Randy Stradley and Davidé Fabbri’s Star Wars: Jedi Council: Acts of War collects all four issues of the Dark Horse comic series of the same name. The story, set 33 years before the Battle of Yavin and just prior to the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, focuses on a Jedi taskforce under Mace Windu’s leadership facing the threat of the Yinchorri, a species encroaching on others’ territory that possesses immunity to Force mind-control and cortosis shields. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, the Yinchorri act with the hidden support of Darth Sidious, whose apprentice, Darth Maul, wishes he could join in the fray rather than observe from the sidelines. Stradley and Fabbri’s story features some great character development for Mace Windu, Plo Koon, and others, while introducing charismatic Jedi Master Micah Giiett and offering a glimpse of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to the events of Episode I. It helps to add context to the events prior to the prequel films while personalizing some of the lesser-known Jedi in advance of Episode II. Stradley introduced a minor character, Soon Bayts, in this story as a joke on editor Sue Rostoni, who would add the title “Master” before any Jedi’s name. Bayts appeared one final time in the limited series, Star Wars: Obsession, in which writer Haden Blackman finally displayed his name as Master Bayts. Though this story is no longer considered canon, elements of the plot recall part of the premise of the new High Republic series, particularly in its focus on lesser-known Jedi. ( )