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Star Wars: Republic #13
Star Wars: Clone Wars, Volume 4: Light and Dark
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
136 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
7 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
John Ostrander
2,086 books172 followersJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 22, 2020
This volume contains separated stories, but, unusually, none of them come with their own title, so they all fall under the umbrella of Light and Dark.
Re-reading this volume put me back in touch with one of the reasons I liked the Clone Wars series of graphic novels. Volume 2 and 3 definitely come across to me on the re-read as weaker, to say the least, but Volume is another decently solid offering. It’s entries like this that cultivated interest and investment in Quinlan Vos’ story – his omnibus, set in and around The Phantom Menace, was all over the place tonally, and honestly set him up as a bit of an unlikable jerk. His undercover work during the Clone Wars provides plenty of spy thriller type action without the predictability of sitting on the shoulders of Anakin and Obi-Wan and knowing where they’re going to end up. More than that, it feels like a genuinely impactful contribution to the cause, but it’s a gold mine for drama too, as Quin shuttles between the danger of living on a knife edge, and the worry that the false persona has actually become real. Tension is kept high throughout. Even when his former apprentice, Aayla Secura, gets her own story in this volume, she still has her own challenges to deal with, all the while struggling with the distraction and grief of her lost master. It all ties together, and the characters are particularly well done, reacting like flesh and blood, with imperfect judgment and messy relationships. It’s a far cry from the soporific political stuff that this era of Star Wars can sometimes be known for. I’d say this is one of the better entries in the Clone Wars graphic novels, for sure.
8 out of 10
July 26, 2018
Another fantastic entry in the Clone Wars graphic novel series, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Volume 4: Light and Dark focuses on Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos's descent into duplicity and darkness on an undercover mission for the Jedi Council to infiltrate Count Dooku's inner circle.
Vos has been a key player already in the series, but this entire volume belongs to his story: the people he is willing to sacrifice, and the things he is willing to do in order to gain Dooku's trust - all steps that could either be a flirtation with or a seduction by the Dark Side of the Force.
Great stuff!
The artwork is great as usual, although the portrayal of Khaleen is terribly fanservice-ish. Maybe it was the era, but this series has been rather full of midriffs on display.
I'll still recommend it to fans interested in the Clone Wars. I hope Volume 5 continues the high quality exhibited thus far!
Vos has been a key player already in the series, but this entire volume belongs to his story: the people he is willing to sacrifice, and the things he is willing to do in order to gain Dooku's trust - all steps that could either be a flirtation with or a seduction by the Dark Side of the Force.
Great stuff!
The artwork is great as usual, although the portrayal of Khaleen is terribly fanservice-ish. Maybe it was the era, but this series has been rather full of midriffs on display.
I'll still recommend it to fans interested in the Clone Wars. I hope Volume 5 continues the high quality exhibited thus far!
January 4, 2021
Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura are both great in this arc, and the artwork is really good if a bit geared toward the sexing up of every female character. I also like the comments made about how Dooku thinks he's doing what is right as a Jedi, believing the Republic is too corrupt to continue.
July 5, 2017
Star Wars Legends Project #123
Background: Light and Dark, released in June 2004, collects issues 54 and 63 of Republic (Double Blind, 1 issue, June 2003, and Striking from the Shadows, 1 issue, April 2004), with Jedi: Aayla Secura (1 issue, August 2003) and Jedi: Count Dooku (1 issue, December 2003) sandwiched in-between. All 4 were written by John Ostrander and pencilled by Jan Duursema. Both of them also contributed to Star Wars: Clone Wars, Volume 3: Last Stand on Jabim (my review).
The first 3 stories in Light and Dark are set 6-7 months after the Battle of Geonosis (22 years before the Battle of Yavin), while the final one leaps ahead 9 months. The primary characters are Quinlan Vos, Aayla Secura, and Count Dooku, though a dozen plus additional characters, mostly Jedi, make significant appearances throughout.
Summary: Mace Windu and Yoda have authorized a desperate plan hatched by Quinlan Vos and his former Master, Tholme, to infiltrate the Separatists' highest ranks. Although they remain, as always, wary of Vos's constant flirtations with the Dark Side, they grudgingly agree to allow him to pretend to defect to Count Dooku. Outside of the four of them, no one else knows that Vos is not really a traitor, even his former Padawan Aayla Secura. Aayla cannot dwell on Vos's apparent betrayal for long, however, as she finds herself in the crosshairs of the notorious Jedi-killing bounty hunter Aurra Sing. Meanwhile, though his skills in espionage are great, Vos may have met his match in the wily Count Dooku. Dooku has already anticipated Vos's true motives, but seeks to exploit the darkness within him and turn him from the Jedi path once and for all!
Review: Reading Last Stand on Jabiim back to back with Light and Dark, I don't really understand why anyone other than Ostrander and Duursema was ever allowed to mess around with this material. No one else seems to be able to get anything right, and then these two pop in and instantly spin a gripping story with awesome, recurring characters that always manages to be different from the same-old samey-ness we've seen before. They make it look easy, but the fumblings that inevitably occur when they aren't around reveal that it's really not.
I was so excited to see yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of Quinlan Vos, perhaps the greatest Jedi character of this era, and an epic showdown between Aayla Secura and Aurra Sing that was every bit as epic as you would expect without taking the easy path of just giving us an all-action saber-fest and nothing more. Plus, almost every Clone Wars story, at least those that involve the Jedi, references how devious and dangerous Count Dooku is, but this one really shows us the full, formidable extent of both his powers of manipulation and of raw, dark Force skill.
