(Graphic Novel with art by Al Williamson)

The second book of the Classic... series in which the old black and white newspapers strips have been reworked, coloured and collected into trade paperback format.  We get several linked adventures here set between 'A New Hope' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' the best of which are Luke's crashlanding on a seemingly uninhabited ice planet called Hoth and Darth Vader's plot to get to Luke using an Obi-Wan Kenobi impostor.  We also get to see the Rebel heroes' first encounter with Admiral Ackbar and the Mon Calamari.  So, by the simple merit of being packed with Star Wars excitement, this book is worth reading.  There are, however, downsides.  Firstly, because of the nature of the newspaper serials, the book starts halfway through a story and then ends halfway through a story (I'm giving Lucasfilm the benefit of the doubt there that this element isn't a cheap stunt to force you to buy the previous and subsequent books).  Also, because so much had to be conveyed in limited space in the newspaper strip, it means the book is very dialogue-heavy with reams of (now) unnecessary exposition.  One final thing that bothered me was Williamson's habit of filling every inch of empty space, meaning that in some of the pictures there are half a dozen physically impossible planets providing a backdrop that I feel crowds the main focus rather than highlighting it.  So, some good things, some bad.

3 out of 5

 

Classic Star Wars: Escape To Hoth

(Graphic Novel with art by Al Williamson)

The third in the series of graphic novels reprinting the old Star Wars newspaper strips.  The Rebel Alliance evacuates their Yavin 4 base in the face of the Empire's deadly new battlecruiser, the Super Star Destroyer Executor, and they then set up home on the ice planet Hoth.  Meanwhile, Luke, Han and Chewbacca have another run in with bounty hunters on Ord Mantell.  This latter story gives us perhaps the best moment in the book when we get to see Boba Fett and Darth Vader together once more, the two coolest characters in the saga.  The book as a whole has all the good and bad elements of it's predecessor, 'The Rebel Storm', but does have the benefit of having an actual ending.  Once again, worth a read but far from the best book in the franchise.

3 out of 5

Check out the work of Russ Manning.

FSFH Book Review - Fantasy - Science Fiction - Horror - Book Review - Hardback - Paperback - Comics TPB - Anthologies - Star Wars - Book Review - FSFH Book Review - Fantasy - Science Fiction - Horror - Book Review - Hardback - Paperback - Comics TPB - Anthologies - Star Wars - Book Review - FSFH Book Review - Fantasy - Science Fiction - Horror - Book Review - Hardback - Paperback - Comics TPB - Anthologies - Star Wars - Book Review