Category Archives: Star Wars

Review: Darth Vader #1

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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.

Review: Star Wars #2

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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.

Continue reading →

Thrawn Trilogy Retrospective: Dark Force Rising Introduction

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Dark Force Rising was published in June 1992, an entire year after Heir to the Empire and a mere month before I first saw the Star Wars Trilogy in its entirety. As soon as I finished HttE I rushed to the bookstore and purchased my very own copy of the new Star Wars books. I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t have to wait a year to find out what happened next. (I wasn’t so lucky when it came to The Last Command, but that’s another story.) DFR might even have been the first piece of Star Wars merchandise I purchased all by myself, even before getting VHS copies of the films. (While HttE originally belonged to my father, it soon “magically” made its way onto my bookshelf.) And thus my status as a SWEU follower first and foremost was solidified early on in my fandom.

DFR is my least favorite book of the series, and the installment I’m least familiar with. I’ve read HttE more times, and I’ve skimmed TLC more times than I can count because of all the Luke and Mara stuff. But there are parts of DFR I really, really love. Garm bel Iblis is a great character, and while 11-year-old Nanci didn’t go quite so far as to ship him with Mon Mothma, 34-year-old Nanci totally picks up on that implication (and kind of wants to write a tragic fanfiction about them). I love that Mara Jade is willing to drop everything and ask for help from Luke kriffing Skywalker, the man she’s sworn to kill, in order to rescue Talon Karrde. I love Leia Organa Solo being the badass Lady Vader on Honoghr.  And I love that by the end of this book, Luke is absolutely despondent at the idea of losing Mara, so much so that Han picks up on it. (Like I said before, Han Solo was the first L/M shipper.)

There’s not much else I can tell you about the book. I remember the basic plot beats, and being really interested in the Katana fleet mystery, but I can’t recall much more than that. Other than I liked it a lot and waiting several months to read TLC was absolute torture.

I’m really looking forward to revisiting DFR and seeing what I remember and the parts I’d completely forgotten. I hope you’ll enjoy the ride!

 

 

Review: Sabine: My Rebels Sketchbook

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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.

Three Video Games and a TV Show

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KOTOR logoKnights of the Old Republic: The best Star Wars game that was ever released and that ever will be released.  Yes, I know.  You’re all tired of hearing me talk about how much I love KOTOR but that doesn’t stop it from being a great story and taking another look at it would give Lucasfilm a chance to help fix a few of the problems currently facing them.  I won’t repeat myself and go into how very Star Wars the story is and how great the characters are.  Instead, I’m here to pitch you an idea for the new canon.  Ready?  Here’s the pitch: Revamp both Knights of the Old Republic games for modern consoles and take advantage of the chance to update the graphics and to properly finish the second one, finally make that third KOTOR game, tell the lead up story as a television series on a major network (or even cable), and canonize both Revan and the Exile as women.

Let’s start from the top.  Knights of the Old Republic was fun.  Regardless of what you think of the second game, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a Star Wars fan who didn’t enjoy playing the first game.  It’s a well-liked and familiar property set in an era that’s almost definitely unaffected by the Story Group’s new overarching canon.  Bringing the games out of Legend and into official canon could quite possibly go a long way towards making some of those still upset about the canon change happier.  Also, imagine getting to play the games except created with modern technology.  The original games continue to have their charm but modern graphics paired with an awesome story?  (Just think about it, we’ll wait.)  This is also a great opportunity for Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords to be properly finished so we can finally play the droid factory planet without having to mod beyond belief.  A third game to round out the trilogy is a no brainer really.  It’s been ten years and portion of the fan base is still clamoring for KOTOR3.  It’s a license to print money.

A prequel (don’t look at me like that’s a dirty word) would be the best plot line for a tie-in show that would let the games stand alone and it would give the writers plenty to work with.  To tell the story, I’d imagine that perhaps three to four seasons of 10-13 episodes each would be ideal.  They could chronicle the attack of the Mandalorians, the refusal of the Jedi to answer, Revan and Malak going off and becoming heroes as they lead the fight back, their descent into darkness, and then rise of their Sith army.  It would ultimately culminate in Bastila’s mission that results in Revan’s capture and amnesia.  Is it ambitious for a television show?  Sure but we now live in a world where Game of Thrones is wildly successful and has a huge budget.  I could see Disney green-lighting it.

One of KOTOR’s greatest strengths was its characters and Lucasfilm would be wise to take advantage of them.  The supporting crew were all well-rounded with their own backgrounds and motivations and the protagonist was, well, entirely dependent on you.  The best thing though was how diverse the cast was in terms of race, gender, and species.  It’s something more properties should take a note of.  That said, it wasn’t perfect and this is where the game should take a hint from Saints Row IV.  Yes, that Saints Row IV.  In Saints Row, you play as the Boss who is a character you customize completely and your crew treats you the same way regardless of gender including romancing.  During a recent replay of KOTOR, I got frustrated that the game prevented me from being able to romance Bastila as female Revan.  I’d love to see a version of the game that isn’t quite so tied to turn of the century social rules especially since we’ve now seen what Bioware can do.

darth revanI don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that Star Wars continues to have a gender problem though.  We’ve discussed it ad nauseum here at Tosche Station from the lack of representation in merchandise to the painfully unequal casting announcements.  While I will always adore that KOTOR lets YOU decide what gender Revan is and even what they look like, I do thinking officially canonizing it would be a good thing but this time as a woman.  Same goes for the Exile.  John Jackson Miller’s Knights of the Old Republic comics did a pretty good job of skirting the issue of Revan’s gender but if Disney wanted to capitalize on this property and make a live action television show, they’d have to make a definitive call.  By making Revan and the Exile female in what would undoubtedly be a very popular storyline in the franchise, Disney would essentially be forced into giving them the respect that they (and the other female characters) deserve when it comes to merchandizing.  Even in this unfortunate Natasha-less, Gamora-less, and Hera-less world that we live in, I have a hard time seeing them be able to justify NOT making toys of the two main characters.  (Just imagine if they even canonized Revan as a woman of color…)

Three video games (revamped and finished for the modern world) and a TV show are really just the bare bones of the KOTOR initiative.  There’s an opportunity for tie-in novels and comics and toys galore but most importantly, it’s an opportunity to please Star Wars fans both new and existing, make strides towards putting more women in the leading roles, and play around in a part of the timeline that won’t interfere with the films at all.

Also I just really want more KOTOR.  And a TV show about Revan-the-Jedi-Master-Strategist as she defeats the Mandalorians.

Say it with me now: three video games and a TV show!

Three more LucasArts games added to the GOG library

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Gog games 2

GOG.com wasn’t finished with the six games they added yesterday.

Joining the growing LucasArts library are three more titles. Empire at War and Rebellion are a pair of popular strategy game titles. Meanwhile, Rogue Squadron 3D was the arcade combat flight simulator enjoyed by gamers in the 90s with access to a PC or a Nintendo 64.

Head over to GOG to see the complete collection from LucasArts

George Lucas: Disney went their own way for Episode VII

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The Force Awakens LogoCertainly this won’t generate any sort of controversy. In an interview with Cinemablend to promote Strange Magic, Nick Rimando asked the Maker himself what details he could reveal about The Force Awakens. The answer, unsurprisingly, was nothing. As for why Lucas couldn’t say anything, well:

The ones that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn’t really want to do those. So they made up their own. So it’s not the ones that I originally wrote [on screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens].

There’s no doubt those two sentences are going to cause all sorts of reactions, all of which will follow the usual post-Disney sale outrage scripts from all sides. It’s important to keep in mind that story treatments often get tossed aside or are heavily modified by the time the final scripts are being put in front of cameras.

The reasoning for Disney going their own path is likely simple. It’s better to start fresh with a new braintrust in place from the beginning than to try and not fumble a handoff of someone else’s plan meant to stretch nearly a decade of development.

Six more LucasArts titles now available at GOG

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GOG games

Available starting today at Good Old Games are six more LucasArts titles that have been optimized to play on your modern PC.

The titles available feature combat flight simulators X-Wing Alliance and its multiplayer predecessor X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. If you’re picking up X-Wing Alliance, be sure to check out the XWA Upgrade Project, which replaces the default ship and background textures int he game with re-designed high res packages.

Dark Forces brings you back to the height of the PC FPS era by putting you in the shoes of Kyle Katarn and a giant arsenal of blasters from the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Galactic Battlegrounds was an isometric strategy game ala Civilization and Age of Empires. Battlefront II featured a bit of everything for Star Wars fans. Ship combat, third-person shooter fun, and a level of fun that had fans clamoring for a sequel for ages.

Finally there’s Knights of the Old Republic II. The ambitious sequel to Knights of the Old Republic was maligned for bugs, a very rushed second half, and an ending that was probably too vague for its own good, but it was still a very fun and thought provoking game. If you pick this one up, you may want to also look at The Sith Lords Restoration Project, which adds back in a bunch of content that were cut from the game due to production time restraints.

Some of these games are currently on sale, so go check it out!

Review: Star Wars #1

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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.