Star Wars Tales #17

This 2003 anthology issue from Dark Horse packs 64 chilling pages into one oversized package, and the cover by Udon and Alvin Lee sets a fittingly dark tone — Darth Vader looms large at the center, flanked by a striking assembly of Sith that includes Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Emperor Palpatine, and two other menacing dark-side figures, all wielding or radiating red lightsaber light against the shadow of the Death Star. It's a brooding, atmospheric gathering of the galaxy's most dangerous villains that captures the sinister appeal of the dark side beautifully. With Joe Casey's "Planet of the Dead" among the stories inside, illustrated by Francisco Paronzini, there's plenty here to draw in fans who appreciate Star Wars storytelling from multiple angles.