Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol. 1: Path to Nowhere

Star Wars: Dark Times #1

by Randy Stradley, Doug Wheatley (Artist), Mick Harrison (Writer)

Jedi Dass Jennir and his companion Bomo Greenbark survived the Clone Wars, but the fate of Bomo's wife and daughter remains a mystery. The two friends are determined to find them, but their path leads them from danger to darkness--where each of them stands to lose more than they may hope to gain.
Meanwhile, Darth Vader must deal with some unpleasant realities--and memories--of his own. Though he is a Dark Lord of the Sith, even he must bow before the power of the Emperor.

Collecting: Star Wars: Dark Times 1-5

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2008

About the author

"Nearly thirty years of writing and editing comics, and this is what I have to show for it."
—Randy Stradley, pointing to this biography.

More to come, folks!

Reviews

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to love Star Wars. When I was in Elementary and Middle School, it was one of my favorite things. The universe was so big and it went beyond just the movies itself and extended into things like novels and (of course) graphic novels. Time went on. I got older. The prequels came out which I enjoyed, but didn't quite love and for some reason I wondered if I could ever enjoy Star Wars again.

So to answer that question I bought this very trade. After reading it, the answer is resounding yes. I can still really enjoy Star Wars. Dark Times is set in a really interesting place after Episode III as the jedi purge is going on. The protagonists are a ragtag group that are trying to fight against slavery instigated by the budding Empire. The fact that Bomo tries and has difficulty freeing his family from slaves as well as Jennir being a Jedi in a time when there shouldn't be any sets up a grim feeling that reminds me most of how the Rebels felt in A New Hope. Ultimately, it is the setting and the urge to find out what happens to these very likable characters that is going to keep me reading.

If you're interested in Star Wars or graphic novels, I highly recommend picking this up. The art is fantastic and the story is quite interesting. While sad things happen, there is a sense of action and adventure that Star Wars invokes so well. Thank you for reading and be sure to check back later as I get the time to read the rest of this series and maybe even some other Star Wars graphic novels.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Star Wars was always something that can bond two people or an entire universe together.
This takes place after the Revenge of the Sith. Darth Vader is merging his power to become the almighty and powerful Dark Lord, ruler of the galaxy far and wide.
Jennir and Bomo are on the hunt and they won't rest until Bomos daughter and wife are found.
But what price will they pay for the safe return?
I wasn't really impressed with this book. The only thing I enjoyed was Vader and his reign to being supreme.
Psst.... Psst....Psst
*Whispers* May the force be with you *Wink*

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, looking forward to reading more of it.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork on this comic is amazingly detailed in all the right spots. The Star Wars universe is a beautifully complex entity and this comic does it justice. The way of the Jedi, the design of the ships, the architecture - they all stand out. Even the narration which seems be more fitting in a novel adds another, more intimate, layer to the story, revealing the main characters' inner thoughts.

In the wake of Order 66 the Empire has started to occupy and secure the important planets in the galaxy. Few can oppose it. Dass Jennir is one of the very few Jedi who survived Order 66. He is leading some freedom fighters for their last stand agains the clone army and, by sheer chance, survives the encounter. He and the one other survivor, rebel Bomo Greenbark, are on a mission to unite the latter with his family. The Empire intends to sell his family as slaves, so they must move quickly before the trail runs cold.

Dass and Bomo stumble onto captain Schurk-Heren's ship. The latter is a smuggler who agrees to help, but can do little because of the Imperial order to keep all ships grounded. They escape using a daring plan from Dass. On the slaver world Orvax IV they use all of their skill to stay hidden, but still have to fight it out with the guards. They find that Bomo's wife was killed for trying to protect her daughter who was sold to a slaver. Dass goes alone to find her location.

During his investigation Dass is forced to make some difficult moral choices that he regrets instantly. He leaves a group of captives imprisoned - they would have been killed during an escape - and kills a slaver in cold blood - to keep his mission hidden. The way of the Jedi is less than practical in his circumstance. Unfortunately, his sacrificing his beliefs doesn't bring about a successful conclusion to the mission. They reach the buyer only to find that not only did he kill Bomo's daughter, but also ate her. Dass kills him, robbing Bomo of revenge and then departs alone to ponder the new path his life has taken.

[Brett Wyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In short, Jedi survivor Dass Jennir and Nosaurian Bomo Greenbark are the two lone survivors of a 501st assault on New Plympto. Bomo’s wife and daughter were captured by the Empire. They make it their mission to find them. They team up with some smugglers and that’s where the story takes off.

Pleasantly surprised with this story. At the surface level, it seems quite generic. Order 66 Jedi survivor. Vader. Slavery. Stormtroopers. Smugglers. Etc.

However, I found this story to be really interesting because of Jennir’s choices. I am really interested in seeing how things play out moving forward. I also like how little Vader was used. Not everything has to be about him. The smugglers seem quite honourable as they pledge themselves to a cause bigger than themselves but I still think there’s more to them that meets the eye.

Path to Nowhere gets 4.5 stars from me. It wasn’t mindblowingly amazing, but I can’t seem to point to any faults.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a darker toned story, taking place shortly after Revenge of the Sith. The main story is of a Jedi, Dass Jennir, and a fellow survivor (Bomo) of a slaughter, as they fall in with other outlaws as they attempt to rescue Bomo's wife and daughter from slavery. The art and tone is fairly dark, with a few moments of light, and the story's themes reflect that sense of despair and lost paths. There's also a B story about Vader chafing under some of the requirements of the Empire, but they don't ever seem to connect with the main story. It's definitely the first in a longer series, setting up the major characters (both Jennir and Bomo, as well as the shipmates they acquire), and creating an origin story for the longer series to build from. It's okay in its own right, but doesn't feel quite complete in and of itself.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Times (1-5). This is a nice continuation of the characters and plots from issues #79-80 of The Republic. I particularly enjoy the Jedi Dass Jennir, who's being painted with a delicacy that Lucas could have wished for in the prequel trilogy. The plotline and art are also great [7+/10].

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Old Republic is gone, replaced by the Empire. The Jedi Knights have been destroyed, the Jedi Council no more. The galaxy is now ruled by the oppressive iron fist of the Emperor Palpatine and his Sith Lord, Darth Vader. The few Jedis scattered throughout the galaxy that have survived the Purge are now being hunted. The Imperial clone troopers have been told to terminate with extreme prejudice.

It is the Dark Times.

Welles Hartley and Mick Harrison (writers) and Douglas Wheatley (artist) created the Dark Horse comic book series in 2008, not long after the prequel trilogies. The series carries on events immediately after “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.

In Volume 1, “The Path to Nowhere”, we are introduced to Jedi Dass Jennir, a surviving Jedi general on planet New Plympto. He is trying, and failing, to keep the planet’s inhabitants alive from the onslaught of an Imperial clone army.

The surviving inhabitants have been sold into slavery. Jennir and a surviving Nosaurian soldier have found refuge on-board a freighter with a rag-tag crew of smugglers. Barely escaping New Plympto, the crew set out on a new mission to free the Nosaurian slaves.

This now-“old canon” series is exciting and far more dark and violent than other Star Wars series I have read. It’s definitely in keeping with the tone set in “Revenge of the Sith”. Fantastic artwork by Wheatley and a likable new cast of characters makes this a series that I look forward to continue reading.

[Alexander Röck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterpiece






This book explores the aftermath of order 66 and the clone wars, especially how the surviving Jedi live in this new rapidly changing Galaxy. The main character of this series is "Dass Jennir" a Jedi Knight, who during the course of this story we see beginning to question the beliefs he has known his entire life. But all the other Characters we are introduced to here are amazing and full of depth. Bomo Greenbark is also an amazing Character and his eventual friendship with Jennir carries the later volumes of this run. Seeing a different side to the war, and yet again examining the possibility that the separatists where not just "evil" but had reasons for doing what they did, and that there where good people on both sides. Another highlight of this story is that we get to see Vader right after the events of revenge of the sith, and get a look at the inner thoughts of Vader, and how he feels about certain things, for instance slavery being used in the empire. We get to see a side of Vader that we haven't seen before, and I love it. This part of the comic also ties directly into the dark lord:the rise of Darth Vader novel, which is great to see. Every star wars fan needs to read this comic. I cannot stress enough how good this series is. 10/10

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems there was a sort of quality swap between Del Rey and Dark Horse following the release of Revenge of the Sith. Had the novels largely run circles around their comic counterparts initially, something changed after the end of live-action SW. Suddenly, the books started to degrade in cohesion and quality; the comics, meanwhile, entered a golden age of four highly promising new lines: Legacy, Knights of the Old Republic, Rebellion, and finally, Dark Times.

