Scan barcode
jaredkwheeler's review
4.0
Star Wars Legends Project #314
Background: Mandatory Retirement was released in December 2000, collecting issues #32-35 originally published Aug-Nov 1998. It is the ninth and final Rogue Squadron story arc. It was written by [a:Michael A. Stackpole|17739|Michael A. Stackpole|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207602690p2/17739.jpg] and drawn by [a:Steve Crespo|285269|Steve Crespo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:John Nadeau|17736|John Nadeau|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Stackpole concludes his run as the writer of the whole series, reuniting with Crespo and Nadeau, both series regulars who had been absent for several issues.
Mandatory Retirement takes place 1 year after the Battle of Endor, 5 years after the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Baron Fel, Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and the rest of Rogue Squadron, with appearances by the New Republic leadership (Princess Leia, Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, General Cracken, Borsk Fey'lya, etc.) and the Imperial regulars, Sate Pestage and Ysanne Isard. The story takes place on Coruscant and Ciutric IV.
Summary: All of Ysanne Isard's plotting has led to this, as she launches her bid for full control of the Empire. Even as she sets her plans in motion to eliminate the troublesome ruling elite, Sate Pestage remains the one loose thread in her carefully-woven scheme. And she knows where he is. Now, the race is on between Isard, who wants Pestage captured or dead, and the Rogues, who also want Pestage dead, but find themselves putting their lives on the line to save him. It almost feels like whatever happens, the Rogues lose.
Review: I can't help but assume that the title of this final arc is a well-deserved jab at Dark Horse for cutting this series short at a point when Stackpole clearly had more stories to tell. Despite that, he still manages to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the series, and particularly to the plot he'd been building over the past few arcs. After some slight missteps in the previous arc, this feels like a return to form as the series goes out on a high-note. Everyone gets their moment to shine, and I particularly enjoyed the spotlight on Mon Calamari pilot Ibtisam and Quarren pilot Nrin. Somewhat less enjoyable was a character death that felt dictated by emotional manipulation of the reader more than anything else . . . although I still found the way it was handled moving, even as it made me mad. Having finally read this series, I'm looking forward with even greater anticipation to re-reading Stackpole's X-Wing novels in the coming months.
B+
Background: Mandatory Retirement was released in December 2000, collecting issues #32-35 originally published Aug-Nov 1998. It is the ninth and final Rogue Squadron story arc. It was written by [a:Michael A. Stackpole|17739|Michael A. Stackpole|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207602690p2/17739.jpg] and drawn by [a:Steve Crespo|285269|Steve Crespo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:John Nadeau|17736|John Nadeau|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Stackpole concludes his run as the writer of the whole series, reuniting with Crespo and Nadeau, both series regulars who had been absent for several issues.
Mandatory Retirement takes place 1 year after the Battle of Endor, 5 years after the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Baron Fel, Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and the rest of Rogue Squadron, with appearances by the New Republic leadership (Princess Leia, Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, General Cracken, Borsk Fey'lya, etc.) and the Imperial regulars, Sate Pestage and Ysanne Isard. The story takes place on Coruscant and Ciutric IV.
Summary: All of Ysanne Isard's plotting has led to this, as she launches her bid for full control of the Empire. Even as she sets her plans in motion to eliminate the troublesome ruling elite, Sate Pestage remains the one loose thread in her carefully-woven scheme. And she knows where he is. Now, the race is on between Isard, who wants Pestage captured or dead, and the Rogues, who also want Pestage dead, but find themselves putting their lives on the line to save him. It almost feels like whatever happens, the Rogues lose.
Review: I can't help but assume that the title of this final arc is a well-deserved jab at Dark Horse for cutting this series short at a point when Stackpole clearly had more stories to tell. Despite that, he still manages to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the series, and particularly to the plot he'd been building over the past few arcs. After some slight missteps in the previous arc, this feels like a return to form as the series goes out on a high-note. Everyone gets their moment to shine, and I particularly enjoyed the spotlight on Mon Calamari pilot Ibtisam and Quarren pilot Nrin. Somewhat less enjoyable was a character death that felt dictated by emotional manipulation of the reader more than anything else . . . although I still found the way it was handled moving, even as it made me mad. Having finally read this series, I'm looking forward with even greater anticipation to re-reading Stackpole's X-Wing novels in the coming months.
B+
wyrmbergmalcolm's review
4.0
Unlike the rest of the series, this story takes place straight after the last book, with bruises still in place making for some nice continuity. The story in this one really did take second place to the characters and their relationships to one another. Filled with likeable characters and starfighter action, this was a pretty good conclusions to the graphic novel series with some impactful scenes.
The artwork was okay, not the best but good enough to show who's who.
The artwork was okay, not the best but good enough to show who's who.
depizan's review
2.0
This one didn't quite land for me. I get what they were trying to do with the story, particularly the comparison between Pestage and Fel, but it just didn't quite work. Maybe if the art had been better, or less of the story taken up with Isard's take over of the Imperial remnant. (Which seemed sort of poorly thought out anyway. I feel like killing off the leaders didn't clearly automatically transfer power to her.)
Also, there's so much infighting in the Imperial remnant that it almost feels like the rebels could just leave them to it and in a week all the leadership would've killed each other anyway.
Oh well.
Also, there's so much infighting in the Imperial remnant that it almost feels like the rebels could just leave them to it and in a week all the leadership would've killed each other anyway.
Oh well.
More...