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Star Wars: Age of Republic #5-8, Special

Star Wars: Age of Republic - Villains

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This is the Age of Star Wars - an epic series of adventures that unite your favorite characters from all three trilogies! And we're bringing on the bad guys - shining a light on the darkest figures of the Old Republic, starting with Darth Maul! A living weapon of rage and bloodthirst, Maul lurks in the shadows of Coruscant waiting for his chance to strike against the Jedi Order! But the Sith lord struggles to contain his desire for destruction, and questions the wishes of his methodically plotting master. Could Maul have had another path in life, or was he always fated to follow a dark road? Plus, delve deep into the dark side with Darth Sidious! Count Dooku! General Grievous! Jango Fett! And more! COLLECTING: STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - COUNT DOOKU 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - DARTH MAUL 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - GENERAL GRIEVOUS 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - JANGO FETT 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC SPECIAL 1

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2019

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Jody Houser

712 books277 followers

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5 stars
263 (22%)
4 stars
485 (40%)
3 stars
367 (30%)
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69 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,803 reviews13.4k followers
July 1, 2019
Generally speaking I like villains more than heroes. Beyond evil being compelling in itself, villains have a much broader range for actions that make them more interesting to read about - unless they’re one-dimensional idiots who act predictably in the same way we’ve seen them do before like the prequels villains!

Darth Maul kills some criminals in Coruscant; Jango Fett bounty hunts with lil Boba; Count Dooku backstabs a talking tiger; and that robot with a general grievance fights a waterfall (really)! There’s some Sith chick who fights some dude who’s trying to harm a couple kids – not sure who she is though, nor do I care!

I thought Star Wars villains-centric stories might be fun but they’re just as dismal and boring as the Age of Republic – Heroes volume was. Jody Houser is the suck as a writer. Unless you want to be reminded of the ghastly nightmares that were the prequels, avoid this and its sister book, Heroes, at all costs!
Profile Image for Chad.
10.3k reviews1,062 followers
June 1, 2025
Good villains make for better stories and that's the fact here as this is noticeably better than the Heroes side. My favorites were the Jango and Boba Fett team up and the Darth Maul story although they were all solid. Luke Ross is a very good artist who needs to be put on a monthly book.
Profile Image for Sud666.
2,330 reviews199 followers
November 24, 2022
This is a collection of short stories covering the "villains" of the Clone Wars time period.
The artwork is excellent and all the stories fall between good and some are excellent.

Darth Maul must complete a mission and learn patience and subtlety.

Darth Tyrannus makes inroads into the Sallust corporation and runs into a Jedi Knight.

Jango Fett and his son, Boba, undertake a mission together as Tyrannus recruits Jango into the cloning scheme.

General Grevious attempts to understand the Force.

Asaj Ventress helps some random people.

Those are the short stories. There are also some cool cover art at the end of the volume.

A cool little short story collection, backed with good art, make for a cool Star Wars comic.


Profile Image for Artemy.
1,045 reviews964 followers
March 13, 2019
The Villains half of Age of Republic series of one-shots was noticeably better than the Heroes one, and I think it comes down to the villains of the prequel era just being more fun and memorable characters. These aren't particularly deep stories, but they do a good job of showing different sides of every character, not making them all look like one-note, flat baddies. Plus the Villains stories were more action-packed and less focused on the aspects of the prequels that most people don't like, i.e. the politics, the philosophy and the Jedi order (can't say the same about the Heroes one-shots, unfortunately). Overall, this was a solid series that was surprisingly enjoyable to follow monthly, and I'm glad Marvel are finally taking steps towards opening up their Star Wars comics into more directions and time periods. Looking forward to Age of Rebellion!
Profile Image for Jim C.
1,781 reviews36 followers
September 12, 2019
This is a collection of one shots about different villains from this universe. All these stories take place before the original trilogy and while it has the word "villains" in the title, there are two stories that don't concern the "bad guys".

I did think this was a step up from the heroes edition and I wasn't surprised by this. I have always favored the villain so this might have affected my rating. That being said, I did think this had a little more substance than the heroes edition. We do get some insight into some characters whether it is a look into Darth Maul's fear or Jar Jar actually being helpful. It isn't a deep exploration into characters but at least there is stories one can sink their teeth into. While the stories are not the strongest the artwork is still consistently good and is the strength of these collections.

