Review: Star Wars- Age of Republic
Quick Summary
Pros: The majority of this collection’s stories are interesting and provide a unique look at a specific character. The Grievous and Dooku stories are very interesting while also being compelling on their own. The majority of the book’s artwork looks nice.
Cons: A few of the stories are just alright. Some of the artwork is just alright.
Overall: This is a mostly enjoyable collection of quick Star Wars tales. The stories here provide fun, character-focused narratives that fans of the characters will enjoy. These stories give an interesting perspective of the characters from this era and, in a few places, seriously stand out. The collection has some downsides but these are in the minority. Readers who enjoy the main characters from the Prequel era will find a lot to enjoy within this book.
Story
Star Wars: Age of Republic, by Jody Houser, is a collection of individual stories that provide mostly positive insights into a wide array of characters. The Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Jango stories are all enjoyable and offer moments with these characters that highlight their better traits. Meanwhile, the Grievous and Dooku stories are even more effective, presenting tales that are exciting and engaging all on their own. There are a few lackluster stories but the vast majority of this book is worthwhile. In the end, this is a collection for fans of the Prequel era who really want to see some cool moments from their favorite characters.
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The majority of the stories in Age of Republic are worthwhile in the way they offer unique glimpses at characters from the Prequel era. The Qui-Gon story shows the enigmatic Jedi Master’s disagreements with the Jedi ways and his search for a greater truth. The Obi-Wan and Anakin stories expand on these characters’ personal approaches to Jedi business. And the Jango Fett story highlights Jango’s relationship with his son and, subsequently, elements of Boba’s childhood. Each of these stories shows off aspects of these characters that often go underappreciated in the movies and, thus, give readers a chance to see them in greater dimensions.
A few of these stories even manage to rise above simply offering unique glimpses of characters and are genuinely exciting on their own. The General Grievous story is a mad rush of evil from a powerful cyborg, yet it is unable to stop the living energy of the Force. Meanwhile, Dooku’s story hits the right blend of subterfuge, trickery, and downright evil to make the Sith Lord despicably enjoyable. These are two big highlights in a collection that is already mostly positive.
The only real downsides in Age of Republic come from a few stories that are just alright. The Padme story is divided in a way that prevents it from doing anything memorable. Meanwhile, the stories in the Age of Republic special feel incredibly generic and, thus, are equally forgettable. The positive here is that these stories are definitely in the minority for this collection.
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Art
The artwork in Age of Republic is mostly good but dips in a few chapters. The hero chapters, by Cory Smith and Wilton Santos, are all pretty good. The Qui-Gon chapter looks particularly nice, with creative visuals that help emphasize the story’s theme. The villain chapters, by Luke Ross, have higher highs but also have lower lows. The Darth Maul chapter is gritty and intense while the Count Dooku chapter features some great backgrounds. However, the Jango Fett chapter is lackluster, with several moments that look a bit weird. Overall though, the artwork in this collection trends positive and makes for an alright reading experience.
Continuity
Star Wars: Age of Republic collects a variety of mostly independent stories set during the Star Wars Prequel trilogy.
This volume also makes references to other works, detailed below:
- Age of Republic: Qui-Gon Jinn #1 and Darth Maul #1 take place before Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace.
- Darth Maul’s story features a flashback to when he killed someone in the past. This is a direct reference to a murder that took place near the conclusion of Star Wars: Darth Maul.
- Age of Republic: Obi-Wan Kenobi #1, Jango Fett #1, and Count Dooku #1 take place after Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace but before Star Wars: Episode II- The Clone Wars.
- Age of Republic: Anakin Skywalker #1, Padme Amidala #1, and General Grievous #1 take place sometime between Star Wars: Episode II- The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith.
- The stories in Star Wars: Age of Republic Special #1 take place at various points.
- “The Weapon” takes place sometime before Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace.
- The “Sisters” story is specifically a tie-in to “To Catch a Jedi”, the Season 5 Episode 10 episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series.
- “501 Plus One” takes place at some point during the Clone Wars, between Star Wars: Episode II- The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith.