Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan: Last Stand on Ord Mantell #3 (of 3) [Also available Photo Cover] Story: Ryder Windham Art: Ramon F. Bachs Inking: Raul Fernandez Coloring: Bodhi Tree Lettering: Steve Dutro Cover: Ramon F. Bachs, Raul Fernandez and Bodhi Tree Released: 03/21/2001 Reviewed by: JF Boivin (11/07/2004) SUMMARY: The stunning conclusion. When Qui-Gon rescues Nella from the Savrips, he finds out that they are not animals, but a sentient species who are becoming extinct because of Taxer Sundown. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan follows Sundown to Bold's farm and discovers the truth behing Nella's mother's death. They all meet for a final showdown on top of Ten-Mile Plateau where the real mastermind behind all this mystery is finally revealed.

[art cover] [photo cover]

THE STORY

What can I say? I'm very impressed. Windham pulled off a satisfying conclusion to a consistently intertaining story. There are two instances where I was kind of surprised; when a Savrip starts talking and even has a name; and when Qui-Gon dispatches the evil person behind this plot in a drastic but effective way.

Now a word about Mantellian Savrips. At the same time the first issue came out, Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Gamer #1 hit the stands which contained an adventure with some rather non-sentient savrips. The adventure is titled "Rendezvous at Ord Mantell" by Andy Collins and it is understandably neither author's fault that there turned up to be two very different takes on the same creature. This aspect was subsequently fixed in WotC's Alien Anthology.

The story is very touching in parts, and is overall one of the best series published so far. This issue also contains a letters column which gives much deserved praise to issue #1.

THE ART

We're back to the slighty-cartoonesque art of Ramon Bachs, which isn't bad by any means.

CONCLUSIONS

A winner all the way. One of those series I will pull out of the box and re-read every few years.

Rating: 9 / 10 Highly Recommended