Bane of Kings writes an Advance Review of the graphic novel entitled Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Smuggler’s Code by Justin Aclin, published by Dark Horse Comics.  Expect this graphic novel to hit shelves on July 9. 

“If you’re a younger reader, this is certainly worth checking out. Fun and entertaining.” ~The Founding Fields

Writer: Justin Aclin | Artist: Eduardo Ferrera

When he encounters a criminal from his past, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi strikes out, determined to fulfill a promise he made to himself as a young Jedi: to bring in this fugitive on his own! While on the trail, Obi-Wan earns a favor from a local smuggler, but her devotion to working for her own benefit may be more trouble for Obi-Wan than her help is actually worth!

I’ll admit, I’ve never seen The Clone Wars. Usually, animated TV isn’t my sort of thing, although saying that – I did pick up the film when it was released on DVD, and although it was a little cheesy in places, wasn’t downright awful. However, The Smuggler’s Code allows me to explore more of that universe thanks to a NetGalley copy, and as it turns out, I wasn’t missing anything breathtakingly fantastic. However, The Smuggler’s Code is a nice way to pass time if you’re a Star Wars fan, fun – quick and an entertaining read.

The book itself takes Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka, a character who I’m not all that familiar with – the young newcomer who we first were introduced to in the film, to the planet of Wielu – to relax, something which we never saw Jedi doing in the films. As it so happens, Wielu is basically a sandy, beach type planet that doubles up as a resort. Of course, this being entitled The Smuggler’s Code, you can expect some action to happen, and action certainly does happen, when Obi-Wan meets a criminal from his past, and the story decides to take an Obi-Wan centric approach from here on out, pushing Anakin and Ahsoka to the sidelines, which is good – because Obi-Wan is awesome.

The Smuggler’s Code is clearly aimed at a younger audience, the colours and tones are bright and you won’t find anything dark or gritty here. If you’re more of a fan of the expanded Universe novels such as Death Troopers by John Jackson Miller, then chances are, it’ll be different to what you’re expecting, but if you’re a younger fan of Star Wars then The Smuggler’s Code might just be the perfect graphic novel for you. The artwork here is very similiar to what I gathered from The Clone Wars movie and what few clips I’ve seen from the TV show, and fans of that will probably find something they’ll enjoy here – as I understand the series has been cancelled, so this is a great way for fans of that series to find enjoy here.

If you’re a parent looking to buy this graphic novel for a youngster, then you’ll be pleased to know that it comes with a message, being dishonest will get you nowhere. Friendship and honesty are delved into here, in a way that isn’t blatantly obvious, and as mentioned earlier, there’s plenty of action to satisfy a Star Wars fan – younger readers will get the most out of this title, but old hands might find something they’ll get out of this.

VERDICT: 3/5