COVER ME, I'M GOING IN!

Art by Robert Michael Perry
The best and worst of Dark Horse's X-Wing Rogue Squadron

Review by Robert Michael Perry

Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron
by Michael Stackpole and others
published by Dark Horse Comics

The Star Wars phenomenon has come full circle.

    It has often been said that among the myriad influences attributed to George Lucas' epic was its impact on the "video game generation," that attention-impaired band of youths consumed by the electronic stimulus of the Atari-Nintendo-Sega Age. If that's true, then Dark Horse Comic's publication of Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron is an ironic creation, indeed. Aside from being DH's first on-going Star Wars title, it's also the most popular comic book inspired by a video game, namely the best-selling Lucasarts flight-simulators, X-Wing and TIE Fighter (something about medium and message comes to mind, and Marshall McLuhan, I'm sure, couldn't be happier).

     But is this comic book, chronicling of the adventures of a band of fighter pilots in the waning days of the Empire, worth the purchase price? For that matter, is it as good as the game that inspired it? Is it better? To answer this, here's a look at what Dark Horse has to offer; the victories, the defeats, and the stalemates; the best and the worst of X-Wing Rogue Squadron . . .

     Set during the events immediately following Return of the Jedi's "Battle of Endor," the comic series predates the adventures of Bantam's own "X-Wing" novels. This allows both series' author Michael A. Stackpole to use X-Wing Rogue Squadron as a kind of "mini-prequel"; cult favorite Wedge Antilles, for example, is still a captain, not yet a commander. This is a major advantage, in terms of continuity. And since the book is the first continuing series to highlight characters outside of the trilogy it has drawn a surprising number of talented artists (and scripters) by the very challenge of developing readership. But the constant line-up changes have been both a blessing and a hindrance, managing to please a variety of fans for an extended period, but often to the detriment of the series' essential pace and rhythm.

THE FIRST MISSION
Carved into four-part story arcs, the series began in the summer of 1995 with "The Rebel Opposition" (issues #1-4), and featured the scripting talents of Nexus' Mike Baron, artwork by Allen Nunis and Andy Mushynsky, colors by the versatile Dave Nestelle (the only artist to remain with the series throughout), and elegant covers by Star Wars alumnus, Dave Dorman. Headlined, "The Continuing Adventures of Wedge Antilles!", the story opens with Wedge, Bantam stalwart Tycho Celchu, old-timers Wes Janson and Derek "Hobbie" Klivan, and newcomers Plourr Ilo and Dllr Nep, dogfighting "eyeballs" (TIE fighters) on the backwater planet of Cilpar.

     Why are they there? Apparently to save a convoy that doesn't exist, make contact with the mysterious Rebel operative "Targeter" (Heir to the Empire's Winter) and uncover a resistance force still fighting a battalion of oblivious post-Endor Imperials ("Imps," in the local Rogue vernacular). The specifics of the plot are mostly forgettable, however, and the revelations are uniformly uninspired. The only thing of note in "The Rebel Opposition" is an uneasy alliance between Wedge and resistance leader Elscol Loro, a widow by Imperial tyranny whose constant companion is a life-indebted Wookiee named Groznik; the story ends with Elscol joining Rogue Squadron with Groznik faithfully in tow.

     Easily the weakest entry in the series, "The Rebel Opposition" suffers from an overall lackluster sense of depth and dynamic storytelling. Everything is plainly on the surface and easily discarded. Untried comic book talents, Stackpole and Nunis (to my knowledge the illustrator's first major sequential work) can't be helped by veterans Baron and Mushynsky; the elements just don't gel. Baron's leaping script style that works so well in the euphoric Nexus, only serves to confuse Stackpole's deliberate narrative (and the conscious over-use of Rebel "slang" quickly becomes tiresome). Yet what really weighs this first arc down is Nunis, whose E.C. inspired renderings work at right angles to the conventional page layouts. Nunis' style - a kind of Al Williamson on a bad day - does little to enhance the story's dynamics; to be sure Al's work was never about dynamic rendering, but no one can deny the elegance of his lines and the exquisite nature of his compositions. Nunis, sadly, fails to push the first, and proves sadly deficient on either of the latter. Combine that with the tight, confining inks of Marvel-vet Mushynsky, and you deaden any graphic potential ending up with one very static comic book.

