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Star Wars: Agent of the Empire #2
Star Wars: Agent of the Empire - Volume 2: Hard Targets
When the current Count Dooku is assassinated—and Boba Fett is framed for the deed—the Count’s young heir becomes a political pawn. Agent Cross has his orders, but when the boy’s fate is left to a murderous uncle, an angry bounty hunter, and two lethal ladies, Cross changes his mission!
* Guest-starring Boba Fett, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader!
* Guest-starring Boba Fett, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader!
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
About the author
John Ostrander
2,079 books178 followersJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 31, 2014
I can't gush enough about this series. It's fun, it's witty, it has great characters, great action, and great art. I love the twists and turns, I love how it stars an Imperial who isn't going to switch to a Rebel overnight...yeah, I'm hooked! When's the next one coming out? :)
January 6, 2018
This whole shtick is a boring idea to bring to Star Wars, the series has nothing of the franchise's strengths, and it's a mediocre take on the James Bond knock-off thing it's trying to be. Cross is boring, try-hard, bland, and the scenarios he's put in are utterly rote. Art doesn't look bad though.
December 24, 2019
Star Wars Legends Project #210
Background: Agent of the Empire: Hard Targets, released in August 2013, collects the five-issue series (October 2012-February 2013). They were written by John Ostrander and drawn by Davide Fabbri. Ostrander has written several dozen issues of Star Wars comics, including the entire run of Agents of the Empire. Fabbri did the art for a few dozen other issues as well, most prominently in runs of Republic and Empire.
Hard Targets is set shortly after Iron Eclipse (my review), about three years before the Battle of Yavin. The main character is Imperial Agent Jahan Cross. The plot revolves heavily around Count Dooku (but not that Count Dooku) and features appearances by Boba Fett, Armand and Ysanne Isard, Bail Organa and Princess Leia, and Winter. Most of the story takes place on Alderaan and Serenno.
Summary: Jahan Cross returns to his homeworld of Alderaan, ostensibly on diplomatic duty for a celebration in honor of the current Count Dooku. But things go south when the Count is assassinated and his young heir is likely to be the next target. As an Imperial agent, Cross is no stranger to playing both sides against the middle in service of the Empire's agenda, but this mission has a personal edge that will test his loyalties the the utmost.
Review: I enjoyed the first Agent of the Empire immensely, and it's take on James Bond in a Star Wars setting worked as well as you'd hope. This second volume was everything I want a sequel to be, raising the stakes and deepening the depiction of the character and his world. The inclusion of Han and Chewie in the last story worked, but felt a bit gimmicky. The established characters who appear here feel much more natural. The story is so full of twists and turns that I don't want to talk about it too much. Almost anything I can think to say feels like a spoiler, and it's definitely worth reading for yourself.
The thing that really makes this premise work is that Jahan Cross isn't necessarily a Good Guy. He is what the title says, an agent of the Empire, and that's the system of values he operates from. When you think you know what he's going to do, you probably don't.
A
Background: Agent of the Empire: Hard Targets, released in August 2013, collects the five-issue series (October 2012-February 2013). They were written by John Ostrander and drawn by Davide Fabbri. Ostrander has written several dozen issues of Star Wars comics, including the entire run of Agents of the Empire. Fabbri did the art for a few dozen other issues as well, most prominently in runs of Republic and Empire.
Hard Targets is set shortly after Iron Eclipse (my review), about three years before the Battle of Yavin. The main character is Imperial Agent Jahan Cross. The plot revolves heavily around Count Dooku (but not that Count Dooku) and features appearances by Boba Fett, Armand and Ysanne Isard, Bail Organa and Princess Leia, and Winter. Most of the story takes place on Alderaan and Serenno.
Summary: Jahan Cross returns to his homeworld of Alderaan, ostensibly on diplomatic duty for a celebration in honor of the current Count Dooku. But things go south when the Count is assassinated and his young heir is likely to be the next target. As an Imperial agent, Cross is no stranger to playing both sides against the middle in service of the Empire's agenda, but this mission has a personal edge that will test his loyalties the the utmost.
Review: I enjoyed the first Agent of the Empire immensely, and it's take on James Bond in a Star Wars setting worked as well as you'd hope. This second volume was everything I want a sequel to be, raising the stakes and deepening the depiction of the character and his world. The inclusion of Han and Chewie in the last story worked, but felt a bit gimmicky. The established characters who appear here feel much more natural. The story is so full of twists and turns that I don't want to talk about it too much. Almost anything I can think to say feels like a spoiler, and it's definitely worth reading for yourself.