All of that is to say that, yes, this is a commendable beginning to what is shaping up to be yet another late-EU classic. Fun characters, top of the line art, great continuity with the end of Republic, and a final twist so hilariously gruesome it'll stick with you for the ages. I'd initially been somewhat "meh" on Stradley/Hartley/Harrison, but he's been picking up steam ever since that brilliant Janek Sunber arc. Solid.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

STAR WARS: DARK TIMES 1-5 “The Path to Nowhere”
This was one of the best in the series. An original sub-story set within the S.W. universe.

#1
“I’ll find you!” – says Bomo Greenbark to his family departing as refugees [Even if the lie is to spare them pain?]

#2
“.. My FAMILY has been taken as SLAVES!” – Bomo

#3
“The galaxy could do with fewer Imperials – and fewer slavers.”

#4 - really good story build up.
“Let me go! I have to find my daughter!” – Bomo

#5 – great finale, heart-breaking
“So what if the future is a path that leads to nowhere?
All he can do is walk that path one step at a time..” – narrator

[Rizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was excellent. I was expecting about the same quality as Ostrander's Republic run, since this was marketed as a followup. But it's significantly better, and has nothing to do with said run. This is about the formation of a band of misfits through strenuous circumstances. The characters are so lovable just in their introduction, and I'm really excited to continue this series. Randy Stradley (going by the Mick Harrison alias here for some reason) is perhaps the best Star Wars comic writer, and this is no exception.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Empire has newly risen. Most of the Jedi have died from Order 66. It is the dark times. This first arc follows Jedi Dass Jennir from Star Wars Republic #79-80 as he tries to help his friend save his family from slavers. It's MUCH darker than your typical Star Wars story but I thought it was really good. Dark Horse editor Randy Stradley actually wrote this series under two ghost names, Welles Hartley and Mick Harrison.

[Fizzy123 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been hooked on anything Order 66 after binging The Clone Wars and this absolutely hits the spot. It's dark and gritty with intense action and the artwork is detailed with tons of alien designs. The dialogue is a tad schlocky but its Star Wars at end of the day.

Anyway loved it and will check out more of this series.

[Ben Kimsal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up directly where the Republic comics left off, Dark Times got off to a fantastic start. The introspective character moments for Vader and Dass Jennir as they both try to navigate their new paths in a post-Order 66 galaxy were a real highlight. Looking forward to seeing where the story goes in volume 2.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art in this one. Really nice. The story was good enough, and the main characters are interesting. I'd like to see where they go with this, but I've got too many other unread Star Wars books right now.

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is a lot more fun than I expected. Right after Order 66 and the birth of the Empire. Vader is obsessed with hunting down the remaining Jedi. The Jedi are trying to find a new way of living.

[XMCU · Rating 4 out of 5]

the title wasn't lying with Dark Times. I praised this comic series without ever reading the 5 comic. I have volume 2, so hopefully things get better. but right now, this comic goes too dark for me and to recommend to people. I only rate books 1, 4 or 5 stars. this volume is right well. I'm not going to give this a bad rating, because the story really sad. if Volume 2 changes my feeling on this volume, I'll change my rating to 5 stars.

[Edward Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, yet quite good. I hope the rest of "Dark Times" is similar.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure if these stories count as official canon, but I would pay some serious money to see this story arc translated to the big screen!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

not a happy story, and true to the title. Vader is not as prominent in the action as I would have liked, a solid entry into the series though. throughly enjoyed.

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was thinking "yet ANOTHER Jedi who escaped Order 66? sigh", but the quality of the story (heartbreaking as it is) and the excellent characterisations won me over by the end of the TPB.

[Dani JO · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as it suck to have Disney crap Canon everywhere....at least i have things like this that I didn't get to back in the day. Epic. Just amazing. Would have watched this on disney+

[Dippit! with E.S.Jennette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series isn't really for me. It doesn't have any of the characters that I would like to see in it.