MISSION TWO
In order to keep the series from being shot down prematurely, things had to get light-years better, and fast. That's just what happens in series' second story arc, "The Phantom Affair" (issues #5-8). Editorial hands changed from Ryder Wyndam to Peet James, who enlisted a more synchronized creative group: independent sensations, Darko Macan (script) and Edvin Biukovic (art and lettering); and the Drew Struzan-inspired covers by Mathieu Lauffray.

     The story, also a unique departure, focuses not on military outposts, swamps or deserts, but on the scenic planet of Mrllst, engineering nexus, and home to one of the galaxy's greatest campus' of learning. Here the Rogues must diplomatically obtain a powerful new weapon - a phantom ship - developed at Mrllst Academy by the same people who inadvertently created the Death Star technology.

     Peaceful bartering quickly gives way to all-out war when the Imperial rep, Loka Hask, deceives the Mrllstians and the Rogues, and attempts to obtain the phantom technology for himself. This introduces a welcome, if somewhat unoriginal, origin for Wedge Antilles, orphaned after a supposed pirate ship forcibly detaches from his parent's orbital fueling station, leaving them stranded in the vacuum of space. The pilot of the ship? You guessed it . . . Loka Hask!

     But the unique plot isn't nearly as interesting as the environment its set in. By bringing attention to the oft-untapped region of academia in the Star Wars universe, "Phantom Affair" touches upon a variety of ethical, political, and sometimes even philosophical avenues; it's all in the details. Everywhere Macan and Biukovic use Stackpole's narrative to infuse perceptions of the world through its inhabitants: students taking part-time jobs to pay tuition; extreme political groups stirring up on-campus controversy; pop bands inspired by campus legends; underground communities providing sanctuary for Academy non-conformists. Macan's slyly intelligent dialogue not only helps flesh out the personality of the world, but of the Rogue's as well; he gives the narrative an organic, often whimsical flavor missing from the stoical "Rebel Opposition." And thanks in part to their previous working relationship, he and Biukovic create a pace and rhythm that keeps you interested. Biukovic's style, easily Japanese in influence, manages to suggest the personality of the story with exaggeration and animated simplicity. He also gives Nestelle something to do this time beyond keeping inside the lines.

     While Biukovic's sophisticated drawing approach isn't without its drawbacks - ships and vehicles still hang statically in space - his disappearance in issue #4 is strongly felt. Future X-wing illustrator Gary Erskine ("Requiem for a Rogue") competently "adopted" Biukovic's distinctive style, the sudden change effectively curtailed the increasing momentum of the arc. As a result, issue #4 comes nowhere near the exquisite #1 through 3. Yet, despite this unfortunate disparity, "The Phantom Affair" remains one of the most innovative story arcs yet produced.

MISSION THREE
As good as "The Phantom Affair" is, it can be argued that it lacks the appropriate Star Wars "feel," drawing the series' atmosphere away from its cinematic origins. Such is not the case with Rogue Squadron's third arc, "Battleground: Tatooine" (issues #9-12), a story that, quite literally, returns to more familiar ground. If "The Phantom Affair" suggested the potential of the series, then surely "Battleground" established it as a solid addition to the Star Wars pantheon.

     A hidden Imperial weapons cache brings the Rogues and a Rebel agent - three guesses who that might be - to the familiar sandy wasteland, where they find themselves in the middle of a filthy power struggle between the Imperials, the late Biggs Darklighter's shrewd father, Huff (wonderful name, this), and a Twi'lek crime boss who bears a striking resemblance to a familiar Hutt-employed majordomo. Because of its familiar settings and inspired characterizations, especially the mindfully business-like Huff Darklighter, this arc manages not only to "feel" more Star Wars-esque than previous, but also generously supports Rogue Squadron's reputation for being one hell of an action-adventure book.

