Current Star Wars fans have multiple options to explore the fictional universe from different eras, but it wasn’t always this way. We now have comics, books, and video games (not to mention the tv shows and movies) that survey the lore that goes beyond the Skywalker lineage, but it wasn’t always this way. While we can thank Timothy Zhan’s Thrawn Trilogy for rekindling an interest in the franchise back in 1991, it’s the Tales of the Jedi, published by Dark Horse Comics, that captured my imagination in the early 90s. To see the ancient history of the galaxy explored was refreshing, with canonical nods to the larger universe making the series feel vital to understanding the larger universe. While not every issue is stellar, many of the comics gathered in this Epic Collection are exceptional and are worthy of reassessing at this moment when the future of Star Wars seems indistinct.
Collected in this massive trade are a few Tales of the Jedi miniseries (which was the way they published these stories at this time), including Dark Lords of the Sith #1-5, The Sith War #1-6, Redemption #1-5, and a few other supplemental pieces from Star Wars Tales and Dark Horse Comics. While each run benefits from the obligatory exposition crawl, you need to understand the last two Tales of the Jedi volumes (the self-titled run and Freedon Nadd Uprising) to authentically appreciate these stories.
Taking place 4,000 years before the Battle of Yavin, these arcs center the core cast of Nomi Sunrider, Cay, and Ulic Qel-Droma, and the fallen Jedi Exar Kun as the villain plunges the galaxy into the cataclysmic Sith War. When Ulic is pulled into the realm of the Sith, it’s up to his Jedi family to defeat the forces of evil and attempt to rehabilitate their brother. While not a new concept within Star Wars, it’s the meticulous world Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson craft in these comics that elevates these stories above their counterparts. While I bristle at some of the wooden dialogue, the universe they create feels lived in and real, with various factions and cultures that act as more than background details.
Dark Lords of the Sith and The Sith War are so strong in their world-building that the final arc in Redemption, unfortunately, feels like a letdown as it works to rehabilitate Ulic. It’s a perfectly fine tale, but the final page of The Sith War is such a haunting conclusion to the story you almost wish it stopped there.
There are some great supporting characters and concepts I’d love to see Star Wars explore further. While the fallen Jedi plot device is well trodden, its villains like the wealthy Satal and Aleema, wealthy siblings who, out of boredom, delve into Sith magic, are entertaining rogues. The way the Mandalore are brought into the galactic conflict on the side of the Sith also added depth to (at least, at this time) little-known fictional culture. And it isn’t just the supporting cast: the darker visual tone explored in this book stands out for its willingness to play with the Star Wars ethos.
Without a doubt, these stories are made stellar by the incredible pencil work from Chris Gossett, whose design work in Dark Lords of the Sith gives these issues the distinct feel of being part of Star Wars but separate from the universe that existed in the time of Luke Skywalker. The shapes, planets, and outfits; all feel like the universe but are distinct from the existing films. Gossett’s blocking and command of the page are a real treat to observe as well. Dario Cassasco Jr. handles the pencils in The Sith War, and while competent and cinematic, just doesn’t capture the same scope and scale. Having said that, The Sith War has some of the most memorable moments that linger in my mind decades after first seeing them. It would be a travesty if I also didn’t mention the incredible covers painted by Hugh Fleming that accompany each issue and continue to be as epic today as when they were first created in the 1990s.
Star Wars would have great success exploring the pre-Skywalker era of the universe with games and comics under The Old Republic banner. Still, it was Tales of the Jedi that established the template that so many Expanded Universe tales would mine in the years to come. There is so much world-building to enjoy in this collection, it makes one wish Disney was bolder in their choices for Star Wars going forward. It’s not that we need remakes or adaptations of these stories, but some of the lore, visuals, and tones created in this era are worth incorporating into the canonical universe.
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