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Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 8: Masquerade
There are few occupations more dangerous than flying an X-wing fighter for the Rebel Alliance, but Rogue Squadron is about to discover that diplomacy can be more deadly than a fleet of Star Destroyers! Sate Pestage, the interim Emperor, is losing his grip upon the Galactic Empire and seeks contact with Princess Leia to negotiate his defection to the Alliance in return for offering up the keys to the Imperial Throneworld of Coruscant. But Pestage's moves have been anticipated by Isard, the woman who would take the Empire's reins for herself, and a lethal game of chess ensues with the fate of the Empire--and Rogue Squadron--hanging in the balance!
117 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2000
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 2, 2020
Dark Horse Comics: Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron - Issues #28-31. This was a good story with some nice escapes and intrigue. My favorite part was they brought back some old favorites from the original movies, so that was fun. This was the definition of a good book. One that I enjoyed reading, but it wasn't great or spectacular. Three star (and sometimes even two star) stories are worth reading if they continue a longer saga you're into.
December 31, 2022
Star Wars Legends Project #313
Background: Masquerade was released in June of 2000, and it collects issues #28-31 originally published Mar-Jul 1998. It is the eighth Rogue Squadron story arc. It was written by Michael A. Stackpole and drawn by Drew Johnson. Stackpole continues as the main writer for the entire series. Johnson continues his brief run begun in the previous issue.
Masquerade takes place 11 months after the Battle of Endor, just shy of 5 years after the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Baron Fel, Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and the rest of Rogue Squadron, as well as Han, Leia, Chewie, Winter, Sate Pestage, Ysanne Isard, etc. The story takes place on Coruscant, Axxila, and Eiattu 6.
Summary: As he feels the noose of Ysanne Isard's coup plot tightening around his neck, Imperial leader Sate Pestage seeks a bargain with the New Republic for his life. But both parties must move carefully or neither will get what they want. While Pestage meets in secret with Princess Leia, Winter, posing as Leia, stages a diversion for Isard's benefit. Rogue Squadron is tasked with aiding both operations, but things go sideways when Winter's mission runs into unforeseen trouble and Isard draws the right conclusions for the wrong reasons. Now, with the stakes as high as they've ever been and their forces split, the Rogues must snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, or lose big.
Review: I had high hopes for this story, because it's been building for awhile, all of the characters have been developed, and the stars are aligned for something really epic. All of the elements are there, but the effect is significantly stymied, mostly because of the art, though perhaps a bit because of the writing. There is a point partway through this comic where I got completely lost as to what was happening with which characters, to the point where I closed the book and started hunting around online to find out whether some pages were missing from the edition I was reading. And that's probably a writing issue, but I don't think it would have mattered if so many characters weren't drawn without any distinguishing characteristics. They all look so similar that I couldn't tell them apart. It's a shame, because as I said, there's a lot to love about this story and everything that's gone into building to it. Maybe I'm just extraordinarily thick, and this won't be an issue for anyone else. But it was a problem for me.
B-
Background: Masquerade was released in June of 2000, and it collects issues #28-31 originally published Mar-Jul 1998. It is the eighth Rogue Squadron story arc. It was written by Michael A. Stackpole and drawn by Drew Johnson. Stackpole continues as the main writer for the entire series. Johnson continues his brief run begun in the previous issue.
Masquerade takes place 11 months after the Battle of Endor, just shy of 5 years after the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Baron Fel, Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and the rest of Rogue Squadron, as well as Han, Leia, Chewie, Winter, Sate Pestage, Ysanne Isard, etc. The story takes place on Coruscant, Axxila, and Eiattu 6.
Summary: As he feels the noose of Ysanne Isard's coup plot tightening around his neck, Imperial leader Sate Pestage seeks a bargain with the New Republic for his life. But both parties must move carefully or neither will get what they want. While Pestage meets in secret with Princess Leia, Winter, posing as Leia, stages a diversion for Isard's benefit. Rogue Squadron is tasked with aiding both operations, but things go sideways when Winter's mission runs into unforeseen trouble and Isard draws the right conclusions for the wrong reasons. Now, with the stakes as high as they've ever been and their forces split, the Rogues must snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, or lose big.
