Author Archives: Bria

Free Comic Book Day

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The first weekend in May is usually a busy one in the geek world and this year is no different.  Not only do we have the premiere of Iron Man 3 on Friday and then May the 4th but the first Saturday in May is always Free Comic Book Day!

Maybe you’re not really a comic book person though.  Maybe you’re not sure that you really want to go check this out.  Well, to quote NPR:

Yes, Free Comic Book Day is about you, O person who hasn’t set foot in a comics shop in years, or ever. It’s the industry’s attempt to change that state of affairs: Walk into a participating shop this Saturday, and they will hand you a bunch of free comics. Or maybe just one free comic. Or maybe they’ll let you pick from a table heaped with piles of free comics.

The point is: Free comics! Woo!

For most comic stores, this is a day about more than just handing out the freebies provided.  It’s much more of a celebration of the comic book world.  Many stores will have local artists and writers on hand (or big names in the comic world if they were lucky enough to get them to agree to appear) and even more will have costumers.  Just in case you thought this was only a superhero related thing, don’t worry because Star Wars always has a presence!  Dark Horse’s contribution to the day this year involves a comic with Vader and Fett and it’s not unheard of for 501st and Rebel Legion members to appear at stores.  In other words, it’s a great and fun way to dip your toe in the comic book waters.  Who knows?  You might find some new books to love!

You can check out all of the titles that will be a part of the promotion and find a local comic book store near you over on the Free Comic Book Day site.  Now go get some free comics!

EU Retrospective: Dark Nest

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I thought that the book I was most dreading was The Crystal Star.  I was wrong.  It was actually the Dark Nest Trilogy.  At least Waru is so awful and ridiculous that you can laugh at it once you finish that one book and get over the trauma.  On the other hand, I had to deal with the Jedi Bug Sex for three books.  THREE.  I’d like to thank everyone who sympathized with my reading plight on Twitter.  These are some of the only Star Wars books that I haven’t read more than once.  I’m now recalling exactly why and exactly how bad they were that my 15-year-old self made that excellent call.  I’m also going to apologize right now for what will be by far the most negative post I will make for this project.  There was no livestream for these books (because I learned my lesson with Waru) but instead, you do get a lot of ridiculous facial expressions.  Enjoy?

The Joiner King
“Bugs!” Han groaned and shook his head. “Why did it have to be bugs?”
That basically sums up my feelings about this entire trilogy.  I got all of 103 pages into the book and was already cringing and wanting to run away.

I made it another 119 pages before I had to pour myself a very tall and very stiff drink.  Thank goodness for good tequila otherwise this experience could’ve gone very poorly.

These books are bad, guys.  They are really really bad.  As usual, Han seems to be the only one who gets what’s going on and just wants to get the heck out of there.  I wouldn’t even mind much of the book if the characterization train hadn’t gone so far off the rails that it was in a ravine.  The idea of the Myrkr missions still affecting them this severely so they can’t make connections with others is just ridiculous.  Jaina thinking about how that mind meld is what made her drift away from Jag is ridiculous and a disservice to her character.  When she and Jag parted way at the end of The Unifying Force, it was because she wanted to live her life a bit more before settling down not because they couldn’t connect properly or whatever stupid reason the book claimed.

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Awesome Con Costume Round Up

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One of the best things about conventions is undoubtedly the variety of costumes you see throughout the weekend.  Last weekend’s Awesome Con was no different.  Downtown Washington DC was quickly filled with costumers representing a variety of fandoms, undoubtedly leaving many a metro rider very confused as to why these people in catsuits and Jedi robes were sitting beside them.  (Superheroes are people too!)

Even though this was Awesome Con’s first year, the costumers definitely brought their a-game.  It was also wonderful to see how many children (and sometimes even their parents) decided to embrace their (for many) first convention experience and throw themselves into it headfirst and come in costume.  Everywhere I looked, I saw yet another person looking great in costume and definitely looking like they were having the time of their life.  I only wish that this Round Up post could highlight all of them.

