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Star Wars Empire Volume 2: Darklighter

Creators: Paul Chadwick, Doug Wheatley, Tomàs Giorello
Publisher: Dark Horse

Reviewed by Chris Ching

When Star Wars came out in '77, the character of Biggs Darklighter was a mere footnote in George Lucas' far, far away galaxy. As a Rebel pilot, he participated in the attack on the Death Star, traded a few lines of dialogue with Luke Skywalker, and paid the ultimate sacrifice courtesy of Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter. Luke went on to display his womprat bullseye skills by blowing the space station to bits and getting full props as the savior of the Rebellion. Ol' Biggs, Hutch, Porkins, and practically every other snub fighter pilot were forgotten in all the celebratory hoopla and medal awarding - casualties of galactic civil war dissipating in space.

Still, there seemed to be more to Biggs than just his Harry Reams-ish moustache.

For those of us paying close attention (or who just plain saw the movie a bazillion times), we noticed Biggs' name popping up in Luke's many "I'll Never Get Out Of Here" whine sessions . With that in mind, the repartee between the two during the Death Star run did seem allude to some sort of prior relationship.

As it turned out, two major scenes were axed from George Lucas' final cut of Star Wars. These scenes revealed Biggs as Luke Skywalker's best friend who had proceeded his young buddy in joining the Rebellion. Even though Biggs fell prey to Vader's guns and Lucas' editing clippers, various Star Wars products in the ensuing years - books, comics, the Special Edition edits, etc. - have brought the character into sharper focus. Still, much of his story has yet to be told.

Till now.

Dark Horse has finally given Tatooine's second most popular pilot his day in the sun with Darklighter, a collection of stories that ran last year in the pages of Star Wars Empire.

One of the great things about the Star Wars Universe is its richness and endless character pool to draw from; a minor character only seen for second in the shadows of the Mos Eisley Cantina can become a superstar. Plus, kids who grew up with the original movies and are now creators in their own right seem to have a much better grasp of the Star Wars legend than the Wizard of Marin County himself does these days.

Darklighter begins several months before the first released Star Wars movie with Biggs about to join the flight academy and Luke...well... not. He's left behind to maintain the moisture vaporators on his uncle's farm as Biggs sees the evils of the galactic Empire firsthand. After each of the two have had their share of adventures, Biggs and Luke are reunited for the attack on the Death... well you know the rest. The book aims to show the huge bond and parallel paths of Biggs and Luke. The art by Doug Wheatly and Tomàs Giorello perfectly invokes the Star Wars spirit as does Paul Chadwick's writing.

Darklighter also shines a light on other peripheral Star Wars characters. We discover Hobbie - one of the speeder pilots from The Empire Strikes Back Hoth battle - didn't suit up for the Death Star assault because he was recovering from a deadly (almost) Yavin disease. Grand Moff Tarkin is the commencement speaker at Biggs' flight academy graduation. We also get to learn more about the gang of Tatooine teens Luke hung out with at Toshi Station.

As a bonus, Darklighter features an additional story of new character Roons Sewell, a Rebel Alliance general. It fits well with Darklighter as both deal with soldiers who gave their lives for the Rebellion, but the writing and artwork fall markedly short of the story that precedes it.

Rating: (3 out of 4 stars)

Purchase Darklighter by clicking here.

THEY ALSO SERVED
More Unsung Heroes of Star Wars

Wedge Antilles The King of Unsung Star Wars Heroes. Beloved by fans but "huh?" to everyone else, Wedge has the distinction of taking part in every Rebel fighter attack in the original Star Wars Trilogy... and living! In Return of the Jedi, he made his greatest contribution - alongside Lando Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon - by blowing the second Death Star's main reactor. Actor Dennis Lawson is also the uncle of Ewan McGregor who everyone knows as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels.

Lobot When Lando Calrissian's right hand semi-man wasn't making sure his boss' fridge was stocked with Colt 45, Lobot was coordinating the about face that stopped Darth Vader's plans dead in their Sith ridden tracks. Whether he survived the evacuation of Cloud City and ended up the recreational cyborg for some sex starved Hutt is unknown, but his cool demeanor in times of stress was definitely worthy of a battery recharge in the Ugnaught motor pool.

Paploo Yes, Paps was an Ewok and by definition should be skinned and used as a throw rug, but the little guy saved the Rebellion by stealing a speeder bike providing a distraction that left the Imperial bunker unguarded. Han Solo and the rest of the Rebels were able to waltz in and blow that mother up (along with the second Death Star's shield). Not bad Paploo, not bad at all. Incidentally, Paploo was played by Kenny Baker more famously known as R2-D2.

Irvin Kershner When most people think of Star Wars, they think of George Lucas. Nothing wrong with that since the Modesto boy dreamed up the whole thing. However, it was Irvin Kershner who helmed the most respected film of the series The Empire Strikes Back. His wonderful direction allowed the adventures of Luke Skywalker to continue, and his take on the galaxy far, far away is the one all Star Wars episodes are measured against.

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