Author Archives: Bria

Hondo Caravan: And Now Barriss!

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Season Two continues along with episodes filled with not only a bunch of awesomely badass female Jedi (oh and the male Jedi too I guess) but also the return of General Grievous! Okay, let’s be honest: I was mostly just excited about the appearance of one Jedi in particular.  I bet the title gave it away.

Landing at Point Rain
I will never get enough of Master Luminara being 300% above everyone else’s bickering and silliness.

This episode features the return to Geonosis which really makes me wonder about everyone’s mental state.  I don’t say that to be flip because I am genuinely curious.  Many of the clones fighting in this episode were likely part of the first Battle of Geonosis and all of the Jedi except for Ahsoka were also a part of the fight.  A lot of people died that day.  I can’t help but wonder if any of them are experiencing some form of PTSD or if they’re struggling with the memories.

I know, I know.  Shut up, Bria.  This is a kids’ show.

On the other hand, I feel like I get Obi-Wan here as he sighs at Anakin and Ahsoka’s game to see who can destroy the most droids.  I understand that it’s a way to deal with the horrors of war but I also definitely see where Obi-Wan’s sighs are coming from.

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Hondo Caravan: Not The Children!

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The weather outside might be frightful (well, in some parts of the world) so clearly the best way to counter it is to watch some more Clone Wars!  Season Two is off to a solid start as Cad Bane enacts more of his dastardly plans!  Okay, maybe they aren’t all that dastardly or even really his plans but that would’ve stopped me from using the phrase ‘dastardly plans’ which would’ve been a crying shame.

Holocron Heist
Sometimes this show has some really good episode titles.  This is one of them mostly because it sounds so delightfully campy.  It wouldn’t feel out of place as the title for a pulpy detective novel.

The episode itself, however, decidedly does not get off to a good start for Ahsoka.  She really is a good temperamental fit with Anakin.  They both have this stubborn mindset where they are convinced that they know right and can win.  I have a feeling that I’ve commented on this before but I just keep finding more and more reasons to like what a good match they are.  And how Obi-Wan is inevitably left sighing as no one listens to him.

Cad Bane has a really well done character design and aesthetic but I still haven’t warmed to him as a character yet.  Mostly, I’m left just shrugging.  He doesn’t have quite the same charisma as Hondo but then again, who does?

Something that I did really like about this episode though is that it brought things back home again.  We had that to an extent last episode too but this felt different as it was more directly tied into the war effort.  It’s neat to see how things are proceeding at the Jedi Temple while the majority of their members are out fighting for the Republic.

Also, has anyone noticed that one of the hallmarks of this show is the high number of sassy droids?  You had noticed?  I thought I noticed you noticing.

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Hondo Caravan: Ziro Strikes Back

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Aaaand we’re wrapping up Season 1 today with 6 action packed episodes!  It’s amazing how fast episodes go compared to books.

Blue Shadow Virus
Get in losers, we’re going to Naboo!  I’ll just be over here doing my happy dance over a) more Padmé, b) more Naboo, and c) Captain Typho!  I feel like a broken droid at this point because ughhhh Jar Jar Binks and his stupid antics are irritating.

I always love getting to see more of the Naboo but I am a little confused as to why they chose to create a new Queen just for the show.  It’s puzzling to me why they didn’t use either Jamilla or Apailana especially since I thought terms were for four years.

This episode had a good story line with the race to stop Evil Doctor Dude from releasing a terrible virus upon the planet (and therefore the galaxy).  I think we’ve established by now that all I really need in an episode is Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Ahsoka and then either a planet that I love or the addition of the Jedi that I love.  It’s like you know me, Clone Wars.  Well, except for that Jar Jar thing.

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Hondo Caravan: It’s Hondo Time!

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Hondo!  That’s the difference between the Hondo Caravan and the Waru Express folks.  With the Waru, I spent months dreading and working my way towards The Crystal Star.  With the Hondo, I get to meet him in the third batch of episodes and it’s great fun all around!

Oh.  And there was some other stuff that happened in these episodes too, I guess.

Dooku Captured
I was so excited about this episode from the get-go.  It’s all Obi-Wan and Anakin.  I can’t get enough of Obi-Wan’s exasperated snark or his all-knowing snark.  Honestly, all I need to be happy with the show is some wonderful banter between the two of them.  Anakin’s exasperation about having to be the one captured is hilarious as is Obi-Wan’s quip about how he’s already a Master… just not a Jedi Master.

However… Boys.  BOYS.  Those lightsabers are your lives, NOT GLOWSTICKS.

AND THEN HONDO APPEARED HUZZAH!

Ahsoka, on the other hand, believes none of their assurances about having everything totally under control.  Smart girl, that one.

I like that this episode didn’t go the way I thought it was going to at all.  When it was titled ‘Dooku Captured’, I expected it to be the Republic who’d captured him, not a bunch of pirates.  This is a very nice twist.  Actually, this is probably my favorite episode so far.  I adore all of the parallels and all of the banter.  My only problem is that line about dispatching Representative Binks.  Don’t give Jar Jar any responsibility.  We know this goes badly.

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Review: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin

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If you’re looking for a Vader story that doesn’t go too deep and has a high body count, then this week’s Star Wars hardcover release will be right up your alley.  Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin, written by Tim Siedell with art by Stephen Thompson and Ivan Fernandez, is an enjoyable enough tale even if it’s not precisely groundbreaking.