As always, we’ll start off with the Star Wars costumes.  There’s nothing better nor more adorable than costuming children check out this tiny Ashoka and Captain Rex, this pair of Jawas, and a tiny Boba Fett with a more experienced Mandalorian warrior alongside.

Clone Wars Jawas Mandalorians

Mandalorian Warriors were the most popular Star Wars costumes spotted that weekend followed closely by Jedi Knights.  There was, however, a Princess Leia too!  (Look out, Leia!  That’s Boba Fett behind you!)

Leia Star Wars
Star Wars 2 Jedi1

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EU Retrospective: The New Jedi Order Part 4

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At long last, we’ve reached the end of our journey through the New Jedi Order and the Vong War.  I’ve been doing a lot of thinking as I reread these 19 books and at the end of the day, I must admit that I really do enjoy this series.  Sure, it’s really long and sure, there are definitely some low points but there are also a lot of high points and overall?  I just really like the story that it tells.  A lot of people have used the Battlestar Galactica comparison in regards to this series and it’s often used in a negative way.  I agree with that comparison but for me, it’s a positive.  I like a story that’s willing to take characters to dark places and put them through hell.  I like getting to sit back and watch and see who emerges stronger than before and who never does.  I like a story that has lasting consequences for the universe but we’ll get to more of that later.  So while it has its flaws, I think the story works and I like the series a fair bit.

On a note not related to the New Jedi Order specifically, I just wanted to mention that despite all of my snark and bemoaning about my loss of sanity, I really do love the Expanded Universe.  Some bits of it might drive me up the wall or make me want to bash my head against a table but as a whole, I adore it.  There are probably only a handful of things about it that I truly dislike and I wouldn’t be working my way through this challenge if I didn’t love it.

With that lengthy introduction out of the way, let’s cover the last five books of the series!

Force Heretic I: Remnant
I have a few problems with these books in general and I’m going to start with some of them here.  The biggest one is that this did not need to be a trilogy and that I would’ve enjoyed the books much more had their plots been condensed into two books instead.  The other problem I have is that this feels like a travel through the Bantam Era’s “greatest” hits.  Sean Williams and Shane Dix take us back to the Yevetha and the Fia in this book and then Bakura in the next.  By the end of this book, I’m really not sure what exactly Han and Leia’s mission is supposed to be.  I was also rolling my eyes at this secret Ryn spy network.

Also, I thought Jag’s second in command was Shawnkyr?  I’m confused as to why Williams and Dix introduce another character named Eprill to fill the same role.

On the other hand, any time we get to see Gilad Pellaeon being awesome is a good one.  The speeches where he yells “EMPTY” at the Vong commander and then says how the Empire will always strike back and also the one where he essentially bullies the entire Moff Council into doing what he wants are great Pellaeon moments.  It reminds me why I love his character so much.  It does feel off though when numerous characters refer to him by his first name especially when they’re subordinate officers but Pellaeon is awesome enough to make up for it.

The book itself is an okay read.  It’s just not one of the high points of the series.

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Cosplay Monday: Michonne

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Welcome back to another edition of Cosplay Monday where we try to brighten your morning with some excellent costumes!  We’ve got another awesome costume for you from Megacon this year that was found via Tumblr.  The only thing better than a great costume is when it’s a kid wearing a great costume.  Check out this awesome girl as Michonne from The Walking Dead.  To make things even better, it looks like she got her Dad to be one of Michonne’s trademarked armless walkers.  She just looks so badass.  Better not mess with her. 😉

walkingdead

Awesome Con DC – Convention Report

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ACDClogoWashington D.C. finally got its very own comic convention this weekend with the inaugural Awesome Con DC!  Over Saturday and Sunday, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown DC turned into a haven of geekiness as nerds flocked from along the east coast to check out this brand new convention.  While it didn’t have the numbers to rival the more famous conventions, one certainly wouldn’t have been able to guess that this was only its first year based upon the attendance which only bodes well for future years.

