Clone Wars Adventures: Volume 7

My 10 year old has read almost all of the clone wars books in this series. He loves them all!

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is an ongoing series from Dark Horse comics that takes its inspiration from the extremely successful Clone Wars cartoon. This inspiration is visible in both the short, action-packed nature of the stories as well as in the art style itself. This series has run for longer than I imagined it would when the first book was published in the summer of 2004. The tone of retro-styled fun has stayed consistent throughout the seven volumes, and since my guess is the upcoming Clone Wars 3D TV series will be more serious, it's nice to see an ongoing extension in print form of the good-humored adventurous romps the original Clone Wars cartoons gave us. Volume Seven contains four stories as follows: 1) "Creature Comforts" - Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are seeking a Separatist droid ship on an unnamed planet when they have an unexpected series of encounters with the local fauna. This story is heavy on banter between the master and the apprentice as they try to avoid being made into dinner. Ever since the ride in the Gungan Bongo in The Phantom Menace, it seems prequel Jedi confront danger with dry quasi-humorous quips and this story's dialogue is no exception. One element that was a bit jarring was Obi-Wan's unexpected flash of cruelty on the second-to-last-page. Wiping out a small creature just doesn't feel very, well, Jedi-like. 2) "Spy Girls" - Senator Padme Amidala and Bail Organa's aide Sheltay may seem like they're out for a wild night on the town, but their real mission is far more dangerous. The dynamic duo infiltrate the Coruscant stronghold of a suspected Separatist sympathizer in an effort to gather intel on his illicit activities. Several stunned guards, two tight leather bodysuits, and one insane jump from a skyscraper later and they have what they need. This story feels like a 70's TV show - in a good way! The full-page spread of the party is comical with many fun sight-gags dropped in. 3) "Impregnable" - Jedi Bultar Swan is the last one standing after an all-out assault trying to take a Separatist stronghold. She makes her way into the fortress alone, taunted by a stereotypical cackling villain every step of the way. It's rather atmospheric and the tone is underscored by Bultar's complete silence throughout. Fairly wicked ending to this one, but unlike the victim of Obi-Wan's casual spurt of malice in "Creature Comforts," this guy appears to deserve his fate. 4) "This Precious Shining" - Three guys named Bryn, Rayt, and Wes decide to disguise themselves as clone troopers and rob the central bank on their war torn planet. This story is a bit unusual in that it contains no characters from the films whatsoever. It's easy to see where the story is headed, and how the heck do the real clone troopers miss the guy with long blond hair flowing out from under his helmet? It's fairly silly even for this series, but still fun. Clone Wars Adventures Volume Seven gives us four consistently entertaining stories

Lots of fun if you like Star Wars. The writing is actually very good and the stories are tightly constructed and fun.