Star Wars: Tales from the Death Star

by Cavan Scott, Soo Lee (Illustrator), Vincenzo Riccardi (Illustrator)

"That’s no moon…"

Even scattered and destroyed, the ruins of the Death Star are a sinister place.

From the destruction of Alderaan to the shadow of the Forest Moon, alien creatures, phantom star ships, deadly artifacts, and vengeful spirits all stalk the halls of the infamous space station, as writer Cavan Scott (Tales from the Rancor Pit, Star Wars: The High Republic) and an all-star team of artists (Eric Powell, Soo Lee, Vincenzo Riccardi, Ingo Roemling, & Juan Samu) reveal the hidden evils that lurked within charred remains of the ultimate firepower in the universe.

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Horror, Short Stories, Fantasy

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 17, 2023

About the author

is a freelance comic writer and author. He is best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from both Doctor Who and Star Wars, as well as comics and novels for Vikings, Pacific Rim, Sherlock Holmes, and Penguins of Madagascar.

Cavan Scott, along with Justina Ireland, Claudia Gray, Daniel Jose Older, and Charles Soule are crafting a new era in the Star Wars publishing world called Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan's contribution to the era is a comic book series released through Marvel Comics titled Star Wars: The High Republic.

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is similar to the other "spooky" Star Wars comic book collections by Cavan Scott—that is, it's not terrible, but all kind of so-so. The frame narrative for the whole book draws from sequel-trilogy characters and locations, and that's always a miss from me. As for the individual stories, most were forgotten as soon as finished. Imperial zombies might have been more interesting before the Ahsoka series ruined the idea of zombies in Star Wars. A phantom squadron has potential, but the story is too short.

My favorite of the stories is the one about Tarkin. I thought this could have been developed into a book-length story—partly because I always enjoy seeing characters from Rogue One again, however fleeting the glimpse. With more pages, the story might have included more flashbacks to the Rogue One timeline. After the earlier stories with monsters, ghosts, and zombies, I enjoyed this one in which the terror is simply a man's past come back to haunt him just before the end.

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But legends can’t always be trusted…”

This was spookier than i imagined.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Another enjoyable installment of horror tales from the Star Wars universe. I hope they continue these every year around Halloween because I really enjoy them. The standout in this one for me by far was “The Haunting of Grand Moff Tarkin.” I did also really enjoy Vader taking out zombies with a lightsaber, so bonus points for that!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quartet of goofy, very lightly spooky stories that take place in or around the Death Star. The first two are totally forgettable. The guy making Imperial zombies definitely leaned goofier, but not in a bad way. The Tarkin piece was really the only worthwhile read. The framing story took place in post-ROTJ timeline - I would have appreciated a full story there instead of just hints at one.

[Alexandrine D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful comic with amazing artwork compiling legend/ ghosts stories about the Death Star. Simple and entertaining for any Star Wars fans

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wandering monsters. Ghost fleets. Sith artifacts. The fear of Tarkin.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is actually quite good. I wasn’t sure about Fry at first, but I ended up liking the use of him as a vehicle for this framed narrative with wraparounds set in the sequel era.

[Sidra Lune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky short stories from the first and second death stars. Fun action-horror shorts in this Halloween special. A nice addition to the vast collection of graphic novels from a galaxy far-far away.

[Philippe Beaujean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror meets comic, meets Star Wars. A collection of short stories. Beautifully drawn.

[Lois Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I was going to get this anyway, because hey, we are talking Death Star, and I really like the stuff with the Death Star (Rogue One, anyone? LOL).... but I most especially had to have it because of the story "The Haunting of Grand Moff Tarkin." This story, it's just so... so... no spoilers so let me just say, it's beautiful. ;)

