Recap:
The Clone Wars have exploded across the galaxy as Republic forces and Separatists struggle to gain the upper hand. But while the Jedi generals work tirelessly to defeat Count Dooku and his rebels, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is hatching his own dark plans.
The Separatists have launched a sneak attack on Coruscant. Obi-Wan Kenobi, wounded in battle, insists that Anakin Skywalker and his rookie Padawan Ahsoka leave on a risky mission against General Grievous. But when Senator Bail Organa eveals explosive intelligence that could turn the tide of war in the Republic’s favor, the Jedi Master agrees to accompany him to an obscure planet on the Outer Rim to verify the facts. What Obi-Wan and Bail don’t realize is that they’re walking into a deadly trap concocted by Palpatine…and that escape may not be an option.
Inspired by the full-length animated feature film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the brand-new TV series, this thrilling adventure is filled with provocative, never-before-revealed insights into the characters of Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, Yoda, Count Dooku and many other Star Wars favorites.
Tatooine Jedi’s Review
“Wild Space is a story of discovery. The discovery of the limits of one’s own abilities, endurance and mettle. The discovery of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa’s limits when they are thrown together in an endeavour to discover the whereabouts of a hidden Sith planet. Miller’s dialogue between these two unlikely characters as they discover those limits is what drives this story so successfully. In this we also get a story of trust issues, Obi-Wan’s blatant distrust of politicians and Bail’s mistrust of the Jedi Order’s secrecy and mystique, and it is pleasurable to watch as their mistrust of each other’s roles and positions gradually breaks down with each and every danger they endure together.
“Wild Space is also a discussion of the merits of attachments and why the Jedi ban all such attachments. As well as Anakin’s love attachment to Padmé, of which we get a wonderful insight prior to their marriage in Attack of the Clones when Yoda asks Obi-Wan to “warn” Padmé off (which, of course, Padmé ignores); there is also Anakin’s attachment to R2-D2, especially when he “loses” R2 in an important battle (a reference to The Clone Wars TV series). With Bail as the “outsider”, Miller takes this further in examining Obi-Wan’s apparent attachment for not just Anakin, but also for his own master, Qui-Gon Jinn, as well as his attachment to the Jedi Order itself, as Bail, unsure and unaware of the Jedi Order’s reasons for banning attachments, sees the multitude of attachments Obi-Wan has and yet cannot understand Obi-Wan’s reasoning for supporting the Order’s ban on attachments.
“For the first time in a Clone Wars story, we have a clear insight to the events that occurred between the end of the Battle of Geonosis and the end of Attack of the Clones as the Jedi licked their wounds and the injured began the process of recovery. Although Karen Traviss has covered part of this in Hard Contact, she focused solely on the clonetroopers. Miller’s aspect is from the surviving Jedi and Padmé’s points of view and adds to the essential character development during this important period that was missing from Attack of the Clones.
“Miller adds some nice touches with references to previous stories featuring Obi-Wan, particularly Jude Watson’s Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest series, as well as a simple but effective examination of Padmé’s undying love for Anakin and why she could die of a broken heart in Revenge of the Sith – Obi-Wan asks of Padmé about Anakin: “could you forgive yourself if loving you destroyed him?”; to wit Miller writes: “‘No. I’d die,’ she said simply. And spoke the utter truth.” Miller handles the dual personality and role that is Palpatine/Darth Sidious very well. His machinations of events in this story, from conniving the terrorist attack on Coruscant to further his political power; allowing Anakin an unbelievable victory against a superior force to further Anakin’s stature within both the eyes of the public and those of the Jedi Order; to his primary task of removing Obi-Wan and Bail by sending them to their deaths on a Sith planet; are believable. His malice for the Jedi and their supporters bubbles nicely below his exterior surface: “But then I’m not a Jedi”; nicely contrasting with the support he receives as Palpatine from Senator Organa and others: “I don’t know where we’d be without him” and “Palpatine means well”.
“One of the nicest touches in this Star Wars story, and a sublime nod to A New Hope’s storytelling power, is that we have to wait until we are at least two-thirds of the way into this story before a lightsaber is ignited in battle, and then it is used only once. In too many stories featuring Jedi, the use of their primary weapon is called upon too early in the story – properly developing the story like Miller does ensures that any Jedi Force-wielding their lightsaber in battle is an event better appreciated.
“The only criticism of Miller’s story is that it sets in motion a continuity headache for Star Wars timelines by clearly indicating that Anakin Skywalker was knighted just four weeks after the Battle of Geonosis when other sources claimed it was more than 30 months after the battle. However, in no serious way, should this distract from Wild Space’s story.
“Miller’s intention was to expand Leia’s line in A New Hope: “General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars”, and there is no doubt that she has achieved that intention. Her skills for excellent storytelling are clearly evident in Wild Space from beginning to end. Even her use of sentence fragments, which can be a little jarring to begin with but as a method of storytelling, works extremely well in Wild Space. A must read story from a new author to our galaxy far, far away.”
words: Bonnie Burton
As a kid, brown bagging your lunch was always a gamble. Would you get an apple or a Twinkie? PB&J on Wonderbread or weird salami sandwich on rye? CapriSun or milk box? But one thing’s for sure, if my dad drew awesome cartoons on my bag I’d be pretty excited.
Derek the dad does just that. Plus he blogs all his lunch bag art that his kids get to see every day. Recently, he drew portraits of a 
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Check out Derek’s art here:
