What do you think?
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 -2010) #7-9
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Vol. 2: In Service of the Republic
Jedi Kit Fisto and Plo Koon take on a daring assault mission with a squad of tough Republic commandos on the ice planet Khorm. The Jedi seek to free the enslaved Khormai people and destroy the Separatists' mountain fortress. But on this assignment, nothing will come easy An intense snowstorm, a cowardly Republic captain, and the arrival of feared assassin Asajj Ventress with her elite commandos test the skill of the Jedi and the Republic forces
80 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2006
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 19, 2024
Ventress lightsabering Wolffe's eye out in battle felt like such a side note. I love Kit Fisto and Plo Koon interacting with clones, though. I wish these comic artists had looked at a photo of Temuera Morrison before drawing clones as Brad and Brett from Gamma Kappa Phi.
December 18, 2023
How was this not going to be good? Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, and Asajj Ventress. The absolute key to my Star Wars heart right there. Plus this was kinda dark, Ventress beheaded two guys and bisected someone else. This was a fun story and it would have nice to see it animated for sure. Could have been one of my favorite episodes.
June 11, 2022
3.5
would’ve been 4 with slightly better art, but wolffe <3
would’ve been 4 with slightly better art, but wolffe <3
July 13, 2017
When the Clone Wars TV series premiered in 2008, Dark Horse started a comic book series to come out alongside it. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS ran for 12 issues and had three distinct storylines. Collected here are issues 7-9, a storyline called "In Service of the Republic" as well as a short comic called "The Gauntlet of Death".
"In Service of the Republic" features Jedi Masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon helping Republic forces stop the hostile takeover of a mining facility on an ice planet. They must contend with not only Separatist forces and the assassin Asajj Ventress, but also an idiotic Republic general whose aggressive battle maneuvers put them in jeopardy several times. It's a really good comic that shows how the Clone Troopers and the Jedi had to adapt to each others battle ethics in times of crisis. The artwork is really quite good, as is the writing.
"The Gauntlet of Death" finds Master Fisto helping Clone Troopers during another battle, this time requiring the assistance of a highly skilled sniper to help clear out a nest of enemies. It's a quick little story that is mostly action, which is never a bad thing in my eyes. There is a questionable Jedi move that Fisto uses that seemed to me to be something a Dark Force user would do, but that's just a purely geeky concern on my end.
Awesome collection here, one of the best Clone Wars stories I've read so far.
"In Service of the Republic" features Jedi Masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon helping Republic forces stop the hostile takeover of a mining facility on an ice planet. They must contend with not only Separatist forces and the assassin Asajj Ventress, but also an idiotic Republic general whose aggressive battle maneuvers put them in jeopardy several times. It's a really good comic that shows how the Clone Troopers and the Jedi had to adapt to each others battle ethics in times of crisis. The artwork is really quite good, as is the writing.
"The Gauntlet of Death" finds Master Fisto helping Clone Troopers during another battle, this time requiring the assistance of a highly skilled sniper to help clear out a nest of enemies. It's a quick little story that is mostly action, which is never a bad thing in my eyes. There is a questionable Jedi move that Fisto uses that seemed to me to be something a Dark Force user would do, but that's just a purely geeky concern on my end.
Awesome collection here, one of the best Clone Wars stories I've read so far.
January 27, 2024
5/5 stars
this is SO FREAKING ADORABLE i literally love every single thing about this book except for freaking ozzle. i am so DEVASTATED that this is LEGENDS and not CANON.
the banter was top tier. i love the age game with plo. i love wolffe. and KIT bro, that little short story at the end was so cute and brilliant.
on the subject of ozzle,
excerpts:
this is SO FREAKING ADORABLE i literally love every single thing about this book except for freaking ozzle. i am so DEVASTATED that this is LEGENDS and not CANON.
the banter was top tier. i love the age game with plo. i love wolffe. and KIT bro, that little short story at the end was so cute and brilliant.
on the subject of ozzle,
excerpts:
December 15, 2019
Not nearly as (aspirationally) potent as the first volume, but still trying to do a couple interesting things. There are two subplots here, both of which I think are trying to get at a similar theme. Kit Fisto and Plo Koon work with clones who are trained to sacrifice anything to complete their mission--including, especially, their own lives and those of civilians. Kit and Plo teach them that "how you complete your mission is just as important as whether you complete it." It's a very TCW moral, trite and at odds with much of the rest of the universe (how does this apply to Rogue One, eg?). Still, it's something.
