"I really liked how John Wagner developed Jix's character for the comic-book series," writer Ryder Windham says, referring to Shadows of the Empire, the groundbreaking series set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back. and Return of the Jedi. "Darth Vader was strapped by Emperor Palpatine and Prince Xizor, so he sent in this mysterious and very tough character named Jix. Jix's job was to find Luke Skywalker and keep him alive."
In Shadow Stalker, Jix is revealed to be much more than a mere thug. A former Imperial gunnery sergeant, Jix becomes Darth Vader's henchman after saving Vader's life. "You'd think Vader might have been grateful," Windham muses, "but the circumstances of the rescue made the situation a bit more complicated. Jix doesn't help matters because he seems to actually enjoy taunting Vader about their working relationship." Something Darth Vader doesn't at all appreciate.
In addition to the Dark Horse Comics series, Shadow Stalker also draws from Steve Perry's Shadows of the Empire novel and the Classic Star Wars comic-strip series by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson. "The Star Wars universe is so rich with great characters and situations," Windham observes. "I think the readers enjoy references to other stories as much as they like all new adventures."
Star Wars: Shadow Stalker goes on sale November 19 at a retail price of $2.95.