The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher

The Bard is back and he’s about to get all Lando Calrissian on your ass!

Ian Doescher has put forth The Empire Striketh Back, the second volume in his critically acclaimed William Shakespeare’s Star Wars series.  Adapting episode five into a true Shakespearean tragedy shouldn’t be all that difficult seeing as the source material is about as Shakespearean as it gets.  You’ve got all the common elements: contrast, fate, supernatural, catharsis – you’ve even got asides and soliloquies for added measure!

I liked this one more than Verily, A New Hope as it seemed to fit the Shakespearean mold a little better given the subject matter and ending.  Again, the artwork is excellent as it helps to inject a little humor and lightness to an otherwise dark and dreary story.

Doescher’s experiment has merit and seems to be getting more mileage than I expected.  If you’re a fan of the movies, the first two in the series are definite must-reads that help to expand on an already expansive mythology.