Review by Frank Plowright

Invasion is set roughly 25 years after the New Republic came into being and it’s facing its first existential threat in the form of the invading Yuuzhan Vong, a race who occupy planets and slaughter most inhabitants. Those who survive face a worse fate, transformed into berzerker living weapons. Still, for all of their intimidating presence, there have been a couple of minor victories. Kaye Galfridian and her mother have taken over a warcraft and are using it to rescue captives, and Finn Galfridian serves a purpose as yet unknown, having foresaken Jedi training to pursue a mission. However, to end Rescues Tom Taylor borrowed from another iconic SF film to hang a threat over Finn.

Early in Revelations Taylor lives up to the title by dropping how it is the Yuuzhan Vong manage to evade a Jedi’s senses. It’s a clever idea, yet given the look they have one that’s also so obvious you’ll wonder why the solution didn’t occur to you. It’s a great moment. Others follow as Taylor expands on the political situation, such as a planet still controlled by the Empire, and every single chapter ends with a shocker. Each revelation has actually been foreshadowed earlier in the series, and you’ll look back with admiration at how they come to pass.

As has been the case over the previous two books, Colin Wilson’s art is magnificent. It’s loose, expressive, detailed and great when it comes to action. It’s everything a Star Wars graphic novel should provide visually. Ask Wilson to design a spacecraft and he’ll give you a dozen, all different. The work he’s put into this series is phenomenal.

The same applies to Taylor actually. The only disappointment for readers of the graphic novels is that not all plots are resolved. A fair number of Star Wars novels were set in the same period, so they presumably tie up the loose ends. Overlook that, and this has been first rate space opera from start to finish.