The thing that really makes this premise work is that Jahan Cross isn't necessarily a Good Guy. He is what the title says, an agent of the Empire, and that's the system of values he operates from. When you think you know what he's going to do, you probably don't.
A
October 14, 2023
Imperial Agent Jahan Cross returns. This time we don’t slavishly follow the beats of a Bond movie, although a visit later on to an underwater resort in black wetsuits is rather reminiscent of something 007 might find himself doing. No, this time imperial agent Cross is engaged in politics more complex than those seen in the usual Bond adventure (though there are no fewer beautiful women). There are some appearances by notable Star Wars figures, for example Princess Leia, whom Cross knows since her childhood apparently, or the extremely popular bounty hunter Boba Fett who plays a small but crucial role here (and someone else plays his role) and an absolutely delightful scene with Darth Vader.
Then there’s Count Dooku. Not the specific character played by Christopher Lee in the movies, but rather the title. On the planet of Serenno, this title is the highest office, and the succession to said title is at the heart of the story. There’s an assassination, followed by a great deal of speculation on how the succession will go, as the heir Bron is only a child, and even he seems to be resigned to the fact that his regent will have him killed to take the title for himself.
Jahan speaks with his father, an actual diplomat, and when the elder Cross asks his son if he had anything to do with the assassination we saw take place, Jahan flatly denies it. The two stare at one another and as the father sits down, he admits he can’t tell one way or the other. These two may have stood eye to eye, but they sure can’t see eye to eye. During Jahan Cross’ previous adventures in Iron Eclipse we learned of the tragic death of his mother and sister, but his father remained an unknown quantity. Now we know him, and Jahan is not half the man his father is, ethically speaking.
When meeting with the regent of Serenno, Rodas Borgin, Cross learns of the history of Serenno, and how the world was treated by the Empire following the Clone Wars. Star Wars scholars will remember that Count Dooku was a major leader of the Separatist movement, and as such Serenno was a world that “betrayed” the Republic and therefore the Empire.
Herein is depicted my favourite scene with Darth Vader across all Star Wars media. The noble houses of Serenno stand accused of rebellion, and Vader presents them with an opportunity to redeem themselves; the heirs of each noble house must assume their positions as the heads of said houses by killing their predecessors, that is, their own fathers. Should anyone refuse to do so, Vader will put everyone to death.
They do as commanded, of course. The art here gets a chef’s kiss from me, the haunted, wild eyes of fathers and sons, killers and victims, hearkens back to the famous painting by Ilya Repin, Ivan the Terrible and His Son. Kudos to the artists (penciller Davidé Fabbri and inker Christian Dalla Vecchia) for being able to capture this so well. After the mass patricide is finished, the newly elevated noblemen… well, it is said best by Lord Rodas Borgin: “Afterwards, we all had to bend on one knee in the blood of those we had just killed and swear fealty.”
Yes. This is a Darth Vader people would fear. He didn’t lift a finger against anyone present himself, didn’t even Force choke anyone. He didn’t need to. All the murder was done because he demanded it, and none of those who witnessed and participated will ever forget it. It’s display of absolute power, of the Empire’s absolute power. This is the Platonic ideal of Darth Vader as far as I’m concerned. The real kicker was that Count Dooku, or Darth Tyrannus, was a Sith Lord, acting under the orders of Palpatine, who sent Vader to punish the rulers of Serenno for things he himself had made them do. Jahan Cross is unaware of that connection, but I can’t help but wonder if Vader was. He knew who Dooku had been, he knew who Palpatine was. He must have known how cruel and capricious his actions were. Did he even care at that point? Would Jahan Cross care? The reader certainly hopes he would.
Over the course of the story Cross encounters two gorgeous and capable women, one the head of Count Dooku’s securiy Candra Tymon, and the other a pirate called Vex. With Vex he has an implied past history, something he also has with Boba Fett (what happened at “the Wheel” and what is it? A story never told, just like how Cross knows Vex). Vex is more of a minor character who exists to drive the story, but Candra is much more substantial, her struggles to fulfil her duty and the lengths she is willing to go to in order to do so are similar to Jahan Cross, but where she wears her heart on her sleeve and is unwilling to compromise her morals, Cross is a snake who slithers his way past her guard and manipulates her to his own ends. There is genuine attraction here from her side at the very least, but I find myself wondering if Cross really feels anything toward her, another quality he shares with James Bond.
