Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is an ongoing series from Dark Horse comics that takes its inspiration from the extremely successful Clone Wars cartoon series. This inspiration is visible in both the short, action-packed nature of the stories as well as in the art style itself. Volume Five contains four new stories as follows:
1) "What Goes Up..." - Aayla Secura and the 327th Star Corps journey to the forest moon of Endor to investigate the disappearance of a Republic recon team. This is a great story, not least because it features Ewoks and also highlights a very amusing sarcastic battle droid. Each time I see Revenge of the Sith, I chuckle at the two lines the commander battle droid has on the bridge of the Invisible Hand when Grievous and the heroes meet. This droid captures that same attitude but takes it a lot further. Thumbs up for this tale!
2) "Bailed Out" - Another winner, this story follows a rescue mission to Metalorn led by Senator Bail Organa. The Separatists are holding a special prisoner and Organa must connive his way into the facility and attempt to help. I liked the notion of having a Senator support the war effort by directly using politics as a weapon.
3) "Heroes on Both Sides" - The Separatists abandon their allies on the Viidaav Mining Colony and trigger a weapon that will doom the whole planet. Unbeknownst to each other, a clone commander and a Viidaavian race to both try and stop the catastrophe. This story is told in an innovative mirror style where panels on facing pages show similar events from two distinct points of view.
4) Order of Outcasts" - Like Volume Four, this book ends with an Order 66 tale. Padawan Joc Sah is caught in the middle of the Jedi slaughter while trying to secure a Republic outpost on Ragmar V. Ragtag locals he initially thought of as the enemy suddenly become allies. This story shows the shift in thinking any Jedi surviving the carnage of Order 66 will be required to do in order to have any hope of staying alive under the Emperor's New Order.
Clone Wars Adventures Volume Five was a standout in this series. All four stories were strong and the first two in particular are worth taking a look.