Review: I had high hopes for this story, because it's been building for awhile, all of the characters have been developed, and the stars are aligned for something really epic. All of the elements are there, but the effect is significantly stymied, mostly because of the art, though perhaps a bit because of the writing. There is a point partway through this comic where I got completely lost as to what was happening with which characters, to the point where I closed the book and started hunting around online to find out whether some pages were missing from the edition I was reading. And that's probably a writing issue, but I don't think it would have mattered if so many characters weren't drawn without any distinguishing characteristics. They all look so similar that I couldn't tell them apart. It's a shame, because as I said, there's a lot to love about this story and everything that's gone into building to it. Maybe I'm just extraordinarily thick, and this won't be an issue for anyone else. But it was a problem for me.
B-
November 26, 2015
No-longer canon entry in the X-Wing series of graphic novels, released way back before Marvel took over (and wiped out the Extended Universe) the reins.
I remember reading the actual novels back in the late 90s/early 2000s, but I never actually realized until fairly recently that the graphic novels released alongside them DIDN'T actually tell the same story: rather, that they stood on their own 2 feet alongside those books.
This is #8 in those graphic novels, and is set after the events of 'Return of the Jedi' (before Episode VII was ever even thought about), but before the New Republic had (re)captured Coruscant - like those X-Wing novels, a large part of these stories is set around the plans to do just that.
In this, the interim Emperor Sate Pestage is beginning to lose his grip on the Empire, leading to him to seek contact with Princess Leia in order to negotiate his defection.
However, Ysanne Isard - the key villainess of the novels - suspects him of doing so, and will stop at nothing to wrest control of the Empire ...
I remember reading the actual novels back in the late 90s/early 2000s, but I never actually realized until fairly recently that the graphic novels released alongside them DIDN'T actually tell the same story: rather, that they stood on their own 2 feet alongside those books.
This is #8 in those graphic novels, and is set after the events of 'Return of the Jedi' (before Episode VII was ever even thought about), but before the New Republic had (re)captured Coruscant - like those X-Wing novels, a large part of these stories is set around the plans to do just that.
In this, the interim Emperor Sate Pestage is beginning to lose his grip on the Empire, leading to him to seek contact with Princess Leia in order to negotiate his defection.
However, Ysanne Isard - the key villainess of the novels - suspects him of doing so, and will stop at nothing to wrest control of the Empire ...
March 16, 2020
Finally the series has developed a better continuity between books. The pilots and characters involved are the same for the rest of the series, makes life a lot easier.
There's some intrigue regarding the loyalty of Soontir Fel, an interesting relationship developing between two species who habitually despise each other and a case of mistaken identity. There's quite a lot packed into this volume which, I feel, largely pays off.
I had fun reading this one and found the artwork to be on par with the series as a whole.
There's some intrigue regarding the loyalty of Soontir Fel, an interesting relationship developing between two species who habitually despise each other and a case of mistaken identity. There's quite a lot packed into this volume which, I feel, largely pays off.
I had fun reading this one and found the artwork to be on par with the series as a whole.
February 5, 2023
Let's call it 3 1/2 stars. The art was mixed - sometimes it wasn't bad, other times, it wasn't good, but the story had a nice mix of political intrigue and action. There were some good character moments - conversations between Han and Fel, Leia struggling with the difficulties of not being able to end the Empire in one move and free the galaxy, Tycho and Winter's continuing relationship, and Nrin and Ibtisam's friendship.
This and the first half of Blood and Honor are the best of this series. I just wish the rest of the series had been as good.
This and the first half of Blood and Honor are the best of this series. I just wish the rest of the series had been as good.
July 14, 2016
I'm a fan of Michael Stackpole since his Battletech days & always nice to see more of Wedge Antilles - possibly the best pit part made large character ever. Solid little graphic novel, nicely done.
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July 5, 2010SW xwrs
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews