It’s been hard in recent years to find a characterization of Leia Organa that just feels right. It’s also been hard to find a story about our Original Trilogy heroes where the stakes are high (but not ludicrously so) and where the galaxy doesn’t have to be put completely back together again at the story’s end or, in other words, a fun adventure story. Martha Wells delivers on both of these counts in Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge. It’s a book where the story is important enough to warrant several hundred pages but it’s also a book that will make you laugh one page, smile another, and then perhaps duck your head and hide a tear for Alderaan. (Or maybe that last one is just me.)
Category Archives: Star Wars
Seth Green: Detours is just on hold
Dunc over at Club Jade spotted a Reddit AMA with Seth Green. While many of the questions asked had to do with other projects and shows Green has been involved with, someone was kind enough to ask him about the state of Detours. His answer:
So there’s actually been quite a bit of talk about this, but Detours is just on hold currently. We have 39 finished episodes and around 62 finished scripts. But that entire show was created before the decision to make more Star Wars movies, so our show (which was created by George Lucas) is an animated sitcom in the world of Star Wars, so we had a lot of conversations with Kathleen Kennedy about Star Wars in not just the next 3 years but the next 30 years, and when you’re in as privileged a position as we were to be able to work on Star Wars content with its creator, you get a great sense of responsibility to the whole. I was introduced to Star Wars as a child and it was without any ironic or comedic lens, so I saw Darth Vader as scary, and I saw all of those messages very very clearly. We didn’t think it made any sense, in anticipation of these new movies coming out, to spend the next 3 years with an animated sitcom as 3 generations’ of kids first introduction to the Star Wars universe.
I’ve had a lot of parents approach me in the last few years where they showed Robot Chicken or Family Guy Star Wars before they showed them regular Star Wars. The writers on Robot Chicken and I are seeing this a lot. The same way we were introduced to classic music through Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry, kids are taking our ironic interpretations of He-Man or other pop culture icons and never having the opportunity to meet them sincerely. It’s a really bizarre thing to wrap your head around, and because I’ve witnessed it firsthand, it made me more thoughtful about what we were putting it out.
I do feel that Detours is a timeless bit of entertainment. Media distribution is changing so quickly, so dramatically, that can you even imagine what distribution of content will look like in 5 years? In a day and age when Netflix series are nominated for the top accolades TV has to offer, what is to say what it will look like when the new Star Wars movie comes out? So Detours can sit on a shelf until the Star Wars movie comes out without losing any of its lustre, because what we’ve created is very funny, very smart and like I said before, timeless.
So are there immediate plans for releasing Detours? No, not yet. But Green is hopeful that it’ll be out there at some point.
Review: Star Wars: Legacy #6
After a whirlwind past couple of issues, Legacy #6 feels like a deep breath as our heroes regroup. That’s not to say there isn’t any action since, as the cover advertises, it’s a Sith vs Sith battle but Ania Solo’s very bad day finally has come to a close. Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman follow up on their excellent first arc with a transitional issue that’s a good read nonetheless.
This review contains mild spoilers for the issue.
Bria’s ‘Razor’s Edge’ cosplay featured on Suvudu
Our own Bria was featured in an interview over at Suvudu to discuss cosplay and one of her latest costumes: Leia from the cover of Razor’s Edge.
What inspired you to create this costume?
From the minute I saw the cover for Razor’s Edge, I knew that I wanted to do the costume. I’ve said to my friends in the past that so many of the book covers with Leia bore me because they almost all show her in her film costumes. This was absolutely not something she wore in the films but it works so well for not only her character but also for the role she’s filling within the book as a leader of the Rebel Alliance on a vital mission. She gets to wear an outfit that shouts ‘this is meant for action!’ without automatically having to wear a catsuit. I had an idea for how I wanted to make the costume and one day, I challenged myself to complete the costume in 12 hours because I loved the look of it that much.
For the rest of the interview and for more photos, head over to Suvudu.
Review: The Star Wars #1
This is not your father’s Star Wars: it’s your alternative red-tinged universe’s father’s Star Wars. The Star Wars has taken George Lucas’s original rough draft screenplay of A New Hope and has been translated into a comic by writer J.W. Rinzler and artist Mike Mayhew. The names are similar and so is the basic galaxy but otherwise, this is absolutely a different story.
It is a somewhat familiar tale at the start: the Jedi-Bendu are all but extinct as the Knights of Sith hunt them down for being enemies of the New Empire. Jedi Kane Starkiller and his two sons are on the run while the Emperor announces to defeat the last frontier and conqueror the final refuge for the Jedi: the Aquilaean system. King Kayos of Aquilas prepares for war along with General Skywalker. In the midst of all this, the Princess Leia leaves the palace for her studies and Starkiller arrives on Aquilas with a plea to Skywalker.
This first issue is very much about exposition and establishing this alternative universe and yet it never feels boring. If nothing else, the familiar names and places that continuously pop up in different ways than fans know them will definitely keep readers intrigued. The elements and archetypes are familiar but they’re put together in a completely different order. I’m actually mostly unfamiliar with the original script aside from the basics but Rinzler has definitely done a good job with his translation. He manages to make you care about some of these new characters in just a few short pages and to hook your interest by the final page.