The only conceivable complaint that comes to mind is that ultimately everything is left unresolved by the end of this book, a giant dangling cliffhanger of a thread . . . but honestly, how could that be bad when it just means we're guaranteed another Quinlan Vos storyline before too long?
A
Background: Light and Dark, released in June 2004, collects issues 54 and 63 of Republic (Double Blind, 1 issue, June 2003, and Striking from the Shadows, 1 issue, April 2004), with Jedi: Aayla Secura (1 issue, August 2003) and Jedi: Count Dooku (1 issue, December 2003) sandwiched in-between. All 4 were written by John Ostrander and pencilled by Jan Duursema. Both of them also contributed to Star Wars: Clone Wars, Volume 3: Last Stand on Jabim (my review).
The first 3 stories in Light and Dark are set 6-7 months after the Battle of Geonosis (22 years before the Battle of Yavin), while the final one leaps ahead 9 months. The primary characters are Quinlan Vos, Aayla Secura, and Count Dooku, though a dozen plus additional characters, mostly Jedi, make significant appearances throughout.
Summary: Mace Windu and Yoda have authorized a desperate plan hatched by Quinlan Vos and his former Master, Tholme, to infiltrate the Separatists' highest ranks. Although they remain, as always, wary of Vos's constant flirtations with the Dark Side, they grudgingly agree to allow him to pretend to defect to Count Dooku. Outside of the four of them, no one else knows that Vos is not really a traitor, even his former Padawan Aayla Secura. Aayla cannot dwell on Vos's apparent betrayal for long, however, as she finds herself in the crosshairs of the notorious Jedi-killing bounty hunter Aurra Sing. Meanwhile, though his skills in espionage are great, Vos may have met his match in the wily Count Dooku. Dooku has already anticipated Vos's true motives, but seeks to exploit the darkness within him and turn him from the Jedi path once and for all!
Review: Reading Last Stand on Jabiim back to back with Light and Dark, I don't really understand why anyone other than Ostrander and Duursema was ever allowed to mess around with this material. No one else seems to be able to get anything right, and then these two pop in and instantly spin a gripping story with awesome, recurring characters that always manages to be different from the same-old samey-ness we've seen before. They make it look easy, but the fumblings that inevitably occur when they aren't around reveal that it's really not.
I was so excited to see yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of Quinlan Vos, perhaps the greatest Jedi character of this era, and an epic showdown between Aayla Secura and Aurra Sing that was every bit as epic as you would expect without taking the easy path of just giving us an all-action saber-fest and nothing more. Plus, almost every Clone Wars story, at least those that involve the Jedi, references how devious and dangerous Count Dooku is, but this one really shows us the full, formidable extent of both his powers of manipulation and of raw, dark Force skill.
The only conceivable complaint that comes to mind is that ultimately everything is left unresolved by the end of this book, a giant dangling cliffhanger of a thread . . . but honestly, how could that be bad when it just means we're guaranteed another Quinlan Vos storyline before too long?
A
December 12, 2024
“I am double agent only! Triple agent much too complicated!”
Words to live by. Words to die by.
(Spoilers to follow)
Quinlan Vos has betrayed the Republic. Or has he? The Jedi council wants him in deep cover on the enemy side, and to accomplish this he must convincingly defect. After everything he has been through in the previous comics, his brooding nature and the ease with which he lets anger unbalance him, it’s not difficult to believe he would switch sides. He’s been vocal about his distaste for the Republic’s actions before. Now I wonder how much of that was genuine and how much he said just to sell his role as a traitor. Maybe it was always true to how he felt, but speaking it out loud was part of the act? Regardless, he’s now viewed as a traitor by the Republic at large, even by the Jedi Council at large, only a select few people know of his mission to infiltrate Count Dooku’s inner circle as a spy.
There are two major storylines in this collection, both written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Jan Duursema, and this duo works seamlessly in crafting a tale better than any I’ve read in these comics so far. The first of these stories follows Quinlan Vos’ old master Tholme, former apprentice Aayla Secura and An’ya Kuro, a Jedi who abandoned her very name in pursuing complete detachment, known by others as “The Dark Woman”, whose former apprentice, Aurra Sing, is now a deranged gun for hire and enthusiastic Jedi killer, as they infiltrate the high society of a world suspected to harbour Separatist-aligned raiders.
Aayla Secura plays the role of the ditzy, spoiler rich girl naturally and resents herself for the ease with which she falls into playing type. To contrast with the image of the sexpot Twilek, Aayla becomes the focus in the battle against Aurra Sing the Jedi-killing maniac, whom she doesn’t just counter in battle but also with compassion, a profundity of understanding another’s suffering. Compassionate and balanced mentally, remembering lessons learned and applying those lessons in practice, Aayla is her foe’s superior in every way. Aayla has grown much from when she first appeared.
Beyond the action and intrigue present in the story, there is the exploration of the wisdom and philosophy inherent to the Jedi and their way of life. There are precepts that they follow, but within these precepts there is much leeway for individual interpretation, and differences in opinion need not lead a Jedi to the Dark Side at all. Other dangers may be found instead. “The Dark Woman” found one such danger in her pursuit of detachment.