If one decides to skip this collection they really will not miss a thing. Nothing of importance happens and this collection is really a quick read. I will admit that there is one great panel with Jar Jar that did bring a smile to my face. (Yes, I am surprised by this too since I would think he would be the last character in this universe that I would be saying this about)
Profile Image for Eva B..
1,566 reviews444 followers
April 17, 2021

Darth Maul: 5/5. My favorite of the Sith villains, Maul is one of my favorite characters overall with his arc in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and this story did not disappoint!
Jango Fett: 4/5. Sort of a duel focus on Boba and Jango, but the ending was really good. I never really cared for Jango nor Boba Fett, but this was a good comic.
Count Dooku: 5/5. Dooku has always been an intriguing villain to me, and this short glimpse into the founding of the Separatists was intense and enjoyable.
General Grievous: 5/5. Grievous is easily my least favorite prequel villain, but I adored this oneshot!
Asajj Ventress: 5/5. A missed opportunity for the sisters to be Trace and Rafa, but I love Ventress. This one fits in during the Jedi Who Knew Too Much arc, chronicling Ventress's brief adventures in the underbelly before teaming up with Ahsoka.
Profile Image for Anthony.
813 reviews62 followers
March 18, 2019
Like the volume that focuses on the heroes, this is a fun collection of one shots based around prequel characters, largely set during the clone wars. It's a good read. The Maul issue follows on a little from the previous Marvel Darth Maul mini, and the Grevious issue gives us a little insight into his back story. Shame there's not more here to be honest.
Profile Image for Teresa.
Author 4 books89 followers
June 17, 2019
This volume contains Star Wars: Age of Republic--Darth Maul, Jango Fett, Count Dooku, General Grievous, and Star Wars: Age of Republic Special. Each issue features a short story of the titled character. In this collection, all the featured characters are villains during the Republic era (before Palpatine's rule).

Darth Maul's story, "Ash," features the impatient Sith lord. Maul has been waiting for the time when he will be able to help bring the Jedi down, but his patience wears thin. It is evident he has a need to kill and is shown in this display of ruthlessness.

Jango Fett's story, "Training," features Jango doing some bounty hunting as he trains his son, Boba, the best practices of the trade. Those with a bounty don't seem to see Boba, a child, as a threat, but Jango ensures that their assumptions will be dead wrong.

Count Dooku's story, "The Cost," has him investigating the people and plans of another planet. The Jedi do not yet know of his turn to the Dark Side, and when Dooku encounters a Jedi also running an investigation on the same planet, his plan of action must be taken into careful consideration.

General Grievous's story, "Burn," it is evident that Grievous's need for destruction cannot be sated, no matter how many Jedi he massacres. As he is pulled into a strange Force vision, he sees what he once was and compares that to what he has become, not physically, but in terms of the power he has achieved. 

The Age of Republic Special featured in this collection is called "Sisters." With the new Dooku audio exclusive just released, we learn more of Ventress's past, In this short comic, she encounters two sisters that will do anything for each other, even as they are harassed and nearly killed by a thug. Ventress doesn't care for "A petty squabble among the locals," but something in her drives her to assist the scared, young sisters.

This is by far one of my favorite new canon graphic novel collections in the Star Wars universe. I love villains, and especially the villains in the Star Wars universe. It was fun an exciting getting to read some short adventures for these characters, getting a glimpse inside their way of thinking and planning. The art is phenomenal, and the best part of this graphic novel? At the end of each character story, there is a one-page article about the characters. Some of it is the history of the character, original ideas, and incorporating these characters into the Star Wars universe.
Profile Image for Robert.
2,191 reviews148 followers
July 16, 2019
Cool one shots about the various Republic-era baddies (minus the Big Bad, Darth Sidious, but I have a feeling he’ll be around for a while), I probably enjoyed the Dooku one the most but none of them was a dud.

The extra material was worthwhile for once, with background details on the creation of the characters and their legacy in pop culture.

Fun fact: did you know General Grievous’ cough was actually recorded from George Lucas when he visited the studio with bronchitis?
Profile Image for Shaun Stanley.
1,309 reviews
March 25, 2020
Star Wars loves their collection of one shots. This volume collects one shots about the villains of the Prequel Trilogy. This volume was a compete mixed bag. I enjoyed the Darth Maul and Jango Fett stories but not so much Dooku's or Grievous's. The short story of Ventress was also pretty good. I generally find the villain's stories more interesting but I felt for the Age of The Reublic series, the heroes's stories were better.
Profile Image for Neil R. Coulter.
1,300 reviews150 followers
June 9, 2019
Very short stories featuring Darth Maul, Jango and Boba, Count Dooku, General Grievous, and Asajj Ventress. They're all fine, but the stories are so extremely brief that they add little to the characters. To paraphrase Obi-Wan: "You were right about one thing . . . The [graphic novel] was short."