The artwork by Mike Mayhew with colors by Rain Beredo is a perfect fit for the story. It gives it that very classic and almost retro feel while still being dynamic. Seeing all the visual changes and tweaks from the original script is fascinating. Characters like the stormtroopers and Darth Vader and ships like the Star Destroyers look both familiar and yet quite different. It helps establish the story as being in its own universe and they even include a few pages in the back with sketches and commentary on “redesigning a universe.” Princess Leia will still look familiar to readers with her double hair buns while characters like Darth Vader present more of a mental what if? scenario.
At the end of the day, The Star Wars is a visual treat with a “new” twist on a story we all know so well. Is it essential reading for all Star Wars fans? No. Was the first issue enjoyable and does it warrant a read if you’re even the least bit intrigued? Absolutely.
A.C. Crispin bids farewell to her fans.
A.C. Crispin, author of the Star Wars Han Solo Trilogy, posted a farewell to her fans yesterday on StarTrek.com. Ann, who has written for a variety of franchises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as her own original Starbridge universe, made the announcement that her battle with cancer is nearing its end.
Crispin thanked her fans for their support and assured them that she was receiving excellent care, let them know that her husband was collecting messages sent to her, but warned them that she may not have the strength to post to her Facebook or website again.
In addition to being a prolific science-fiction writer, Crispin has also served as the Vice President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and with colleague Victoria Strauss, founded Writer Beware, a offshoot of SFWA that helps writers avoid publishing scams and assists law enforcement in shutting down criminal activity in the publishing world. She has also been a leader in ensuring female voices and representation among the science-fiction community.
Ann’s Star Wars resume includes the Han Solo trilogy and two short stories, one for both Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina and Tales from Jabba’s Palace.
Brian’s Review: Kenobi by John Jackson Miller
Let’s just get this out of the way: Kenobi is one of the best entry points to the Expanded Universe available to readers.
That’s really saying something, because in the last year there have been some great additions to EU bookshelves in that regard. I can’t emphasize this enough; anyone can pick up this book regardless of how much Expanded Universe content they have. Whether you’re a new reader or a reader of twenty years, you can enjoy this book and not feel in any way lost. So with that in mind, go buy this book right now.
Review: Jedi Academy
Star Wars fans are probably already familiar with writer Jeffrey Brown for his cute children’s books “Vader and Son” and “Vader’s Little Princess”. He’s made his return to the galaxy far far away with a new story about brand new characters who attend the Jedi Academy. It’s definitely a children’s book but it’s adorable and will easily bring a smile to the faces of those who read it.
Roan has always wanted to go to the Pilot Academy like his brother and his father before him. There’s just one problem: when the time comes, the Academy rejects him and now he’s going to have to go to the Tatooine Agricultural Academy. Or so he thinks. Instead, the Jedi Academy offers him a place. Now Roan has to catch up on years of Jedi classes, make friends, and struggle to conqueror the essential Jedi skill of lifting really large rocks.
It’s a story that has nothing to do with the rest of the Star Wars universe with the exception of Master Yoda and that’s just fine. The book is a cute little story about a young padawan who’s doing his best to fit in. Brown’s illustrations and sense of humor are just as strong here as in the two Vader books. The story is told mostly through comic strips and through Roan’s journal and illustrations with the occasional report card, homework assignment, and occasional edition of The Padawan Observer. The entire effect is incredibly charming and endearing.
These kinds of stories are clearly Brown’s strength and I can but hope that he writes more of them in the future. The story will be relatable for young children as the Jedi Academy really isn’t that much different from schools in the galaxy. They just happen to have lightsabers and have a wookiee and whatever Yoda is for teachers.
Oh. And if you need another reason to pick up this book, Roan likes to draw a comic about the Ewok Pilot. The Ewok Pilot.
I’d recommend this book for children in elementary school or younger although even adults will likely smile and chuckle at some of the jokes and illustrations. Middle schoolers are more likely to not be quite as charmed by it. It’s absolutely worth picking up if you’d like to share more Star Wars with young kids or even if you just want a break from the current Expanded Universe.
Note: Thank you to Scholastic and Net Galley for providing an advance copy for review purposes.
Review: Kenobi (Spoiler Free)
Kenobi by John Jackson Miller is just plain awesome. Miller has exceeded expectations and written the pitch perfect story about Obi-Wan Kenobi as he adjusts to life as a hermit in the desert after the devastating events on Mustafar. It’s a book that will make you laugh, it’s a book that will make you tear up at times, it’s a book that will surprise you, and it’s a book that you’ll find adding to your pile of yearly rereads.
Picking up immediately when Obi-Wan Kenobi lands on Tatooine, Kenobi tells the tale of a Jedi who must learn how to live a quiet life in hiding after decades of being a hero. Despite his best efforts, Ben finds himself soon entangled in the events of a small community and the conflict between them and the Sand People even though he only wants to stay out of sight and protect the infant Luke Skywalker.
Go/No-Go: Kenobi
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: Kenobi. Just how much will the staff like this western about Obi-Wan Kenobi adjusting to life in hiding and the residents of a small community on Tatooine? To mission control for the ruling!