This one-shot comic book is part of a big “Star Wars” event where it will be published 27 one-shots, Any criminal empire needs to begin somewhere!
This one-shot comic book is part of a big “Star Wars” event where it will be published 27 one-shots, each focused in a different character (some special issues including like four characters), from three different Star Wars eras: Age of Republic, Age of Rebellion and Age of Resistance.
Creative Team:
Writer: Jody Houser
Illustrator: Luke Ross
Cover: Paolo Rivera
BAD TO THE BONE
Darth Maul is still in the shadows, since Darth Sidious doesn’t want to be revealed yet, the new rising of the Dark Lords of the Sith.
And Darth Maul is barely resisting his urges for blood…
…Jedi blood…
…however, while he wants to be part of the future political empire of his master, Darth Maul’s plans aren’t only about Jedi extermination, but also about building an empire of his own…
…a criminal empire!
Killing Jedis is good, but Maul also wants something to be called of his own.
And any illegal organization can’t be done in one day, it needs to be built brick by brick…
…and beginning somewhere, and what better than now?...more
This one-shot comic book is part of a big “Star Wars” event where it will be published 27 one-shots, each focused in aA balance, you need to seek!
This one-shot comic book is part of a big “Star Wars” event where it will be published 27 one-shots, each focused in a different character (some special issues including like four characters), from three different Star Wars eras: Age of Republic, Age of Rebellion and Age of Resistance.
Creative Team:
Writer: Jody Houser
Illustrator: Cory Smith
Cover: Paolo Rivera
GREAT WARRIORS, ARE WE?
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, along with his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, is helping in a diplomatic negotiation, in a world where a faction wants to cut protected tres, however the situation soon becomes a battle…
…something that Qui-Gon doesn’t want to engage…
…even worse when he perceives that the Jedi Order was involved in the situation due being “great warriors”, putting in doubt his personal role in a religious order that he feels its losing its true path inside The Force.
So, while he’s still doing what he thinks best to find a compromise in the difficult affair, Qui-Gon needs to get away wherever The Force would take him, to meditate and unexpected to meet a source of…
This TPB edition collects "Star Wars: Captain Phasma" #1-4.
Creative Team:
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Illustrator: Marco ChPhasma eliminating her tracks!
This TPB edition collects "Star Wars: Captain Phasma" #1-4.
Creative Team:
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Illustrator: Marco Checchetto
MERCILESS SURVIVOR
This comic book miniseries accounts how Captain Phasma erased her forced involment in the destruction of the Starkiller Starbase, when she had to get down the shields of the said station having guns pointed to her.
Phasma, once she escaped from the trash compactor area, she knew that she had to ensure to delete her entry in the computer system using her personal codes to deactivate the energy shields, and soon before anyone could check it out...
...she eliminate the electronic evidence, BUT...
...an First Order officer already had consulted the info...
...the course of action for Phasma is clear, as always in her life as a survivor...
...the First Officer should be "deleted" too!
Captain Phasma in the middle of the imminent destruction of the Starkiller base, she takes a TIE fighter along with a female First Order pilot, to chase the runaway First Order officer, flying in a TIE fighter too, to avoid that one of her most shameful and incriminating moments, could be widely known...
...and said chase will take Phasma to a hostile world...
..but that's no problem, since it's not her first hostile world!
Phasma will survive...
...not matter how many corpses she has to leave in her bloody path.
This is a prose novel, part of the new canon of "Star Wars".
PHASMA'S DARK PAST
I got an odd feeling while reading this nSurviving is merciless!
This is a prose novel, part of the new canon of "Star Wars".
PHASMA'S DARK PAST
I got an odd feeling while reading this novel, since most of it, it's told by a third one, instead of the actual Phasma, in fact, Phasma appeared (in real time) until the final climax of the book.
So, it's a book of Phasma and at the same time, kinda not.
But, don't get me wrong, since the story is quite strong, since it's a book about a villain, and certainly Phasma is merciless when it's about her own survival.
A Resistance spy is captured by the First Order, but soon she's taken to a secret room where a competitor Stormtrooper captain (with red armor, but it's not that one who has been appearing in Star Wars: Resistance) known as "Cardinal" and that he's obsessed about finding out the dirty stuff of Phasma's past to use it to get her falling from grace in the eyes of the First Order High Command.
