Star Wars: Empire #16

This 2004 Dark Horse series delivers a gripping chapter with "To the Last Man, Part 1 of 3," and the cover by David Michael Beck sets the tension immediately: a determined, battle-worn man in dark tactical gear crouches with blaster raised in a jungle setting, while a ring of Stormtroopers closes in behind him — the tagline "Outnumbered!" saying everything you need to know. The lush, earthy palette contrasts sharply with the cold white armor of the Imperial troops pressing in from every angle, making the lone figure's resolve all the more striking. Written by Welles Hartley with interior art by Davide Fabbri and inks by Christian Dalla Vecchia, this opening chapter promises the kind of desperate, against-the-odds storytelling that makes the Empire series such a satisfying corner of the Star Wars universe.