Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader must work together to eliminate a threat to the Empire in the upcoming comic adaptation of the Star Wars novel Thrawn: Alliances. As the two investigate a disturbance in the Force that Emperor Palpatine has detected in the Outer Rim, the story will also detail the very first meeting of Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker during the days of the Clone Wars.
The official Star Wars website has shared a preview of the first issue of the Thrawn: Alliances comic miniseries, which adapts the acclaimed 2018 novel by Timothy Zahn. The comic is co-written by Zahn and Jody Houser, drawn by Pat Olliffe and Andrea Di Vito, colored by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham. The main cover art is provided by Rod Reis.
The plot involves two parallel stories: the first takes place shortly before the beginning of the original Star Wars trilogy, when Thrawn and Vader are dispatched to the planet Batuu to deal with a new threat. Meanwhile, the second flashes back to the days of the Clone Wars, when General Anakin Skywalker and a young Thrawn first cross paths on the very same planet. The first issue of the Marvel Comics adaptation will be released on January 24.
Darth Vader & Thrawn Carry Out Two Missions Together in Parallel Stories
Grand Admiral Thrawn first appeared as the villain in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novel Heir to the Empire and its two follow-up novels, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. Thrawn’s intelligent and strategic mind, as well as his calm demeanor, were a stark contrast to previous villains who had appeared in the Star Wars franchise up to that point, and made him an instant success with fans. After Disney acquired Star Wars in 2012, Thrawn’s appearances were designated to the non-canon Legends continuity. He was reintroduced back into canon in 2016 in the animated Star Wars: Rebels series.
Between 2017 and 2019, Zahn produced a new trilogy of Thrawn novels that were part of the official Star Wars canon and explored the character’s history before the original trilogy. Thrawn: Alliances serves as the second installment of the new trilogy. The preview for Thrawn: Alliances #1 opens with Thrawn defeating a Rebel threat to the Empire. This earns him praise from the Emperor, who then dispatches Thrawn and Vader to Batuu. However, this is not the first time Vader and Thrawn have been to Batuu together. The preview flashes back to years earlier, when Anakin arrives at Batuu to locate his missing wife, Padmé. There he will cross paths with Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo of the Chiss Ascendancy, the man who will one day come to be known as Thrawn.
Thrawn: Alliances Puts Thrawn & Vader’s Different Personalities on Full Display
The preview shows Vader and Thrawn’s respective crews butting heads as they are forced to work together. It also highlights the key difference between the two Imperial leaders. When a crew member brings them bad news, Vader is quick to place blame. If he were on his own, he would likely deliver a swift and brutal punishment to remind his crew of the dangers of failing him. However, Thrawn is more cool and collected. Satisfied with his crew’s competence, he instead seeks to find a solution to the problem so that they can carry on with their mission. This contrast can also be seen in the Clone Wars storyline. While Thrawn is strategic and mission-focused when dealing with a Separatist threat, Anakin is more impulsive and stubborn, which has serious consequences.
Thrawn recently made his live-action debut in the Ahsoka series, and will likely play a large role in the upcoming Star Wars movies that Lucasfilm has announced. With this new rise in prominence, it is the perfect time for an adaptation of Zahn’s popular Thrawn: Alliances novel. By uniting Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader, the comic will give fans a new insight into how different these two iconic Star Wars villains really are.
Thrawn: Alliances #1 will be available January 24 from Marvel Comics.
Thrawn: Alliances #1 (2024) | |
|---|---|
| |
|