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of four stories involving spooky tales at the sites of the Death Stars. I loved the interlude sections, with the kid at the wreck of the second Death Star with the wraith, art by Soo Lee. Really dynamic, just my style. I would love a whole book of that. The story doesn't come to much other than there was a ghost that we don't know.
Most of the actual stories are pretty forgettable, though pleasant enough when you are reading them. The one with the swamp creature that Luke encounters in the trash compactor is ok at best. It did surprise me that the one character does backstab his friends in order to escape. It's in line with other Star Wars creatures that have murky morals.
The story where there are ghosts flying around on the one Wookie holiday is pretty unremarkable .
My favorite two was the one with Palpatine's ring and Tarkin's terror. Palpatine embarks on the second Death Star and the one imperial officer says that he will double his workforces effort. We cut to the workers who help carry Palpatine's luggage off his ship. The supervisor steals a ring that brings people back from the dead this turning them into zombies. It's a comedic romp, but I saw a lot of dark comedy there about the modern workplace. This guy has to bring his dead coworkers back to life just to meet the unrealistic expectations of the higher ups. Perfect. Meanwhile the story is pretty brutal and we end up with Darth Vader dispatching the problem.
The other one about Tarkin involves him being terrorized by the people he's responsible for killing. Apparently, Tarkin killed his brother by not saving him so he's on that long list. We are presented with some characters we recognize as the dead who are waiting for Tarkin to join them before the Death Star is blown up by Luke. No supernatural elements, just a haunting by memory. It's a slightly spooky collection with some good art and a few engaging stories.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I was looking forward to this collection of short stories in a graphical form - in recent Star Wars graphics novels they have usually been the best. I also love stories told from the perspective of non-main characters, as these expand and widen the world of Star Wars at large. But what we have here is a Star Wars themed "Tales From the Crypt."

The stories are tied together with a loose overarching story, where a mysterious stranger tells the various tales to our protagonist. This main story is not very interesting and unfortunately I could not get into really any of the short stories either. The main theme in all of them is a ghost story - we get monsters, ghosts and zombies (really), none of which really have a place in the world of Star Wars. I wrote each off early as a fanciful tale, but could not really enjoy them even as such. As obviously non-canon, none add any interesting tidbits to either the Death Star itself or any of the imperial characters that appear.

Art is uninspiring for the most part though I did enjoy it in 'Wild Squadron.' Not enough to carry the weak story though.

Can't really recommend this to Star Wars fans unless you're also a big horror buff. Or maybe reading this on Halloween.

[Mike S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tales from the Death Star is a collection of short stories in comic/graphic novel form. The main premise is that one of the kids living on the ocean moon Kef Bir in the Endor system where the remains of the second Death Star crashed is attempting to go out to the crash site to prove his bravery. A mysterious figure warns him against going by telling him stories of strange things that happened on the first and second Death Stars.

I will be the first to admit that graphic novels and comics (with a few exceptions) are not really my thing. I pre-ordered this before the cover art was available and from the initial description, I thought it would be a collection of short stories like what was released in the "From a Certain Point of View" novels. While the illustrations were great and I do like the fact that tales from both Death Stars were included, I do not think that the stories really added anything significant to what has already been put out there in the movies and books that have come before this one (unlike the Darth Vader comics, for example). So, unless you are really into collecting the comics, this is easily one you can skip and you will not miss anything.

[Ahdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars: Tales from the Death Star delivers an enthralling and eerie exploration of the sinister remnants of the iconic Death Star. From the haunting aftermath of Alderaan's destruction to the ominous presence on the Forest Moon, Cavan Scott, along with a stellar team of artists, crafts a collection of stories that plunge readers into the dark corners of this infamous space station. Alien creatures, phantom starships, deadly artifacts, and vengeful spirits come to life within the charred remains, offering a chilling perspective on the aftermath of the ultimate weapon in the galaxy. Just in time for Halloween, these fun and spooky tales transport Star Wars fans to a galaxy far, far away, where the lingering shadows of the Death Star reveal hidden evils. Cavan Scott's storytelling prowess shines once again, making this graphic novel a delightful and haunting addition to the Star Wars universe.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the creepy short story anthology from Star Wars!
As a young boy, Fry (who lives with Jannah of Ep:IX fame) wants to explore the crashed Second Death Star on Kef Bir (the water moon of Endor). In his journey to it, he interacts with the spirit of someone he trusts (and also doesn't know they are a spirit) and hears 4 tales that are actually really good!
1) A group of captured smugglers is forced to help eliminate monsters in the corridors. Dianoga attack!
2) A squadron of TIE pilots encounters the legend known as the Wild Squadron... and joins them.
3) A Death Star engineer finds one of the Emperor's relics that help him control the dead. Bet that work on the Death Star will get done now.... till Vader catches him.
4) Tarkin's past catches up to him...

