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| Written by Mike Barr; Illustrated by The Fillbach Brothers ISBN: 978-1-59582-714-2 Dark Horse Comics, 2011 $7.99 Grade: 3 and up |
| Summary During the clone wars, the Separatist Army develops a new warship that easily destroys any Republic ship that attacks it. When a cadre of Jedi attempt to destroy this new threat, they discover that it’s actually an elaborate trap to catch them! |
| Analysis The Star Wars franchise is now over thirty years old, and has managed to spawn a multi-billion dollar franchise with everything from toys to cereal. The downside to having such a successful franchise is that no matter how unique and fertile it is, after a while, new stories begin to peter out and concepts get recycled. Barr (an industry veteran) does an exemplary job of making the story (that feels eerily familiar) work in such a way that will still keep readers enthralled, however older fans (especially those that grew up with the original trilogy) may take exception to the fact that the Jedi severely underestimate the machinations of the Separatist Commander. The artwork by The Fillbach Brothers fits in well with the current incarnation of characters from the Cartoon Network cartoon series of the same name (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), but there are a few times where it feels like they slip from character to caricature. Fortunately, this rarely happens at all, but it can be a little off putting. With these concerns in mind, is this something the target audience will be concerned with? I seriously doubt it. The majority of readers who pick this book up are going to be more concerned with the story and pacing. My one major concern comes from two scenes where Darth Sidious smiles. It put me in mind of a demonic Abe Vigoda ( I actually lost a little sleep over that), so a little caution is urged for young readers. |
| Final Thoughts The Starcrusher Trap is a good book for kids who love the Star Wars franchise or action stories. The plot really feels like nothing new, but for those kids who didn’t grow up with the franchise probably won’t notice (or care). People who are going to raise the biggest stink are the die-hard old-school fans, but their kids will enjoy the book. |
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