Taral Books and Comics

In 2002, the much anticipated sequel to Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace was finally released. People were concerned; the first prequel was not particularly well received, and in the end Episode II got mixed reviews as well. Still, we all knew what was coming. At some point, the prequel movies would depict the Clone Wars, the conflict referenced offhandedly by Luke and Obi-Wan way back in Episode IV. They would also depict a love story between Anakin and Padmé, setting up for the birth of their children, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. And they would depict Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. Elements of each of these plots can be found here in Episode II: Attack of the Clones . Episode II movie poster. Image from Wookieepedia.  For this post, I consumed the following:  Episode II: Attack of the Clones  (film by George Lucas , 2002) Episode II: Attack of the Clones  (novel by R. A. Salvator e, 2002) Episode II: Attack of the Clones 1-4  (comic minise...

"That may be possible. He's just returned from a border dispute on Ansion."  The Star Wars film saga is full of lines such as this which point to the universe and the characters having a history beyond what we see on screen. In Episode IV, it was something as simple as "You fought in the Clone Wars?" For Episode II, it was the line above, a mission to the planet Ansion in which Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, were participants.  Cover of The Approaching Storm . Image from Wookieepedia. Star Wars novels and comics have long been the ideal medium for exploring these stories in more detail. What happened at Ansion? a viewer might ask after hearing that reference. Look no further than the novel set immediately before Attack of the Clones opens.  Unlike for Episode I, the second prequel did not have as many direct prologue stories. For this post, I consumed the following stories: The Approaching Storm  (novel by Alan Dean Foster , 2002) Jedi Sta...