The Ghost really needs to leave Lothal. Like now. This is getting out of hand. Warning: This review will absolutely contain spoilers.
Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Star Wars #1
The era of Star Wars Marvel has begun (okay; returned) and they’re leaping forth from the gate with blasters blazing. Star Wars #1 by Jason Aaron and with art by John Cassaday comes out on Wednesday, January 14th and picks up shortly after A New Hope. The question of the day though isn’t “Will our heroes survive?” but rather “How does this new series hold up?” and it is in response to that question that I have some good news for Star Wars fans.
Right from the start, Aaron and Cassaday make the book feel like Original Trilogy Star Wars. (Let me suggest queuing up the main title as you open the book. It put a huge smile on my face as I began to read.) This gives readers a chance to pick up a book that can be enjoyed whether they’ve only watched the films or if they obsessively read every Legends story. It’s also clear from the get-go that this is a labor of love from all involved. The basic premise of the story is something that will feel familiar to Star Wars readers (Rebels have a chance to move against the Empire and Han somehow gets roped into helping) but Jason Aaron writes in a way that will keep readers intrigued and flipping the page for more. He also strikes a nice balance between action and non-action scenes and knows the right moment to interject a bit of levity, something that’s crucial when it comes to Star Wars.
Another strength of the book is that Aaron certainly has a great grasp on all of the main characters. At times, it was difficult to NOT hear the actors’ voices inside my head reading the lines. I was particularly happy with his portrayal of Leia especially since he didn’t fall back on the Action Girl ™ method like some writers have in the past. Even Luke seems to be pretty spot on during this odd transitional phase from farmboy to Jedi Rebel.
Cassaday’s artwork on the book is solid as expected. My only issue was with one very fast costume change between pages. In the interest of staying spoiler free, I’ll leave it there but it just felt rather abrupt especially on the first read through. For those familiar with his art, Cassaday’s usual facial expressions are in full force here which, when you’re drawing Leia Organa dealing with Han Solo, are perfect. Cassaday also has a neat way of drawing lightsaber action which I haven’t previously seen in a Star Wars comic. And, of course, we the internet will be forever grateful to him for the panel of Leia punching an Imperial panel that made its way on line several weeks ago. That alone is worth the cost of admission.
Overall, this first oversized issue does a great job of setting the stage and establishing how this comic series will go. Within moments of finishing reading it, I immediately wanted the next one. I’m extremely interested to see how the first arc progresses and then where Jason Aaron takes the story beyond that. For me, that will be the real deciding factor about how much I’ll ultimately enjoy the series but they are certainly off to a good start.
I give Star Wars #1 a 4/5 along with a recommendation to go pick it up. You can pick up a copy of Star Wars #1 from your local comic store or online here from Marvel.
Thank you to Marvel for providing us with an advanced copy of the comic for review purposes.
Star Wars Rebels review: Path of the Jedi
Note: I wrote this post while I was watching the episode, so it’s more of a live blog than a proper review. Hope you enjoy anyway!
We start out the episode with Ezra being late for training with Kanan. When he gets back, Kanan reads him the riot act and calls him unfocused and undisciplined. (Like you aren’t, Kanan.) I’m torn between feeling sorry for Ezra always getting dumped on, wondering what the hell Ezra was doing wandering around Lothal by himself when they’re wanted by the Empire, (more on this later), and being annoyed at Ezra. Kanan tells Ezra he made a dangerous connection with the Force in that asteroid field (yay continuity!) and he needs to undergo a test that could determine if he’s meant to be a Jedi. First of all, Kanan, weren’t you the one who encouraged him to make that Force connection? Second, way to put the pressure on.
Review: The Tethering
Jacob Evans doesn’t have very much going for him. His mother’s dead, his father routinely leaves for months at a time, and he hasn’t seen his best friend Emilia in four years. In The Tethering by Megan O’Russell, Jacob doesn’t have much to lose when he’s abruptly pulled into a world filled with magic, a whole new set of rules, and most importantly: his best friend again. What he could definitely do without though is this slowly building war amongst the magical community that he’s about to find himself pulled smack dab in the middle of.