Jedi are not supposed to form attachments, for this may lead to fearing the loss of that which has been attached to, and fear leads to anger, anger leads to… you know the drill. Anakin Skywalker’s downfall was the result of attachments to his mother and to Padme. Quinlan Vos himself has built and attachment to a young woman called Khaleen, a thief of some persuasion, a part of his spy network, clearly a lover. The Dark Woman so feared attachment that she abandoned her own padawan to slavers rather than seeking her rescue, thus leading to Aurra Sing becoming the villain she is now.
Master Tholme disagrees with The Dark Woman’s views, not in principle but in a more nuanced way. To do away with attachment is one thing, but to do without connections is another, and the Jedi, he argues, need connections with others. While the two of them speak of these things, Aayla is engaged in her battle against Aurra Sing, and showcases what connections can be, connections both to her teachers and the enemy. A powerful demonstration of the theory in practice.
After this plotline, the book moves focus to Quinlan Vos and Count Dooku. So far, the comics have left the Count mostly a background character, appearing on hologram, manipulating behind the scenes. Here he takes centre stage, and his presence is powerful in more than just the Force: he can be charming, he can be reasonable, he can be clever, he can be frightfully cruel, he has a sense of humour, he is always a few steps ahead of everyone else. Christopher Lee got to play this character in two movies, yet he hardly had the kind of screentime he’d deserve. Here, the comics do what they’re meant to do: expand, elaborate and explore.
There is another world, Tibrin, which hated the Republic and now embraces Count Dooku as a liberator. Vos argues that the leader of this world is hated by its populace and to leave him in power would be to show the Separatist Confederacy is no different from the Republic, and agreeing with his line of reasoning, Dooku kills the poor fool. Seeing crowds cheer for who the reader (and movie-goer) will know to be a ruthless villain once again emphasizes how complex the politics of the Galaxy can be. Dooku may be the villain who cut off Anakin Skywalker’s hand to us, but to the people of Tibrin, he is a hero.
Dooku’s conversations with Vos are delightful. They are both trying to convince one another of something in every interaction they have: Vos trying to gain Dooku’s confidence, to show that he really has abandoned the Republic, and he does make a compelling case many times, while Dooku is trying to prod Vos along the path to the Dark Side, and his arguments are no worse, though the reader (and movie-goer) has a natural aversion to this “corruption”. And when Dooku acts, he shows what a formidable figure he can be in battle. Untouchable. There is even a point of common ground the two have outside of politics, as Dooku had trained Qui-Gon Jin, a Jedi master Vos clearly respects and whose maverick actions he seeks to emulate here (perhaps we should all ask ourselves “What Would Qui-Gon Jin Do?” from time to time), and Dooku can’t help but respect that.
While seeking to establish a base on Vos’ old homeworld, Dooku takes Vos with him. The negotiations fail, leading to violence, and Vos being pushed out of his undercover role far too soon. Even this breaking of cover is part of Dooku’s plan, though. Of course he would know everything all along, how could he not? He has been involved with more elaborate plans for much longer, he even guesses Tholme to have been behind the plan. All the intrigue is an open book to him.
This leads to the most pivotal moment in the book. Dooku, as all truly great villains always do, leads Vos into temptation without a single lie, damns him by offering him nothing more than justice and truth. It had been set up before how Vos’ parents died and how this impacted his character, but the truth behind it was darker than he guessed, and when confronted with that full truth, he is filled with an anger any person would consider righteous, regardless of whether or not the Jedi allow anyone to take revenge for injustices done to them.
Long have these seeds been in the ground, and now they sprout. Quinlan Vos slays his aunt in fury as Dooku prods him to, apparently falling to the Dark Side in truth. He himself would disagree, but it is undeniable that avenging the death of his parents in such murderous fury is no different from what Anakin Skywalker did upon discovering the death of his mother. Such murder is a step down a path no Jedi wishes to travel on, and there are other murders waiting down the line, as Dooku wishes to employ his services as an assassin against a prominent member of the Republic’s Senate.
And who is this target Dooku wants Vos to kill? Supreme Chancellor Palpatine! Or so the reader is led to believe for a moment. Plots within plots within plots. What’s important is that an influential politician is killed by Quinlan Vos, and that the Jedi council knows he was responsible, casting doubt even among those who knew of his infiltration whether he truly has turned traitor after all, as a Jedi should not commit such murders even for the sake of keeping cover. Vos himself believing he has not fallen rings a little hollow, a guilty conscience trying to placate itself.
Aayla Secura and Quinlan Vos seem headed in opposite directions here, one succumbing further and further into darkness while the other is rising further and further to the occasion and becoming everything a Jedi should be. The collection is thus well named Light and Dark.
Words to live by. Words to die by.
(Spoilers to follow)
Quinlan Vos has betrayed the Republic. Or has he? The Jedi council wants him in deep cover on the enemy side, and to accomplish this he must convincingly defect. After everything he has been through in the previous comics, his brooding nature and the ease with which he lets anger unbalance him, it’s not difficult to believe he would switch sides. He’s been vocal about his distaste for the Republic’s actions before. Now I wonder how much of that was genuine and how much he said just to sell his role as a traitor. Maybe it was always true to how he felt, but speaking it out loud was part of the act? Regardless, he’s now viewed as a traitor by the Republic at large, even by the Jedi Council at large, only a select few people know of his mission to infiltrate Count Dooku’s inner circle as a spy.