There are a few major set pieces, including a mid-air battle against pirates, a prison infiltration and escape and an underwater base followed by a submarine chase (there are references to the Gungans from Phantom Menace here, for those ten or twenty people in the world who appreciate the movie), and these offer up a lot of variety by taking us from the air to underground to underwater.
There is a series of twists that I won’t spoil leading to the end of this story, each in fairly rapid succession. When the final plan of Jahan Cross is revealed, it shows him to be an even more cold-blooded, pragmatic, brutal man than previously shown, and yet… he is still undeniably a good man, working to find solutions that better everyone’s situation. I was left both impressed with how well he played it all, and also a little shocked at the callousness of it. John Ostrander managed to take the character a little further this time, and there were hints about him coming to maybe question his superiors more than before.
Jahan Cross would be an interesting figure to read more about, but sadly this was his last adventure. Hard Targets was written, of course, by John Ostrander, the ever-reliable and often impressive, who is making me more and more interested in the Star Wars universe and showing that there is so much more to it than the movies have shown us.
Then there’s Count Dooku. Not the specific character played by Christopher Lee in the movies, but rather the title. On the planet of Serenno, this title is the highest office, and the succession to said title is at the heart of the story. There’s an assassination, followed by a great deal of speculation on how the succession will go, as the heir Bron is only a child, and even he seems to be resigned to the fact that his regent will have him killed to take the title for himself.
Jahan speaks with his father, an actual diplomat, and when the elder Cross asks his son if he had anything to do with the assassination we saw take place, Jahan flatly denies it. The two stare at one another and as the father sits down, he admits he can’t tell one way or the other. These two may have stood eye to eye, but they sure can’t see eye to eye. During Jahan Cross’ previous adventures in Iron Eclipse we learned of the tragic death of his mother and sister, but his father remained an unknown quantity. Now we know him, and Jahan is not half the man his father is, ethically speaking.
When meeting with the regent of Serenno, Rodas Borgin, Cross learns of the history of Serenno, and how the world was treated by the Empire following the Clone Wars. Star Wars scholars will remember that Count Dooku was a major leader of the Separatist movement, and as such Serenno was a world that “betrayed” the Republic and therefore the Empire.
Herein is depicted my favourite scene with Darth Vader across all Star Wars media. The noble houses of Serenno stand accused of rebellion, and Vader presents them with an opportunity to redeem themselves; the heirs of each noble house must assume their positions as the heads of said houses by killing their predecessors, that is, their own fathers. Should anyone refuse to do so, Vader will put everyone to death.
They do as commanded, of course. The art here gets a chef’s kiss from me, the haunted, wild eyes of fathers and sons, killers and victims, hearkens back to the famous painting by Ilya Repin, Ivan the Terrible and His Son. Kudos to the artists (penciller Davidé Fabbri and inker Christian Dalla Vecchia) for being able to capture this so well. After the mass patricide is finished, the newly elevated noblemen… well, it is said best by Lord Rodas Borgin: “Afterwards, we all had to bend on one knee in the blood of those we had just killed and swear fealty.”
Yes. This is a Darth Vader people would fear. He didn’t lift a finger against anyone present himself, didn’t even Force choke anyone. He didn’t need to. All the murder was done because he demanded it, and none of those who witnessed and participated will ever forget it. It’s display of absolute power, of the Empire’s absolute power. This is the Platonic ideal of Darth Vader as far as I’m concerned. The real kicker was that Count Dooku, or Darth Tyrannus, was a Sith Lord, acting under the orders of Palpatine, who sent Vader to punish the rulers of Serenno for things he himself had made them do. Jahan Cross is unaware of that connection, but I can’t help but wonder if Vader was. He knew who Dooku had been, he knew who Palpatine was. He must have known how cruel and capricious his actions were. Did he even care at that point? Would Jahan Cross care? The reader certainly hopes he would.
Over the course of the story Cross encounters two gorgeous and capable women, one the head of Count Dooku’s securiy Candra Tymon, and the other a pirate called Vex. With Vex he has an implied past history, something he also has with Boba Fett (what happened at “the Wheel” and what is it? A story never told, just like how Cross knows Vex). Vex is more of a minor character who exists to drive the story, but Candra is much more substantial, her struggles to fulfil her duty and the lengths she is willing to go to in order to do so are similar to Jahan Cross, but where she wears her heart on her sleeve and is unwilling to compromise her morals, Cross is a snake who slithers his way past her guard and manipulates her to his own ends. There is genuine attraction here from her side at the very least, but I find myself wondering if Cross really feels anything toward her, another quality he shares with James Bond.