Awesome Con was a comfortable size with a great location especially for those in the DC Metro region who took public transportation in.  There were some issues with weekend track work on the metro but none of that was the convention’s fault.  This was by far one of the most kid friendly conventions that I’ve ever attended.  The convention even had a small track just for the kids and a costume contest for them each day.  It was a great convention for both kids and convention newcomers alike.  The convention was also well attended (I’ve heard weekend attendance was around 8000) and the location leaves it with plenty of room to grow before possibly having to shop around for a new place.  Above all else though, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves which is always the most important thing.

Read on after the jump for a more in-depth look at in very first Awesome Con!

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Cosplay Monday: Spaceballs

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It’s time for another edition of Cosplay Monday where we try and break up the monotony of your week with some great costumes.  This week, we’re spotlighting some costumers spotted by Brian and Nanci at Megacon this year.  It’s likely that they don’t need any introduction but check out these two Spaceballs from Mel Brooks’ film of the same name.  I guess the only other thing we should say is… “Hail Skroob!”

Spaceballs

EU Retrospective: The New Jedi Order Part 3

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The Yuuzhan Vong just keep on coming.  Really, they must have an endless supply or something.  The good news is that things are starting to get slightly better for the New Republic.  The really good news is that I got to read more Allston and Stover books!  (I have my priorities straight.  Honestly.)  The really really REALLY good news is that I have not only passed the halfway mark in the New Jedi Order but that I have now read more than 100 books on this crazy little venture of mine.  Huzzah!  With all of that said, onward!

Dark Journey
GET IN LOSER, WE’RE GOING BACK TO HAPES.

I really like this book. I honestly do and it’s not just because we get to go back to Hapes. For starters, this is clearly a Jaina Solo book and I love when we get to see her take a leading role.  Even though she goes to some less than ideal mental states in the book, she emerges that much stronger.

The title gives away that Jaina has a brush with the dark side and I honestly don’t blame her.  She thinks that both of her brothers are dead and the war’s taken its most drastic downward turn yet. I’d be pretty ready to dabble in the dark side too at this point.  I like how Elaine Cunningham uses Kyp Durron in the book first as someone who’s willing to help her use whatever means necessary to strike back at the Vong and then as someone who helps pull her back from that edge.

Although it is Jaina’s book, Tenel Ka gets to go through some neat character development too.  Taking up her mother’s crown is easily one of the two most significant events we’ve gotten to witness this far.  Even though she is the heir, it’s not exactly the role that I ever thought she’d fill.  I just wish that we’d gotten a chance to watch her learn how to deal with being the Queen Mother in those first few years.

I’m also a huge fan of Jag Fel finally returning to the picture (along with the Baron Fel cameo) but more on that in the next two books.

What I especially love is how Cunningham introduces the Trickster plan.  It’s a clever idea from Jaina and there’s something rather delightful about her raising an eyebrow at the Vong and going “Yeah, I’m basically Yun-Harla.  What are you going to do about it?”

On top of that, this book is incredibly quotable.  From “Is every third human in this galaxy named Solo?” to “In his opinion, there were far too many dark haired, green eyed men in Jaina Solo’s orbit.”, I’m consistently amused.

The one problem I have with the book is the pacing.  It’s not that it’s terribly done but she doesn’t even arrive at Hapes until over a third of the way through. Of course, that can partially be blamed on how Star by Star ended because this book basically had to pick up immediately afterwards.  Actually, the other problem I have with the book is that poor Teneniel Djo gets used as a plot device and is a far cry from the strong willed woman we met back on Dathomir.

Aside from that though?  I love the book and I’ll just link this classic gif to illustrate my response to those who give me a hard time about it.

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Cosplay Monday: Tiny Thor and Hawkeye

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We’re back with another edition of Cosplay Monday where we try and help start your work week with some fabulous costumes!  Get your ‘awwww’s ready because Cosplay Monday has taken another detour into the realm of cute.  Check out this adorable tiny Thor and this adorable tiny Hawkeye that Brian and Nanci spotted at Megacon!  Honestly, is there anything cuter than cosplaying children?  Especially when they pose so seriously.  Epic win right here.

Hawkeye and Thor