Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
I cannot talk about Heir to the Jedi without revealing spoilers. I’m too emotionally invested in Luke Skywalker’s life. If you’d like to read a non-spoiler opinion, let me direct you to Bria’s review over here. However, if you’ve already read the book, or just don’t care about being spoiled for the end, proceed at your own caution.
(I’m serious.
Major spoilers abound after the cut.
You’ve been warned.)
Remember back in August when I wrote about what I hoped for with a Mark Waid Leia comic? Yeah, he nailed it. I won’t beat around the bush here. I loved this issue. Go to your comic store right now and pick up Princess Leia #1 by Mark Waid with art by Terry Dodson, inks by Rachel Dodson, and colors by Jordie Bellaire. Need another reason why? Well read on for a mostly spoiler-free review.
The book picks up immediately after the Battle of Yavin with the medal ceremony and Leia giving a very brief speech commemorating the losses of all those who gave their lives fighting the Empire and especially Alderaan. There is no time for sorrows though as the Rebels must immediately dismantle the base and flee. Leia, however, wants to embark on a mission of her own: to find and protect all the remaining Alderaanians in the galaxy… with or without the Alliance’s approval.
Kanan’s captured, the Ghost crew is trying to track him down, and Ezra takes the lead on the penultimate episode of Rebels season one.
How do you follow up a solidly good first issue that teased at plenty of future plot points? By focusing the second issue on just one of them. Darth Vader #2 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca is out today in which the creative team does precisely that. After the disaster of the Death Star’s destruction, Vader is in disgrace and now must follow the commands of Grand General Tagge as a part of the grand plan to strike back against the Rebellion… one corvette at a time. (Spoiler Alert: Vader does NOT win Coruscant’s Next Top Model in this issue. Sorry.)
Surprisingly, this series is turning out to be very character driven which is something I wouldn’t necessarily expect from a book about Darth Vader. As proven with the previous issue, Gillen definitely knows what he’s doing with Vader but the character that really stood out to me in this issue was Tagge. (That’s Grand General, by the way, not just General.) With the exception of Palpatine, it floors me that anyone in the Empire would have the balls to speak to someone as imposing as Darth Vader like Tagge did. If you thought how Tarkin acted in A New Hope was impressive… just read issue #2. This is a characterization that seems like it will pay off further down the line along perhaps before Vader discovers more about the Rebel pilot’s identity…
On the art front, Larroca continues to draw a pretty darn good Vader. He’s got a great eye for detail that translates to not just the iconic costume but also to things like holograms or distant ships through a viewport. Also, I’m not sure who’s having more fun with all these explosions: Gillen writing them or Larroca drawing and Edgar Delgado coloring them. Artistically speaking, having Larroca on interior art and Adi Granov on covers is a winning combination for this book.
Can we start spelling poor Kieron Gillen’s name right in the opening credits though? This is two issues in a row now where they’ve gotten it wrong.
Darth Vader #2 is another solid showing from the creative team and I’m definitely excited for the next issue.
The newest Star Wars book, Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne, comes out on March 3rd and lets Luke take the spotlight for the first time in a few years. It’s also in a very unique position of being the only previously announce project to make it through to the new canon. It may no longer be a part of the Empire and Rebellion series but it’s still very definitely the Luke book.
Luke Skywalker’s the pilot who blew up the Death Star but that doesn’t make him a Jedi yet or any less that farmboy from Tatooine. To the Rebellion, he’s mostly valued for his piloting skills which makes him the perfect choice to retrieve an Imperial cryptographer who wants to defect to the Rebellion. The Alliance pairs him and Artoo with Nakari Kelen, the daughter of a biotech mogul, who comes with her beautiful ship the Desert Jewel on this mission that quickly becomes far more than just a simple retrieval.
For the most part, the book is enjoyable enough. It’s the second Star Wars book to ever be written in first person but that’s definitely where the comparisons to I, Jedi should stop as these are two totally different books that approach the point of view style from different angles. Heir to the Jedi feels a bit more like you’re reading Luke’s diary than being inside of his head. That’s not necessarily a problem though as it gives readers more insight to how Luke goes from being the naïve farmboy hero to the squadron commander that we see on Hoth. It’s fun to read about the Luke who can’t quite figure out telekinesis although he thinks it’s something he can probably do. (We could’ve used a little less focus on this particular trick though.) Hearne does a good job of capturing Luke’s sense of humor; something that far too many authors have neglected in the past. Given that this is the Luke book? It’s always a good sign when the author gets the character.
