Tag Archives: Rogue One

Review: Rogue One #6

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At this point I think it’s very safe to say that both the novelization and comic adaptation of Rogue One were a step above their The Force Awakens counterparts due in great part to their ability to add to the story instead of just regurgitate it.

There’s not much else new to say about this final issue. It’s not a bad thing but, well, we all know how this story ends and there aren’t really many new twists they could throw at us. (Unless Jyn and Cassian magically survived at the end and wouldn’t that throw a certain section of fandom for a loop.) Jody Houser has a knack distilling a story down to its essence without losing any of the emotional impact, which bodes well for her future work on Thrawn. Personally, I’d love to see her take on a non-adaptation Star Wars story at some point.

What was a pleasant surprise was how Emilio Laiso handled the epic battle scenes. The Battle of Scarif was something special to watch on the big screen and something I wasn’t particularly looking forward to in the comic. Instead of trying to recreate the magic of that battle, Laiso opts for dynamic panel layouts that, when paired with Houser’s fast-paced script, keep the reader engaged.

So what’s the final verdict? Yes, the Rogue One comic adaptation is worth your time if it’s something that peaks your interest. It will undoubtedly read even better in trade format. This is another win in Marvel’s book.

Rogue One #6: Writer/Jody Houser, Artist/Emilio Laiso, Colorist/Rachelle Rosenberg, Letterer/Clayton Cowles, Editor/Heather Antos, Supervising Editor/Jordan D. White.

Review: Cassian and K-2SO

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At last! The long awaited Cassian and Kaytu comic! It’s… fine?

Many of my feelings about the timing of this comic line up with some of my feelings on the Threepio comic from last year. While we don’t know exactly what they were supposed to be, there had been talk about prequel comics coming from Marvel related to Rogue One that would be released prior to the film… just how C-3P0 was supposed to be released prior to The Force Awakens. While I liked this particular comic far more than the red arm saga, both probably would have fared better being released in the hype period for their respective movies.

It’s not really Duane Swierczynski’s fault. There’s only so much you can do in 30ish pages with two characters meeting for the first time. He definitely keeps the action rolling as Cassian and Kertas and Rismor (two other Rebel operatives) attempt to infiltrate an Imperial facility and extract their security protocols. It should be simple enough but of course it’s not because otherwise there wouldn’t be a story. While he may have K-2SO in tow by the story’s end, Cassian most certainly doesn’t set out to get himself a reprogrammed droid which is where the fun comes in. There’s just not much else to talk about in this comic except a very interesting line from Kaytu regarding choice but that ties into a bigger discussion about droids in Star Wars.

I have no major comments on the art front. Fernando Blanco and Marcelo Maiolo do a nice job. I will point out that Cassian’s facial hair looks way more normal than it does in the Rogue One adaptation and that Kaytu’s glowing red eyes of evil are a nice touch.

If you were already thinking about picking this comic up, by all means do so! If you’re a big fan of Cassian and Kaytu, it’s worth a read too. It’s just a comic that would have played better as part of the pre-movie hype.

Cassian and K-2SO: Duane Swierczzynski/Writer, Fernando Blanco/Artist, Marcelo Maiolo/Colorist, Clayton Cowles/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: Rogue One #5

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It’s becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint which of the little added moments in this Rogue One comic adaptation has been the best. It’s very likely that the ultimate winner will include K-2SO. If you want a droid that can go undercover without raising any eyebrows… don’t pick Kaytu. Not unless you can resort to violence soon after. (Which can be fun in its own way…) While I’ve said it before, it’s worth noting again that the added bits are what really make this adaptation worth it. I adore every little bit we get between Jyn and Chirrut and Baze. That was one arena where the film lacked thanks to time constraints. It’s wonderful that written materials can do more with the framework the movie put into place.

On the art front, Emilio Laiso is still on the tap and he draws a particularly good Tarkin. It may not be a 100% exact likeness (what’s the fun in that when it comes to comics?) but he gets the Grand Moff’s eyes right. They’re unnerving (and not in a CGI way.) I’m still not overly fond of how pale Bodhi comes off in some of the panels though. It’ll be interesting to see how the art handles the incredible, forthcoming space battle.

