comics)

Average customer rating:

Star Wars - Tales of the Jedi #1 : Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beats Wars of Onderon (Dark Horse Comics)
Tom Veitch
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Star Wars | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000GS7676

Star Wars - Tales of the Jedi #3 : The Saga of Nomi Sunrider (Dark Horse Comics)

Average customer rating:

Star Wars - Tales of the Jedi #3 : The Saga of Nomi Sunrider (Dark Horse Comics)
Tom Veitch
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000RSOA92

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