Star Wars: Mara Jade - By the Emperor's Hand #4

Released in early 1999, Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand served as the pivotal comic book origin story for one of the most significant characters in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The six-issue miniseries, published by Dark Horse Comics, was written by Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole, who sought to translate Zahn’s popular literary creation into the visual medium. This fourth issue continues the narrative arc detailing Mara Jade’s final missions as the Emperor’s assassin following the events of Return of the Jedi, bridging the gap between her role as a servant of the dark side and her eventual transition toward a more complex moral path.

The interior artwork was provided by Carlos Ezquerra, whose gritty, distinct style helped establish a mature tone for the series. The character design aimed to ground Mara Jade within the established Star Wars aesthetic while emphasizing her unique history as a high-level Imperial operative. Upon its release, the series was well-received by fans of the novels, who appreciated the expansion of the lore and the deeper exploration of the power vacuum left by the Emperor’s death. It remains a cornerstone for collectors of the Dark Horse era of Star Wars comics.