The story so far: 1000 years before the Battle of Yavin, three Force-sensitive children were brought from a backwater planet to a world at war where the Jedi fight the last battle against the Sith. The children were separated, each facing different trials and revelations ... and each making hard life-altering choices. (See my review of #1-2 here, and #3-4 here.)

Macan has turned everyone's head around by this point in the story. The war hasn't gone as expected -- a healthy dose of reality to Star Wars there, if wars ever went as predicted there wouldn't be two sides. Both sides are bedraggled and the Sith have become desperate. But that desperation causes friction and cracks threaten to divide their alliance. Meanwhile, though the Jedi seemingly have victory in their grasp, petty differences could reverse their fortune in a heartbeat. And all of this is reflected by the three children on a smaller, more personal basis. While the battle keeps us on the edge of our seat, because let's face it - we don't know what could happen -- it's the children who provide the emotional attachment for the readers to care about. And you will even when the unthinkable happens.

I haven't been able to say enough good things about Bachs and Fernanadez' art in my last two reviews, so I'll give you my one complaint: there's a lot of teeth in this mini-series. If people aren't grimacing, then they are gritting their teeth. Grim or grimace. That's pretty much it page after page. Luckily they convey the proper emotion with the characters' eyes ... so it doesn't really matter. Heck, it's life or death for these people. It's not like they have a reason to be smiling or indifferent.

The colors are beautiful. Blythe really knows the craft and compliments Bachs and Fernandez's art. These three should work together often. The letters by Dutro are legible and more importantly fit the story. You're not distracted by them, instead they blend seamlessly with each panel. While I wasn't particularly impressed with the cover to Issue 5 (I think it's supposed to be the three kids), Robinson redeems himself on Issue 6 with a startling duel between a Jedi and Sith Lord. Neither appear in the book but it's beautiful nonetheless. McCaig colored both and they are a wonderful study in contrast.

It's hard to write this last review because I don't want to give anything away. Several times throughout I thought I had everything figured out, everyone's destiny plotted and the war won. But then everything changed on me. And this happened several times. I didn't always believe it and I never saw it coming, yet when the tale ended -- everything seemed to be in the right place. With the glut of Star Wars stuff still cluttering up the marketplace and the new film coming out, it's hard to find something good in a morass of barely adequate entertainment. This is good. Go find it.

Discuss this review on the Echo Station message boards.

See also my reviews of parts 1-2 and parts 3-4.

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(Chad Clark is an avid fan of both comics and Star Wars. He's currently trying to live through a deadly case of boredom running rampant through the state of North Carolina. Help him survive by emailing him something interesting and well written at chad@echostation.com.)