Writer: Timothy Zahn & Jody Houser
Artists: Pat Olliffe & Andrea Di Vito
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover Artist: Rod Reis
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of the greatest military leaders in the Galactic Empire’s forces. However, there are even some challenges that he can’t accomplish himself, even as an imperial Grand Admiral. Having been summoned by the Emperor himself, Thrawn sets out on a new mission in Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1, to places both new and unexpectedly familiar to ascertain the nature of a new threat to the Galactic Empire alongside Darth Vader himself.
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Review:
All right, for this review I’m writing it under the assumption that most people buying this comic are interested in the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn. What we have here is the second comic book adaptation of a novel from the new Thrawn trilogy written by the character’s creator, Timothy Zahn, who’s writing the adaptation for this comic series with Jody Houser, who did a solid job with the last one. For those wondering where this takes place in the timeline, it’s all before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. Here, we have Thrawn teaming up with Darth Vader himself to locate and eliminate a disturbance in the Force sensed by none other than Emperor Palpatine.
The comic doesn’t waste no time at all and gets things started with Grand Admiral Thrawn victorious after quelling attacks upon imperial shipping when he’s called by the Emperor to return to Coruscant to receive a new mission. This time he’s sent with Darth Vader to the fringes of space to locate this disturbance in the Force. The pair travel on Thrawn’s personal flagship, the Chimaera, to the planet Batuu, a place the two unknowingly share history with, which is shown alongside the story in the present. I would describe the main story as more of a mystery thriller compared to the action-oriented stories readers might expect from Star Wars comics featuring Darth Vader. But since Thrawn’s the protagonist, this will have more of an investigative element to it as he and Vader work to uncover the mystery behind this new threat to the Empire.
First, the writing is solid from the two writers. I’m not gonna lie and act like I can tell who’s doing what, but it’s safe to say that Zahn and Houser have done a solid job adapting the novel into a comic so far. They nail the dialogue, pacing, and scene transitions well, and they also make sure that the past and present portions of the story are clearly identified and distinct from each other for readers.
The art team do a great job as well when it comes to depicting Grand Admiral Thrawn, Darth Vader, their respective subordinates, and the rest of the characters and creatures featured here. They also do a solid job with the art for the story in the past, capturing a young Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker during this point in time. Also, the artists do a good job with Thrawn’s facial expressions and body language since he’s typically a stoic character, but they do a solid job showing varying expressions for him especially when he’s arguing with Vader.
Speaking of which, we get some solid character interactions between Thrawn and Vader that set the tone for their whole dynamic throughout the rest of this comic as challenging yet complimentary. Clearly, they butt heads over command and their methods, especially since they’re on Thrawn’s ship and he doesn’t let Vader walk all over him or his crew. On the flip-side, it’s good that their rapport is that of military professionals with different methods of doing things who, despite their differences, can still work together. Naturally, there are differences between the comic and the novel as some parts have been skipped or shortened, but the comic retains the essentials as far as the major story developments and character interactions are concerned.
Final Thoughts:
Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1 is the adaptation of the second novel in the new Thrawn trilogy, and it has the original author Timothy Zahn working with comic writer Jody Houser, who worked on the first Thrawn comic adaptation. The story is more of a mystery thriller as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader are sent by Emperor Palpatine to locate and eliminate a mysterious new threat to the Empire. Naturally, the two butt heads in their differing methods and leadership, but the two come across as military professionals who can work together despite their differences. Readers can expect some intrigue and action in the first issue of this Thrawn series.