Rebels Review: Wolves and a Door and A World Between Worlds

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Let’s get this out of the way: I did not like last night’s episodes of Rebels. If you did, I am super happy for you, and you probably shouldn’t read this review.

I procrastinated on writing this review because I don’t enjoy disliking things about Star Wars. I have my preferences, and I admit I was biased against these two episodes of Rebels knowing there would be Mortis connections, but deep down I wanted to be wrong. I would much rather talk about things I enjoy rather than things I dislike.

There were things I liked about these episodes, and that’s probably why I’m so frustrated. The idea of the Empire wanting something with the Jedi Temple on Lothal is a solid plot. We know from Season 2 and Minister Tua that the Empire came to Lothal for a reason, and not just to build the TIE Defender. I can even accept a little bit of Force mysticism; perhaps the Lothal Temple was very strong in the Force, or amplified people’s powers, etc. etc. I enjoyed all the scenes with Sabine and the minister. I have been waiting for a scene like this since Thrawn joined the show — and to be honest, I’m a bit bummed we didn’t get that scene with Thrawn. I always love Palpatine, especially played by Ian McDiarmid. The animation was brilliant, especially the portal animation, which reminded me a lot of the Tale of the Three Brothers from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Kevin Kiner’s music continues to be one of the best things about the series. The Ghost crew saving the day is always fun to watch. Continue reading →

Book Wars Pod, Episode 39: Mining Space-ranium

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Our read of PHASMA by Delilah S. Dawson continues this week! Join us in discussing parallels between Parnassos and Earth, the irony of the First Order, and–finally!–Phasma herself.

This podcast covers chapters 23-28 of PHASMA and is NOT spoiler-free!

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes or Google Play for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, and Kate Sedor. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Vorkosicast Episode #2: Barrayar

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This month on the Vorkosicast, Robin and Nanci discuss Barrayar, the second book in the Vorkosigan saga.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!  If you like what you hear, you can subscribe to the Tosche Station Book Club on iTunes or you can subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Megafeed for all of our great Star Wars and geek culture content. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Who Makes Our Myths? On the Unbearable Whiteness of Star Wars

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Almost forty years ago, Lando Calrissian appeared in Star Wars, immediately becoming, as Donald Glover recently put it, “the only black guy in the universe.” Since then, a number of actors of color have joined Billy Dee Williams’s iconic character in the galaxy far, far away, including Temuera Morrison and Daniel Logan of the prequel trilogy, the incredibly diverse ensemble cast of 2016’s Rogue One, three of the starring actors in the sequel trilogy, and of course, Glover himself as young Lando in the upcoming Solo, for which he will be joined by Thandie Newton. As we celebrate these victories, however, it quickly becomes clear that Lucasfilm has only recently fielded casts that don’t merely feature token actors of color; white, male actors still make up the vast majority of the Star Wars universe. And behind the camera, those who have helmed the franchise’s films are overwhelmingly white and male.

Billy Dee Williams broke new ground as Lando Calrissian.

It has almost become a truism that to tell diverse stories, the creators of those stories must be diverse, too–but it’s a concept that’s proven by fact. One needs only to look at recent films directed by people of color to find proof that these movies feature more diverse casts: Creed, Life of Pi, and the upcoming A Wrinkle in Time. Directors of color find it imperative to tell stories starring people who look like them in a way that white directors simply don’t. If white creators found diversity at the forefront of their minds, then we would have had racial parity on screen a long time ago. Continue reading →

Holonet Blast #47

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Remember the past two weeks, when there was just SO MUCH STAR WARS NEWS that it  was hard to keep up with?

Yeah, well, it’s feast or famine with Star Wars, and this week, we went a little hungry.

But, there’s always something happening in the galaxy far, far away, and the biggest piece of news we got from Lucasfilm this week was the official trailer and announcement of the Star Wars: The Last Jedi Blu-ray, including 14(!) deleted scenes. No word on whether Chewie eats the porg.

Meanwhile, there was Star Wars news in our own galaxy as well, with the announcement that Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, and Kelly Marie Tran will be presenting at the 2018 Academy Awards. Hamill had an even bigger week when it was revealed that he will receive his own star (wars) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next month.

And finally, we got a fresh look at the new Star Wars resort planned for the Walt Disney World Resort, and the odds of TS writers shelling out a small fortune to go there are high. They’re very high.

That’s it – at least until the next round of books/tv shows/movies is announced and SW Twitter loses its collective mind again. Until that time, may the Force be with you.

Review: Doctor Aphra #17

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Doctor Aphra: Still gay
Tolvan: Still doesn’t know her name. Still pretty into her

I dig it.

“Remastered” has no intent of confining itself to just one location and in Doctor Aphra #17, our favorite archaeologist and her team make their way to a rebel pilot training base where the general in charge is a very familiar green face. Yup, it’s the face you’re thinking of because who else could train a batch of recruits to fly x-wings quite as well as Hera Syndulla?

