Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
Ahhh yes. Another month, another issue of Kanan by Greg Weisman and… Wait. Is that Pepe Larraz on art again?
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER GIF REVIEW
In Issue #7, we remain in the present briefly before going even further into the past back to when Caleb Dume wasn’t even a Padawan yet. Continue reading
It’s release day for Chewbacca #2 by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto. What adventures does everyone’s favorite wookiee get up to this week?
Zarro escaped from the mines but had to leave her father and the rest of her people behind as slaves to a gangster named Jaum. Luckily, she ran into Chewbacca who’s not terribly fond of slavers himself. She convinces him to help her but unfortunately, as most plans do, things don’t go quite as planned…
Phil Noto is absolutely the star of this book. His artwork is already fantastic to start with along with being universally loved by the Star Wars fandom. So much of the storytelling in this book is done through the art, especially through the facial expressions on Chewbacca and Zarro. Often times, they make speech bubbles unnecessary. I’d also like to add that it’s nice to see a relatively young teenage girl be portrayed as such in a comic and not be overly sexualized.
One of the coolest things about this issue is how we get a little tease into Chewie’s history. It’s not much and we probably could have guessed it but it’s always neat to see. It feels like, in Star Wars past, we’ve always thought about Chewbacca’s past in terms of when he was freed by Han (if that’s even the case anymore) so it’s nice to see someone think further before that.
As I said before, Chewbacca is entertaining and I definitely enjoy the artwork but this still isn’t my favorite of the Star Wars books. Given how quickly things have progressed, I’m intrigued to see how this story is going to go for another three issues. That said, this does seem like it’s going to be a story that reads very well in trade form so if you’re still questioning whether to pick it up, perhaps wait for the trade in a couple of months.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the previous episode of Rebels, “The Lost Commanders.” I’m not a huge fan of the clones or The Clone Wars series, although I like them well enough. It’s just I like Rebels so much more. However, I was very excited for Rebels to be back on the air (even if Hera got the short end of the stick in the episode).
In the last episode, the crew of the Ghost (minus Hera and Chopper) went on a mission to meet old colleagues of Ahsoka Tano. Kanan, to no surprise, wasn’t very keen on hanging out with old clones. Understandably, he’s got a lot of PTSD from surviving the Jedi Purge. The rest of the episode seemed a bit like filler to me, although it did allow the Spectres to bond a bit with Rex, Gregor, and Wollfe.
The second episode begins with Agent Kallus attacking the clones and the Spectres (see what I did there?). The plan is to take the clones’ crazy prototype AT-AT into a dust storm, therefore the much larger and more effective Imperial Walkers can’t sense them. Only problem is, the Rebels can’t use their sensors, either. It’s up to Kanan and Ezra to use the Force to save the day.
I liked this episode a lot more than the previous week’s, and it leads me to wonder if this two-part arc could have been condensed into one episode. I really enjoyed the chase in the dust storm; it was so slow and methodical and the Battle of Hoth music really made the sequence shine. And what can you say about the clones putting all their trust in Kanan, and Kanan grudgingly learning to trust Rex and his buddies? Honestly, their blind trust in Kanan was really sort of sad, for a variety of reasons — knowing the history of Order 66, and considering the idea of whether or not the clones are people or property. It’s all just a very sad, ambiguous, and disturbing situation. Especially when you consider that the clones will live much shorter lives than normal humans.
The episode ends with the Spectres saving the clones and bringing them back to the frigate. There, we have our money shot of the show, when Ahsoka reunites with Rex. It was a sweet moment, even though I’m not a huge Clone Wars fan, I have to admit. (Although it makes me wonder what Ahsoka would have done if Rex had refused to return with the Ghost.) What is next in store for the old clones? Only time will tell.
We also get a tease for next week’s episode, and the first appearance of the Fifth Brother. The new Inquisitor is very creepy, and I can’t wait to meet his partner, the Seventh Sister. I can’t wait for the Spectres to meet them, either.
Right so let me explain to you a thing: Kieron Gillen is clearly in league with Chuck Wendig to give me multiple heart attacks in the space of mere minutes while reading their work. Darth Vader #11 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca is out today and is definitely a high stakes and stressful ride.
With each passing issue, Darth Vader shows itself to be more and more of a character study; taking it up a notch from a book that could’ve just been Vader killing things for 22 pages every month. Gillen highlights Vader’s strengths and his weaknesses without hitting readers over the head with it. This current arc has been reinforcing that while Vader is smart, he’s not the smartest person in the room and it’s only a matter of time before that has consequences… consequences that he may or may not have to personally pay the price for.
On the other side of things, Dr. Aphra continues to be a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe and Triple Zero and BeeTee are delightful despite being homicidal. There’s just something about them being in a book as a contrast to Vader that works incredibly well. It would be interesting to have seen more of Aphra from before she started working with Vader and see if this is how she’s always worked and been. I suspect the answer is yes but still. She’s smart and she can adapt to a situation fast. It’s a good combination but I can’t shake the feeling that it will also contribute to her eventual downfall
There’s nothing new to say on the artist front because clearly Larroca is still rocking it. He did, however, draw the BEST Dr. Aphra facial expression ever a little less than halfway through the issue. If that face doesn’t show up as at least one person’s Twitter icon within a week, I’ll be shocked.
Darth Vader #11 gets another Hell Yeah! on my new sliding scale of enthusiasm.
Right on the heels of the Lando finale, Marvel launches its next limited series in the Star Wars book. Chewbacca #1 by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto launches today, giving readers one of their first looks at a Chewie adventure without his sidekick Han Solo.