There are a few major set pieces, including a mid-air battle against pirates, a prison infiltration and escape and an underwater base followed by a submarine chase (there are references to the Gungans from Phantom Menace here, for those ten or twenty people in the world who appreciate the movie), and these offer up a lot of variety by taking us from the air to underground to underwater.
There is a series of twists that I won’t spoil leading to the end of this story, each in fairly rapid succession. When the final plan of Jahan Cross is revealed, it shows him to be an even more cold-blooded, pragmatic, brutal man than previously shown, and yet… he is still undeniably a good man, working to find solutions that better everyone’s situation. I was left both impressed with how well he played it all, and also a little shocked at the callousness of it. John Ostrander managed to take the character a little further this time, and there were hints about him coming to maybe question his superiors more than before.
Jahan Cross would be an interesting figure to read more about, but sadly this was his last adventure. Hard Targets was written, of course, by John Ostrander, the ever-reliable and often impressive, who is making me more and more interested in the Star Wars universe and showing that there is so much more to it than the movies have shown us.
September 2, 2014
The thing is you can always count on John Ostrander to turn in a good espionage/James Bond type of story regardless of the publisher whom he is working for. He did it for 80+ issues with DC's Suicide Squad and continues his solid Star Wars story telling with another mission for the Empire's answer to James Bond, Imperial Special envoy Jahan Cross.
Ostrander, a little less so than in the first volume, brings out the Connery version of Bond here. Cross is always up for a drink, a woman and to complete his mission. The difference is that Cross is now questioning the Empire's goals about the assignments he is being given (this tale takes place roughly three years before 1977's Star Movie that I refuse to call Episode IV).
In addition, we get glimpses into Imperial politics and when Darth Vader was a villain and not a whiny kid. Damn, I miss the villain that Vader used to be.
Alas with Marvel now owning the license and most of the expanded universe to be consigned to oblivion soon I don't think we'll see the like of agent Cross again. Probably the best we can hope for in today's American comics scene is that somehow Ostrander gets the rights back to Grimjack and a publisher willing to let him again write the tale of John Gaunt.
Ostrander, a little less so than in the first volume, brings out the Connery version of Bond here. Cross is always up for a drink, a woman and to complete his mission. The difference is that Cross is now questioning the Empire's goals about the assignments he is being given (this tale takes place roughly three years before 1977's Star Movie that I refuse to call Episode IV).
In addition, we get glimpses into Imperial politics and when Darth Vader was a villain and not a whiny kid. Damn, I miss the villain that Vader used to be.
Alas with Marvel now owning the license and most of the expanded universe to be consigned to oblivion soon I don't think we'll see the like of agent Cross again. Probably the best we can hope for in today's American comics scene is that somehow Ostrander gets the rights back to Grimjack and a publisher willing to let him again write the tale of John Gaunt.
August 2, 2017
Superspy dudebro Jahan Cross continues his superb spying and bro-ing, now on Alderaan and Serenno, which gives him plenty of opportunity to hobnob with various aristos both noble (Bail Organa, and teeny bopper Princess Leia...who confesses to having a crush on Cross when she was 13. Gross.) and depraved (the main contender for old Count Dooku's role). There are also two lovely ladies for Cross to ogle, and Boba Fett shows up as well, because why not? putting him on the cover no doubt helps to sell copies.
Oddly enough, I found this volume to be in a way the inverse of the preceding one- in places the art wasn't quite as impressive, but the writing, on the other hand, was a lot more focussed and distinctly "Star Wars-y".
Cross continues to be a true believer of the Empire at the outset of the volume, but subsequent events lead him to question both it and his role as one of its top enforcers. And, being from Alderaan, one imagines a true crisis of conscience will be on the way for him before too long!
Oddly enough, I found this volume to be in a way the inverse of the preceding one- in places the art wasn't quite as impressive, but the writing, on the other hand, was a lot more focussed and distinctly "Star Wars-y".
Cross continues to be a true believer of the Empire at the outset of the volume, but subsequent events lead him to question both it and his role as one of its top enforcers. And, being from Alderaan, one imagines a true crisis of conscience will be on the way for him before too long!