There are two major storylines in this collection, both written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Jan Duursema, and this duo works seamlessly in crafting a tale better than any I’ve read in these comics so far. The first of these stories follows Quinlan Vos’ old master Tholme, former apprentice Aayla Secura and An’ya Kuro, a Jedi who abandoned her very name in pursuing complete detachment, known by others as “The Dark Woman”, whose former apprentice, Aurra Sing, is now a deranged gun for hire and enthusiastic Jedi killer, as they infiltrate the high society of a world suspected to harbour Separatist-aligned raiders.
Aayla Secura plays the role of the ditzy, spoiler rich girl naturally and resents herself for the ease with which she falls into playing type. To contrast with the image of the sexpot Twilek, Aayla becomes the focus in the battle against Aurra Sing the Jedi-killing maniac, whom she doesn’t just counter in battle but also with compassion, a profundity of understanding another’s suffering. Compassionate and balanced mentally, remembering lessons learned and applying those lessons in practice, Aayla is her foe’s superior in every way. Aayla has grown much from when she first appeared.
Beyond the action and intrigue present in the story, there is the exploration of the wisdom and philosophy inherent to the Jedi and their way of life. There are precepts that they follow, but within these precepts there is much leeway for individual interpretation, and differences in opinion need not lead a Jedi to the Dark Side at all. Other dangers may be found instead. “The Dark Woman” found one such danger in her pursuit of detachment.
Jedi are not supposed to form attachments, for this may lead to fearing the loss of that which has been attached to, and fear leads to anger, anger leads to… you know the drill. Anakin Skywalker’s downfall was the result of attachments to his mother and to Padme. Quinlan Vos himself has built and attachment to a young woman called Khaleen, a thief of some persuasion, a part of his spy network, clearly a lover. The Dark Woman so feared attachment that she abandoned her own padawan to slavers rather than seeking her rescue, thus leading to Aurra Sing becoming the villain she is now.
Master Tholme disagrees with The Dark Woman’s views, not in principle but in a more nuanced way. To do away with attachment is one thing, but to do without connections is another, and the Jedi, he argues, need connections with others. While the two of them speak of these things, Aayla is engaged in her battle against Aurra Sing, and showcases what connections can be, connections both to her teachers and the enemy. A powerful demonstration of the theory in practice.
After this plotline, the book moves focus to Quinlan Vos and Count Dooku. So far, the comics have left the Count mostly a background character, appearing on hologram, manipulating behind the scenes. Here he takes centre stage, and his presence is powerful in more than just the Force: he can be charming, he can be reasonable, he can be clever, he can be frightfully cruel, he has a sense of humour, he is always a few steps ahead of everyone else. Christopher Lee got to play this character in two movies, yet he hardly had the kind of screentime he’d deserve. Here, the comics do what they’re meant to do: expand, elaborate and explore.
There is another world, Tibrin, which hated the Republic and now embraces Count Dooku as a liberator. Vos argues that the leader of this world is hated by its populace and to leave him in power would be to show the Separatist Confederacy is no different from the Republic, and agreeing with his line of reasoning, Dooku kills the poor fool. Seeing crowds cheer for who the reader (and movie-goer) will know to be a ruthless villain once again emphasizes how complex the politics of the Galaxy can be. Dooku may be the villain who cut off Anakin Skywalker’s hand to us, but to the people of Tibrin, he is a hero.
Dooku’s conversations with Vos are delightful. They are both trying to convince one another of something in every interaction they have: Vos trying to gain Dooku’s confidence, to show that he really has abandoned the Republic, and he does make a compelling case many times, while Dooku is trying to prod Vos along the path to the Dark Side, and his arguments are no worse, though the reader (and movie-goer) has a natural aversion to this “corruption”. And when Dooku acts, he shows what a formidable figure he can be in battle. Untouchable. There is even a point of common ground the two have outside of politics, as Dooku had trained Qui-Gon Jin, a Jedi master Vos clearly respects and whose maverick actions he seeks to emulate here (perhaps we should all ask ourselves “What Would Qui-Gon Jin Do?” from time to time), and Dooku can’t help but respect that.
While seeking to establish a base on Vos’ old homeworld, Dooku takes Vos with him. The negotiations fail, leading to violence, and Vos being pushed out of his undercover role far too soon. Even this breaking of cover is part of Dooku’s plan, though. Of course he would know everything all along, how could he not? He has been involved with more elaborate plans for much longer, he even guesses Tholme to have been behind the plan. All the intrigue is an open book to him.
This leads to the most pivotal moment in the book. Dooku, as all truly great villains always do, leads Vos into temptation without a single lie, damns him by offering him nothing more than justice and truth. It had been set up before how Vos’ parents died and how this impacted his character, but the truth behind it was darker than he guessed, and when confronted with that full truth, he is filled with an anger any person would consider righteous, regardless of whether or not the Jedi allow anyone to take revenge for injustices done to them.
Long have these seeds been in the ground, and now they sprout. Quinlan Vos slays his aunt in fury as Dooku prods him to, apparently falling to the Dark Side in truth. He himself would disagree, but it is undeniable that avenging the death of his parents in such murderous fury is no different from what Anakin Skywalker did upon discovering the death of his mother. Such murder is a step down a path no Jedi wishes to travel on, and there are other murders waiting down the line, as Dooku wishes to employ his services as an assassin against a prominent member of the Republic’s Senate.
And who is this target Dooku wants Vos to kill? Supreme Chancellor Palpatine! Or so the reader is led to believe for a moment. Plots within plots within plots. What’s important is that an influential politician is killed by Quinlan Vos, and that the Jedi council knows he was responsible, casting doubt even among those who knew of his infiltration whether he truly has turned traitor after all, as a Jedi should not commit such murders even for the sake of keeping cover. Vos himself believing he has not fallen rings a little hollow, a guilty conscience trying to placate itself.
