Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2 - Randy Stradley

Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2
Randy Stradley
Dark Horse Comics
Copyright: 2007
9781593077938

The amazon.com product description:

From 5,000 years before Luke Skywalker first picked up a lightsaber to nearly 150 years after the events in Return of the Jedi, Dark Horse Comics has chronicled the major events in every era of the Star Wars galaxy in amazing drawings and paintings by some of the most accomplished artists in our own galaxy. In this all-new companion to the first Star Wars Panel to Panel volume, we've spotlighted not only the stunning work of comics' greatest artists, but also the legion of characters Dark Horse has contributed to Star Wars' Expanded Universe - characters who have not only carried the romance and adventure of the galaxy far, far away far beyond the events in the films, but those who have made the jump from the pages of comic books to television and the silver screen! Every Star Wars fan will cherish this look back, forward and beyond!

This one honestly surprised me. I love Star Wars, but I've never been big on graphic novels. As a result, although I have all three of the Rogue Squadron graphic novel omnibus editions, I've yet to read them - and I never really thought I'd be wanting to read the rest of the comics. Now though, I'm intrigued.

Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2 takes the reader on a quick trip through Star Wars history as written in the comics from five thousand years before the movies to a hundred years or so after, showing highlights from all the comics and the artists in a full page format with a brief summary of what's going on: who, when and why etc as well as how it fits with the history as given in the movies etc. As a result, most of this book is art-based, making it a very quick, though intriguing work.

As an introduction to the (confusing) world of the Star Wars comics/graphic novels, I think that Panel To Panel serves very well. Now I have a bit more of an understanding of which series fits where, and a definite appreciation for the various styles of art included in the books. Some are more flat appearing, others are just gorgeous, detailed full-page paintings.

Beautifully illustrated and fun, though I wish there had been more detail in the captions. Oh well, I guess I might have to give the graphic novels another try if I really want to know what's going on in the stories referenced.