GONK checks out this week’s other Star Wars comic: Dark Times – Out of the Wilderness #3. Everyone is on Dass Jennir’s tail.. but he’s chasing someone down, too. Spoilers ahead!
Dark Times – Out of the Wilderness #3
Following the galaxy’s biggest game of hide and seek, it’s the third issue of Dark Times – Out of the Wilderness. and guess what? We’re not out of the wilderness – in fact, more people are going into it!
Everyone’s still hunting for Dass Jennir – a mysterious tracker, the crew of his old ship (along with their Verpine Jedi), and Darth Vader. But Dass is on the trail of the raiders who snagged his companion, Ember Chankeli, and are carting her off in bondage. Before he can catch up to the slaver caravan, Dass casts “Heal light wounds” on his recently tamed mount… but does he have enough Force points to make it work? Flashback: Sue Rostoni as a Jedi says no! Turns out that Dass was a below-average Jedi when he was a youth. Following Dass on the hardscrabble world is the man in black, and his droid – but now his face is revealed, and with his speeder bike, he catches up to spy on the caravan and realizes that Dass isn’t among them. Ember bonds with Maddy, her fellow recently enslaved, and the Uhumele crew manage to figure out what planet Dass is on. Vader’s only one planet behind them, but he’s got a bright lieutenant to do the data sifting for him. In the end, Ember gets her hope restored as Dass charges in a rescue attack, while the sallow huntsman spies the fracas.
Randy Stradley, no longer using the Mick Harrison alias, continues crafting a good tale in this issue. The opening narration with Ember contemplating her next move is solid, though her initial plan backfires.The few pages on the Uhumele crew helped moved them along, and opened an old wound when Janks is mentioned – nice emotive glances there, Douglas Wheatley. Sahdett the Verpine shows off his superior wisdom and they move on towards Dass’ location on Prine. Dass’ droid companion, H2, comes across as more of a character here, and the scene of it leading the animal with a bundle of grass while Dass sleeps sets a great mood. Wheatley’s art with Dan Jackson’s colors lend well to the outdoors world of Prine, especially with Dass and his ride spurring into action, and the members of the caravan.
Not a whole lot of action in this issue, but this story so far has been mostly about the chase. With the Jedi springing into battle to save Ember, things are heating up! Hopefully we’ll see what the mysterious hunter wants with Dass next time.