First, it definitely should be said that Duggan choosing to leave Chewbacca’s dialogue untranslated to readers was a bold choice. Selling readers on a book where you can’t actually understand what the main character is saying is tough. To help counter this, Duggan introduces a young girl named Zarro who can fend for herself but needs Chewie’s help to save her father from the mines. It’ll be interesting to see how the pair end up working together in future issues.
The lettering work of Joe Caramagna (who has lettered most of the other Star Wars books) definitely should be called out here for what a lovely job he’s done. You can definitely tell that he had fun with finding ways to communicate Chewbacca’s wookiee roars.
Because of how the story’s told, Phil Noto’s art definitely has to do a lot of the heavy lifting. If for no other reason, the book’s worth picking up for his art which is, as always, gorgeous. He’s able to do a heck of a lot with Chewie’s body language and facial expressions.
All of that said, Chewbacca #1 is far from being my favorite Star Wars comic. It just didn’t grab me like so many of the others have thus far. But then again, not every comic is going to be everyone’s preferred cup of tea and I strongly suspect that plenty of other people (especially the big Chewie fans) will get a real kick out of this book. Was it enjoyable? Yep. Life changing? Nah. Should you pick it up? Sure, why not? Marvel’s done a darn good job with their Star Wars stories so far including pulling more than a few surprises out of the bag. It’s certainly worth reading this one to see where they go.
Welcome back to Go/No-Go, Tosche Station’s regular feature where we offer our spoiler-free opinion as to whether or not you should spend your hard-earned money on a book, film, or other entertainment. Today on the launch pad: the Star Wars Rebels: Servants of the Empire book series by Jason C. Fry. This four-book tie-in to Star Wars Rebels is made up of Edge of the Galaxy, Rebel in the Ranks, Imperial Justice, and The Secret Academy, each of which Nanci has discussed individually. But now that the last book is out, how do we feel about the series as a whole? To mission control for the verdict! Continue reading
I don’t want it to end. 
That’s the thought that kept running through my mind while finishing the last few chapters of The Secret Academy, Jason Fry’s awesome conclusion to the Servants of the Empire series. I’ve talked enough about how great the series is, and how Fry is absolutely incredible at portraying serious concepts like rebellion and totalitarianism for young readers without dumbing them down. After his stellar entries to the Journey to the Force Awakens line, I knew Fry wouldn’t disappoint with the finale to the series. But I still wasn’t happy to see Zare and Merei go.
Following up on last issue’s mic drop, Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca show no signs of slowing down or lessening the quality of this great book with the release of Darth Vader #10 today.
Darth Vader #10 is the issue that really lets Dr. Aphra shine. Readers have certainly gotten to know her for the last six or so issues but this is the one where it really made sense to me why she is the way she is. Or, in other words, why she continues to work for Vader. We’ve known that her character was grounded in the idea of a darker version of Indiana Jones but never has it been more evident than here. Not only do we get some of her backstory but we get a little more clarity into how she views the galaxy. Her conversation with Than is absolutely fascinating. My only question is how Commodex Than knows everything that he knows. (It’ll make more sense when you read the issue.)
Larroca clearly had a ton of fun with getting to design a Naboo house and it makes me wish we could see more of the planet more often. My only artistic complaint is that there’s one really weird panel with Aphra’s butt that just looks… odd and unnecessary? Oh. And I’m pretty sure that taking selfies is canon in Star Wars now unless I interpreted a panel completely wrong. So that’s cool. (Not a complaint, just a comment!)
The issue isn’t all Aphra though. Inspector Thanoth is going to be a problem and that in turn is going to be a problem for him. Just wait… I can feel it.
Gillen and Larroca continue to knock it out of the park and #10 gets a very strong recommendation from me this week.
When I talked to Charles Soule last week, he said that he didn’t think everyone was going to be happy with the end of Lando #5 but that he was. That should be, like, a giant neon warning sign when a writer says that. A warning sign that you’re probably going to have a lot of feelings. Lando #5 by Soule and Alex Maleev is out today and boy howdy do I have some thoughts on it that can’t be fully expressed without diving into lots of spoilers. Continue reading
The best way to describe Star Wars #10 is that it’s fun. To be fair, ‘fun’ has been a great way to describe this entire run on this book thus far but there was something about this particular issue that just felt really really fun. Star Wars #10 by Jason Aaron and Stuart Immonen is out today and definitely takes readers for a ride.
It’s hard to say what’s more fun: Leia dealing with both of the Solos or Chewbacca and Threepio on their adventure on Nar Shaddaa. While we still don’t really have tons in terms of answers of who Sana is and whether or not she and Han are actually married, it’s entertaining to watch Leia be 100% done with their crap within mere minutes and be far more focused on getting herself out of there alive and in one piece. Chewie and Threepio, on the other hand, was the team up that I didn’t know that I’ve always wanted. There’s something humorous about pairing the character who talks to much with the one who we can’t understand and prefers to cut right to the chase.
Stuart Immonen is amazing on this book. While I was content with John Cassaday’s work, Immonen is taking things to a whole new level. There’s nothing about his work that I don’t love and I think that the Luke lovers out there will have a particular appreciation for some of his panels. It’s the little things that really take this work to the new level from the facial expressions to his design work on Grakkus the Hutt with the lightsaber necklace and the spider-leg walking… things.
Oh. And those last few pages? While they’re probably just the creative team broadening the galaxy, I’m choosing to interpret them as Aaron trolling everyone.
Star Wars #10 gets a strong Hell Yeah! from me this week for being such a fun read.