Black Star Renegade

Moreci (the Roche Limit comics series) delivers a story that recalls his work for the Star Wars franchise: it brims with exotic locales, weird aliens, an evil empire, and a Jedilike hero with a cohort of misfits. Cade Sura and his older brother, Tristan, spent 10 years studying to be Rai warriors, planning to defend the Galactic Alliance from Praxis and its evil Queen Ga Halle. Certain that Tristan is the legendary Paragon, their teacher, Ser Jorken, sends them to recover an ancient weapon called the Rokura—but a Praxis assassin murders Tristan. Cade, escaping with the Rokura, is now assumed to be the Paragon, but he’s not reconciled to that role, and neither is the sentient artifact. On the run from Praxis forces, Cade assembles a crew of oddballs who set off to find the real Paragon and take out the War Hammer, a planet-killing Praxian space ship. Moreci’s sci-fi adventure delivers plenty of action for fans willing to overlook the unoriginal story. Agent: Jason Yarn, Jason Yarn Literary. (Jan.)