Since the spy wanted to survive too and it's not like that she's being asked about Resistance's inner info, she decided to tell everything she knows about Phasma's past, after a previous travel to Phasma's native world, where she got Phasma's story through a living witness.
Phasma is a merciless person, and she doesn't care about anybody but herself, and any chance of improving her existence, and in this book you'll learn about her long journey to be able to leave that forgotten planet, for any means necessary.
And even after being successful of leaving her world (it's not a spoiler since it's obvious that she became a First Order Stormtrooper officer, duh!), Phasma isn't loyal to anybody but herself and her own precious survival.
This is the second novel re-introducing in the new Expanded Universe Canon of Star Wars (post Disney bought) toBoth Emperor’s enforcers… together!
This is the second novel re-introducing in the new Expanded Universe Canon of Star Wars (post Disney bought) to the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn, focused on his days previous to the events of the original movie trilogy.
This novel is set in two time periods: “Now” is after the episode “Zero Hour” (Star Wars: Rebels’ Third Season Finale); and “Then” is after the episode “The Wrong Jedi” (Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Fifth Season Finale).
THE GRAND ADMIRAL & THE DARK LORD
“Now” is about a mission set by the very Emperor Palpatine to his closest servants: Lord Darth Vader, dark lord of the Sith, and Grand Admiral Thrawn, commanding officer of the Imperial Seventh Fleet.
Emperor’s most powerful agent and his best combat tactician.
There is an unusual disturbance in the Force, located in the planet Batuu, at the far areas of the Outer Rim, quite near of the border to the Unknown Regions…
…and Palpatine wanted to be investigate it at once…
…of course this will serve him well to test, once again, the loyalty of his two best Imperial enforcers.
Thrawn employs his personal flagship, the Imperial Destroyer Chimaera (led by Commodore Karyn Faro), in charge of the overall mission, while transporting aboard to Lord Darth Vader, accompanied by the First Legion (special forces unit, lead by Commander Kimmund (part of the 501st Legion (Vader’s personal stormtrooper company))), in direct charge of the investigation of the disturbance in the Force.
Needless to say that Vader will soon enough clash against Thrawn, due their QUITE different commanding styles and choices to approach situations…
…but they will need to find common grounds to work along, if they want to success in their joint mission…
…after all…
…it’s NOT the first time that they work together!!!
THE CHISS COMMANDER & THE JEDI GENERAL
“Then” is about a personal mission of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, looking for Republic Senator Padmé Amidale (his secret wife), whom got missing after attending to the calling of Duja (one of her once personal handmaidens of her days as Queen of Naboo) in the planet Batuu (does sound familiar, from the first section of this review? Aaah, the Force and its odd sense of balance!)
Once there, still in orbit, Anakin meets with Chiss Ascendancy’s Commander Thrawn (I won’t even try his original Chiss name), whom was assigned to understand the conflict of the Clone Wars, and whom at once offers assistance to Anakin on the quest for Padmé.
I can tell you that it’s awesome how Timothy Zahn (the author) narrates how Skywalker/Vader uses the Force, making you to grasp quite better how powerful (and useful) ally, the Force is.
Also, it’s interesting how Darth Vader refers to his experiences as Anakin Skywalker, refering as “The Jedi”, that I understand must be his way to protect in some kind of twisted way his past persona from the awful and murdering acts perfomed by the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Once again, fellow readers in the Force, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, yoThe slowest space pursuit ever!
Once again, fellow readers in the Force, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, you already know that I’ll do several spoilers in this review (which is quite the opposite to my regular kind of review, but with Star Wars movie novelizations is quite hard not to fall into spoilers in the reviews about it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
SITH’S ADVOCATE
OK, most people didn’t like Episode VIII in its movie presentation, and I guess that could go as well into its expanded novelization, BUT...
...while certainly I can understand why was so poor received, I want to play “Sith’s Advocate” and expose some points that the script wanted to explore and/or expose and maybe, just maybe it wasn’t so clear to some people, so…
…sometimes the scoundrel guy doesn’t have a heart of gold.
