Star Wars: Age Of Republic - Count Dooku #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - COUNT DOOKU No. 1, April 2019

“The seventh one-shot in the canon comic book anthology series Star Wars: Age of Republic”, this twenty-page periodical’s storyline probably didn’t win over many new fans to George Lucas’ prequel universe with its sedentary pacing and politically-charged plot focusing upon Count Dooku simply “laying the groundwork for his Sith-Master” on the planet Sallust. Indeed, the former Jedi doesn’t even ignite his lightsaber in anger until this publication’s very end, when the disillusioned nobleman is forced to fight alongside Jak’zin against “the very [criminal] group my master asked me to seek out.”

Admittedly, this demonstration of Jedi swordplay undoubtedly provides “the Cost” with some much-needed action, and invariably reassured its audience that Yoda’s one-time Padawan was just as adept with the close-combat weapon as actor Christopher Lee’s portrayal demonstrated in the 2002 silver screen motion picture “Attack Of The Clones”. But such pulse-pounding panels are debatably disconcertingly few for a comic based upon one of the franchise’s most memorable antagonists, even if much of the suave, silver-haired villain’s menace comes from his stealthy manipulation of matters behind-the-scenes; “Gain his trust. Discover what his mission on Sallust is. And ensure that he doesn’t learn about the alliances you are there to build.”

Just as disappointing is this book’s missed opportunity to provide Darth Tyranus with some much-needed background as to just why Dooku left the order and “fell to the dark side of the Force”, or depict an intriguing insight into his days as a “respected Jedi Master” training Qui-Gon Jinn. Instead, all Jody Houser’s lack-lustre narrative delivers is a tantalising glimpse of the Count’s “duelling demonstrations with Master Yoda” at the Jedi Temple, and a ton of dialogue-driven debate involving the uninteresting Representative Kap Klyp, as well as the Sith’s successfully stealthy attempt to solicit the reason behind a Jedi Knight’s presence on the “obsidian world of lava streams and turquoise lakes.”

Mercifully, despite this comic’s less than scintillating first half it does contain the excellent artwork of Luke Ross, whose sketches of the tiger-headed Jaz’zin and titular character are a real treat to the eyes. In fact, such is the São Paulo-born illustrator’s ability to capture the likeness of Christopher Lee that it is arguably easy to belive that any perusing bibliophile reading this magazine quickly started to imagine the late English actor performing the penciller’s storyboards.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - COUNT DOOKU" No. 1 by Paolo Rivera