Aayla Secura and Quinlan Vos seem headed in opposite directions here, one succumbing further and further into darkness while the other is rising further and further to the occasion and becoming everything a Jedi should be. The collection is thus well named Light and Dark.
January 31, 2024
Another excellent volume in this series. John Ostrander is starting to build up a world of characters and situations distinct - but related - from Lucas' dire prequel trilogy and it's allowing for more flexible and enjoyable storytelling and a better Expanded Universe as a result. Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura mostly feature here and both have their problems with confronting the dark in enjoyable and beautifully drawn stories. It's worth highlighting how very good Jan Duursema's artwork on this series is and how vividly it brings Star Wars to life, again in a viusal way that Lucas could not capture in his overly clinical CGI'd movies.
My main gripe is that it's all a little cliche. We've seen jedi turn to the dark side before. Quinlan Vos' infiltration story is pretty similar to Ulic Quel-Dromas in the Tales of the Jedi series, but it's such a classic trope I feel quite lenient. It's fun, it's well presented, it's slick and it's Star Wars just how I like it.
My main gripe is that it's all a little cliche. We've seen jedi turn to the dark side before. Quinlan Vos' infiltration story is pretty similar to Ulic Quel-Dromas in the Tales of the Jedi series, but it's such a classic trope I feel quite lenient. It's fun, it's well presented, it's slick and it's Star Wars just how I like it.
November 7, 2017
Quinlan and Aayla are by far my favourite Jedi, so I really enjoyed rereading this. Quinlan's dance with the dark side make him a really compelling character. In order to be convincing as a dark Jedi, he must do things a Jedi should never do and the effect it has on him and those who are close to him is dramatic.
Aayla's confrontation with the bounty hunter Aurra Sing is also a delight. Both having had some training from the vampire-like Anzati and carrying a lot of pain and confusion from their Jedi masters. In a genre where there are lightsaber clashes aplenty, this is one of the more memorable and satisfying ones.
The final story of Qunlan Vos's assassination mission for Count Dooku is edgy and you're left wondering if Quinlan is still succeeding with his internal battle against the dark side and is playing the part, or if he's fallen to and merely deceiving himself.
Throughout, the artwork is impeccable and is probably the reason why Aayla is as popular as she is.
Aayla's confrontation with the bounty hunter Aurra Sing is also a delight. Both having had some training from the vampire-like Anzati and carrying a lot of pain and confusion from their Jedi masters. In a genre where there are lightsaber clashes aplenty, this is one of the more memorable and satisfying ones.
The final story of Qunlan Vos's assassination mission for Count Dooku is edgy and you're left wondering if Quinlan is still succeeding with his internal battle against the dark side and is playing the part, or if he's fallen to and merely deceiving himself.
Throughout, the artwork is impeccable and is probably the reason why Aayla is as popular as she is.
August 29, 2013
This volume concentrates on jedi working undercover. It asks a simple question about how far you can pretend to be on the dark side without crossing over. Vos continues to be an intriguing character who goes on an understandable journey trying to find out what Dooku is up to. A good read.
April 9, 2023
Star Wars The Clone Wars Volume 4: Light and Dark contains four stories that all center around Quinlan Vos and the path he is now forced to tread. I can understand why these stories are collected into one paperback as they all focus on Quin, but having them take place in Volume 4, takes them out of timeline order. Issue 54, Jedi: Aayla Secura and Jedi: Count Dooku all do take place one after another but Issue 63 takes place 9 months later with other stories of the war happening in between. Also, for some reason, this printing places both Issue 54 and Jedi: Aayla Secura under the same opening image, as though they are one story rather than two, happening one after the other.
Double Blind – Issue 54 (2003) (22 BBY) 5/5: 6 months after Geonosis. This one is back to Quinlan after the events in Issues 49 and Jedi: Shaak Ti. This was a really good story that had me on the edge of my seat and had a really amazing twist. To say more would spoil its ending.
Jedi: Aayla Secura (2003) (22 BBY) 5/5: 6 months after Geonosis. This story shows how competent a Jedi Knight Aayla has become as the Jedi Masters must depend on her to all get out alive. We also get to see Aayla having formed a friendship with Kit Fitso, as he understands Twi’lek quite well. Following after ‘Double Blind’, the Jedi Council are very cruel to Aayla after everything her and Quin went through together. But a sweet little ending that ties into ‘The Hunt for Aurra Sing’ and ‘Heart of Fire’.
Jedi: Count Dooku (2003) (22 BBY) 5/5: 7.5 months after Geonosis. Wow there is so much in this issue! We finally get to see more of the Jedi who left the Order to join Dooku and what that really means; what they’re tasked to do, how they’re treated. A really great story, I just wish that, as it was named ‘Count Dooku’ we could have had more story from his point of view. It would be great to hear his thoughts and see his reasons on the war.
Striking from the Shadows – Issue 63 (2004) (22 BBY) 5/5: 16 months after Geonosis. Quinlan is even deeper behind enemy lines after the ending in Jedi: Count Dooku but he’s still holding strong while now drawing on the dark. The back and forth between Quin and Dooku is incredible including Dooku’s pronouncement about whether or not he’s truly Sith. It really irritates me how little trust Yoda and Mace have in Quin during this, despite them agreeing to it. How can they think Dooku would just believe Quin is on his side and not make him do missions that would include killing?? I’m intrigued by how adamant Dooku is that Quin is a Dark Jedi while Quin is convinced he’s not. Who is correct? Only time will tell!!