In her debut novel, it’s clear that Megan O’Russell definitely has talent when it comes to writing. The Tethering is a quick and enjoyable read that offers a fresh new take on a magical school. The concept of there being one large magical school and also much smaller schools run by individual clans is an intriguing one and not one I’ve seen before and the characters are, for the most part, individuals who fulfill more than basic trope roles. I particularly liked the talisman concept instead of magic casting being played straight with just wands or else unaided casting. O’Russell builds this magical world as the plot goes along; there’s not much in terms of exposition dumps which is quite nice. That said, there are definitely times where it’s reminiscent of Harry Potter (a motherly red haired witch named Molly?) but it does enough to establish itself that I didn’t really mind.
Review: Cloak by Timothy Zahn
It’s no secret that Timothy Zahn is one of my favorite authors. So when I got the chance to review his latest offering, Cloak, I jumped at the opportunity even though the plot didn’t check off my usual boxes of “outer space” or “Star Wars.” Overall, I found Cloak to be an enjoyable read and recommend it for fans of military and political thrillers.
Go/No-go: The Jupiter Pirates: The Curse of the Iris
There are many things to love about Jason Fry’s middle grade science fiction series, The Jupiter Pirates. The story is fast-paced, it takes place in an intriguing world, and it features space pirates! What’s not to love? If I have one complaint, it’s that I have to wait a year between books. *stomps foot angrily*
The first novel in the series, Hunt for the Hydra, came out last December and I took to the characters right away. The second installment, The Curse of the Iris, catches up with the Hashoone family two years later as they search for the long-last cache of a pirate spaceship called Iris.
Did I like the second book as much as the first? Read on to find out! (Spoilers: I totally did.)
Review: Star Wars Rebels: Gathering Forces
There’s no time for the crew of the Ghost to think or even breath as they’re chased off of Lothal. With them should go any lingering doubts about Disney’s willingness to go dark in a kids show because wow has this two-part arc proven them wrong.
This review contains spoilers.
Review: Mockingjay Part 1
No one should want to live in Panem and no one should wish they were Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games has never been a series to shy away from showing the horrors of war and the oppression of a people and Mockingjay wipes away all the glamor of the Capital to give its viewers an unblinking view. It’s unapologetically grim and bleak in a way that young adult geared films haven’t quite been before but that doesn’t stop Mockingjay Part 1 from succeeding as a thoroughly enjoyable film even if you likely won’t leave the theatre with a broad smile on your face.
After the abrupt end to the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss found herself swept off to District 13. Peeta is left behind and District 12 is no more. The leaders of the rebellion aren’t willing to give her time to grieve because they need her to be their symbol and ignite the people of Panem into action. She agrees to play their game but it has to be on her terms. If they want their Mockingjay, they’ll have to agree to her conditions.
Review: Star Wars Rebels: Out of Darkness
It should come as no surprise that all of us at Tosche Station have been clamoring for more Hera and Sabine centric episodes. We’ve learned a lot about Kanan and Ezra, had an episode that featured Zeb prominently, and even Chopper seems to get more screen time than Sabine. This week it seems that Dave Filoni and company have heard our requests, because we have an episode all about Hera and Sabine! Even more, we learn more about Sabine’s backstory, and it made me like her character even more than I already did. Spoilers under the cut!
Review: Star Wars Rebels: Breaking Ranks
Rebels gives its viewers a chance to catch their breath this week after a heck of a brutal ride the episode prior. Breathing doesn’t mean the creators slacked in any way shape or form though with this week’s episode: Breaking Ranks.
The Ghost is already taking advantage of Ezra’s young age as they send him undercover into the Lothal Imperial Academy as a stormtrooper cadet. Hera and Kanan remain aboard the Ghost while Zeb and Sabine are the backup boots on the ground as Ezra tries to steal an essential decoder. Lucky for him, he discovers an ally in a fellow cadet, Zare Leonis who definitely has his own agenda at the Academy.