Overall, I really enjoyed the storytelling here. AND was able to read through this in about 20 mins.
Check this out. Strong recommend.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to take issue with central conceit of this book - why would a newly created space station be haunted?
All of the stories take place pre-destruction (except for the wraparound story), and none of them really justify the premise. They go from absurd (Emperor's relic turns corpses into extra workers to keep up construction speed), to cringey (using prisoners as bait for an exterminator, although at least that one makes a case for explaining a bit from the movies), to just plain weird (ghost ships meet the wild hunt?). I think the strongest story is the Tarkin-focused one, but that's not saying much - it's not bad, but not memorable either. And the wraparound story leaves more questions than it answers.
Ultimately, these are a collection of weak stories that don't do justice to the writing skills of its author, or really its artists either. I can't recommend it.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a young man on the moon of Kef Bir plans to explore the crashed wreckage of the second Death Star, a shadowy figure tries to warn him off with spooky stories of the battlestation and its original predecessor.

Continuing the idea of the '...Vader's Castle' and '...Rancor Pit' books, telling flashback stories within a framing story as a sort-of Star Wars Halloween Special, I have to say that this one was among the better of its ilk. Even with the overt links to the god-awful 'Rise of Skywalker'.

However, despite being better than most, it still suffers from the problem of being far too expensive to buy when balanced against the content you actually get inside (although, to be fair, it's nearly twice as long as '...Rancor Pit', so isn't the most egregious example).

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall story of the kid trying to get to the Death Star: 1/5 (didn’t care about the kid, didn’t know who Espirion was…)

Trash Compactor story:
2.5/5 - too short to care about the team, didn’t really like the art style, but the betrayal by the little dude at the end was a good twist.

Wild Squadron:
3/5 - again, too short to really care, but neat little ghost story.

Zombies on the Death Star:
2.5/5 - art style swayed from great to so goofy; fun to see a guess on what some of the Emperor’s relics do, but it was just a little silly.

Haunting of Tarkin
4/5 - he’s an established character with enough to make a short story work and still managed to add a new layer with a bit about his family.

Average: 2.6/5

[Steppenwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the story about Tarkin. Which is definitely my favourite by far.
It was a really fun read. I especially enjoyed the second story, a twist on the Wild Hunt I believe, which fit surprisingly well into the SW-Universe. The story about the zombies was fun, especially with Vader fighting them. The first story is quite forgettable but I enjoyed its art style the most.

A fun and enjoyable read for every Star Wars fan!

[Michael Rudzki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the most haunted place in that galaxy far, far away? The Death Star!

This graphic novel is a collection of ghost stories set on the Death Stars. With a framing story set on the ocean moon of Endor, where the wreckage of the second Death Star rests, we are treated to tales about the dianoga, the haunting of Grand Moff Tarkin, and more.

[Will Plunkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott writes well (not an unoriginal opinion), and while this "collection" of stories is divided into five parts, they all seem like one united tale. Nice how parts of the films are referenced. Art is strong, even with the different artists (sometimes this abrupt change detracts from the story; not the case here). The splash pages are among the best parts of it.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horror stories set in the locations of the first and second Death Stars.

And those stories are just alright. Zombies on the Death Star? No thanks. The final tale featuring Tarkin is pretty good. If only the rest matched it.

[Shayla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Year, spooky book! I liked these stories as they were quick and just the right amount of creepy. The Tarkin one was the most poetic given that he used the Death Star to eliminate so many planets and people.

[Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites from the spooky "tales of..." line of Star Wars comics. The stories get legitimately dark, and make for great reads in October. My personal favorite was the phantom squadron of ships, as it had a fun story and some of my favorite comic artwork.

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was there during the panel at the Star Wars Celebration last year and I was so hyped when this was announced. I finally read it and it didn't disappoint, obviously! Highly recommend it :) Can't wait to get a physical copy of it!!

[Greg S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent collection of monster-of-the-week short stories with a mysterious storyteller. Written like a collection of fables ala. Vertigo in the 90s.

Five different illustrators, but doesn’t specify who did what or if they all worked together.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four spooky stories set on the Death Stars for Halloween. It's all ages so these are pretty mild. They also aren't all that interesting.

[Raul Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun collection of spooky, Star Wars stories from Cavan Scott.

My rating: 3.5 Stars

[Al Berry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty poor art, story line incorporates the sequel nonsense, this is not Dark Horse of old, but basically indistinguishable from the modern marvel Star Wars in poor quality.

[Kelli]

A quick break from spooky reads this season :)