One thing I really like about this comic is that it never tries to hide that Aphra’s not a great person but at the same time, it makes it clear that she’s not exactly a really bad person either. This arc in particular has emphasized this with Triple Zero forcing her to do things she otherwise wouldn’t and Tolvan skinning another being as part of her disguise which Aphra’s not okay with. It gives Aphra more depth than your standard “bad gal” and honestly, it’s part of what makes me love her. It’s also a part of what makes her feel real. She makes a lot of bad decisions and then has to deal with the consequences. If anything, Jango’s line about being a simple man trying to make his way in the universe probably really applies a lot to her too.

This issue also does lovingly poke fun at how trusting some of the Rebels can be. (Or maybe that’s just Flight Control; Hera at least knows what’s up. Actually Hera is by far the most competent person in this issue.) In a way, it’s almost sweet how he so easily believes that these mercenaries are there to join up without any ulterior motive.

I think it’s been a little while since I’ve mentioned it but I am really digging the Laiso/Rosenberg combination for the artwork on this book. There was something about their work on this issue that particularly clicked into place. I can’t quite put my finger on it but there was something about it that took my feelings on the art from like to love.

There’s a heck of a lot going on in both “Remastered” and Doctor Aphra #17 and I’m definitely still on board with all of it and can’t wait to see how both Hera and Aphra handle things in the next issue.

Doctor Aphra #17: Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier/Writers, Emilio Laiso/Artist, Rachelle Rosenberg/Colors, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Book Wars Pod, Episode 38: Brendol the Weird Step-dad

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We’re continuing our journey through Delilah S. Dawson’s PHASMA this week! Join us as we discuss how this book shows us a side of the galaxy we’ve never seen before, the “humanity” of droids, and how much we understand so far of who Phasma really is.

This podcast covers chapters 14-22 of PHASMA and is NOT spoiler-free!

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes or Google Play for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, and Kate Sedor. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Holonet Blast #46

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Welcome back to the Holonet Blast: our weekly look at the news from a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Solo Toys debut– and they are glorious!

Hasbro debuted the 6” Black series figures featuring the characters from Solo: A Star Wars Story this week at New York Toy Fair. Figures of Han Solo featuring Alden Ehrenreich’s likeness, the Imperial Range Trooper, and Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra have all been met with enthusiasm, but it’s Donald Glover’s likeness as Lando Calrissian—complete with billowing cape and raised eyebrow—that seems to be stealing the show. The toys are set to hit the market in advance of the film’s May 25th release date.

Ron Howard once again tweets hints to Solo

Once again, news from the making of Solo: A Star Wars Story comes to us in the form of a tweet from director Ron Howard. This week it was the news that Jon Favreau is joining the cast as the voice of “a very cool & important alien character”. It remains to be seen who the character is and what they add to the story, but Favreau’s addition to the cast is surely an exciting development.

More new Star Wars toys to include comic book and animated favorites

In additional news from New York Toy Fair, the Star Wars toy line is getting more than just the few Solo: A Star Wars Story figures previously unveiled.  Other characters from Solo, including Woody Harrelson’s Tobias Beckett and the Mimban Stormtrooper, are coming to the Black Series line as well as Princess Leia in her Hoth kit from The Empire Strikes Back, Admiral Holdo from The Last Jedi, and other familiar characters including Commander Wolffe from both The Clone Wars and Rebels.

The 3.75” Vintage Collection is getting additions from Solo, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and Rogue One, as well as a figure of Dr. Aphra from Marvel’s Star Wars Comic Books (a favorite of ours here at Tosche Station!).

A “lights and sound” Millennium Falcon (in its Solo: a Star Wars Story trim), new blasters, the “Ultimate Co-Pilot” interactive plush Chewbacca, and several toys compatible with Force Link 2.0 were also announced.

Solo tie-in books announced

For those of us who enjoy the added lore and fleshed-out backstories provided by Star Wars books, this week’s Solo: A Star Wars Story announcements were nothing short of giddy-making. In addition to the usual offerings of creative non-fiction, this week’s announcements included some buzz-worthy novels and comics. D.J. Older’s adult fiction novel Last Shot will take readers on an adventure spanning decades and will take us adventuring with Han and Lando both as the young scoundrels we will see in Solo and the old friends we know from  The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Rae Carson’s YA novel Most Wanted will take us deeper into Han Solo’s youth, his relationship with shadowy Qi’ra, and his hardscrabble life on the streets of Corellia. Joining the novels is the Lando: Double or Nothing comic mini series, a middle reader book featuring Chewbacca, a series of stories in the Star Wars Adventures comics, and the Little Golden Book I am a Wookiee.

Keep your eyes on Tosche Station for release dates and reviews of all the Solo tie-in reading.

Western Reaches #36

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On this episode Saf and Megan review the Bone Universe fantasy trilogy by Fran Wilde, discussing its unique world-building and character development. In the grab-bag of video games and books the Western Reaches crew also talk about Halo novels (as usual), Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and Mass Effect: Andromeda.
You can find Megan on Twitter with the handle @blogfullofwords and you can find Saf with @Wanderlustin. Be sure to subscribe to Western Reaches on iTunes/Google Play and subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed for more great shows, discussion, and commentary. This podcast has been brought to you by your support on Patreon!