There’s not much else to say about this particular issue although that shouldn’t be interpreted as a mark against the comic. Rogue One has been a lovely adaptation thus far and I don’t suspect that will change with the last issue but for that? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Rogue One #5: Writer/Jody Houser, Artist/Emilio Laiso, Colorist/Rachelle Rosenberg, Letterer/Clayton Cowles, Editor/Heather Antos, Supervising Editor/Jordan D. White.

Review: Rogue One #4

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First things first: shout out to Phil Noto for yet another drop dead gorgeous cover. It’s a damn shame that Noto/Marvel doesn’t sell prints of these.

Much like the issues before it, Rogue One #4 does a great job of telling the film’s story without doing so verbatim. The key lines that everyone’s remembers are there but it’s not like you’re reading an illustrated version of the script. Also like the issues before it, this one has two lovely little added scenes that weren’t in the film. One features a conversation between K-2SO and Bodhi where he tells the droid that they’re the same because they were both Imperial but then Cassian and Galen reprogrammed them to help the Rebellion. The second is a brief one for Mon Mothma and Jyn. Mon Mothma, by the way, is a character who seems to routinely benefit from these adaptations. She’s becoming more and more of a fleshed out character beyond the woman we first saw before the Battle of Endor. On the downside, poor Chirrut and Baze do get the short end of the stick in this particular issue.

On the art front, Rachelle Rosenberg’s more muted coloring for the flashback panels on the first few pages is particularly effective and helps the memories really pop. There’s also a particularly lovely backlit shot of Jyn and Cassian towards the end of the issue that really stands out. The artist change ups over the book have felt a little strange at times but Rosenberg’s colors have been a nice consistency.

Rogue One #4 continues to be a great adaptation that will likely read even better in trade form.

Rogue One #4: Writer/Jody Houser, Artist/Emilio Laiso, Colorist/Rachelle Rosenberg, Letterer/Clayton Cowles, Editor/Heather Antos, Supervising Editor/Jordan D. White.

Review: Rogue One #3

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When it comes to comic adaptations, sometimes you can make a pretty solid guess as to how much of the film an issue will cover. Given where Rogue One #2 left off and Galen Erso’s presence on the cover… Yeah, it’s not hard to guess the territory that this issue goes over. (And yeah. It’s going to hurt.)

That said, Rogue One is able to do what The Force Awakens adaptation couldn’t: play with the material a little more. It has absolutely been to the book’s benefit. The story hasn’t so much been changed as much as it’s been supplemented. You might not think that Saw’s final moments could get more impactful but ohhhh no. Jody Houser finds a way.

Another thing that the issue does well is really build on the friendship/relationship between Jyn and Chirrut. Due to time constraints in the film, we didn’t get to see much of them interacting but there’s a sort of understanding between the two of them that’s understated but sweet.

The biggest problem that I have with this issue is the coloring. Bodhi Rook looks way too pale in any well-lit panels. It’s a little off-putting. On the other hand, Paolo Villanelli’s Cassian has far less strange looking facial hair so that’s a plus. I was also delighted to see some women amongst the X-Wing fighter pilots.

Overall, Rogue One continues to be an excellent adaptation of the film and I’m intrigued to see how they handle the rest of the story.

Rogue One #3: Writer/Jody Houser, Artists/Paolo Villanelli, Colorist/Rachelle Rosenberg, Letterer/Clayton Cowles, Editor/Heather Antos, Supervising Editor/Jordan D. White.

Review: Rogue One #2

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I’m not sure if this was a happy accident or if it was the result of excellent planning by Lucasfilm but releasing Rogue One #2 the same week as Rebel Rising and Guardians of the Whills feels like a stroke of genius. In fact, I’d go so far as to strongly recommend that you read through the two novels before picking up this issue if you want the full service emotional ride.

Issue #2 picks up where the last issue left off as Cassian and Jyn arrive on Jedha and takes us through her reunion with Saw. Plus, as the covers so cleverly conceal, we’re introduced to Chirrut and Baze. (Perhaps you’re beginning to see why reading the tie-in books might be relevant.) Saw might not be in the story much but Houser doesn’t throw away her shot to really emphasize the history and relationship between Jyn and Saw. There’s one panel (I won’t spoil it) that makes the entire, well-done issue worth the price of admission. You’ll know it when you see it and I have no doubt that it’ll spark some conversation.

