The Wrong Side of the War (Star
Wars: Empire, Vol. 7) by David
Michael Beck
Characters With Depth, A Well-Conceived Plot, And A Surprise Twist
Fresh from the killing fields of Jabiim, where the Empire has virtually wiped
out the populace of that world, Imperial Lieutenant Janek Sunber is sent to
the quiet prison base on Kalist VI. But, unbeknownst to the Empire, the
Rebels have designs on Kalist Base both for its desirable fuel supplies and
for the presence of a very important prisoner - one of their own who has
already attracted the interest of Darth Vader. Sunber doesnt know it, but
hes on a collision course with an old friend who is with the Rebels, and he
finds himself wondering which of them is on the wrong side of the war.
Personal Review: The Wrong Side of the War (Star Wars:
Empire, Vol. 7) by David Michael Beck
Dark Horse Comics had two long-running series in the 00's featuring
stories set in different eras of the Star Wars universe, Republic and its

poor sister Empire. Republic featured a fairly consistent cast of
writer/artists, in particular the John Ostrander and Jan Duursema team,
producers of a long-running series-within-a-series built around Jedi
Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura. These stories were being published while
Lucas was still making his films, lending the Republic series an exciting
immediacy that was simply unmatchable by Empire, where stories based
on the Original Trilogy and featuring Luke, Leia and Han were going over
fairly well-trodden ground.
Which is why "The Wrong Side of the War," a 5-part story ending Empire's
four-year run, came as such a surprise.
Starring Lt. Janek Sunber, the Imperial Forest Gump, the story is from the
same creative team that produced the only other Sunber story, "To the
Last Man" (Star Wars: Empire, Vol. 3), a trite tale laden with facile
bromides about duty, honor, and sacrifice. "The Wrong Side of the War"
starts out in much the same fashion, with about half of the first chapter
being ponderous exposition, but quickly improves and before you know
you're attention is engaged with clever plot twists and real character
development.
Having had another taste of action at the Second Battle of Jabiim (recently
concluded in Star Wars: Empire Volume 6), Sunber has been assigned to
the energy production facility of Kalist IV, a quiet spot on the edge of the
galaxy where the Lieutenant expects he can at least for a time get away
from fighting and killing. But when he discovers the facility is operated with
slave labor and that the officers are helping themselves to female slaves
for after-hours entertainment, Sunber's cheery optimism and faith in the
Empire is sorely tested.
Unbeknownst to the Imperials, a squad of rebels has infiltrated the facility
to liberate energy reserves, a clandestine operation that threatens to
become something more after the rebels themselves discover the slave
labor force. Complicating matters is the rebel squad leader's secret
mission to free from Kalist IV a prisoner in possession of sensitive Alliance
data.
Along for the ride in Imperial disguise is Luke Skywalker, who's cover is
about to be blown by an old friend from Tatooine, a childhood chum living
the dream Luke once had of serving the Empire. The revelation of this
friend's identity is a surprising twist, but it's not the only one scripter Hartley
has up his sleeve. The fate of the political prisoner is another, with a turn
that helps set up a story arc to play out in Rebellion, a new series from
Dark Horse picking up where Empire ends.
But it's not just the surprise twists that make "The Wrong Side of the War"
such a great story. It's also because of something quite unusual in genre
fiction, the writer and editors letting the characters free to change and
develop as human beings. Sunber was an annoying twit in "To the Last

Man," but here we see him begin to wrestle with doubt, to question the
Empire's propaganda and his will to serve. It's a development that has
repercussions outside this story, allowing the reader to contextualize his
behavior in "To the Last Man" and make that story just a little more
palatable. And perhaps for readers who discover Sunber later in his
career, a look back at "To the Last Man" will be something of a surprise.
That is, if Hartley and Dark Horse allow Sunber to continue to develop.
The Italian art team of Davide Fabbri and Christian Dalla Vecchia (whose
previous Star Wars credits include Jedi Council and The Star Hyperspace
War) are joined by colorist Neziti Domenico to produce another fine
volume of work. Their clean lines, simple but effective composition and
understated color palette compliment the story, making this one chapter in
Empire's run that every reader of the EU should enjoy.
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