I am loving the story of Quinlan Vos and these issues are no exception. The forces he has to deal with have higher stakes than ever before and are enough to question whether he’s doing the right thing or actually getting sucked into the very forces he’s trying to stop. I love not knowing whether he really is succumbing to the dark side or not, because Quin doesn’t know either. I can’t wait for more of his story!
Double Blind – Issue 54 (2003) (22 BBY) 5/5: 6 months after Geonosis. This one is back to Quinlan after the events in Issues 49 and Jedi: Shaak Ti. This was a really good story that had me on the edge of my seat and had a really amazing twist. To say more would spoil its ending.
Jedi: Aayla Secura (2003) (22 BBY) 5/5: 6 months after Geonosis. This story shows how competent a Jedi Knight Aayla has become as the Jedi Masters must depend on her to all get out alive. We also get to see Aayla having formed a friendship with Kit Fitso, as he understands Twi’lek quite well. Following after ‘Double Blind’, the Jedi Council are very cruel to Aayla after everything her and Quin went through together. But a sweet little ending that ties into ‘The Hunt for Aurra Sing’ and ‘Heart of Fire’.
Jedi: Count Dooku (2003) (22 BBY) 5/5: 7.5 months after Geonosis. Wow there is so much in this issue! We finally get to see more of the Jedi who left the Order to join Dooku and what that really means; what they’re tasked to do, how they’re treated. A really great story, I just wish that, as it was named ‘Count Dooku’ we could have had more story from his point of view. It would be great to hear his thoughts and see his reasons on the war.
Striking from the Shadows – Issue 63 (2004) (22 BBY) 5/5: 16 months after Geonosis. Quinlan is even deeper behind enemy lines after the ending in Jedi: Count Dooku but he’s still holding strong while now drawing on the dark. The back and forth between Quin and Dooku is incredible including Dooku’s pronouncement about whether or not he’s truly Sith. It really irritates me how little trust Yoda and Mace have in Quin during this, despite them agreeing to it. How can they think Dooku would just believe Quin is on his side and not make him do missions that would include killing?? I’m intrigued by how adamant Dooku is that Quin is a Dark Jedi while Quin is convinced he’s not. Who is correct? Only time will tell!!
I am loving the story of Quinlan Vos and these issues are no exception. The forces he has to deal with have higher stakes than ever before and are enough to question whether he’s doing the right thing or actually getting sucked into the very forces he’s trying to stop. I love not knowing whether he really is succumbing to the dark side or not, because Quin doesn’t know either. I can’t wait for more of his story!
February 3, 2025
This Volume is the begining of the Quinlan Vos goes Undercoverarc and its amazing.
Double blind: Quinlan finds out Tookarati, my least favorite Chadra fan ( Beside Doctor Uttersond , who got a stupid redemption arc. Fuck him) is a triple agent when Agen Kolar shows up and accuses of him of being a traitor.. Agen Kolar is a intresting character and impresive fighter when he is'nt fighting Sideous . Khaleen is captured by the Republic. In
the the end , you find out its all a plan by Tholme so
Quinlan have a reason to go under cover as one of Ddoku's to spy on the Confederacy . No one knows about the plan except Yoda and Mace . Both who have doubts about it.
Jedi Aayla Secura: Aayla is trying to deal with the grief about her Master falling to the darkside when T'rasa( Tree Jedi woman ) gets a call from a deveronian friend claiming there is a traitor in the goverment . She imediatly get assiainated. T'rasa , Aayla , Tholme , and Dark Woman( An'ya Kuro) got to Deveron to investigate. Aurra Sing get a backstory , Aayla secura comes to terms with her anger against Quinlan, and Dark Woman regrets her teaching style. Tholme/ Tra saa are in a relationship
Quilan Vos; Quinan Vos joins Dooku's Acolytes. The acolytes are all intresting characters with their personality and Back stories . One of the thing I am loving about the republic comics is the willingness to give even minor Characters personalties and depth . Dooku guesses Vos's motives immediatly and trys to turn him to darkside. For Quinlan, its a inner battle between light and dark, as he starts to cross lines he would never would of crossed before . In the the climax, Vos is forced to confront the truth of his past and takes his first step in to the dark.
Double blind: Quinlan finds out Tookarati, my least favorite Chadra fan ( Beside Doctor Uttersond , who got a stupid redemption arc. Fuck him) is a triple agent when Agen Kolar shows up and accuses of him of being a traitor.. Agen Kolar is a intresting character and impresive fighter when he is'nt fighting Sideous . Khaleen is captured by the Republic. In
the the end , you find out its all a plan by Tholme so
Quinlan have a reason to go under cover as one of Ddoku's to spy on the Confederacy . No one knows about the plan except Yoda and Mace . Both who have doubts about it.