…sometimes the desperate mission just failed, not matter how much the heroes tried.
…sometimes a great hero didn’t age the same as great.
…sometimes while the student is ready, the teacher isn’t.
…sometimes you never will be able to know the real truth about an incident where you weren’t present, even if you hear the points of view of each side involved in the incident.
…sometimes your allies won’t answer your calling for help.
…sometimes the fallen one isn’t just interested in redemption.
There isn’t anything wrong in all that. It’s just life. Not fair or unfair. Just life.
And I admire the boldness to show things like that…
…however, usually people aren’t looking for life-like situation in a worl of fiction.
Usually, we want in fiction that order that the chaotic life lacks.
And maybe…
…just maybe…
…all that life-like stuff could be better received…
…if the story wouldn’t present THE DANG SLOWEST SPACE PURSUIT in the history of science fiction!!!
Geez!!!
At the end, that tedious and maddening “pursuit” drags down everything else that the story tried to do.
SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE ANYWAY?
Almost any novelization differs from the movie, usually since movie production does changes after the writer gets the original script, but in this particular time, this novel is presented as an “expanded edition”, so more than ever, definitely you will find several new stuff in the novelization of this episode in the Star Wars saga (while some of those “expanded” scenes are available in the deleted scenes section of the blu-ray…
So…
Movie versus book, you can find here…
…before the scene where the First Order fleet attack the Resistance base, you get Luke Skywalker meditating and having some kind of “Force vision” about how could his life may evolve if he hadn’t join old Ben Kenobi to go and saving the princess.
…a very good thing is that there is a scene to give honors in a funeral to Han Solo as the hero that he was.
…there is an extra “lesson” to Rey about not intervening in a situation if you can’t get balance out of it.
…when Finn, along with Rose, BB-8 and DJ, infiltrated the First Order’s flagship, he encounters in a turbolift, an old comrade of his days while training to be stormtrooper, which is a really hilarious moment.
…since Rey and Poe met face to face in the novelization of the previous episode, the meeting shown in the movie isn’t on this novelization.
…Leia and Chewie sadly realized that of the original rebels, now they are just them now (while I feel kinda “racist” not recognizing that R2-D2 and C-3PO, while droids, are part of the original rebels too (but maybe it’s just me and my pro-doids civil rights sentiments!))....more
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.
This TThe fate of Jedha!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.
This TPB edition collects “Star Wars” #38-43.
This comic book run is set after the events of “Star Wars IV: A New Hope” but before the events of “Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back”.
Creative Team:
Writer: Jason Aaron
Illustrator: Salvador Larroca
JEDHA’S AFTERMATH
The situation is… hostile.
We’re the Empire, you little fool. We thrive on hostile. The universe says “no” and we twist its arm until it howls “yes”.
After the destruction of the Death Star, it’s obvious that the Empire got quite short of kyber crystals since the most of its reverves were onboard the huge mobile space station, so they need to get more, and the only place is…
…Jedha.
But, that particular planet was the first target practice of the dissapeared Death Star, and while it only was hit with the power of one generator…
…not only Jedha City become dust, but the planet itself got a deep impact creating a gigantic hole, unbalanced not only its atmospheric environment but even…
…The Force got unbalanced there!
Saw Gerrera is no more, but his partisans still are fighting in a ruined world, and now with a kinda of unwanted boost of Rebel Alliance forces lead by Leia, along with Luke and Han, the Empire detachment sent there to look for kyber crystals is having a headache to achieve its mission…
…Enter: General Kanchar!
A very tall and massive, uber-brawny, and with a versatile cybernetic arm, Imperial Officer assigned to fix the lack of kyber crystals shipments.
And along with the mining advisement of Queen Trios of Shu-Torun (previously seen in this comic book run), the new commander in what remains of Jedha, expects to solve the hostile situation soon.
While Rebels and Partisans battle against the Galactic Empire, their own methods couldn’t be more different, so an “alliance” between the two resistance groups is quite fragile and not easy to make it work against formidable enemies.
But, don’t forget that Jedha used to be a key Jedi place, not only for the kyber crystals but also for its Jedi temples, and young Luke Skywalker wants to look for any remaining Jedi building for any clue for his already struggled self-training to become a Jedi Knight.