Nakari Kelen is a fun addition to the Star Wars universe and it’d be great to see more of her. It’s always fantastic to see another person of color take center stage and doubly fantastic when that’s a character of color. She’s well rounded and interesting with her own motivations for being a part of the Rebellion and she works great opposite Luke. Her relationship with her father reminded me of Booster and Mirax Terrik and I’d love to see a short story where we get to see the four of them interact.
On the writing front, whether or not someone enjoys the book will definitely depend on how they feel about first person. That’s the one hurdle that probably can’t be avoided. Pacing-wise, the book does start a bit slow (although it’s something I didn’t realize until my second read through when I took a bit more time to read it.) This is yet another story that follows in the recent trend of focusing on a much smaller scale. Luke and Nakari’s work is relatively important but the FATE OF THE GALAXY doesn’t rest upon their success. It was also nice to see the Givin worked into the book and to see their love for math used throughout especially in the chapter titles. (I’m assuming those equations made sense mathematically.) A smaller scale plot paired with a diverse and interesting core cast is generally a win in my book. My biggest complaint about the writing is that things often felt a little too convenient for our heroes. For example, a brief mission Luke’s sent on at the start of the book comes into play later on. If nothing else, you can definitely tell that Kevin Hearne had fun writing this book.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem with this book is also its biggest spoiler. If you’re curious enough, the spoiler is just an easy Google search away. I find it regrettable that Hearne chose this particular route and it’s enough to significantly bring down my overall enjoyment of the book. Hopefully, this will not be the status quo for the new canon and that’s all I will say for fear of spoiler territory.
At the end of the day, I give Heir to the Jedi a 3/5.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing us with an advanced copy of the book for review purposes.
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: Jupiter Ascending. It’s a film that cost a lot of money to make but has been struggling in the box office. How does our launch crew feel despite the critics’ thoughts? To mission control for the verdict!
First there was Bail Organa, then Darth Vader, then Yoda, then Lando Calrissian. Now Grand Moff Tarkin joins the lists of classic characters joining the cast of Star Wars Rebels. While I don’t want the Ghost crew to be overshadowed by an endless list of guest stars, I can’t deny that Rebels has put them all to great use. So when I heard that Tarkin was going to appear in the next episode, I was super excited to see what Filoni and company would do with him. I loved his appearances on The Clone Wars, and as it turned out his appearance on Rebels didn’t disappoint either. Not only that, but he brought the expression “*@$! getting real” to a whole ‘nother level.
The Second Marvel Era continues on Wednesday with the release of Darth Vader #1 by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larroca. Gillen leaves no time for readers to wonder “Well what happened when—” as this ongoing Vader story picks up not just shortly after the Battle of Yavin but directly from the pages of Star Wars #2. Long time Star Wars comic readers have seen Vader on the page plenty of times but how does Gillen handle one of the most iconic bad guys?
One of the neatest things about the Lucasfilm Story Group is that it’s giving readers experiences like this and rewarding those who swing by their local comic store every week. Again, this book ties in directly with the first two issues of Star Wars and yet provides enough context that a reader wouldn’t be lost if they hadn’t read the other book. That said, Gillen’s certainly telling his own story here. He’s writing a Vader who’s definitely a man in the doghouse with the Emperor and who needs to solve the mystery of the Rebel pilot. He’s also writing a story that takes into account the galactic political ramifications of the Death Star’s destruction, something that I hope continues in future issues.
It’s difficult to discuss the storyline without delving into spoiler territory. Gillen doesn’t have the same cliffhanger flair as his fellow Star Wars writer Jason Aaron but he does leave enough hints throughout the pages to keep readers intrigued. I didn’t find this to be the strongest #1 especially in the wake of some other books that Marvel’s released recently but I definitely enjoyed it. Regardless, I’m interested to see where Gillen takes this story and whether or not Vader will continue to weave in and out of the main book especially once he discovers Luke’s identity. I’m also interested to see whether Palpatine continues to play a role in the book and whether it will expand.