Also: there's a Jedi who looks exactly like a tiger?
Profile Image for Štěpán.
513 reviews48 followers
June 11, 2019
Read in single issues. Grievous, Maul and Dooku had great stories. Really well drawn with good content. The Jango one was good but somehow it didn't capture me as it could. This Age of Republic Villains is better that Heroes and let's hope that age of rebellion keeps it good.
Profile Image for Andrew.
463 reviews
July 8, 2019
Well, this was better than the Heroes counter part, which was boring and quite drab. I’ve always loved the bad guys in Star Wars (as in most other stories) and these vignettes, while not anything earth shattering, are still fun little escapes. Nice quick read on a hot day.
Profile Image for 47Time.
3,457 reviews95 followers
December 23, 2019
Nothing here is new to a Star Wars fan, but there are some interesting moments  in the life of each character that are fun to watch. They may not be pivotal moments, as the characters' personalities and place in the universe is pretty much set in stone. Each issue confirms what we already believed about them - their beliefs, skills and early life. I dare say I never hated Jar Jar Binks less which is saying something. Overall, the volume complements the movies well.

Profile Image for RG.
3,084 reviews
May 13, 2019
Short sweet and really cool. Loved this collection
Profile Image for Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight.
1,214 reviews
November 28, 2021
*4.5

These are so good.

In this compilation, we have the stories from four SW villains of the prequels, along with a bonus story. The first one is Maul's, who's always a fun character to read about regardless of the story. But this was a good one - it ties into the Star Wars: Darth Maul comic, which I wasn't expecting. And while this is a little surface level in terms of his character, I liked seeing his perspective on the Jedi. This pairs well with the Qui-Gon story from the Heroes edition of this comic.

The second story is definitely my favorite. Jango Fett is already an interesting character, but I loved seeing Boba working alongside him. I just recently finished rewatching the TCW episodes with Boba, so it was great to see him again, but before Jango's death. You see the humanity of Boba, and his bond with Jango is just really sweet.

There's nothing incredibly special about Dooku's story in here - it's just him subtlely helping Palpatine turn the war effort in their favor. It is interesting to see how he does it in small bits, though, and I think just seeing Dooku doing anything undercover is neat.

Given the general conceit of Dooku's story, I was expecting something similar from General Grievous's. But this one takes a more personal turn with him, which was a nice surprise.

The bonus story in here is about Ventress, which I was incredibly excited about. I liked that it took place just before her role in season 5. And Ventress does have her morals. I liked this story so much, and

4.5/5 stars. Most of the stories in here weren't huge, but the Jango Fett and Ventress ones absolutely sold me. Maul's was good, too. I've said it before, but I love these comics so much.
Profile Image for Paul Decker.
854 reviews17 followers
May 22, 2019
I'm really excited for this new comic series putting the focus on characters from all three trilogies. The first volume centers in on the villains from the prequels. I'm always up for new canon stories set in the prequel era.

The first story follows Darth Maul prior to Episode I. I liked seeing Maul already sneaking around the dark underworld of Coruscant already forming shady connections. There's also references to Rebels and Malachor. 4/5.

Next up is Jango Fett and his young clone of a son, Boba Fett. This short story shows a great look into their relationship. Bounty Hunter stories are always fun. 4/5

Count Dooku is on a mission for his master, creating more disorder in the galaxy. I liked seeing a little into Dooku's past as a jedi. There's also a Tiger Jedi!?! 3/5

The General Grievous story is my favorite in this volume. I really enjoyed seeing Grievous's original form. It's a really unique looking into his psyche. I also like the Jedi mysticism. 5/5

The Special included in this volume focuses on Asajj Ventress. It's a pretty quick story and shows Ventress on the lower levels of Coruscant interacting with people on the streets. 3/5

I really like collections like this. it's a great opportunity to show a glimpse into a character's life that we haven't seen before. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series, especially the sequel trilogy volumes since we know so little about the characters outside of the movies. I give this volume of prequel villains a 4/5.
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,596 reviews23 followers
August 5, 2019
This short collection of Star Wars one-shots revolve around villain characters from the Prequel trilogy era. All feel like they add to the overall saga, and don't seem like a waste of time. Highlights from the issues:
Darth Maul - We get to see two sides of Maul: 1) As he runs through the undercity on Coruscant, tracking a criminal where he hired both criminal and bounty hunter; and 2) as a Jedi Master in a dream sequence (though I guess for him it was a nightmare)
Jango Fett - Primarily about a job that he helps pull with a crew and Boba (where Boba ends up taking out the traitor on the team, beginning his legacy), but we also see some scenes of him being offered the job to go to Kamino.
Count Dooku - On a mission for Darth Sidious, Dooku goes to Sullust to check on a business and get the assistance of a local gang, but is thrown off by the arrival of a Jedi. Needless to say, but that Jedi never makes it off the planet...
General Grievous - When a raid on a Jedi Temple doesn't go the way he planned, Grievous has it blown away from orbit, but not before we get to see him pre-cybernetics. He looks very odd without being mostly metal...
Asajj Ventress - A very short tale involving Ventress keeping her rep intact. but also demonstrating the lighter side of her future transformation into a good guy