     Credit this to the new creative team: scripter Jan Strnad, who embraces the hedonistic energy of the Star Wars films without losing the character interest established in "The Phantom Affair;" penciller John Nadeau, whose percussive, Kirby-esque style breathes new, dust-contaminated life into the series (he even invents some nifty new dress uniforms for those difficult-to-decide-on ceremonial engagements); and inker Jordi Ensign, who perfectly compliments Nadeau's pencils with loose, yet-forcefully angled brush strokes. Hard-edged, kinetic, and deceptively sketchy, Nadeau & Ensign's artwork can be best looked on as the comic book equivalent of Lucas' own "used universe" concept. Everything here, from the grimiest speeder bike to the torn cushions of a discarded acceleration chair, have something to say about their ancient life in the Star Wars universe. Even the four gritty Mark Harrison covers seem to squeak and crack with dirty vitality.

MISSION FOUR
A deceptive sim-training battle begins the series' fourth story arc, as Rogue's own Plourr Ilo discovers that she is "The Warrior Princess" (issues #13-16) of the war-torn planet Eiattu. Deception reigns in this tale of further political intrigue and assumed identity, as Stackpole - dipping once more into his recurring narrative device of "things are not always what they seem" - centers his foremost female pilot in the midst of a three-way civil war, involving Eiattu's nobles, the Priamsta, Plourr's supposed-lost upstart brother, Prince Harran, and the most devious of all, young Moff Leonia Tavira, herself an essay in contradicting appearances.

     Nadeau and Ensign were invited back for this fourth story arc, as was cover artist Mark Harrison, who continued to push his mixed media style in interesting directions. Only Strnad was replaced, allowing new scripter Scott Tolson to continue Stackpole's greater emphasis on characterization. Wedge gains a number of new pilots (having summarily dismissed Elscol at the tail end of "Battleground" due to insubordination): a female Mon Calamari, Ibtisam; a crusty Quarren, Nrin Vakil; a female Bith named Herian I'ngre; and a human female, Feylis Ardele. Tolson has a lot of fun at the outset volleying fighter-jockey dialogue back and forth, proving the best "banter" writer in the series.

     From the eye-popping, dynamic battle sequences to the eventual twists and turns, "The Warrior Princess" shows the series continue to tighten and develop a bright, charming rhythm. On the other hand, it also reveals some continuing creative shortcomings.

     First of all, Plourr becomes another victim of the obligatory "I must avenge the death of . . ." scenario that seems to be the sole motivational factor in any Rebel's life. Apparently, the only way to assert your determination in the Star Wars universe is to have your husband/ mother/father/sister/girlfriend/planet destroyed by the Empire (just once I'd like to see a young warrior kiss his mom good-bye before he jumps happily into his spacecraft . . . oh well, dramatic tension, I guess.) Also, Stackpole's story ideas begin to reveal a common routine. His pre-occupation - some might say reliance - on political intrigue and subterfuge prove more distracting each time out, threatening to stifle the characters and box the series into overly-structured, shallow episodes. The intensely symmetrical pattern - four issues, different scripters/artists - is certainly part of the problem. For all its polished veneer, "The Warrior Princess" allows the strains to begin to show.

MISSION 5:
The fifth story arc, "Requiem for a Rogue" (issues 17-20), literally plunges the series back toward its mission-oriented agenda, and owes more than a little to Allen Dean Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye, with its similar storyline of a crashed ship and subsequent quest for mystical powers in jungle temples. The Rogues must investigate a downed Alliance cruiser populated by apparent Bothan tourists.

     But something is rotten in the mists of Malrev, as Wedge, downed and injured, stumbles into the clutches of a Devaronian sorcerer wielding Sith magic over the Bothans' leader. Despite an intriguing start, and Jan Strnad's scripting return, "Requiem for a Rogue" fails to connect any sense of urgency or dramatic thrust. Taking a lion's share of the blame has to be Gary Erskine, whose art style, only faintly reminiscent of the quirky Biukovic, blunts the kinetic appeal and frenzied energy established by Nadeau and Ensign for eight issues. The pages are interesting but hopelessly stilted, and often distractingly proportioned.

     However, this is only part of the problem. "Requiem" - the title refers to the demise of veteran Rogue Dllr Nep - is Stackpole's first earnest attempt to marry the mystical elements of Star Wars with the decidedly tech-heavy conventions of the series. But unlike the tantalizing Ghost Jedi in "The Phantom Affair," here the enigmatic mysticism of Star Wars is laid full-bear, consequently casting the Rogues into realms they weren't meant to go, making "Requiem for a Rogue" the weakest arc since "The Rebel Opposition."

MISSION SIX
Following this listless entry the series was in need of a boost. This came in the form of the fantastic "In the Empire's Service" (issues 21-24); even the ads, featuring a knock-out cover by Timothy Bradstreet, promised something special.

     After several stale issues of political intervention, deceptive agendas, and mystical tinkering, the Rogues are once more back at what they do best, blasting TIE Fighters, complete with a replenished roster: humans Dar Keyis and Avan Beruss; Rodian Standro Jcir; and an interesting new alien, the Tunroth, Xarcce Huwla. But in order to shake things up, Stackpole (now writer and scripter) and company (the dynamic return of Nadeau and Ensign) turn things around and give us a view from the other end of the gun turrets . . . the Empire's end.

     This inspired notion easily makes "In the Empire's Service" the most exciting arc in the series, thanks largely to the creation of an intriguing - and highly original - new lead character: Baron Soontir Fel.

     Major characters, especially villains, outside the Star Wars movie universe have too often been either misdirected or over-inflated, as their centrality to the saga stretches plausibility: the ill-conceived Prince Xizor is a good example. Not so with Baron Fel. Here, Stackpole gives us the first fully-realized, noble, flawed, real character to exist plausibly at the periphery of the Star Wars universe. To be blunt, he fits. Even as the noble 181st TIE squadron leader sworn to protect Brentaal IV's ill-fated Imperial base, he perfectly embodies the whole notion of the peripheral Star Wars hero: an unknown warrior, gifted and determined, but wrapped so tightly into the fabric of his cause that he stands for every nameless, faceless soldier that ever fought or died. Isn't this what X-wing Rogue Squadron was intended to do?

THE NEW MISSIONS
Following the events of "Empire's Service," the Rogues take time out in a double-sized issue to better understand "The Making of Baron Fel" (issue #25). This interlude piece - the first to break with many patterns that had crept into the series, including the four-issue format - is a sheer delight, a nicely paced chronology of the triumphs and woes of the vaunted Imperial war hero.

     Drawing on his talents as a novelist, Stackpole exploits the looser, bounding narrative in a story that is mostly recollection. In a relatively short page count he manages to cover the determination and eventual disenchantment of the Baron with assured confidence, savoring all the character's subtleties along the way. Additionally, the clean, somewhat cartoonish line-work of Steve Crespo and inkers Chip Wallace & Gary Martin (not to mention the excellent John Nadeau oil covers) prove easily accessible and introduce yet another style to the multi-faceted series. This is among Stackpole's best efforts.

     Currently, the 26th issue of X-Wing Rogue Squadron, "Family Ties", is on the stands. It is said to be a continuation of a twelve-part story begun "In the Empire's Service." Will it be as charmingly original as the imaginative "The Phantom Affair"? Or as thrillingly Star Wars-esque as "Battleground: Tatooine" or "In the Empire's Service"? No verdict yet. For one thing it's a two-parter, which continues Dark Horse's healthy decision to vary the length of their stories from arc to arc. Hopefully this will allow Stackpole and his varying creative teams the opportunity to more fully exploit the nature of character and plot in the continuing series; and above all keep things exciting.

     Because let's face it, the Star Wars comic universe needs an ongoing series. The proliferation of "event" comics, starting back in '92 with Dark Empire, have begun to dramatically confine the potential of Lucas' imagined universe. One thing X-Wing Rogue Squadron has brought to this arena is a straight ahead, adventurous charm, that is, above all, fun.

     I encourage Dark Horse's effort to continue with a purely traditional comic series. The notion of using authentically rendered characters in peripheral situations is one of the primary reasons for the its overall success. If X-Wing Rogue Squadron continues to build in quality and readership - as it seems to be doing - there will finally be no need to tarnish the good names of Luke, Han and Leia by subjecting them to another contrived mini-series. I'm happy to picture them celebrating on the treetops of Endor, their hard work happily rewarded. Let the grunts clean up the rest of the galaxy . . . right here, in this comic book.

(Robert Michael Perry, was unable to see Star Wars in 1977 because his mother thought it would be "too frightening." An English/Film Studies graduate, today he has undertaken far more frightening tasks, working toward a teaching degree, and writing independent comic books for a number of small press publications.)