March 19, 2014
I wasn't a fan of the previous arc and this arc didn't start off too well either. Jahan manages to hit on or seduce every single woman in this comic from , to many popular female character's from the EU such as It got better midway through and brought some complexity to Jahan's loyalty to the Empire. He shows that he may be beginning to question some of the missions he is ordered to carry out. Jahan is able to redeem himself somewhat for some of the actions he carried out, but in the end he still comes off as an ass.
February 23, 2024
As pointless as the previous volume, but thank goodness no more of these were ever published (thanks, Disney lol). I'm a bit bemused (and annoyed!) that a TPB released in 2013 would feature a character who is surprised by a woman being the head of security. What decade did Ostrander think this was? And it's an utterly bizarre reaction in the context of the Star Wars universe.
March 10, 2026
More of a 2.75 for me.
The art in this volume is (imo) much more enjoyable to look at than the pervious 5-issue series.
I consider this volume generally better than the first one too. We finally get to see a little bit of his relationship to his father, the only other living relative he has. Perhaps it's the political scientist in me but I found his father much more interesting than him, taking into consideration his diplomatic career in the Republic that he has maintained into the Empire era. I would've loved reading about his diplomatic career.
Finally, Jahan Cross experiences consequences for being such a loyal dog to the Empire. He kills the new Count Dooku using a disguise as Boba Fett, but later learns that he was not an enemy or a threat to the Empire at all, his orders' origins turn out to have come from a power struggle from the inside. In summary, he didn't feel bad about leaving a kid an orphan until he found out the daddy wasn't anti-imperial at all, woops.
He also makes out with two women, because of course he does. I still don't really understand why he broke into a high-security prison just to save one of them from being inerrogated. Perhaps this is supposed to be an action that shows he's no longer putting the Empire above everything else, but it really just comes across as a Bond-wannabe saving one of his casual chicks because...yes.
I actually liked the relationship he had with Candra, but his dumbass, (slightly) misogynistic comment about being surprised seeing a woman bodyguard made me cringe. Guys, this is Star Wars, a fictional galaxy with a parallel dimension only there to serve as a highway, races genetically engineered to enjoy being slaves, blue people, blue people with tattoos, red people, red people with fleshy tendrils, green people with tattoos, men fascists, women fascists, men rebels, women rebels, men that can move things with their minds, women that can mive things with their minds, and this guy is surprised by a woman bodyguard? C'mon.
The Vader cameo worked better than the Han cameo in the previous volume because he isn't actually present, hes just a powerful figure in a flashback intimidating enough to make sons kill their fathers and then kneel in front of him to swear loyalty to the new Empire.
I cheered when Candra beat up Jahan for helping Vex escape. I was pretty disappointed about her sacrificing herself. Sure pop off, kill the only interesting female character and leave the sex-appeal chick live bc yes.
Again, all the women, even teegane Leia (ew) show/or say they have had interest in him, because hes sooooo attractive with those giant dumbo ears alright.
This series is giving me 'a man wrote this' vibes to a degree I've never experienced. Ever. I'd take Disney woke slop over this any day.
The art in this volume is (imo) much more enjoyable to look at than the pervious 5-issue series.
I consider this volume generally better than the first one too. We finally get to see a little bit of his relationship to his father, the only other living relative he has. Perhaps it's the political scientist in me but I found his father much more interesting than him, taking into consideration his diplomatic career in the Republic that he has maintained into the Empire era. I would've loved reading about his diplomatic career.
Finally, Jahan Cross experiences consequences for being such a loyal dog to the Empire. He kills the new Count Dooku using a disguise as Boba Fett, but later learns that he was not an enemy or a threat to the Empire at all, his orders' origins turn out to have come from a power struggle from the inside. In summary, he didn't feel bad about leaving a kid an orphan until he found out the daddy wasn't anti-imperial at all, woops.
He also makes out with two women, because of course he does. I still don't really understand why he broke into a high-security prison just to save one of them from being inerrogated. Perhaps this is supposed to be an action that shows he's no longer putting the Empire above everything else, but it really just comes across as a Bond-wannabe saving one of his casual chicks because...yes.
I actually liked the relationship he had with Candra, but his dumbass, (slightly) misogynistic comment about being surprised seeing a woman bodyguard made me cringe. Guys, this is Star Wars, a fictional galaxy with a parallel dimension only there to serve as a highway, races genetically engineered to enjoy being slaves, blue people, blue people with tattoos, red people, red people with fleshy tendrils, green people with tattoos, men fascists, women fascists, men rebels, women rebels, men that can move things with their minds, women that can mive things with their minds, and this guy is surprised by a woman bodyguard? C'mon.