This comic book miniseries is set before of the events of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”.
Creative Team:
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Illustrator: Luke Ross
MAUL’S SECRET MISSION
Darth Maul has been the secret apprentice of Darth Sidious, since he was a little kid…
…and now that he’s a young adult, he still in secret…
…due Darth Sidious’ plans take a lot of time to be developed…
…and Darth Maul is starting to get impatient for beginning to kill Jedis!
Darth Maul gets Intel from a captured protocol droid (after being tortured and blinded, of course) about the bidding for a kidnapped Jedi Padawan, and he realizes that it’s his best chance to test his Sith skills against a real opponent, without compromising his secret status imposed by Darth Sidious.
Therefore, Darth Maul on his own, hires a group of Bounty Hunters: Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Vorhdeilo (a disgusting bloodsucking insectoid) and Tek-Tek (a cybernetic rat-like creature), to acomplished his planned operation and getting for his own private duel, the captured padawan.
His rage against the Jedi will finally begin to be satisfied!
This Marvel Comics TPB edition collects “Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir” #1-4, originally published by Dark HorseDarth Maul Strikes Back!
This Marvel Comics TPB edition collects “Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir” #1-4, originally published by Dark Horse Comics. Plus a comprehensive art gallery showing all comic book covers (including variants), to date, featuring the character of Darth Maul, not only in this miniseries but also in “Star Wars Tales” and the graphic adaptations (comic book and manga alike) of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”.
This comic book miniseries is an untold storyarc of the CGI Animated TV series “Clone Wars”.
Creative Team:
Writer: Jeremy Barlow
Illustrator: Juan Frigeri
MAUL EXTRAVAGANZA
If you’re fan of the Star Wars character of Darth Maul, this is a TPB that you must have! Not only features a storyarc from the CGI Animated TV series Clone Wars, that due the bought of Disney of Lucasfilms, the said animated series was abrubtly concluded with still at least four storyarcs already written and/or development, therefore, this comic book miniseries is totally of the new Expanded Universe Canon…
…but also, you have a complete art gallery of the comic book covers (including variants) that were published orinally by Dark Horse Comics, in which Darth Maul appears.
MAUL, GODFATHER
People thought that have watched the first and last of Darth Maul on Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace…
…but thankfully the quite awesome CGI Animated TV series Clone Wars presented the return of your favorite Zabrak, rising up from a fearful madness, replacing his lost legs (and waist) with cybernetic equivalents, being found by his brother Savage Opress, clashing once again with Obi-Wan Kenobi in lightsaber duel, taking control of Mandalore, and uniting his own criminal organization, “The Shadow Collective” with combined forces of Black Sun, Pyke Syndicate, the Hutt Cartel and Mandalorian warriors (and the secret counsel of Mother Talzin, the Nightsister Queen Witch of Dathomir)…
…leading to an epic confrontation with his past master, Darth Sidious…
…but hardly Maul’s story ended there, but due that Clone Wars couldn’t be entirely finished, Maul’s saga was still yet to be further developed…
…imprisoned, but still having the loyalty of the various factions of the Shadow Collective, Darth Maul will take his personal vendetta against Darth Sidious employing his criminal organization to challenge the Separatist Army commanded by Darth Tyranus and General Grievous…
…with the Jedi Order and the Republic Clone Army, right in the middle of the effervescent conflict.
Once again, fellow readers in the Force, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, you alreaA new hero(ine) awakens!
Once again, fellow readers in the Force, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, you already know that I’ll do several spoilers in this review (which is quite the opposite to my regular kind of review, but with Star Wars movie novelizations is quite hard not to fall into spoilers in the reviews about it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
ENTER: REY
After several years without any new film in the Star Wars episodic saga, AND an unexpected purchase of Disney Company of the entire Lucasfilms corporation…
…finally Star Wars was adding new episodes to the epic sci-fi saga!
And while several old (quite known and popular) heroes were returning: Leia, Han, Chewie, C-3PO and R2-D2, you’ll get a new heroine…
…Rey!!!