Speaking of which, Laiso and Bazaldua may only have a page to show Saw raising Jyn but they sure do pack plenty of emotion and history into that one page that hits you all the harder if you’ve read Rebel Rising. That’s only one of the pages of very strong artwork in this book, by the way. There are some fairly significant and memorable action sequences covered in this part of the story that could have fallen flat on the page. Laiso and Bazaldua expertly use their panel layouts to make both fights feel dynamic and exciting. That said… there’s still something about Cassian’s facial hair that bothers me.

The comic adaptation continues to be very well done and (thus far) very worthy of your time.

Rogue One #2: Writer/Jody Houser, Artists/Emilio Laiso & Oscar Bazaldua, Colorist/Rachelle Rosenberg, Letterer/Clayton Cowles, Editor/Heather Antos, Supervising Editor/Jordan D. White.

Review: Rebel Rising

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A common criticism from those who don’t actually read young adult fiction is that the stories are too juvenile and won’t connect with an adult audience. Star Wars is currently hellbent on proving them wrong. In the latest young adult novel in a galaxy far, far away, Rebel Rising, readers learn more about Jyn Erso’s less than ideal life from when Saw retrieves her to when we meet her again in the prison on Wobani. Beth Revis does not mess around as she takes Jyn (and readers!) through the years on an often rough yet fulfilling journey.

One of the most important things to know about this book is that it can be fairly unrelenting when it comes showing what Jyn’s life was as a child and a teenager. In a way, that’s to be expected. Rogue One tells us that she was on her own since the age of fifteen after she saw her mother murdered by Krennic and was subsequently raised by a militant rebel. In other words, we knew that Jyn didn’t have an easy life but knowing something and really seeing something are two completely different creatures. Jyn certainly has moments of happiness throughout her life but doesn’t really have a happy life. It will be impossible to watch Rogue One and ever think of Jyn Erso the same way after reading Rebel Rising and that’s definitely a good thing as Star Wars literature continues to expand upon and truly elevate what we see on screen.

Where Revis soars is with her portrayal of Saw Gerrera. Admittedly, I was biased against him because of The Clone Wars and Rogue One didn’t do enough with him to sway my opinion. The author makes him a fully realized character that feels like the logical transition between when we last saw him on Onderon and when we later see him on Geonosis.  Perhaps Revis is just hitting me in my very specific emotional weak spot of found/adopted family and gruff adopted fathers who really don’t know what they’re doing but are trying their best but she actually made me genuinely care about Saw. It wasn’t an easy task. He genuinely feels like a real human being now and clearly carries the weight of what happened to Steela with him every day even while continuing his unrelenting guerilla campaign against the Empire. We stay with Jyn’s point of view the entire book but Revis makes you want to occasionally detour with Saw and see more his fight against the Empire and his clashes with other rebels groups. It’s incredibly well done.

Revis also does a good job with her supporting cast, following up on some name drops from Alexander Freed’s Rogue One novelization. With a few exceptions, none of them quite live up to how fully realized both Jyn and Saw are but it’s a solid supporting cast nonetheless. If nothing else, it’s nice to see the supporting cast have noticeably more women present than in stories of old. Also worth noting is how seamlessly Revis handles the passage of time. Her Jyn immediately after Lah’mu feels noticeably younger than her Jyn who is now on her own but they still feel like the same character. All of this contributes to a very believable story.

Rebel Rising is another strong entry into the Star Wars canon and does a more than admirable job helping readers get to know both Jyn and Saw better. It is absolutely something that Star Wars fans should delve into when they have the chance.

Thank you to Disney/Lucasfilm Press for providing an advanced copy of the book for review purposes.

Review: Rogue One #1

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Adaptations from films are always a really weird beast. They tend to fall into two categories: forgettable or excellent with very little in between. In all honesty, I didn’t even bother picking up The Force Awakens Marvel adaptation because the art wasn’t my cup of tea. However, when the Rogue One comic adaptation was announced, we were told that it would include bits not in the film and I was instantly intrigued. Is it worth a read though? (Especially given the already stellar novelization by Alexander Freed.)