The Vader cameo worked better than the Han cameo in the previous volume because he isn't actually present, hes just a powerful figure in a flashback intimidating enough to make sons kill their fathers and then kneel in front of him to swear loyalty to the new Empire.
I cheered when Candra beat up Jahan for helping Vex escape. I was pretty disappointed about her sacrificing herself. Sure pop off, kill the only interesting female character and leave the sex-appeal chick live bc yes.
Again, all the women, even teegane Leia (ew) show/or say they have had interest in him, because hes sooooo attractive with those giant dumbo ears alright.
This series is giving me 'a man wrote this' vibes to a degree I've never experienced. Ever. I'd take Disney woke slop over this any day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2026
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
2.75*
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
2.75*
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
February 15, 2020
This second volume of Agent of Empire continues the unusual adventures of Jahan Cross of Imperial Intelligence. He continues to be a true James Bond-style protagonist including his ability to get out of almost any situation and his proclivity for mixing a little pleasure with business in the form of different women he encounters over the course of his missions.
This book starts off with the nicely jarring phrase "Count Dooku", but this isn't about the Clone Wars era villain and instead talks about the surviving members of his house and the Empire getting involved in their line of succession. But Jahan Cross really gets full James Bond given his willingness to take very liberal initiative in resolving what he thinks to be his mission or at least a version of his mission that he can stomach.
It's still a pretty fun Legends adventure and I appreciate what they were trying to achieve with this character.
This book starts off with the nicely jarring phrase "Count Dooku", but this isn't about the Clone Wars era villain and instead talks about the surviving members of his house and the Empire getting involved in their line of succession. But Jahan Cross really gets full James Bond given his willingness to take very liberal initiative in resolving what he thinks to be his mission or at least a version of his mission that he can stomach.
It's still a pretty fun Legends adventure and I appreciate what they were trying to achieve with this character.
April 15, 2022
Jahan Cross, you honorable bad man you. I would love to see more of his misadventures as a "diplomatic envoy". I love his creativity and morals, despite being an agent to the Empire. I reckon even that he can be turned, should he further learn the truth about the Empire he so loyally serves. He was right to ask questions to Isard, he was on the right track there. The corruption runs deep, and the people in power are abusing and using the Imperial Intelligence to farther expand the Emperor's iron grip on the galaxy. I also would love to read about a grown-up Bron, how his experience and wisdom has continued to grow and how he used that to govern Serenno during and post-Empire, if he made it alive as far as that.
December 28, 2023
Star Wars Agent of the Empire, Vol.2 Hard Targets
Hard-nosed, hard-boiled!
#1 – “Do not ever compare the Empire to the Republic.” – Director
#2 – “There are some things, Envoy Cross, that are beyond even the Empire’s ability.” – Security Chief Tymon
#3 – “… we have a place. Doesn’t get more secure than the SPIKE.”
#4 – “I’d give my LIFE to protect that boy.” – Tymon. “It may come to that – for BOTH of us.” - Cross
#5 – “Ah, FETT. Surprised to see you. Perhaps I shouldn’t be.” – Cross
Hard-nosed, hard-boiled!
#1 – “Do not ever compare the Empire to the Republic.” – Director
#2 – “There are some things, Envoy Cross, that are beyond even the Empire’s ability.” – Security Chief Tymon
#3 – “… we have a place. Doesn’t get more secure than the SPIKE.”
#4 – “I’d give my LIFE to protect that boy.” – Tymon. “It may come to that – for BOTH of us.” - Cross
#5 – “Ah, FETT. Surprised to see you. Perhaps I shouldn’t be.” – Cross
July 5, 2018
Another fantastic James Bondesque adventure that truly shows the vagaries of right and wrong regarding blind allegiance to a power. Despite his aloof character, Cross is a very likable hero of the Empire. With stunning artwork and clever politicking, this made for a truly enjoyable Star Wars story. If ever Disney run out of Star Wars ideas, they would do well to consider a Jahan Cross TV series.
April 21, 2023
I can't explain why, but something about Count Dooku having a nephew, the new count Adan Dooku, feels wrong. Cross also comes across more familiar characters like Bail Organa, Leia, and Boba Fett. Darth Vader even has a cameo. I would have thought with the familiar characters in the first volume, this series would have gotten that out of its system, but apparently not.
July 15, 2017
A Star Wars graphic novel, irresistible. A bit of unexplained backstory though...
