Published: July 1, 2009
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Colin Wilson
Colourist: Wes Dzioba
Letterer: Michel Heisler
Cover Artist: Jo Cohen
Editor: Randy Stradley
The synopsis;
A new series comes to Dark Horse’s Star Wars line! After its special sixteen-page May preview on starwars.com, Star Wars: Invasion continues in print!
This series is set twenty-five years after the Battle of Yavin. The Jedi, and the galaxy, are facing their first real threat since the Sith were defeated: an invasion of hostile warriors called the Yuuzhan Vong.
The forces of the New Republic and the fledgling New Jedi Order stand ready to face the invaders, but they’ve never seen anything like the Yuuzhan Vong! Luke Skywalker is about to discover that it’s not his galaxy anymore…
The review;
Issue 0 really did start to set the stall out for what is about to hit the galaxy!
The cover artist for issue 1 is Jo Cohen. Another action piece of art, not dissimilar to the imposing Dave Dorman illustration of the Yuuzhan Vong for the prelude issue. This time it is Luke Skywalker taking centre stage leap into the midst of a group of Vong to do battle.
The Vong fleet is nearly upon Artorias, but life goes on as normal on the planet. Finn Galfridian practices his gymnastic style skills on the edge of a balcony high above the city, much to his father’s annoyance. Below, the market is bustling, but an explosion in the distance has them on high alert and reaching for their blasters. Finn’s mother and sister are in the market and they need to go find them.
Kaye and her mother, Queen Nina, are enjoying shopping on the market and the jug they are inspecting shatters, the stall keeper stumbles and falls into the arms of the queen, she’s been shot. An almighty explosion rips through the streets of the market. The queen begs for Kaye to flee home, she turns and runs. Moments later she is felled by a staff to the midriff. Winded on the floor she looks up in disbelief at the Yuuzhan Vong standing over her.
After a fairly idyllic start to the issue, the action is soon turned up. I love the fact that some Yuuzhan Vong have already infiltrated the planet and living there unbeknown to the Artorian’s. They are now set the stage for the main phase of the coming invasion.
We are left in no doubts that the Galfridian family are going to be major players in this storyline. A nice and interesting touch is that the king, Caled Galfridian is a former member of the Rebel Alliance who fought in the battle of Hoth. You also get the feeling that there is something more about Finn than we have been shown already. The suspicion of him being Force sensitive, is there for us to see with his balancing act on the balcony.
Heading towards the marketplace, Finn and Caled are followed by Finn’s droid, Prowl. Assessing the situation below, their attention is switched to the skies as Yuuzhan Vong ship enters the atmosphere and heads for the city. It’s time to leave and Caled calls to those who can hear him to escape to the shipyards.
A large gathering of Artorian’s are already in the hangar, under the guidance of Dulac, the king’s aide. Finn, Caled and Prowl enter, and the blast doors are sealed. The Vong are close behind and they won’t hold long from their attack. They need to prep the ships in the hangar, Finn is put to work with others to get them ready.
Kaye decides to take the fight to Vong warrior standing over her. Picking up a knife next to her she thrust it into the side of the Vong’s thigh. Barely a reaction as he pulls the blade from his leg. She picks up a second blade and this one enters his side, and she goes for third attempt. He hand is swatted away, this Vong likes his foe and want to take her alive and his blow renders her unconscious.
We found out that Dulac was a Vong in the prelude, so to see him here in the hangar doesn’t bode well. He is playing the double agent strongly and lulling the king who is unaware of his true identity.
Kaye’s self defence against the Vong warrior also shows there her path lies in a wholly different direction to Finn’s. Dragging her away by her hair is such a primal and Neanderthal way for the Vong to be portrayed, but this shows the type of barbaric brutality they see as normal.
The hangar doors are breached and the Artorian’s ready to fire through the gap. But it is not a Vong warrior standing in the breach, it is a cloaked figure holding green bladed lightsaber, Luke Skywalker.
Caled is happy to see his old friend, Luke apologises for not getting there sooner to warn them and help protect them from the impending attack. Caled needs to find his wife and daughter but refuses Finn’s offer of help. The Artorian’s will need a king if he does not return and hands Finn his crown for safe keeping.
Rebel troops lead the evacuation, Finn does not want to flee with them. Luke asks him to be the leader his people need in his father’s absence. Reluctantly he agrees, but Luke has another offer. For Finn to join him at the Jedi Academy.
Caled and his band of allies are soon caught up in battle with the Vong warriors. Dulac is cut down by an amphistaff and the battle rages.
Lines of Artorian’s are herded onto a Yuuzhan Vong ship, but the lucky ones are being herded onto New Republic ships.
I don’t know about you, after reading the prelude issue, I was not expecting Luke to make an appearance so soon. Yes, he is on the cover, so we knew he’d appear in this issue, but not in the way he did. I was expecting a reaction to the crisis from afar, not unlike Obi-Wan feeling a disturbance in the Force with the demise of Alderaan, not going toe to toe with the Vong.
Artorias is no the first planet to be invaded. The invasion has already seen other planets defeated and occupied, and Luke has already experienced what it takes by this time to defeat Vong warriors, but he does seem make work of clearing the Vong Warriors attacking the hangar a bit too easily.
Luke’s offer to Finn, doesn’t come as a surprise though. He has always strived to expand his academy and searches out Force sensitive beings to train. But the responsibility laid down by Caled on Finn could have a bearing on him that could eb too much. This will be a situation that I can see developing and also become conflicting for him.
The comparison in the last 2 pages is quite brilliant. We have the Artorian’s being loaded onto a Vong ship, but then we have a similar scene of those who have been rescued getting onto the New Republic ships. They both look like they have lost everything afraid of their futures, but one set of them should be able to rejoice, but the contrast that they are both defeated in a way. A very poignant end to the issue.
The artwork is fantastic throughout. I really do like what Colin Wilson has done, but the colours of Wes Dzioba really make the art ‘pop’! As for the storyline, it is very strong and in keeping with The New Jedi Order books I love so much. It is amazing to have a visual representation of this era that differs so greatly from the battles against the tyranny of the Empire. The pace of this issue is well managed by Taylor, it speeds up and has some down moments, but the plot never loses any momentum. I also sense that Taylor and the creative team have a great understanding of the Legends novels of this era and this is conveyed so well in this issue.
With Kaye and Nina captured on a Vong ship, Caled on Artoria searching for them and Finn now being whisked away as a refugee, what does issue 2 have in store for the Galfridian’s?
Availability;
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Invasion ran for 3 series from 2009 to 2011, encompassing 17 issues. Invasion – Refugees #1 is currently available in digital format via the Marvel App, comiXology or by subscribing to Marvel Unlimited. A physical copy can be found in one of the many trade paperback releases from Marvel. Please check with Amazon UK and US or your local comic bookstore for availability.
