8.13.14 [#BookOfTheWeek]

#BookOfTheWeek is brought to you with generous support from my retail sponsor Yesteryear Comics. Make Yesteryear Comics your first and only destination in San Diego for great customer service and the best discounts possible on a wide selection of mainstream and independent titles. Customers receive an attractive 20% discount on new titles during their first week of release. Yesteryear Comics is located at 9353 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

Star Wars #20 (Dark Horse): Well, it's the end of an era. For me, this is the last Dark Horse Star Wars book I'll ever pick up off the stands. Brian Wood, Carlos D'Anda, and Gabe Eltaeb deliver a satisfying conclusion to their run. By including Seren Song, a Rebel Alliance deep cover agent, and her stolen Imperial Geological Survey data, it offers readers the opportunity to read in between the lines and learn how the Rebels discovered the remote world of Hoth. The writing is totally solid, dialogue full of Star Wars-isms, fleshed out world-building, and clever new lines ("The Falcon grew talons." Wood seriously nails the slightly smart-ass voice of the ice-cold assassin droid IG-88.). But, one of the greatest treats is seeing Carlos D'Anda work his stout lines and Gabe Eltaeb fill them with a rustic sheen that's right at home in the Star Wars Universe. There are so many memorable moments here, from Seren's Y-Wing (always a design favorite of mine), to IG-88's menacing sniper shot from atop the IG-2000, to a forced perspective shot of the Falcon in full burn, to a close-up of Han Solo's swaggering charm, this was the Star Wars title that really had it all. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: This is the last great contribution to Dark Horse Star Wars comics. If you've gotta' go out, might as well go out on a high note. Grade A+.