The second part concerns Captain Ozzel, an officer who embodies the attitude the clones think they want. He sacrifices his men with open disregard for their lives if he thinks it might get the mission done faster or better. When this predictably ends in disaster (Ozzel uses lives in place of strategy), he applies the same approach to his new goal: saving his own ass.
The problem with this whole setup is that it's inevitably contrived. If Ozzel's approach had worked with a high cost, would he still be wrong? If the Jedi delay to save their clones had in fact cost them the mission and resulted in larger loss of life, would they still be right? Because the theme is so heavy-handed as a message, it relies far too much on the arbitrary decisions the creator makes. That makes it unconvincing and boring.
On the other hand, there's something poignant about all this knowing how each of these values play forward. One of the reasons Ozzel is so keen on advancing at the expense of his soldiers' lives is that he knows this is the approach that Palpatine favors. And despite his failure to achieve the objective, he is in fact rewarded for it. More tragically, the clones don't think this way for the reasons they think they do ("'peacekeeping' gets men killed") but because Palpatine wants them to think that way. They have reframed his disregard for their lives as a necessary sacrifice to save their lives, a cognitive dissonance the Jedi can assuage in the short term but not enough to save them from Order 66. Retrospect adds a lot here.
The second part concerns Captain Ozzel, an officer who embodies the attitude the clones think they want. He sacrifices his men with open disregard for their lives if he thinks it might get the mission done faster or better. When this predictably ends in disaster (Ozzel uses lives in place of strategy), he applies the same approach to his new goal: saving his own ass.
The problem with this whole setup is that it's inevitably contrived. If Ozzel's approach had worked with a high cost, would he still be wrong? If the Jedi delay to save their clones had in fact cost them the mission and resulted in larger loss of life, would they still be right? Because the theme is so heavy-handed as a message, it relies far too much on the arbitrary decisions the creator makes. That makes it unconvincing and boring.
On the other hand, there's something poignant about all this knowing how each of these values play forward. One of the reasons Ozzel is so keen on advancing at the expense of his soldiers' lives is that he knows this is the approach that Palpatine favors. And despite his failure to achieve the objective, he is in fact rewarded for it. More tragically, the clones don't think this way for the reasons they think they do ("'peacekeeping' gets men killed") but because Palpatine wants them to think that way. They have reframed his disregard for their lives as a necessary sacrifice to save their lives, a cognitive dissonance the Jedi can assuage in the short term but not enough to save them from Order 66. Retrospect adds a lot here.
November 12, 2017
I liked this book a lot. It was a quick and easy read. I don't normally read comic books but I like star wars so I picked this up. I love learning more about the clone wars because there is soo00 much to know! I think this book had a great story and it was very action-packed. I recommend this book to anyone who likes star wars and comic books. It is very short. I read it in one sitting. There is also a bonus Kit Fisto story. It was a nice little add-on.
May 22, 2021
My Star Wars hot take is that I don't love the clones. Beyond MAYBE Rex (Bad Batch TBD), I can't get too invested in them despite the work Dee Bradley Baker does to differentiate them. So a clone-focused miniseries is going to lose points for me automatically. However, Henry Gilroy takes his time with this slow burn of a story, giving us some interesting psychological insights into the "good soldiers follow orders" clone mentality. Plus, more Ventress is always a good thing.
July 11, 2021
I thought is was a very good read and what I especially appreciated about this book how it relates to the rules of our society. I say this loosely because this may not apply to everyone. I like a comic that allows me to think about real life situations and how I would respond in a similar scenario. I enjoyed this book as it was what I would expect out of a star wars story. Must rating for this book is a 4.4 out of 5.0.
October 24, 2022
Four stars because the clone who got shot in the throat learned nothing and STILL sacrificed himself. I would have liked to see him live and learn and grow. Plus, the really annoying captain jerk got zero repercussions for nearly getting everyone killed several times. But we get to see Wolffe and how he got his scar so that was cool. The story needed more Wolffe.
Bonus: Loved the Kit Fisto short story at the end because of Cooker.
Bonus: Loved the Kit Fisto short story at the end because of Cooker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2025
Set in 20BBY
This one was a fun ride, along with two good ones, Kit Fisto and Plo Koon, sent over to some mission in the midst of the Clone Wars, against Separatist forces and surprise surprise, Ventress.
Solid action sequences and artwork to go with it. Ventress oozes hatred as always and she's just doing her usual thing.
"Now, this is one of my favorite things. A Jedi with nothing left to say." - Asajj Ventress
This one was a fun ride, along with two good ones, Kit Fisto and Plo Koon, sent over to some mission in the midst of the Clone Wars, against Separatist forces and surprise surprise, Ventress.
