Star Wars: Tales #12
June 2002
"Showdown", 1ppg, $5.99

Artist: Tsuneo Sanda
Cover Artist: John McCrea
Cover Artist: Jimmy Palmiotti
Cover Colorist: Daniel Jackson
Book Design: Lia Ribacchi
Assistant Editor: Philip Simon
Editor: Dave Land
Publisher: Mike Richardson



COMMENTS
A one page pin-up. Originally produced for the cover of the Graphic Novel for Attack of the Clones, but was replaced last minute by Drew Struzan's poster art.

Published both with an artwork cover by John McCrea, Jimmy Palmiotti & Daniel Jackson and a photo cover variant.
"A Day In The Life", 12ppg

Writer: Brett Matthews
Artist: Adrian Sibar
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Steve Dutro

CHARACTER
Featured
Wedge Antilles

Supporting
Wister (dies), Kirst

Guest
Luke Skywalker

DROID
R5 unit

STARSHIP
escort frigate, X-wing starfighter, TIE fighter, TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter, Executor

TECHNOLOGY
turbolaser

COMMENTS
As stated in this story, the events take place three days after the Battle of Endor, and the destruction of the second Death Star.

Wedge is Rogue Leader. Rogues Two and Three are Wister and Kirst respectively.

Wedge's self-identified R5 unit looks more like a black and grey R2 unit.
SYNOPSIS
Following the Battle of Endor, Wedge Antilles and two other pilots, Kirst and Wister are following a TIE fighter back towards a planet. Wedge orders them to follow it to see where it came from.

The enter the planet's atmosphere and after flying through a canyon, come upon the crashed remains of Vader's flagship, the Executor.

Wister is blasted out of the sky by turbolasers before Wedge can get a a torpedo lock on the walls of the canyon. He and Kirst blast the side of the mountain down on top of the wounded super star destroyer, and then head back to base.

Exiting their ships, Wedge cannot find the words to express his sorrow and hugs Kirst instead. He then returns to his quarters to compose the letter to Wister's family. It never gets easy.

He decides he's hungry and makes his way to the galley, where the food dispenser won't serve him. He hot wires it and manages to get a warm meal.

Luke Skywalker joins him and the two friends catch up, comparing notes on what the Empire is up to. Luke lets Wedge know that he thinks the pilot would make a good leader. Wedge is flattered, but nothing except a lucky shot from the enemy would remove him from the cockpit of his fighter. Luke asks what Wedge has been up to. 'Nothing special' is his reply.
"A Jedi's Weapon", 12ppg

Writer: Henry Gilroy
Penciler: Manuel Garcia
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Steve Dutro


LOCATION
Coruscant

TECHNOLOGY
lightsaber

VEHICLE
airspeeder

COMMENTS
This story was originally printed the month prior for the first ever Free Comic Book Day.

This story is a foreshadowing of the events in Attack of the Clones when Anakin loses his lightsaber.
SYNOPSIS
At the Republic Diplomatic quarters on Coruscant, Obi-Wan is reminding Anakin how to behave during their meeting with the sovereign king of Kashir. They must follow strict protocol, including wearing their weapons in plain sight to help maintain the trust.

They enter the quarters and introduce themselves to the king. He in turn, introduces the Jedi to his four wives, all of whom are scantily clad and very beautiful. The king dismisses them. As they walk by Anakin, he is dumbstruck by them. The Jedi and the King then sit down to dine and discuss.

King Ma-Dred expresses his concern for his wives so far away from their home. He has only two guards and would appreciate the Jedi helping guard the turbolift so that he may get some sleep. Obi-Wan agrees.

Outside the wives quarters' Obi-Wan explains to Anakin that the Kashirim are notorious in the galaxy for stealing. It is then that Anakin notices his own lightsaber is missing.

He excuses himself to the refresher and sneaks out the window, along the ledge, and into the wives room. The wives jump on him, holding daggers to his neck until they see he holds no danger. They are obviously interested in a man in their room, but let him know that Ashala has his weapon. And she is next door, in the king's room.

Anakin sees that the door to the king's chamber is guarded by his two guards. Using his Jedi powers, he causes the guards to leave their post to investigate a sound. He enters the bedroom to find Ashala and the king, who is sleeping most deeply.

Anakin asks for his lightsaber back, but Ashala plays coy with him, saying she may have been testing his integrity. But then she admits she no longer has it. The guards return outside the door and realize that someone else is inside with the king. They enter as Anakin sneaks back out the window and into the refresher.

He emerges to let Obi-Wan know that he has lost something. Obi-Wan produces Anakin's lightsaber, telling his padawan that he must be more careful. he noticed that Ashala had taken it earlier and he used the Force to retrieve it. Obi-Wan reminds Anakin that his saber is his life, and he must learn to trust with his Master. Anakin apologizes. He then lets Obi-Wan know he climbed out on the ledge. Obi-Wan screams at this revelation!
"The Revenge of Tag & Bink", 10ppg

Writer: Kevin Rubio
Penciler: Rick Zombo
Inker: Randy Emberline
Colorist: Dan Brown
Letterer: Steve Dutro

CHARACTER
Featured
Tag Greenley, Bink Otuana

Supporting
Wooof, Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, Barada

Cameo
Luke Skywalker (voice only)

CREATURE
sarlacc

LOCATION
Tatooine

SPECIES
Weequay

STARSHIP
Slave I

COMMENTS
There are a lot of hidden and silly jokes throughout the issue (one reason this story falls under Dark Horse's Infinities line). Here's a list of the in-jokes:
  • The menu in the cantina has a picture of Bob's Big Boy on it.
  • Cantina patrons include a hook-handed Aqualish, the Predator and an Alien, Bullwinkle J. Moose, and Mike and Sulley (from Monsters Inc.)
  • Tag uses his sisters as alibi's for Boba Fett, the same as he did for Lando

SYNOPSIS
Hanging on a stick in the tooth-filled maw of the sarlacc, Bink wonders how they got into this mess.

One week earlier, in a cantina, the two are dressed as Stormtroopers (again!) and talking with Lando, who is explaining that Boba Fett is not on Tatooine yet because of a personal bounty he's going after. This worries the inept rebel duo. Lando asks them to distract him, and he'll make sure Han gets on the ship.

Lando then asks the pair to punch him, which they do, and he falls right into the arms of a couple of Jabba's henchmen who take him off to meet their boss.

Later they order Slave I to land under strict orders and approach Boba Fett with orders of a mandatory inspection. Lando sneaks up on the ship and is about to enter it, when Fett tricks the pair of faux Stormtroopers into revealing that they were the pair he fought on Cloud City.

The duo wind up getting tied to a stake at the mouth of the sarlacc. Fett agrees that they aren't worth the ammo to shoot and kicks them into the pit. They get stuck and begin bickering with each other.

From above, they can hear a battle starting as bodies begin dropping past them. One manages to untie them, but they are still left hanging in the pit.

That is until Boba Fett falls by. and they grab is rocket pack. Later once they have escaped (and helped Fett out as well) they all agree that Tag and Bink will keep Boba Fett's reputation safe, as he marches off across the sand dunes.
"Once Bitten", 10ppg

Writer: C.B. Cebulski
Artist: Makoto Nakatsuka
Colorist: Dave Nestelle
Letterer: Steve Dutro

CHARACTER
Featured
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn

Supporting
Mana Veridi (dies), Han Solo

Villain
Aurra Sing

LOCATION
Kwannot

STARSHIP
Republic Cruiser, Millennium Falcon

COMMENTS
The first two pages and the last page take place on the Millennium Falcon en route to Alderaan during the events of A New Hope.
SYNOPSIS
Onboard the Millennium Falcon, old Obi-Wan Kenobi joins Captain Han Solo in the cockpit. Han hopes he is here to apologize, worried that people will think he is in trouble for blasting out of Mos Eisley so fast. Kenobi is quick to remind him that most people know when they are outmatched...

Ben remembers back when he was a padawan and he and his master Qui-Gon Jinn were sent to Kwannot to investigate the disappearance of fellow Jedi master Mana Veridi. Using the Force, Qui-Gon senses her through the crowds, and they find her tired and bleeding in an alley.

Before they can speak to her, a crimson lightsaber erupts from her chest and suddenly Aurra Sing is standing in front of them.

They engage in a lightsaber duel, which Qui-Gon quickly takes out of the alley and onto a nearby rooftop. Being interested in the Master's lightsaber, Aurra focuses her attention on Qui-Gon, until Obi-Wan joins in.

She knocks them both down with a flying kick and then indicating that they are more than she bargained for, leaps off the rooftop and disappears.

Back on the Falcon, Han questions the fact that she would actually run. Obi-Wan dismisses the Corellian's stoicism and asks for a training remote. Han tells him where to find it and then wistfully thinks about their payday once he and Chewie get to Alderaan. They'll never have to run again.
"The Duty", 12ppg

Writer: Christian Read
Penciler: John McCrea
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colorist: Giulia Brusco
Letterer: Steve Dutro

CHARACTER
Featured
Gira (dies)

Supporting
Base commander (voice only)

Villain
Darth Vader

ORGANIZATION
Stormtroopers

SYNOPSIS
On an unknown base, Jedi Master Gira is holding stormtroopers back from overrunning an escape ship full of the last padawan learners in the Republic.

He contacts his base commander about the dead guards, and questions why they were shot in the back. He does not have long to think as a red lightsaber misses him by inches. He flips backwards to come face to face with Darth Vader.

They battle, but Gira is no match for the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader offers to spare his life if Gira will join him. Gira stalls for time, hoping the padawans will make it away.

Vader manages to disarm Gira and threatens to kill him, lightsaber pointed at his heart, unless she joins the Dark Side. Gira does not believe him, but, he thinks, if it will save the padawans...

He agrees. Vader then speaks to the base commander and tells him to detonate the explosives on the escape ship. Gira watches from a monitor as the spacecraft explodes. Having broken his faith and his duty, he know understands the horrors of the dark side.

Vader walks away from him, confident that whatever Gira does next will serve The Master. Unable to live with himself, Gira turns his lightsaber on himself and activates it.


Related Issues
Tag and Bink are Dead #1 Tag and Bink are Dead #2 Tales – Free Comic Book Day 2002 Special Tag & Bink II #1 Tag & Bink II #2


Trade Paperbacks and Alternate Covers
Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Trade Paperback #4 Tales Trade Paperback #3
Tales 12 (photo cover)

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