A mysterious young scavenger girl, having a rough living in Jakku (a desert world where nobody would want to live there), awakens in the Force, caught between a military conflict of the First Order and the Resistance…
…beautiful, well-meaning, brave, resourceful, warrior, mechanic, starship pilot (piloting nothing else than Millenium Falcon!!!), able to understand astromech parlance and Wookie language, and…
…she is strong in the Force, and getting a lightsaber (and not any lightsaber BUT the one that Luke los ton Cloud City, that it was Anakin’s originally!!!
What else can you ask?
Oh, yes, I love Rey!
ENTER: BB-8
If anybody would tell me that another astromech droid would rise to become even more popular than R2-D2, I would think that they had become crazy…
…but that really happens!
Sweet and funny BB-8 stole the show in Episode VII becoming an instant pop culture icon, recognizable around the world!
ENTER: THE REST
Kylo Ren freezes a frakkin’ laser beam in the air!!! Oooooooooh!!! You may say many things about Kylo Ren but…
…he freezes a frakkin’ laser beam in the air!!!!!! Nuff’ said!
Finn is an interesting character showing that there are people under those stormtrooper helmets. Captain Phasma is a cool fearsome looking character (with Gwendoline Christie under the armor!!!), sadly the writers weren’t kind with her, allowing her to do something memorable in the story.
Poe Dameron was almost just a brief character, but thankfully, other producers recognizing his potential, suggesting to JJ Abrams to keep him in the story.
General Hux, wimpy field commander-in-chief of the First Order that he’s too young to be believable to be in such position of power.
SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE ANYWAY?
Yes, yes, The Force Awakens is A New Hope retold, but who cares? Sometimes life is a circle and events are destined to be lived again…
So…
Movie versus book, you can find here…
…before of the first movie scene, there is a brief moment with Leia thinking about the events between The Return of the Jedi and this episode…
…Poe Dameron didn’t kill a stormtrooper and Finn’s reluctance to fire against innocent villagers is thought due a weapon malfunction…
…there is a clear explanation that the Resistance isn’t part of the New Republic, but Leia is asking for back-up by them, against the rising of the First Order…
…Poe Dameron has a scene letting know to readers that he indeed survive the TIE fighter’s crash (way before of his re-appearance in the movie leading the Resistance’s X-Wings) and his escape from Jakku…
…Unkar Plutt tried to collect Rey and BB-8’s First Order reward, and he suffered the rage of Chewbacca, falling dead after his arms are ripped out! Oh, yeah!
…the infamous snowspeeder scene that produces several kind of toys but that didn’t appear in the movie…
…Kylo Ren aboards Millenium Falcon (when it’s on Starkiller Base)!!! And he thought about his past and how he became who he is now…
…Rey and Poe meet (not like in movies that they meet in person, for the first time, at the end of Episode VIII).
Once again, fellow readers in the Force, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, you already knowLord Vader… rise!
Once again, fellow readers in the Force, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, you already know that I’ll do several spoilers in this review (which is quite the opposite to my regular kind of reviews, but with Star Wars movie novelizations is quite hard not to fall into spoilers in the reviews while I am writing them. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
YOUNGLINGS
Revenge of the Sith is the darkest moment of Star Wars movies, since it’s when Anakin Skywalker finally meets his fate in the balance of the Force.
It’s kinda funny that good ol’ Georgie thought that using the word “younglings” would make a milder impact on people instead of saying plainly “kids” or “children”, when Anakin does the unspeakble act againts the youngest students in the Jedi Temple.
Also, I think that The Force is quite permissive, about who enters into it,...
...since in Episode VI, you can watch Anakin as a ghost along with his pals, so it seems that you can massacre entire Tusken Raiders’ town (men, women and children) and killing “younglings” at the Jedi Temple, for not saying all the Jedi that he must kill at the following Jedi purge, etc… and still you can become one with the Force…
…yes, he repented from his sins before Luke, but hey, he did A LOT of VERY BAD things, so The Force should have some kind of purgatory I think, since it seems that got away with you evil deeds in life is kinda too easy and you still becoming one with The Force.
SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE ANYWAY?
Movie versus book, you can find here…
…that Palpatine reveals himself openly to the readers since the beginning of the book, instead that the movies, that if you hadn’t read the expanded universe old novels, it wasn’t clear that Darth Sidious and Chancellor Palpatine were one and the same. Moreover, during the novel, Palpatine goes into deeper details of his master plan to defeat the Jedi Order.