Solid action sequences and artwork to go with it. Ventress oozes hatred as always and she's just doing her usual thing.
"Now, this is one of my favorite things. A Jedi with nothing left to say." - Asajj Ventress
October 16, 2023
Ok, I went back and finished this and it's... Fine. Probably one of the weaker stories in the season 1 lineup mainly because of how long it is. It's a bit muddled at time and the complete lack of main characters makes it feel extremely inconsequential but it's always good to see Plo and Ventress and the central moral question is good even though it's not executed very well imo
March 19, 2024
The layout of the art is striking.
This volume includes two stories: a longer combat, and a very brief combat. Both are light on plot or any sort of point to the whole thing. This is really only interesting to Star Wars fans who like the characters, and people who want to see more light saber battles.
Eh. (Ratings on the other clone war ones in this series look similar.)
This volume includes two stories: a longer combat, and a very brief combat. Both are light on plot or any sort of point to the whole thing. This is really only interesting to Star Wars fans who like the characters, and people who want to see more light saber battles.
Eh. (Ratings on the other clone war ones in this series look similar.)
October 25, 2019
This one was a little too much straight action for me. Ozzel being there and incompetent was a cute little in joke. But overall it was a bit bland.
June 3, 2021
Really fun read, could easily be one episode of the series. The art is good enough.
Worth it to anyone looking for more The Clone Wars stories.
Worth it to anyone looking for more The Clone Wars stories.
September 21, 2023
A serviceable Clone Wars story that only stands out because of the inclusion of Ozzel. The short story in the back was fun if unremarkable.
August 14, 2024
Nothing like the clone wars era 😭😭
September 15, 2017
Star Wars Legends Project #135
Background: In Service of the Republic was released in June 2010. It collects the three issues originally released July to September of 2009, plus the one-shot "Gauntlet of Death" that was released for Free Comic Book Day in May 2009. All four issues were written by Henry Gilroy and the first three were also cowritten by Steven Melching. The first three issues were drawn by Scott Hepburn, and "The Gauntlet of Death" was drawn by Ramón K. Pérez. Gilroy was in charge of developing The Clone Wars animated series, and was head writer for Season One, as well as being a producer for the animated Rebels series. However, he has also written a few dozen issues of various comics, including the adaptations of Episode I and Episode II. Melching has also written a few dozen episodes (combined) for The Clone Wars and Rebels. In addition to one other series of Clone Wars comics, Hepburn drew the "Vector" arc from Knights of the Old Republic. Pérez also drew for one or two other Clone Wars comics, as well as providing artwork for several issues of Star Wars Gamer magazine.
In Service of the Republic is set a few months after the Battle of Geonosis (22 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main characters are Jedi masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon, along with Asajj Ventress and Major Kendal Ozzel.
Summary: In In Service of the Republic, deployed to the icy world of Khorm to secure a valuable resource, Plo Koon and Kit Fisto find the Separatist forces already deeply-entrenched, allied with a local warlord who has some powerful technology at his disposal. Even more important than the Republic's access to the planet's resources is the safety of its people, now threatened by the Separatists, but not everyone agrees with the Jedi's assessment, including a rising commander within their own army.
In "Gauntlet of Death," Kit Fisto employs some unconventional tactics to break a stalemate in a battle with the Geonosians.
Review: There are definitely several things that this comic gets right, starting with giving us an interesting story starring a couple of second-string Jedi characters and giving them some actual personality. There's some solid banter between Kit and Plo, and a running joke involving Plo's real age that works well. The artwork is really good, and the plot keeps moving and shifting when it would have been easy to coast on a lot of action without much substance.
Less enjoyable is the (I presume) somewhat playful attempt to work in some backstory for Admiral Ozzel, the first of Vader's subordinates to be offed for incompetence in The Empire Strikes Back. The writers take those 15 seconds of knowing he'll eventually be executed for minor tactical incompetence and spin it into an open question of how he could possibly have managed to survive multiple decades as a high-ranking officer when literally every decision he makes is the utterly moronic act of a craven. He orders his men into disaster multiple times, nearly gets the Jedi killed multiple times (in fact, nearly kills them himself at least once), cracks instantly under enemy interrogation. He doesn't do a single thing right in the entire story. Actually, that's too generous. He does all of the wrongest things he can possibly do in the entire story and then comes out at the end with the promotion we knew he was at some point destined to get. It's a sledgehammer device that gets trotted out far too many times. We get it. Haha, Ozzel was always a complete dummy. Move on. It's not actually fun or interesting when a story craps all over a character this much.
