Star Wars: Tales from the Rancor Pit
Its a dark and stormy night on Tatooine as Jabba the Hutts victim hangs perilously above the rancor pit with only his collection of scary stories to save him.
New York Times bestseller Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic, Tales from Vaders Castle) teams up with with fan-favorites artists Nick Brokenshire, Juan Samu, Rafael Pérez, and Puste for a trio of terrifying tales just in time for Halloween.
Experience clanking droid ghosts, explore the chilling wampa caves of Hoth and go monster hunting with Saber-For-Hire Ty Yorrick.
All-new all-ages adventures from throughout the galaxy!
Writer: Cavan Scott
Pencillers: Nick Brokenshire, Juan Samu, Andy Duggan, Rafael Pérez
Colorists: Roman Stevens, DJ Chavis
Cover artist: Kelley Jones and Michelle Madsen
Publication date: November 23, 2022
While the conclusion of the relationship between Lucasfilm and IDW meant our annual visits to Vader’s Castle came to an end, it also allowed our old friends at Dark Horse Comics to step back into the galaxy and pick up the reins. As we hit the spookiest time of year we’re treated to a new Cavan Scott tale, this time working in concert with artist Nick Brokenshire and a selection of superb artists wrapped in a stunning Kelley Jones cover. This is Star Wars: Tales from the Rancor Pit, and we open with the wrap around tale as Hassarian Captain Vaclav hangs perilously over the titular rancor pit, his life literally in the balance as he offers to regale the Hutt ganglord with stories unheard, and so we swing into the first of those tales…
‘Ghosts of the Machine’
We’re deep in the era of the Clone Wars as the beautifully drafted artwork of Juan Samu hurls us into the action on the world of Malenko (there’s a nod for old-school wrestling fans) where Republic and Separatist forces clash on the world believed to be cursed by the powerful necromencers who raised the dead spirits of the wronged. We see Hassarian General Kazameer watch from a distance as the Jedi slice through the Separatist forces, leaving his droid forces behind as Mace Windu moves in to hack through more. The General returns to the haunted fortress of the Necromancers, where countless discarded droid husks lie, and here he reaps what he has sown as ‘undead’ battle droids rise from the chambers of the fortress to attack the General. Fleeing for his life, he heads down into the chambers and calls for aid, only to learn the droids were gassing him, making him see visions and nightmares before a final droid attack ends with us stepping back to the wrap around story as Vaclav manages to evade the long drop as Jabba requests another story.
‘Undead or Alive’
We’re even further back in time, to the era of the High Republic as monster hunter Ty Yorrick is hired by Cerean Ord-Nal-Pru to take down a mysterious creature on the world of Salstan for 4000 credits in this tale drawn by Andy Duggan and coloured by Roman Stevens. Rolling the stones, she lands on the planet and quickly encounters an old acquaintance called Gren who’s also on planet to hunt the ‘pest’ and snares Ty in a net to slow her down as Ty’s droid Kayel constantly taunts her. An analysis of the creatures hairs reveal it’s a Xunji, a fierce, yeti-like creature that slashes out at Gren, felling her as Ty arrives to Force-push it back. However, things aren’t quite so simple as the scratch causes Gren to be transformed into a Xunji and Ty learns that Ord-Nal-Pru wanted the creature captured to be sold to a beast monger, setting up Gren and Ty as Ord-Nal-Pru’s revenge. This is Star Wars after all, and we end the tale as the Cerean gets her delivery while Ty roles the stones – remember, how the stones land is determined by fate, absolving Ty of any responsibility for the outcome – and we double-page it out as the two Xunji leap out of their cage to attack.
A twist; Jabba doesn’t remember the tale in the same way, and so as Vaclav spots the carbonite frozen block of Han Solo on the wall we enter the third story…
‘In the Lair of the Dragon Sludge’
We’re on Hoth in this tale drawn by Rafael Perez and coloured by DJ Chavis as the Rebel Alliance try to set up their base and watch as Leia Organa gives instructions before a tremendous bang echoes around the base. Han and Chewie apologise for attemting to fix the Falcon’s thruster bank while out of its housing when suddenly we hear the roaring of Wampa’s, but instead of their usual angry howl they sound fearful and so Han, Chewie, Leia and Threepio head to the caves to find out what could make a Wampa scared. They cautiously make their way through the icy catacombs until they stumble upon a trio of Wampa cubs. Assuming they’re scared, the cubs leap at them and suddenly they see what look like a huge ice slug and the adult Wampa leaping in to protect its young. A second snake arrives, attacking Han as the other snake coils around the Wampa, and as he’s about to be incinerated by its fiery breath a tremendous BANG scares the snakes away as the Wampa ignores Han to greet its young. Leia is stood there with Chewie, the thruster from the Falcon on a hoverpad and we end the story as they walk back through the caves, a huge ice spider waiting above them…
Just as Vaclav believes he’s assuaged the ire of Jabba – who admits to enjoying the three tales – the Hutt still decides to drop him into the pit, and as we anticipate seeing the hungry jaws of the rancor below, we don’t; instead it’s the droid, the Xunji, the snake and a ravenous Wampa waiting as Vaclav screams to his doom.
Fantastic fun as expected, with the wrap around crafted with care and a heart-warming eye for detail by Nick Brokenshire and art from Samu, Duggan and Perez rounding out a very welcome new – and hopefully annual – trip to Jabba’s Palace. You’ll be about as unsurprised as Vaclav was terrified to hear that Cavan Scott once again sticks the landing, delivering a spooky take that’s both pitch perfect as a Halloween tale but also as a cautionary Star Wars story. So, not only are Dark Horse back in the Star Wars game (which they never should have left) but they’re bringing us quality content like this, which means win / win all round.
- Hardcover Book
- Scott, Cavan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 56 Pages - 01/03/2023 (Publication Date) - Dark Horse Books (Publisher)