Jedi Aayla Secura: Aayla is trying to deal with the grief about her Master falling to the darkside when T'rasa( Tree Jedi woman ) gets a call from a deveronian friend claiming there is a traitor in the goverment . She imediatly get assiainated. T'rasa , Aayla , Tholme , and Dark Woman( An'ya Kuro) got to Deveron to investigate. Aurra Sing get a backstory , Aayla secura comes to terms with her anger against Quinlan, and Dark Woman regrets her teaching style. Tholme/ Tra saa are in a relationship
Quilan Vos; Quinan Vos joins Dooku's Acolytes. The acolytes are all intresting characters with their personality and Back stories . One of the thing I am loving about the republic comics is the willingness to give even minor Characters personalties and depth . Dooku guesses Vos's motives immediatly and trys to turn him to darkside. For Quinlan, its a inner battle between light and dark, as he starts to cross lines he would never would of crossed before . In the the climax, Vos is forced to confront the truth of his past and takes his first step in to the dark.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2018
I read the first two Clone Wars books, and I was let down. Ostrander's chapters were okay, but Haden Blackman had some duds and I couldn't get past my dislike for his work. This volume is all-Ostrander/Duursema, and I enjoyed their previous series about Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura (Twilight, Darkness, Rite of Passage), so I was anticipating this book.
It was okay. Sadly, I feel that nothing at all was resolved, so I was let down by the ending (or lack of). I'm interested in Vos' flirtation with the Dark Side, and it is interesting to see different sides debate the Republic and the Jedi. There are some compelling arguments made by some of the Separatists.
Unfortunately, lots of stuff with Vos is set up, but nothing comes of it in this book. Definitely a letdown for me. Duursema is a rock solid comic artist. Lots of good detail, imaginative aliens and settings, and generally strong storytelling (although there were a few instances in this book that left me scratching my head).
It was okay. Sadly, I feel that nothing at all was resolved, so I was let down by the ending (or lack of). I'm interested in Vos' flirtation with the Dark Side, and it is interesting to see different sides debate the Republic and the Jedi. There are some compelling arguments made by some of the Separatists.
Unfortunately, lots of stuff with Vos is set up, but nothing comes of it in this book. Definitely a letdown for me. Duursema is a rock solid comic artist. Lots of good detail, imaginative aliens and settings, and generally strong storytelling (although there were a few instances in this book that left me scratching my head).
August 24, 2017
Double Blind - 2 stars
Another setup story for this Quin undercover arc; not as thick on the grimdark art as Sacrifice but still full of male gaze shots of Khaleen. You can feel the gears turning on this plot as they happen, but not in an enjoyable way--the characters don't matter enough for the betrayals to matter, they're all just steps toward a later payoff.
Striking from the Shadows - 2 stars
Another political assassination and speeder chase on Coruscant--this time it definitely feels too close to aping the film for comfort. I don't know if it's the lack of interiority for Quin or what but this whole "is he fallen or not" game with him is not very dramatically compelling to me.
Another setup story for this Quin undercover arc; not as thick on the grimdark art as Sacrifice but still full of male gaze shots of Khaleen. You can feel the gears turning on this plot as they happen, but not in an enjoyable way--the characters don't matter enough for the betrayals to matter, they're all just steps toward a later payoff.
Striking from the Shadows - 2 stars
Another political assassination and speeder chase on Coruscant--this time it definitely feels too close to aping the film for comfort. I don't know if it's the lack of interiority for Quin or what but this whole "is he fallen or not" game with him is not very dramatically compelling to me.
May 25, 2019
The Ostrander/Duursema duo shows why are one of the best in all Star Wars history. This compilation of several stories featuring Quinlan Vos and his secret mission to infiltrate Count Dooku's entourage are fantastic.
The 30th anniversary volume is of excellent quality, with superb printing materials that shows, a true beauty.
The 30th anniversary volume is of excellent quality, with superb printing materials that shows, a true beauty.
June 15, 2023
Sure, there have been other Legends comics about Jedi infiltrating the enemy and going a bit too far into the Dark Side, but this is a storyline that can be addictive if done well - and if Quinlan Vos is involved! Another great volume.
January 31, 2025
(Read in 2004, review from 2025)
A solid entry in this Clone Wars series. Some cool moments with Aayla but Quinlan Vos is the star here and comics from this era are what made me a fan of the character.
A solid entry in this Clone Wars series. Some cool moments with Aayla but Quinlan Vos is the star here and comics from this era are what made me a fan of the character.
March 22, 2025
These comics have turned out to be pretty excellent. I've always felt Christopher Lee's Count Dooku was criminally underused in the Prequels and wanted more of him. This volume gave me that along with some standout moments from Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura as well.
July 13, 2022
Pretty good. Continue the story of Vos, and fills out Dooku as well.
November 1, 2025
I remember really liking this but Khaleen is a stupid character.
November 7, 2016
22-21 BBY
The pictured volume is the special 30th anniversary hardback edition of The Clone Wars Vol. 4: Light and Dark. It contains the issues "Republic 54: Double Blind," "Jedi: Aayla Secura," "Jedi: Count Dooku," and "Republic 63: Striking from the Shadows." So far, this is by far the most interesting of the Clone Wars volumes. We see lot of Aalya Secura and a lot of Quinlan Vos, two characters that grow more and more interesting as the story progresses. Aayla is worried about her master, Quinlan, who is acting as a double agent for the Republic. Only two or three Jedi know of Quinlan's plans to get close to Dooku, so many Jedi believe he really is falling to the Dark Side. When Dooku questions Quinlan's loyalty, he tells of Tinte's plot to have Quinlan's parents murdered, enticing the rage from the Dark Side that Quinlan has built up, lending him to kill, something Jedi do not do. (Tinte is a relative of Quinlan's, holding a ruling seat on his planet).
