They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but what if that enemy becomes a friend. Rex and Obi-Wan will find out.  Also, our intrepid space adventurer Emil hears the story of the most unfortunate battle droid of the Clone Wars in STAR WARS ADVENTURES #19 from IDW Publishing.

STAR WARS ADVENTURES #19

Writer:  Cavan Scott, Nick Brokenshire
Artist:  Mauricet, Nick Brokenshire
Letters:  Tom B. Long
Cover: Muricet
Alternate Covers: Nick Brokenshire, Valentina Pinto
Publisher:  IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 27th, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in STAR WARS ADVENTURES: The Star Wars Adventures series has been a showcase for stories told in short burst and outside of the events of the regular Marvel Comic series. Continuing their Marvel policy of having IDW Publishing go to press with their all-ages stories, its gives creators more freedom to write stories that would have a more difficult time with the publishing schedule of the “regular” line. It is a place where fans young and old, new and veteran, can find stories that fill in those gaps in the Star Wars Universe.

A JEDI, A CLONE, AND A BATTLE DROID WALK INTO A CANTINA…

During the Clone Wars battles happened on a galactic scale so large it was hard to grasp how far-reaching the conflict actually was. Through it all, the same heroes came forth and proved themselves repeatedly, and new ones rose to stand tall. In the Crantori System, during the Battle of Horain, a pair of legendary heroes discover a new ally in a most unsuspecting place.

Captain Rex has been separated from the rest of Torrent Company and is in a bad situation.  Battle droids and tanks are bearing down on him, and his calls to General Skywalker are going unanswered. As a pair of droidika’s roll up on his position, it does not look as if he will survive, until a blue saber blocks their blasts and turns them back on themselves. General Obi-Wan Kenobi has arrived. Rex explains how he was saving a group of Horian children from the battle when he was separated when another droidika gets the drop on Kenobi. The selfless Rex throws himself in front of the unaware Jedi, shielding his body from the blasts. Wounded, but not down, the two men stand to face an overwhelming number of droid assailants. Kenobi uses his lightsaber to deflect and redirect their deadly blasts, until a stray beam strikes a nearby battle droid in the head, causing some sort of short circuit. The battle droid, soon to be known as Bats, has realized how unfair the fight is and turns to the side of the Republic! Will this prove to be a trick, or have the heroes of the Republic just found a new ally?

Elsewhere, in the future, far away from the conflicts of the past, in the d3epths of Wild Space, Emil Graf and his companion bots, Boo and Crater, have set their coordinates to the Shosho Outpost. The journey will take them through the perilous Shosho Belt, nut their destination will reward them with the legendary drink, the Shosho Quenchmaster Deluxe. Despite the perils as pointed out by his companions, Emil insists its the journey, not the destination that is important. This reminds the little droid Boo of the tale of Q5-7070, also known as the most unfortunate droid in the Clone Wars. Q5 had the misfortune to fall from his troop transport to the ground of Opop Hibbedit, a hostile environment by any measure. There he experiences hardships which would make any droid shut down their sensors, and any reader laugh out loud.

TWIN TALES FROM THE STARS

Our first tale, entitled “Roger Roger” is brought to us by writer Cavan Scott (Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor, Pacific Rim: Aftermath) and artist Mauricet (Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys, Strip Magazine). Set in one of the many battles of the Clone Wars, but this one is a solid story that is fun. This is the perfect all-ages story, as you get the action and adventure of Rex and Kenobi as they face down hordes of Separatist, and then you get Bat, a droid who develops a conscious. It shows the reader that you can change, that bad decisions can be made right, and it works as a great addition to the Star Wars Universe. The artwork by Mauricet is spot on, and he conveys the action without completely overwhelming the story on the page.

The second tale, “The Big March” is pretty much played for comedic value. In it, we get a story about a hapless battle droid who is thrown into a situation well outside its programming. There is almost a Charlie Chaplin feel about it as Q5 falls from bad to worse, and then right back where he started. Nick Brokenshire (Amelia Cole and the Unknown World, 2000 AD) provides the art and the story for this one. It’s a fun little story, and will keep the reader entertained, but it is played completely for comedic value.

BOTTOM LINE: I GOT A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS…

Overall, Star Wars Adventures #19 is a fun title with two different types of stories, and there is something for everyone. For the hard-core fans you get a tale with battles and swordplay, for the younger fans you get a funny story of misadventure. It isn’t blazing any new trails, but it entertaining and fun which is sometimes more than enough.

STAR WARS ADVENTURES #19 is a solid and entertaining book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.