Star Wars: Clone Wars

Strange Allies is the latest graphic novel based on the ‘Star Wars: the Clone Wars’ TV series. It is also based on characters created for the ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars, Secret Missions’ series of books for young people. I have not read that series of books, but I do avidly watch the TV series.

This graphic novel follows a master less Padawan, Nuru Kungurwara who has made a name for himself. In a sequence of images very reminiscent of the opening narration of the carton, the reader sees how he came to that fame. It is a nice explanatory  touch for those who have not read the ‘Secret Missions’ books, and probably a thrill for those who have read them to see the memorable sequences illustrated.

A straightforward mission to protect a droid consignment from pirates becomes a lot more complicated. Savage Opress (Count Dooku’s new apprentice only briefly seen in the TV series) gets involved, and more things are at stake than droids.

The artwork is in keeping with the TV series style, and that means that sometimes some characters like Yoda look a bit odd. Most of the story is told by the action in the artwork, and the nice clean lines means it’s very accessible for young people. The story is engaging and has enough twists to keep the reader happy. The entire book is loyal to the ‘Clone Wars’ sensibilities, and as such is suitable for readers who are old enough to watch the cartoon.

A good, entertaining read