It is just about how the rebels are ever trying to defeat Vader.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Wars Legends Project #172

Background: The Path to Nowhere was released in January 2008. It collects Dark Times #1-5 (alternately, Republic #84-88), first published November 2006-October 2007. It was written by Randy Stradley (under 2 different pen names) with art by Douglas Wheatley. Stradley has written a few dozen Star Wars comics, including most of Dark Times. Wheatley likewise has a few dozen Star Wars credits, most of them from Dark Times.

As should be clear from the numbering above, this series was a continuation of the long-running Republic series under a new title. The story takes place about 1 month after Order 66 (19 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main characters are Dass Jennir and Bomo Greenbark.

Summary: With the Nosaurian resistance crushed, Dass and Bomo hope to reunite with Bomo's wife and daughter. Unfortunately, they, along with the rest of the Nosaurian refugees, have vanished. Fearing the worst, the pair will go to any lengths to track them down, but they may not like what they find.

Review: This title seems determined to establish from the outset that it is not messing around. These are not "Light Times" or "Grey Times" or "Not-Great-But-Tolerable Times" . . . These are "Dark Times." In fact, I don't know if I've read a darker Star Wars story than this one. Frankly, it was more bleak than I was prepared to deal with, and I enjoyed it less as a result. Certainly, I have very little else to say that would detract from it. They took two characters from the final issues of Republic that I thought had a lot of potential, and did even more with them. I love the diverse crew of characters on the ship where they find refuge and I hope to see more of them in future issues. The art looks great. (In fact, maybe too good . . . The production of this storyline was notoriously delayed by several months due to the artist having some difficulty completing the work. This may have been the result of excessive perfectionism or something else, I don't know, but certainly it is excellent and shows incredible attention to detail.)

I've been excited for a long time to see good storytellers set loose in this period of Star Wars lore, and it's really good to see them take the premise so seriously from the outset. This is a very strong opening, and I look forward (a bit nervously) to where it goes next.

B+

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was kinda nervous after reading a few different SW comics series and some of the new novels that I wasn't bringing the right mindset here, that I'd become unable to appreciate SW entirely. I was eager but also a bit hesitant to go back to Dark Times, one of my old favorites, in case it too would be tarnished by time. Fortunately, that's not the case.

First of all, the art in this series is just incredible. Wheatley's pencils are exquisite, a huge step above anything else in any of these comics. They feel so alive, dynamic, cinematic, in their scope and detail and framing. The Vader series in particular emphasize these big Coruscant vistas that make his world feel so empty and distant, and it works so well to enrich his emotion in those scenes. There's so much care and imagination put into every space, every ship, every city. There are dozens of new ship designs that just occur in the background and they're all so cool and fitting. The landscapes and cloudscapes have real composition, add drama and emotion and depth to action scenes. The sense of place is so important to Star Wars--there's a reason all the planets are so distinctive and uniform--and so few comics even try to deliver on that. I kind of want to just keep raving about this art but I don't know that I actually have all that much more to say. It's so good.

The grimdark premise of Dark Times reads a bit differently today than it did when it was fresh. This was one of the things I had feared, that it would feel limp and impotent, like a cheap attempt at shock, after reading grimdark fantasy that goes so much farther. Instead, quite the opposite is true. The dark elements feel almost restrained, pushing well beyond the norm in Republic (and most other EU material) but ultimately not that much farther than Revenge of the Sith and really just enough to do what it wants to do. After the Clone Wars, when Jedi feel empowered, zooming around the galaxy setting the fate of worlds and leading armies, Dark Times makes them unable to save even a single person from a terrible fate.

The story echoes ANH enough to capture the feel of the movies but not enough to feel uninspired. It jumps right into a full ship full of party members, but they're all great characters, each better than practically anything in Republic (which I should probably stop ragging exclusively on but hey). The pace moves fairly quickly but there are still plenty of moments for tension and bonding and character development in the crew. They don't just move from revelation to action to scheme exposition, but sit and weight risk and principle, explore background and identity. Greenbark and Jennir have some real and potent drama, and make some tough choices. The decision to go to Orvax IV is very effective. It, after the narrow and dramatic escape on New Plympto, feels so vast and untouchable. The scale of suffering, the power behind this new regime in the galaxy, which extends so far beyond the grip of the nearest stormtrooper. Both Orvax IV and Esseles are utterly gorgeous, too, full of opulent architecture.

There are hints of other stories going on in the galaxy--Vader's story intersects with Dark Lord, for instance, and references Purge--but they feel organically historical rather than obtrusively Connective, like so much of Republic. This is a very personal story, one that emerges naturally from the circumstances of the Dark Times, not one that feels tailor made to illustrate it. It's fuckin' great, and I'm so glad there are at least a few arcs of it out there to point to as evidence that the EU can be this good.

July 18 2011: [This review represents the entire Dark Times series so far (1-16) that I was able to get ahold of.]

Dark Times was brief (so far) but very tasty. They are pulling no punches with the whole "dark" bit. People are dying in droves, and in particularly gruesome ways. As with the best of the comics, the GFFA really comes alive in this series. The characters are great, the art is great, everything's super.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice quick read that takes place right after the Clone Wars as the Emperor and Darth Vader are consolidating power. One of the last Jedi and his captain survive one of the last stands of the Separatists. Yes, the Jedi was fighting for the Separatists, having been forced to seek their help with the clones turn on him due to Order 66. The captain's wife and daughter are taken as prisoners and to be sold as slaves, and it is up to the Jedi and him to try to find them. In the meantime, we have Vader coming more into his role as Dark Lord of the Sith and the Emperor's enforcer. Slowly for him, certain realities are starting to sink in. If some of the Darth Vader stuff seems familiar, some of it does come out of Luceno's novel Dark Lord Rising. Personally, I found the Vader parts compelling, but then again, I read the novel too, which I did enjoy. The main story was pretty good, though it seemed to run a bit fast at the end, as if the author was trying to wrap it up nicely at the end, so to speak. Anyhow, this is the first volume of a series, and I will probably seek out others since I do like reading Star Wars material, especially when it takes place in smaller settings and stories like this one. The book is a nice, quick read, but at times, I did wish it had a bit more depth.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the title of Dark Times and The Path To Nowhere there should be ample hint as to mood of the book. This well-written and beautifully illustrated story highlights the changes a person must make when everything they represent and stand for has been taken away. The Jedi, Das Jennir, finds himself having to compromise on his Jedi ways more and more as who he was cannot be who he needs to be.
The other main character, Bomo Greenbark, must also make changes after losing his home, his family and everything he knows. His journey is a very poignant one where he often finds that his emotionally-charged motives are stymied by both foe and friends alike.
The crew that the two end up on their adventures with has a lot of characters in it who don't get that much of the limelight and, excepting their visual differences, there was not much to make any of them stand out. A shame, as there is enough given to know that there is a history behind every one of them.
As mentioned, the story does take some dark turns, which are wonderfully complimented by the gritty style of artwork making this a brilliant entrance to an era that, at the time, had only been hinted at.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good stories in this volume. There's a lot of emotion during this era, right after the Empire took over. Not everyone is happy, including some Sith, and it makes for good drama.

It's hard to pinpoint what makes a Star Wars comic work, but this, like Legacy, finds the way. The art is great and the writing is great. To tell you the truth, the reason I wanted to pick this up is for the insight into Vader and the collection delivers, even if only sparingly. There's also a strong storyline dealing with slavery and the effects it has on the characters. I wish more time was spent with Vader post-Revenge of the Sith and the troopers during Order 66, but the next volume promises to do both. I'll definitely be getting the next volume, and along with this and Legacy, be enjoying high quality Star Wars stories. Hopefully, this will stay good.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to judge what characters fit into the Star Wars universe outside of the movies. Some of these at first glance were a bit jarring to me, but I grew to like them more by the end the book.

What really tied it all together (and my favorite part) was seeing Darth Vader and the Emporer just after Anakin's transformation. You get to see him struggle with what he's gotten himself into. The Emporer is much more open now with his "evil" ways, though he still works to massage these things into something more palatable for Vader. It's the last vestiges of Vader's humanity.

While it was cool to see some of the scenes from the movies in his flashes of memory of Padme, they were some of the more painful scenes to watch dialog-wise. Otherwise I think Star Wars graphic novels have an advantage over others, because you can hear the sound effects from the movies in your head. Definitely will be checking out the next one in the series.