Can't wait to read Republic- Heroes and eventually moving on to different eras. Recommend.
Profile Image for Billy Jepma.
493 reviews10 followers
April 13, 2019
Much like the “Heroes” side of the “Age of Republic” miniseries, I liked this a lot. It doesn’t have the same kind of nuance or insight that I loved in the hero one-shots, but Houser still captures these villains just about perfectly. Dooku’s issue in particular is really excellent, and even though the other three are quick reads—as a whole, there’s more action than story in these—they’re all a lot of fun. Ross’ art is great, and he proves once again that he’s a perfect fit for the Star Wars vibe.

I wasn’t as enthralled with these as I was with the heroes, but they’re still a blast to read. The anthology format works incredibly well, and I’m glad that we’re getting more like it with the upcoming “Age of Rebellion” and “Age of Resistance” series later this year.
Profile Image for Karissa.
267 reviews
December 31, 2022
Each story has an interesting insight to these characters.

Maul- sees a vision of himself as a Jedi ‼️

Jango- his proud father moment is seeing his son murder two bounty hunters in cold blood. Somehow Boba greeting them at the beginning with a friendly “hello” was the most out of character moment 😆

Dooku- when he was talking about Qui-Gon and the Jedi said “of course he was a great Jedi” and Dooku responded with “and a great friend”, totally parallels Obi-Wan talking about Anakin “and he was a good friend” 😭

Grievous- we get to see him without his armor ⁉️

Ventress- she does have a heart ❤️
Profile Image for Wolfmantula.
335 reviews49 followers
May 29, 2022
It’s Star Wars, so read it!

Enjoyed Villains more than Heroes, but it was still a bit weak. I enjoyed getting to know the villains I was already acquainted with from the movies even more despite it only being a few short stories. I need more of this, but longer!
Profile Image for Italo De Nubila.
324 reviews5 followers
September 19, 2022
I wish these characters got a full series for each one of them. That backstory of Grievous is certainly entretaining. Learning how he turned himself into a droid would be amazing. And Dooku is another guy just as intriguing as Ahsoka, maybe even more. Fun little series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Geoffrey Payne.
149 reviews3 followers
July 31, 2019
The writing for these one shots is great and this collection has what’s probably my favorite artwork in a Star Wars comic in a long time. Definitely worth a read. 4.5 out of 5.
Profile Image for Julie.
3,527 reviews51 followers
January 4, 2020
The Jango Fett story was mildly interesting, and Dooku's was pretty good. Didn't care much about Maul's, but I really liked the Ventress story.
Profile Image for Kevin.
469 reviews24 followers
May 24, 2024
Better than the Age of Republic- Heroes, but nothing spectacular. The stories in both volumes are too short to have much impact, but Villains is more interesting simply because it's a less-seen side of the story.
Profile Image for Marius.
327 reviews1 follower
July 23, 2022
Hive of Scum and Villainy


Inhalt: In vier Kurzgeschichten und einem Special werden Erlebnisse der Hauptschurken der Prequel-Ära geschildert. Darth Maul verschlägt es in die Unterwelt von Coruscant, wo er potenzielle Gegner ausschaltet. Jango Fett lehrt seinem Sohn Boba die Bedeutung von Aufmerksamkeit. Count Dooku durchkreuzt die Pläne der Jedi auf Sullust. General Grievous versucht ein Artefakt der hellen Seite zu vernichten. Asajj Ventress zeigt ihr Potenzial als Anti-Heldin auf der Schattenseite der Hauptwelt.


Bewertung: Die Geschichten bieten einen kurzweiligen Zeitvertreib für Interessierte. Bereits vorhandene Charaktereigenschaften der Schurken (Mauls Blutdurst, Jangos Gerissenheit, Dookus Zurückhaltung, Grievous Stärke, Ventress Wandlung) werden weiter ausgebaut. Alles fühlt sich an wie Mini-Episoden von "The Clone Wars". Darüber hinaus bietet der Sammelband keine Neuerungen. Er setzt auf die bereits bestehende Basis. Das ist zwar sicher, bietet aber auch kein Überraschungspotenzial. Die Grafik ist stimmig und setzt alles gut in Szene. Die Details der Figuren sind hier gut ausgearbeitet.


Fazit: Für Fans des Althergebrachten empfehlenswert und unterhaltsam. Alle anderen, die mehr Hintergrundwissen oder Offenbarungen erwarten, werden enttäuscht. Gesamt: 3/5
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