A father is heartbroken over his son’s death at the hands of Darth Vader so he hires eight assassins to try and enact revenge for him.  All of them fail.  He pays a high price to hire the titular ninth assassin who follows Vader to a more distant planet to track a dark and powerful force that seems to be blocking their senses.  Darth Vader will have far more to deal with than he anticipated.

It’s a decent enough read if you’re looking for a Vader centric book.  That’s actually the strength of the book or at least one of them.  (The other strength would be the Emperor but that’s diving into spoiler territory.)  It’s absolutely a Vader story.  It only briefly dives deeper into his psyche with a handful of pages where he’s hallucinating but they’re very well done.  While the overall story isn’t terribly involved, it’s a neat look at the idea of choice.  Plus, of course, we get to see Vader kill people.  A lot of people.  It’s not rocks fall and everyone dies; it’s Vader happens and everyone dies.

The Ninth Assassin never really does anything beside stalk Vader.  Slightly off panel, we see him kill a heck of a lot of people but other than that, he’s just a masked character who ultimately fails at his task.  Other than that, readers get to learn nothing about him.

The artwork is serviceable and decent enough although not remarkable.  The best page is the one where they come out of hyperspace mostly for how the glow of hyperspace was drawn and colored.  The Ninth Assassin also has a neat looking character design.  My one main critique is that occasionally Vader’s proportions look a little bit off.

Overall, it’s a decent enough book but it’s not new or exciting.  The plotline where Vader tracks down the potential traitors is intriguing enough to catch your interest and keep you engage with the story.  If you want more Vader then pick up the book.  If you’re interested in seeing Vader as he’s still in the first few years of transitioning from being Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader than this is probably a book you should pick up.  However, if you’re looking for a book with tons of layers and lots of fully developed characters than this is probably one you should skip.  Again, I’m not saying that this is a poorly done book as it’s certainly enjoyable enough.  It’s just likely not everyone’s cup of tea.

I give Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin a 3/5 and only casually recommend it.

Review: Catching Fire

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catching-fire-posterHow do you successfully follow one of the most well-received films of the year?  With a continuation of the series obviously!  Catching Fire, in theatres today, does not disappoint as either an adaptation of a popular novel or as a follow up to the incredibly successful and well-received Hunger Games.

This review contains mild spoilers but likely nothing you wouldn’t have guessed from the trailers and promotional material.

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Hondo Caravan: And then Jar Jar happened

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Look sir!  More droids!  I probably should’ve saved that joke for a few more discs down the line but oh well.  This week, Artoo was awesome, certain Jedi were kicked butt, and oh no it’s Jar Jar Binks.  Help.

Downfall of a Droid
This was actually a pretty action packed episode.  I was surprised by how much happened in it.  Inevitably, it’s poor Artoo who gets captured but on the other hand, he’s probably the best character who possibly could get captured.  He’s totally the guy you want as your back up in a bad situation.  Why?  Because he gets things done, of course!

I love how focused Anakin is on getting Artoo back and it’s definitely not just because he didn’t wipe the droid’s memory.  It’s because he considers him to be a friend and in part because Padmé gave Artoo to him.  It’s really quite sweet.

That droid smuggler guy is appropriately skeevy and Grievous continues to be hilariously inept.  Honestly, why was the Republic that worried about this guy?

Also, I’m calling it now.  This replacement Arthree droid is totally going to be a Separatist spy.  No one can possibly be that inept.

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Hondo Caravan: Begun the Clone Wars Have

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Welcome to the very first stop on the Hondo Caravan!  This week, I started from the very beginning and boy was this interesting.  I’ve got a couple of notes before we get into the individual episodes though.  First, several people made comments on the introduction post asking why I wasn’t doing the episodes in chronological order.  The easy answer is because I don’t feel like it.  The longer answer is that watching the show one disc of episodes at a time is much easier for me to do.  I’m also trying to avoid looking at anything Clone Wars related online for fear of further spoilers.  Also, this happens to be my project and I feel like watching them in air order.  Second, I’ve decided to watch the Director’s Cut version of episodes whenever they’re available.  I’ll be sure to note when that’s the case.

Housekeeping is over so on with the show!

The Clone Wars Feature Film
I have to say, it’s strange hearing some of the same voices and some different voices from the films.  It’s a strange sort of simultaneous continuity and break of continuity.  There’s a part of me that finds it hilarious that what was basically an oversized pilot episode was put into theatres.  Mostly, this feels like three episodes edited together.  Most people on Twitter were pretty down on this film.  In my current context, I didn’t find it awful.  I just didn’t think it was the best.  On the other hand, everyone’s assurances that it gets better are quite promising.

I know a large part of the premise of the show rests upon it but I think Yoda and Obi-Wan might’ve been hitting the booze bottles a liiiiiiittle too hard if they really thought that giving Anakin Skywalker a padawan was a good idea.  It’s hard to think of Jedi less suited to it than him.  Sorry.  Apparently I just make fun of Skywalkers and their abilities to deal with children like it’s my job.

Ahsoka’s outfit bothers me a lot because why in the world is she wearing a bandeau top?  She’s what?  14?  An entire shirt would’ve been nice and, as any woman knows, strapless tops are not the best at staying up.  I do, however, super dig her reverse grip Shien lightsaber combat style.  It makes me think that she’d be amazing at Jar’Kai or Form Six with a shoto.

I was, however, completely and utterly unprepared for Ziro the Hutt.  Just… what.

Overall though, this wasn’t a bad start to the show and this blogging project.

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