Review: Star Wars: Legacy #18

It is with a heavy heart that I have to write a review of Star Wars: Legacy #18.  The final issue of Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman’s stellar series is released today and while it’s going to be a shame to see this series go, they definitely leave just as strong as they started.

This review contains some spoilers for the entire series.

Imperial Knights versus the Sith on the Floating World!  And just whose side is Darth Wredd on?  It’s an action packed finale as Ania Solo and all of her friends fight not only for their survival but that of the Empress Fel herself.

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Tosche Station at Dragon Con

Dragon Con logoIt’s nearly the most wonderful time of the year–Dragon Con, that is! Once again members of the Tosche Station staff will be in attendance at the largest gathering of geeks in the Southeastern United States. For those not in the know (or who didn’t listen to our Dragon Con preview podcast last week), Dragon Con is held Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, and features fan tracks from Alternate History to Young Adult Literature.

The Star Wars track, run by Brandy Roatsey and an intrepid team of volunteers, has its home base in room A706 in the Mariott. Stop by to marvel at their always entertaining room decorations and stay for panels featuring Star Wars authors. This year the track is hosting a new event–the Suits, Sinatra, and Star Wars cocktail mixer–on Friday night, which is sure to be a dapper fun time.

new dawnBrian, Nanci, and Bria will be on several panels. Stop by and say hello, and also for a chance to win one of 25 signed copies of the ARC of A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller!

Friday

  • 1 pm: A Farewell to Clone Wars, and Hello Rebels – Bria (Mariott  A706)
  • 4 pm: All the Single Ladies – Brian, Nanci, and Bria (Mariott A706)
  • 7 pm: An Introduction to Costuming – Bria (Mariott A706)

Saturday

  • 4 pm: Episode VII – Brian and Nanci (Mariott A601-602)
  • 7 pm: Advanced Costuming – Bria (Mariott A706)

Monday

  • 11:30 am: A New Hope: Who Was Luke Skywalker – Nanci (Mariott A706)

Don’t forget the Appreciating Aaron Allston and A.C. Crispin panel, which will be held Sunday at 5:30 pm in the Hyatt International North ballroom.

We hope to see you there!

 

Review: Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #4

The unused Clone Wars storyline comes to an end today ad Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #4 by Jeremy Barlow and Juan Frigeri hits comic book stores today.  But will Darth Maul and Mother Talzin’s plan for revenge against Darth Sidious succeed?

This review contains some spoilers for the issue.

Darth Maul returns to Dathomir with Count Dooku, intent on using the Sith’s very life force to give Mother Talzin a physical body once more.  But Darth Sidious is hardly going to let his former apprentice destroy his carefully laid plans.  That can only mean another facedown between Master and former Apprentice!

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Rebels Clip: Art Attack

The second of four Star Wars Rebels shorts has arrived!  In the second of four clips that originally premiered at Star Wars Weekends, Sabine Wren sneaks onto an Imperial base to decorate.  Explosively.

Somewhere, Grand Admiral Thrawn is sitting back and stroking his chin and saying, “But it was so artistically done.”

My Hopes and Dreams for Princess Leia

Leia_Dodson1Or more specifically: My Hopes and Dreams for the Star Wars: Princess Leia comic by Mark Waid.

When Joe Quesada announced the three new Star Wars comic books at San Diego Comic Con the other week, one series in particular thrilled me more than the others.  We were finally going to get a book staring Princess Leia!  Mark Waid was instantly a choice that I approved whole-heartedly of to write my beloved Leia Organa and that was even before I saw his interviews talking about the book. Terry Dodson on art just made it even better.  They are both perfect choices for a Leia story.  Dodson is perhaps the easier to immediately see.  I’ve never found a reason to complain about his art style and judging from the cover we’ve seen?  We’ll get to see some pretty neat outfits on everyone’s favorite princess that are all logical for her to be wearing.  Dodson also draws a killer action scene so we’ll undoubtedly have a few of those to look forward to.

Waid, on the other hand, might be a little tougher to get.  For me, the gut reaction of perfect! came from his work on Indestructible Hulk over the past few years.  Bruce Banner can be a tricky character to get right but it wasn’t his great work with the Hulk that got me.  No, it was how he handled one Maria Hill who is not a character that all writers get right.  They might get the ‘bitches-get-stuff-done’ aspect of her but miss that there’s more to her than that.  Mark Waid, however, nailed writing her hook, line, and sinker.  Factor in his solidly good work on Hulk and Daredevil in recent years and I was sold.

What doubly sold me were his interviews.  In an interview with StarWars.com, he describe Leia as

I think that she is often misunderstood as short-tempered or what have you, and I think that’s unfair. She’s direct. She’s not necessarily impatient, she’s just exasperated easily by people who are not as smart as her. She’s not bossy…well, okay, alright, she’s bossy. But she is a princess, after all, so you have to allow her a little bit of that.

…and I let out a giant sigh of relief.  It’s these aspects of Leia’s personality that are so important to who she is and how she reacts to situations.  Reading what he had to say about what sort of person she is at her core made me even more confident about how he’ll handle writing her.

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Del Rey releases first seven chapters of A New Dawn

new dawnThere’s no winning if you’re Del Rey’s Star Wars team right now. The inevitable changing of the Expanded Universe to its current Legends status was bound to upset folks, and their Facebook page has been flooded with angry comments ever since. It’s worth pointing out and reiterating that this change was outside of their control. More importantly, it was something that needed to happen with new films on the horizon.

Keep that in mind when you see Del Rey’s peace offering: the first seven chapters of A New Dawn. They’re proud of the new direction Star Wars literature is going and the least you can do is give it a chance.

Review: Rebel Heist #4

The final piece falls into place today as Rebel Heist #4 by Matt Kindt and Marco Castiello arrives in comic book stores.  It’s Luke Skywalker’s turn to take the spotlight!

Han’s captured, Leia’s captured, and Chewbacca’s captured.  That leaves Luke Skywalker to save the day and the Bothan Imperial spy to narrate the events.  Can he get all three of his friends out of jail and still pull off the mission?

This review contains some spoilers.

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John Jackson Miller wins Scribe Award for Kenobi

KenobiCoverStar Wars Books announced on their Facebook page today that John Jackson Miller won a Scribe Award this weekend for Kenobi.  The Scribe Awards are hosted by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.  Novels for franchises like Star Wars often are often no longer considered serious contenders for Hugo or Nebula awards, no matter how excellent they may be.

Tosche Station has plenty of coverage of Kenobi, including a podcast with John Jackson Miller as our special guest, so be sure to check out all of our posts with the Kenobi tag.