On the art front, I really enjoyed Larroca’s work and have been a fan of his ever since his work on Invincible Iron Man. Having to routinely draw an outfit like Darth Vader’s isn’t the easiest of tasks (Iron Man must’ve been good practice.) but he does it well. Larroca also draws a particularly great Emperor Palpatine Edgar Delgado’s colors are a nice compliment to Larroca’s lines. Another highlight of the book is when Gillen’s writing steps back and lets Larroca’s work do the storytelling on its own for several pages. Clearly this is a writer/artist team that collaborates well together.
Darth Vader #1 is a solid start for the Sith Lord’s ongoing series and gets a recommendation from us. You can preorder the comic from Marvel here for its release on February 11th.
Thank you to Marvel for providing us with a copy of the issue in advanced for review purposes.
Mere weeks after their first issue hit comic store shelves, Jason Aaron and John Cassaday are back with the second issue of the brand new headline Star Wars series. An all-around well-received first issue can be a tough act to follow. Expectations are high so how does Issue #2 stand up?
When last we left our heroes, Luke Skywalker found himself facing off against Darth Vader while Han and Leia were doing their best to find their way out of the weapons factory on Cymoon 1 with all the rescued slaves. It’s a task easier said than done especially since Luke’s training as a Jedi has barely begun much less prepared him to face off against a Sith Lord.
Here at Tosche Station, we don’t dive into the Star Wars children’s books very often but Sabine: My Rebel Sketchbook by Dan Wallace and Annie Stoll is just so awesome that we had to talk about it here. Just like it says on the label, Sabine’s Sketchbook is written like it’s Sabine’s latest sketchbook (the seventh this year!) and is filled with her artwork, thoughts, and random notes. Given that this is a children’s book, there’s much more writing and explaining that I would actually expect to see in the dozens of sketchbooks that Sabine undoubtedly has stashed in her cabin but that does nothing to detract from how thoroughly enjoyable this book is for all Rebels fans.
Like a sketchbook would, the book clearly takes place over a period of time. Towards the start, Sabine details everyone’s call signs but only goes up to Spectre 5. As the book progresses, they eventually add Ezra to their little crew and it covers the timeframe for all the episodes from the first half of Season One. While the book is intended for kids, adult fans of Rebels will undoubtedly get a kick out of reading it too. Throughout the book are tons of little tidbits about the crew of the Ghost and about Sabine herself. I feel like this book actually gave us more insight into who Sabine is as a person than eleven episodes of the television show which is a nice feather in the book’s hat. Expanded Universe fans will also enjoy spotting all the little bits that find their way back into canon status thanks to this book. (I won’t spoil the surprises for you.)
Much like a comic book, Sabine’s Sketchbook is a collaborative effort between Dan Wallace and Annie Stoll. I found myself lingering on each page so I could catch every last detail that Stoll worked into each page. Her use of different styles is perfect for an experimental artist like Sabine and the varying “completeness” level of each piece (some are just pencil sketches while others are finished works) gives a feel of authenticity to the book. Honestly everything about the artwork in the book is perfect from the graffiti to the quick sketches to the more completed and colorful works. It’s clear that Stoll really gets Sabine and I can’t imagine another artist working on this project. Honestly, everything about this book just confirms that Sabine Wren is a great character to have in the Star Wars universe: a woman of color who unabashedly loves the arts and explosions and who can hold her own.
The only thing that I wasn’t terribly fond of in the book was the number of “official artwork” pieces that were included on the pages. I’m not sure if the promo shots or the episode screenshots were more jarring. Annie Stoll’s art is so good and perfect for Sabine that the book didn’t really need them. This is a relatively minor issue but I hope that if they make a second Sketchbook (and oh boy do I hope they will!) that they’ll use far less of it and more of Stoll’s work.
I give Sabine: My Rebels Sketchbook two thumbs up and strong recommendation to pick up whether you’re a kid or an adult.
Thank you to Studio Fun for providing us with a copy of the book for review purposes.