Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances #4
THE CLIMACTIC CONCLUSION! DARTH VADER and THRAWN must find the solution to their problem… …but where does that leave THRAWN and ANAKIN?
A SPACE BATTLE FOR THE AGES! PAST and PRESENT collide as THRAWN partners with ANAKIN SKYWALKER and DARTH VADER! What are the separatists hiding? And how does PADMÉ play a role?
JODY HOUSER and original THRAWN: ALLIANCES novelist TIMOTHY ZAHN continue to plot the course of Thrawn’s rise with PAT OLLIFFE and ANDREA DI VITO!
Writers: Timothy Zahn, Jody Houser
Artists: Andrea Di Vito, Pat Olliffe
Letterer: VC Travis Lanham
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover artist: Rod Reis
Editor: Daniel Khazem
Release Date: April 10, 2024
The final issue of Thrawn: Alliances arrives and we open with a step to the past and the world of Mokivj as we find Padme arriving at the co-ordinates she was given to find the Separatist facility and undeterred she begins to climb, only to be found and caught by locals who at first don’t believe her story of losing her fishing boat and then think to hand her to the baron. Padme has a better idea – call her Uncle Anakin and get him to pay a ransom to free her, and assuring the locals that she won’t run we return to the present near Batuu and a blocky starship swooping in, about to be attacked by Grysk starships, and soon theirs a boarding and a firefight erupts as Stormtroopers break onboard and Lord Vader attacks, cutting through the Grysk until they are no more.
In the past back on Mokijv Padme is nearing the Separatist Base as the locals explain the workings of the factory, and how it’s run by ‘metalheads’. She’s left there with strict instructions not to move about, as she doesn’t have access, and back in the present we join Vader and Thrawn as they look at the trophies aboard ther captured Grysk ship. Thrawn wants to find their homeworld and learn more about the threat to the Chiss, and persuades Vader to agree to let some of the Grysk go free in return for information. Further down in the ship, the Grysk have escaped their prison and begin another firefight with the Stormtroopers as back in the past on Mokijv Padme watches as Anakin arrives, clearly already on her tail. They – Anakin and Thrawn – scope out their surroundings.
Back in the present as the firefight between Stormtroopers and the Grysk continues when Rukh appears. One of the troopers is dead, but the fight is forcibly ended when Rukh takes down the Grysk. Loyal to the Empire, he races into the next fight at their side as once again we step to the past as Anakin and Thrawn are captured. The present, and the final scene of the series as they agree to head to Mokijv, but not before Thrawn tips his hand by referring to the time he joined Anakin in attacking the base there. Vader quickly corrects him – no one other than Thrawn was there, and we end with the Chiss giving the order to set course for Mokijv, and the last words – The End?
Frustratingly, that was a hard read. Characters appear with little or no explanation, their motivations unclear. Figuring out who is on who’s side is even trickier, and while in an ideal world every fan would read every book, in this busy world where new Star Wars is coming at us on a daily basis that’s no longer a practical expectation. Of all the titles that would benefit from a recap at the start of the issue, it’s this. Indeed, that’s a common problem with modern comics, assuming that readers will not only remember the previous issue in detail but all the players within. Gone are the days when a brief but helpful recap would bring the reader up to speed, the cast of characters laid out for the reader to refresh their memory. Instead, it feels as if everything is done at breakneck speed, and while a couple of minutes to check back or Google a name is hardly a hardship, a recap would be welcome.
That said, this was a series clearly aimed directly at those who read and enjoyed the book, so for them this will be an undoubted (and very welcome) success. For those who never got round to reading it, it’s an enjoyable albeit slightly convoluted read, feeling more like an edit of the plot of the novel rather than an adaptation that takes advantage of the medium it’s told in. The covers to the four-part series have been universally beautiful, with this fourth issue arguably the most impressive and while it’s sounds like I’m less than satisfied by the adaptation, further novel adaptations would be very welcome (I’m looking at you Shadow of the Sith, Brotherhood and The Living Force). Bringing in Adam Christopher, Mike Chen and comic afficionado John Jackson Miller would also be a wise move.
As for Thrawn: Alliances, a worthwhile attempt but one hampered by a lack of direction in adapting it from book to comic page. With Thrawn such a key and iconic character in the Star Wars firmament, releasing such a half-baked adapttaion seems unwise; let’s hope future adaptations being something new to the reading experience….and please, recaps.
