Comic Review: Tales from the Nightlands #1 – Anakin Kicks Off Spooky Season!
Star Wars Halloween comics are BACK in an all-new horror anthology from Cavan Scott.
By
Sep 10, 2025
Dark Horse Comics/Youtini Illustration
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Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Soo Lee
Publisher summary:
On Ryloth, Twi'leks whisper about the Nightlands, the realm where their spirits retire after death. Legend says that on nights when the veil is thinnest, you can speak with the shades who reside there.
On one such night, Anakin Skywalker and his Twi'lek friend Daesha try to summon the ghost of a much-loved relative for a final goodbye. But when Anakin makes contact with the Nightlands, the answer is anything but friendly…
Dark Horse Comics
Why it matters: Horror has been a staple of Star Wars storytelling for decades. Cavan Scott has tackled Vader’s Castle, Jabba’s Palace, and the Death Star, and now he’s off to a strong start with an era-spanning anthology on the Twi’lek home of Ryloth.
Key moments:
Ani? My goodness, you’ve grown… a bit: Set between Episodes I and II, this story offers a rare look at Anakin’s early Padawan days. His characterization is the perfect mix of the hopeful young boy played by Jake Lloyd and the overconfident teenager of the Clone Wars era.
All I am surrounded by is fear and dead men: Whether its witches or alien monsters or undead stormtroopers, Star Wars always leads to surprisingly compelling horror settings. The Nightlander is a fascinating new ghostly villain who seems ready to terrorize all our favorite characters.
Luminous drawings we are: Soo Lee–previously an artist on Scott’s Tales from the Death Star–does a sensational job at rendering the haunted Nightlands. Her designs highlight the innocence of these young characters while her dream-like color palette underscores their fear.
Dark Horse Comics
The big picture:
Tales from the Nightlands is the perfect continuation of Cavan Scott’s yearly installments of Star Wars horror. He manages to once again effortlessly blend genres while also telling a compelling story about children overcoming a difficult loss. Soo Lee’s mesmerizing art completes the package with a dreamy style that elevates the story. Fans of the Prequels will obviously love seeing Obi-Wan and Anakin in this rarely explored timeline, but there’s something for everyone as the story teases a continuation into the Original Trilogy and Sequel eras.
Our rating: Incredible
What’s next: The Nightlander haunts Luke and Leia! Issue #2 releases on October 22nd, just in time for Halloween.
For a deeper discussion of this issue, be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Cosmic Force podcast!
Oz Davis is a Content Creator at Youtini and co-host of The Cosmic Force. He's kept up with every Canon release since 2014 and has a particular soft spot for lesser-known books like "Servants of the Empire." As part of Youtini's "Dad Batch," he's also developed an affinity for the multitude of Star Wars children's books, and he's always looking to expand his collection.
