I'm a gamer and a film & TV lover, through and through. But, recently, I've dived back into an old love I've forgotten...that is the beautiful world of comics!

I'm a very visual person, and comics help me read the story in more detail. While I do like novels, I struggle to focus on reading the words and imagining what's being described at the same time. This is where comic books are a lifesaver, as they not only tell a story, but they show it.

I've dipped my toes into a few from the worlds of Star Wars and Spider-Man. With that said, here are my top three comics I've indulged in.

1 - Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith: Imperial Machine (Vol 1) & Legacy's End (Vol 2)

Star Wars has a massive expanded universe, which I already knew, but didn't fully realise until I picked up some of the comics. Imperial Machine picks up directly after Revenge of the Sith, and we follow Vader as he learns the ways of the Dark Side from Sidious and how he navigates the newly formed Empire. We see Vader hunt powerful Jedi survivors, and we even see a clone wielding a Lightsaber, pretending to be a Jedi.

In Legacy's End, a continuation of Imperial Machine, we see Jocasta Nu, the Jedi librarian, and her efforts to preserve the Jedi archives. We see Vader's early interactions with the Inquisitors and, ultimately, Nu's demise. Charles Soule knows how to write engaging and lore-heavy Star Wars stories. I truly loved seeing Vader’s Journey getting his Lightsaber. These were a blast, especially with the gorgeous illustrations by Giuseppe Camuncoli.

2 - Ultimate Spider-Man: Power and Responsibility (Vol 1)

Now, if you're a gamer, you'd recognise Ultimate Spider-Man from the game of the same title from the PS2 and Xbox era...which reminds me...fun fact: the comic 'Ultimate Spider-Man War of the Symbiotes' is based on the script of that very game. 

Anyway, enough about the game - Ultimate Spider-Man tells the story we've seen a million times - young Peter gets bitten by a Spider and gets powers, Uncle Ben dies again, and thus, we have a wall-crawling hero. 

This is a character development piece from Brian Michael Bendis in that Spider-Man is not in the volume much. Instead, it focuses on Peter and Harry as characters outside of the costumes. Mendis conveys how strained Harry and his father's relationship is and emphasises that Harry just wants some attention and respect from his dad. This was a comic from the 2000s, meaning that, at the time, it updated Peter Parker's stories and fleshed him out, inspiring live-action movies to borrow heavily from this comic. 

Not only does it feel mature, but it also captures Peter's innocence and scientific side so well. As Spider-Man, he's constantly making mental notes to himself, and that is something I enjoyed. Peter is always thinking quickly.

Oh. MJ also seems to really care for Peter here. 

3 - Jango Fett: Trail of Lost Hope

Now, full disclosure, I have not read this yet, and at the time of writing this article, it's just arrived in the mail. However, the coming few weeks are picking up in terms of having a busy schedule, but I still wanted to talk about it. 

I've heard mixed things about this, BUT - I am still going into this with an open mind as I'd like to come to my own conclusion. In reality, I'm just hoping for some good ol' Jango action...I'm not expecting this to be life-changing, a character study, or even thought-provoking. As long as I see Jango take names, I'll be happy. 

As for the plot, I'm largely blind here, on purpose. I know there is a warring planet with two species, and the Republic has donated a valuable statue with ties to both species to help bring peace. When it is stolen, both sides blame each other. Jango Fett is hired to bring the statue and the thief back. This sounds like it's taken from a Clone Wars episode! So I'm already super excited to dive right into this. 

From what I have seen, the illustrations from Luke Ross look incredible. It seems like it fits well within the Episode 2 timeline of the film, with Jango's armour and how they depict Coruscant.

I'll ask you - what have you been reading? Have you read Jango Fett: Trails of Lost Hope? Did you like it? Let me know in the comments below...let's talk about all things comic books!