The "weather control" device that plays a central role in the early phase of the plot is also a bit squirrely, but that's the kind of goofy sci-fi-esque gimmick that anyone familiar with Star Wars is used to shrugging off. There are a couple of things like that here, but they hardly distract from what you're here to read. Overall the end result of this bit isn't memorable, but it is enjoyable while you're reading it.
"The Gauntlet of Death" leaves even less of an impression. It's incredibly slight and barely qualifies as a story, though there was some nice artwork at least.
C+
Background: In Service of the Republic was released in June 2010. It collects the three issues originally released July to September of 2009, plus the one-shot "Gauntlet of Death" that was released for Free Comic Book Day in May 2009. All four issues were written by Henry Gilroy and the first three were also cowritten by Steven Melching. The first three issues were drawn by Scott Hepburn, and "The Gauntlet of Death" was drawn by Ramón K. Pérez. Gilroy was in charge of developing The Clone Wars animated series, and was head writer for Season One, as well as being a producer for the animated Rebels series. However, he has also written a few dozen issues of various comics, including the adaptations of Episode I and Episode II. Melching has also written a few dozen episodes (combined) for The Clone Wars and Rebels. In addition to one other series of Clone Wars comics, Hepburn drew the "Vector" arc from Knights of the Old Republic. Pérez also drew for one or two other Clone Wars comics, as well as providing artwork for several issues of Star Wars Gamer magazine.
In Service of the Republic is set a few months after the Battle of Geonosis (22 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main characters are Jedi masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon, along with Asajj Ventress and Major Kendal Ozzel.
Summary: In In Service of the Republic, deployed to the icy world of Khorm to secure a valuable resource, Plo Koon and Kit Fisto find the Separatist forces already deeply-entrenched, allied with a local warlord who has some powerful technology at his disposal. Even more important than the Republic's access to the planet's resources is the safety of its people, now threatened by the Separatists, but not everyone agrees with the Jedi's assessment, including a rising commander within their own army.
In "Gauntlet of Death," Kit Fisto employs some unconventional tactics to break a stalemate in a battle with the Geonosians.
Review: There are definitely several things that this comic gets right, starting with giving us an interesting story starring a couple of second-string Jedi characters and giving them some actual personality. There's some solid banter between Kit and Plo, and a running joke involving Plo's real age that works well. The artwork is really good, and the plot keeps moving and shifting when it would have been easy to coast on a lot of action without much substance.
Less enjoyable is the (I presume) somewhat playful attempt to work in some backstory for Admiral Ozzel, the first of Vader's subordinates to be offed for incompetence in The Empire Strikes Back. The writers take those 15 seconds of knowing he'll eventually be executed for minor tactical incompetence and spin it into an open question of how he could possibly have managed to survive multiple decades as a high-ranking officer when literally every decision he makes is the utterly moronic act of a craven. He orders his men into disaster multiple times, nearly gets the Jedi killed multiple times (in fact, nearly kills them himself at least once), cracks instantly under enemy interrogation. He doesn't do a single thing right in the entire story. Actually, that's too generous. He does all of the wrongest things he can possibly do in the entire story and then comes out at the end with the promotion we knew he was at some point destined to get. It's a sledgehammer device that gets trotted out far too many times. We get it. Haha, Ozzel was always a complete dummy. Move on. It's not actually fun or interesting when a story craps all over a character this much.
The "weather control" device that plays a central role in the early phase of the plot is also a bit squirrely, but that's the kind of goofy sci-fi-esque gimmick that anyone familiar with Star Wars is used to shrugging off. There are a couple of things like that here, but they hardly distract from what you're here to read. Overall the end result of this bit isn't memorable, but it is enjoyable while you're reading it.
"The Gauntlet of Death" leaves even less of an impression. It's incredibly slight and barely qualifies as a story, though there was some nice artwork at least.
C+
Read
June 22, 2026Checking out the books my grandchild is reading
September 22, 2013
Kip Fisto has to secure a planet aided by clones. There's some fun moments, like the guessing of a jedi's age but also some philosophical ones about war. A good read.
January 4, 2020
I read this awhile ago but didn't add it to goodreads and now I can't remember any of the details! Except I liked it!
September 22, 2014
Wolfpack was the main reason I read this comic and the main reason I loved it <3
November 12, 2018
It was very good comic to read, the author did a great job writing it.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews