Shadows of the Empire 2 was the second issue in the six-part Shadows of the Empire series of comics, and was released on June 1, 1996 by Dark Horse Comics.
Publisher's summary[]
Prince Xizor controls the largest merchant fleet in the galaxy—that makes him a valuable asset to the Empire and to the Emperor. And that makes him Darth Vader's hated enemy. As Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca head to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo, they get caught in the crossfire of the galaxy's deadliest rivalry… in the Shadows of the Empire'.
Plot summary[]
Development[]
The issue behins with Darth Vader testing his lightsaber combat skills with a ASP-series droid. Ryder Windham suggested to John Wagner to begin the issue with Vader battling furiously a hopeless doomed combat droid, as an opportunity to see Vader in lightsaber action. It would also suggest that he is testing himself after the arm injury he suffered on Bespin.[3]
At first, Vader's dialogue in the scene would be with Talan, a fearsome "space nomadic savage" and hunter whom Vader kept captive with his family. Vader forces him to protect Luke Skywalker, threatening with the lives of his family. Lucasfilm replaced Talan with Wrenga Jixton, based on a background character in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, in order to tie more characters of the original trilogy into the Shadows saga.[3]
The script in the Gall cantina scene wanted a sniper aiming at Boba Fett from a balcony; falling dust on Fett's helmet would alert him of the danger. Thumbnail art showed that the dust would seem unclear on the drawing and the narrative; the finished version shows clearly the sniper instead.[3]
The final shape of several objects and vehicles, including the Outrider, was determined while the issue was under development, forcing artist Kilian Plunkett to erase his drawings and remake them with the revised design.[4]
Pencil art was completed shortly after the July 1995 San Diego Comic-Con.[4]
Media[]
Cover gallery[]
Collected in[]
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire trade paperback
- Star Wars Omnibus: Shadows of the Empire
- Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Rebellion Vol. 6
- Star Wars Legends: The Rebellion Omnibus Vol. 3
Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
|
Droid models
Events
|
Locations
Organizations and titles
Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
Sources[]
"Straight from the Horse's Mouth" — Star Wars Insider 25- "Lucasfilm's Latest" — Star Wars Insider 28
- "Lucasfilm's Latest" — Star Wars Insider 29
- "Straight from the Horse's Mouth: Creating the Shadows Comic Book" — Star Wars Insider 29
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- "The New Wonder Column" — Star Wars Insider 31 (reprinted in Aliens, Creatures, and Droids)
- "ComicScan: Rare, but Sometimes Well-Done" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 2
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996) #2 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Part 5: Shadow Play, I. GATHERING OF THE TRIBES