So far, I’m inclined to say yes. The prologue feels a little rushed but otherwise, Jody Houser does a great job of taking us through the story (up through departing Yavin) and seamlessly weaving in brand new scenes and bits we’ve already seen in the novelization into the film’s narrative. Without a doubt, Bodhi and Galen have benefitted the most from this and Houser’s Bodhi voice is actually spot on. It’s also nice to get a little more of Jyn’s point of view and feel like we’re inside her head, especially during the Yavin scenes.

Where I suspect people will have problems with this book is in regards to the art. Emilio Laiso and Oscar Bazaldua had an unenviable task before them as readers tend to be far harsher when it comes to adaptations than other comics. I wouldn’t call any of the likenesses uncanny but I didn’t find it to be an issue. The only one I wasn’t fond of was Cassian. There’s something off about his moustache. Mostly, the art made me draw favorable comparisons between this issue and Jorge Molina’s work on the main Star Wars book with the SCAR troopers.

Rogue One #1 is definitely worth picking up if you’re even a little bit interested. Time (and the next few issues) will tell whether this adaptation reaches the heights of the novelization.

Rogue One #1: Writer/Jody Houser, Artists/Emilio Laiso & Oscar Bazaldua, Colorist/Rachelle Rosenberg, Letterer/Clayton Cowles, Editor/Heather Antos, Supervising Editor/Jordan D. White.

Holonet Blast #3

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Welcome back to Holonet Blast! Less news this week than last but it is news indeed! Let’s get right to it!

First off, the principle photography on the as-yet untitled Han Solo began February 20! The film, set to be released May 25, 2018, follows the pre-A New Hope adventures of Han and Chewie. Presumably, wacky space hi-jinks ensue. A cast picture was released with the announcement, and I’m sure it’s not the last. Thandie Newton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge were also both confirmed as cast members. And aaaahhhhhh, in every photo Donald Glover looks more and more like a young Lando!

via StarWars.com

Speaking of Star Wars stand alone films, we now have information on the Rogue One home releases! The film is coming to Digital HD on March 21, with Blu-Ray, DVD, and On-Demand following on April 4. That’s right, in just a few weeks you’ll be able to cry over [SPOILER], [SPOILER], and [SPOILERING SPOILER] in the comfort of your own home! You can also check out the box art for the physical releases now through the link. You can also see a list of some of the special features for the film, including one discussing Chirrut and Baze’s relationship and one exploring the various Easter Eggs of the film. But wait, there’s more! The Force Awakens had retailer exclusive content in its home releases and it was apparently not an anomaly. The Target, Best Buy, and Walmart versions of Rogue One, all of which are now available for pre-order, are detailed in the announcement post as well. Head over there now to pick which version(s) you’re going to pick up.

Finally, Star Wars Celebration Orlando will start off with a special 40th anniversary panel. The panel will be hosted by the esteemed Warwick Davis and “will feature Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and discussions with some of the saga’s brightest stars, highlighting the impact of the galaxy far, far, away and the fandom that has propelled it for the last four decades.” I am very excited for this. Very, very excited.

Review: Rogue One (Novelization)

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There’s no way anyone can prove that I sat on my couch, clutching my ‘This is Fine’ Dog to me as I read the last few chapters of Rogue One. That would be ridiculous if I’d done that. Absolutely… okay, fine. I did.

Novelizations can be so hit or miss that it’s often tempting to skip them all together. After all, you saw the movie, right? For the most part, they tend to be fine but nothing to write home about. Star Wars, however, has already been blessed with the absolute gem that is Matthew Stover’s Revenge of the Sith. It’s a very high bar to meet and while Rogue One doesn’t quite meet it, it comes pretty damn close.

Alexander Freed’s novelization works so harmoniously with Garth Edward’s film that they feel like two halves of a whole. Where as the movie can revel in the action and magnificent space battles, the book allows readers into the characters’ heads and to get to know them far more intimately than before. I have no doubt that the film will have even more of an emotional impact the next time I see it. Continue reading →