As I said before, this is by far the most interesting of the Clone Wars volumes thus far. The art is fantastic and the characters are extremely interesting. It's the first volume that really gives us some insight into the other Jedi, really giving time to tell their stories so that we may be drawn to them as characters. I must say, this volume has really highlighted Quinlan in a way that makes me extremely interested in what he is going to do next; I wish they would take the time to do this for all the key Jedi in the Clone Wars!
October 18, 2013
For once a ton of Jedi don't die needlessly and pathetically in a clone wars graphic novel. I pretty much gave up on the clone wars series of graphic novels after volume 3, but I had already bought volume 4 & 5 so I'm reading them.
To my pleasant surprise, volume 4 wasn't terrible, and I actually liked it, at least for a clone wars graphic novel. Vos is just a pretty cool character, as is Aayla Secura. So it was pretty enjoyable overall. John Ostrander is a pretty good Star Wars writer. He always has a way of bringing the Star Wars universe to life and make it more relatable. One thing I didn't really like was the static and sort of stereotypical relationship between Quinlan and Khaleen. Its like when she's on scene her only purpose is to be sexy for the male audience and reiterate her devotion to Quinlan. I will say in those moments we get into Quinlans emotional state a bit, but it just seems like their relationship could be more dynamic.
Plot-wise it was mildly interesting, it's progressing and not just the classic "lets go to a planet to accomplish something and come back as failures and 20+ Jedi dead."
Yeah overall, a breath of fresh air compared to the other clone war stories.
To my pleasant surprise, volume 4 wasn't terrible, and I actually liked it, at least for a clone wars graphic novel. Vos is just a pretty cool character, as is Aayla Secura. So it was pretty enjoyable overall. John Ostrander is a pretty good Star Wars writer. He always has a way of bringing the Star Wars universe to life and make it more relatable. One thing I didn't really like was the static and sort of stereotypical relationship between Quinlan and Khaleen. Its like when she's on scene her only purpose is to be sexy for the male audience and reiterate her devotion to Quinlan. I will say in those moments we get into Quinlans emotional state a bit, but it just seems like their relationship could be more dynamic.
Plot-wise it was mildly interesting, it's progressing and not just the classic "lets go to a planet to accomplish something and come back as failures and 20+ Jedi dead."
Yeah overall, a breath of fresh air compared to the other clone war stories.
September 6, 2012
Quinlan Vos a toujours été un Jedi avec un petit côté sombre plus prononcé que la moyenne. Il a comme but de convaincre le Comte Dooku qu'il a changé d'allégeance et qu'il veut rejoindre ses rangs. Dooku étant un fin renard teste sa fidélité en lui donnant des missions qui pourraient le faire tomber du côté obscur ou lui faire révéler sa véritable nature de Jedi. Vos n'a pas le choix, il doit commettre les crimes dont lui demande de faire le Comte.
Voici une autre bonne bande dessinée de John Ostrander avec son habituel héros, Quinlan Vos. L'auteur exploite beaucoup dans ce tome la noirceur de Vos et sa force de caractère. En voyant que quelques Jedi ont joint Dooku, cela amène une autre dynamique à Clone Wars car les Jedi doivent se battre entre eux en plus d'avoir à trouver les Sith.
Un autre très bonne BD.
Voici une autre bonne bande dessinée de John Ostrander avec son habituel héros, Quinlan Vos. L'auteur exploite beaucoup dans ce tome la noirceur de Vos et sa force de caractère. En voyant que quelques Jedi ont joint Dooku, cela amène une autre dynamique à Clone Wars car les Jedi doivent se battre entre eux en plus d'avoir à trouver les Sith.
Un autre très bonne BD.
February 13, 2014
This book and I guess every series has it sooner or later - is to me part of the "mid-point". I guess its the cynic in me that feels that all big story arcs - what ever their genre or grounding - have to have start and an end - and as a result they automatically have a "mid-point" where the storyline starts to trip from build up to run down towards to that final confrontation. Now this is not a bad thing as sometimes you just don't realise it - while at others you know full well you are at that point like the crest of a hill where you know whats coming. Well this to me is how this book feels- characters are finally getting over their shorter (lesser?) story lines and start to draw in on something bigger and more profound - what it is I do not know but I think here is where things start to pick up pace (and possibly run out of control)
October 16, 2013
Very good book. The Star Wars Clone Wars graphic novels remind me of a really good espionage thriller. The lead in this case is Quinlan Vos who appeared briefly in episode I as an undercover Jedi in Tatooine and was briefly mentioned by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode III. His cover is blown yet enforced again by the very possibility that he may truly have been turned to the Dark Side of the Force. Yet he perseveres despite a great deal of pressure. Wonderful story. B+
March 11, 2009
so far, this is the best of the clone wars books that I've read. (although I haven't read vol 3). It's written by Ostrander, who seems to be the best person out there writing star wars comics right now. his series star wars legacy has been the most interesting and captivating and best written of all the star wars comics I've read. (albeit, my star wars comics reading isn't overly extensive).
May 30, 2012
This is a much better story than the one's I've read so far. This has a really engaging single story, however it was heavy going and a bit dense at times. There was a good amount of action and it was really psychological too.
November 8, 2008
xD This book was pretty cool.
April 22, 2016
This was very dark and dealt mostly with secondary characters.
May 23, 2013
Finally, the return of Quinlan Vos to the series. Overall a good story arc with great artwork.
January 4, 2018
Entretenido sin más. Para quien le guste el tema puede estar bien saber más de ese periodo entre el Episodio II y III.
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