May 25, 2020
A thrilling follow-up to the first Agent book. Again, the writer utilizes various tropes from James Bond movies that are totally natural in the story.
January 6, 2022
Try’s too hard to be 007 in Star Wars.
January 11, 2026
... and then they all moved to Alderaan, where they lived happily ever after!
February 18, 2022
Agent of the Empire was short-lived series from Dark Horse (coming out shortly before the Disney buyout and license switching to Marvel) that was essentially Star Wars meets James Bond. Set three years before A New Hope, it is part of the Legends timeline. While I enjoyed the first one more, this one was still enjoyable. In this one, the current Count Dooku (apparantly the full "Count Dooku" is a title and the title isn't just Count with his named being Dooku) is assassinated. Jahan Cross is then launched into a game of politics and intrigue that features an appearence by Boba Fett. It's good, and feels a lot like a Bond film. The art is really good and I wish this series had gone on longer. Definitely worth the read.
October 21, 2015
I've been going through my backlog of Star Wars comics, and I realized that I never got around to the second arc of John Ostrander's stellar Agent Of The Empire series! Obviously, that had to be remedied. And so, here we are!
Jahan Cross is a very dangerous man, willing to do whatever he has to in order to make the galaxy a better place. Unfortunately, he believes wholeheartedly that the Empire is the only thing separating the galaxy from utter chaos and ruin. In the interests of the Empire, Cross will do anything that is asked of him. But when he discovers that his most recent kill was less about removing a threat to the Empire and more about lining the pockets of an Imperial official, Cross's loyalties are placed to the ultimate test....
The good news? This second arc is every bit as good as the first, maybe better. The bad news? This is all there is. The series was canceled after this for some reason, probably related to the loss of licensing rights. Whereas the first arc dealt with Cross very much secure in his belief that he was working in the galaxy's best interests (rightly, in that case), this time out we see a slightly different side of our shadowy hero. This time he knows for certain that his orders have nothing to do with improving the galaxy and everything to do with the personal ambitions of petty politicians. The question is, can Cross manage to make things right without breaking ranks? You'll just have to wait and see!
As with the previous arc, this story stands pretty well even if you're not a Star Wars buff. Obviously you'll be better off if you read Agent Of The Empire: Iron Eclipse, but aside from that its pretty much new material. You get appearances by Armand & Ysanne Isard, but you learn everything you really need to know about them from context. Leia and Winter make a cameo, but again prior knowledge is far from essential. The barest familiarity with the Clone Wars gives you the identity of Count Dooku, whose family features heavily, but as he's a movie character I think its safe to assume anyone interested knows who he is.
CONTENT: Mild to no profanity. Some violence, occasionally gruesome. Quite a bit of flirting, but no overt sexual content.
Jahan Cross is a very dangerous man, willing to do whatever he has to in order to make the galaxy a better place. Unfortunately, he believes wholeheartedly that the Empire is the only thing separating the galaxy from utter chaos and ruin. In the interests of the Empire, Cross will do anything that is asked of him. But when he discovers that his most recent kill was less about removing a threat to the Empire and more about lining the pockets of an Imperial official, Cross's loyalties are placed to the ultimate test....
The good news? This second arc is every bit as good as the first, maybe better. The bad news? This is all there is. The series was canceled after this for some reason, probably related to the loss of licensing rights. Whereas the first arc dealt with Cross very much secure in his belief that he was working in the galaxy's best interests (rightly, in that case), this time out we see a slightly different side of our shadowy hero. This time he knows for certain that his orders have nothing to do with improving the galaxy and everything to do with the personal ambitions of petty politicians. The question is, can Cross manage to make things right without breaking ranks? You'll just have to wait and see!
As with the previous arc, this story stands pretty well even if you're not a Star Wars buff. Obviously you'll be better off if you read Agent Of The Empire: Iron Eclipse, but aside from that its pretty much new material. You get appearances by Armand & Ysanne Isard, but you learn everything you really need to know about them from context. Leia and Winter make a cameo, but again prior knowledge is far from essential. The barest familiarity with the Clone Wars gives you the identity of Count Dooku, whose family features heavily, but as he's a movie character I think its safe to assume anyone interested knows who he is.
CONTENT: Mild to no profanity. Some violence, occasionally gruesome. Quite a bit of flirting, but no overt sexual content.
July 28, 2015
Great story plenty of action twists and turn all in all a great spy comic. Jahan Cross returns as "Imperial special envoy" (super-spy). Be it an assassination or bodyguard Jahan Cross is the man to go to when you want the Imperial Intelligence want a job done.
Things start our well for Jahan, he completes his assignment without his usual noise and destruction, but then he is reminded of his place when he finds is target was actually an Imperial Loyalist, but they wanted someone better (someone more easily manipulated) as an imperial governor. His next assignment (which brings about an uncomfortable family reunion) is to make sure the power shift takes place as planned, unfortunately the new governor to be has plans of his own, and he is willing to kill anyone or hire Boba Fett to make sure they come about.
Great story, we are told where Cross is originally from, and more background into his family. However we also see his loyalty slightly shaken, especially considering his childhood friends could this be the making of a rebel.
Things start our well for Jahan, he completes his assignment without his usual noise and destruction, but then he is reminded of his place when he finds is target was actually an Imperial Loyalist, but they wanted someone better (someone more easily manipulated) as an imperial governor. His next assignment (which brings about an uncomfortable family reunion) is to make sure the power shift takes place as planned, unfortunately the new governor to be has plans of his own, and he is willing to kill anyone or hire Boba Fett to make sure they come about.
Great story, we are told where Cross is originally from, and more background into his family. However we also see his loyalty slightly shaken, especially considering his childhood friends could this be the making of a rebel.
November 13, 2014
The previous volume (Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse) was basically a James Bond tale in the Star Wars universe. This volume has some more complexity to it. That being said, it's still an action-packed comic book.
Agent Cross finds himself in a situation where the mission seems to be driven by politics, not the Empire's best interests. He stirs up some trouble and finds even more schemes. Then he sets up his own plan to resolve things in the way that seems best to him.
This is fun but not substantial, which is what you can expect from a comic book.
Agent Cross finds himself in a situation where the mission seems to be driven by politics, not the Empire's best interests. He stirs up some trouble and finds even more schemes. Then he sets up his own plan to resolve things in the way that seems best to him.
This is fun but not substantial, which is what you can expect from a comic book.
May 10, 2014
It says Christian Dalla Vecchia on the 'by' for this, but it was written by John Ostrander, and he deserves most of the credit. This is a rousing story of Pre-Episode IV (complete with a couple cameos), and focuses on internal politics and double and triple crosses. Johan Cross is a very competent and interesting character, and the way he plays his hand is masterful. So many new characters are introduced and fleshed out here, it's one of the better self-contained Star Wars stories. My only issue with it is the portrait it paints of Boba Fett - for someone who is as revered as he was at the time, he doesn't come across as very competent. But other than that, definitely worth the read.
December 12, 2016
Jahan Cross is the James Bond of the Star Wars universe, and his story finally hits its stride in the second volume, which contains a complete story (so you don't have to read the first volume if you don't want to). The plot was better, the art was better, and the coloring was better...and this one has Boba Fett! Whether or not you're a Star Wars fan, this is a great non-Star-Wars like story (as in, refreshingly different) to sink your teeth into.
January 17, 2015
Better than Volume I
Volume II had an extremely good ending and shows the complexity of Jahan. As I said in my review of volume I, I chose these graphic novels to reacquaint myself with the Stars Wars series and was very pleased with both volumes. The story excellent and the illustrations perfect.
Volume II had an extremely good ending and shows the complexity of Jahan. As I said in my review of volume I, I chose these graphic novels to reacquaint myself with the Stars Wars series and was very pleased with both volumes. The story excellent and the illustrations perfect.
August 6, 2013
So disappointed that this series has been cancelled.
Sure, it's basically James Bond in the galaxy far far away, but it is so well written... Great characters, fun multi-layered plots. If you're into Star Wars comics at all, you should have read these.
Sure, it's basically James Bond in the galaxy far far away, but it is so well written... Great characters, fun multi-layered plots. If you're into Star Wars comics at all, you should have read these.
January 11, 2015
An enjoyable romp and sequel to the previous AotE series. Jahan Cross is a character I would have liked to see more of in the Star Wars universe but, unfortunately, with the current license holders it is highly unlikely that we will get that opportunity. Good while it lasted, though.
May 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, as Mr. Cross is very similar to James Bond. The character development is on point and detailed enough to pick on personality differences. I liked the conspiracy power struggle that seemed to consume the main antagonist. My rating for this issue is 4.6 out of 5.0.
October 16, 2013
Great spy sci-fi thriller which links the prequels to the original trilogy.
Seriously there's a Count Dooku....two of them even.
Seriously there's a Count Dooku....two of them even.
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