…Dooku was fooled thinking that he will be part of a ruling triumvirate along with Anakin and Palpatine, and oddly, Dooku isn’t that powerful in comparison to Anakin, since in canonical novels and animated TV episodes, it was evident that no alone Jedi could be able to beat Dooku in a duel.
…also quite ood, General Grievious didn’t have the cough, result after his battle against Mace Windu.
…but the prize to the oddest in the book is that all scenes in Kashyyyk (the Wookie homeworld) aren’t developed!!!
…while you can feel it something about it in the movie, on the book it’s quite clear that Anakin is jealous of Obi-Wan and fearing that his master would be having a secret affair with Padme.
…the Jedis that go with Mace Windu to arrest Palpatine, do a kinda better battle, instead than in the movie were they’re beaten too easily.
…on the book is quite disturbing to read how much Anakin enjoys to kill Separatist Leaders once he turned to the Dark Side.
…you have clear access to the thoughts of Darth Vader once inside the protective armor, in his bitter process of truly becoming someone totally different than Anakin.
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.
This TAs varied as good!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.
This TPB edition collects “Star Wars” #33-37.
This comic book run is set after the events of “Star Wars IV: A New Hope” but before the events of “Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back”.
Creative Team:
Writers: Jason Aaron & Dash Aaron
Illustrators: Salvador Larroca & Andrea Sorrentino
STAR WARS SPOTLIGHTS
It’s not unusual en long comic book series that some time to time, between storyarcs, the creative teams take the chance to tell some stand-alone stories that they want to tell but they can’t be extended to 6 issues (the usual lenght of TPBs). Also, they can do a TPB made of stand-alone tales…
…and this one is precisely that.
And what better than using each issue of this TPB to spotlight a different character or characters?
First, you’ll have an adventure with Luke and Leia, stranded in an aquatic world, while escaping from Imperial patrols!
In the second tale, Sana Starros, a mysterious acquaintance of Han Solo, calls for assistance of another old mate, Lando Calrissian, to make one heck of scam, walking in a risky thin line between space pirates, Imperial officers and even Jabba the Hutt!
In the third story, your favorite scoundrel, Han Solo, along with Chewie, onboard in the Millenium Falcon, are sent in a perilous mission, taking a Rebel prisoner, Grakkus the Hutt, which keeps a secret, crucial for the survival of the Rebel Alliance!
Then, at the fourth tale, R2-D2 going solo to save the metallic butt of C-3PO, whom is prisoner on a Imperial Destroyer, which non other than Darth Vader is onboard!
Finally, it’s the turn of the bad guys to have a spotlight and it’s with the cunning SCAR Squadron proving why they’re the most dangerous Stormtrooper special forces squad in the Empire…
…and in the same issue, you have access to some pages of the Journals of old Ben Kenobi while dealing with Tusken Raiders.
Well, fellow readers in the Force, you know the drill by now, if you have been reading my reviews about StI still like it, but it could be better!
Well, fellow readers in the Force, you know the drill by now, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, but if not, and you have fall in the carbonite complex, therefore, not having watched the film from this novelization was made, well, stop reading, since I’ll do some spoilers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
LOVE AT FIRST FORCE
Well, good ol’ Georgie is a business genius, and certainly quite good in many film aspects, but developing a love story isn’t between his skills…
…I can understand that young Anakin had a huge crush on Padme, come on! She’s Natalie Portman! And she didn’t change a bit in 10 years (never told but I have to assume that people from Naboo aged quite slowly), so what started as a cute chlid crush, evolved into an almost out of control crush…
…BUT PADME???!!!
Last time, she saw Anakin, he was a small tender innocent kid, but she only needed a glimpse of him, already grown up and her Naboonian female hormones started to shake up!
I know that it’s not an easy task to present a believable romance in the big screen since true love needs time, and you have time against you in a movie, especially if it’s not a romance film per se, but a sci-fi action movie with some romance elements on it.
Therefore, I think they should play with the angle that the movie didn’t start right away from the previous one ended, in fact, 10 years later, sooooo, they could employ the moving yellow words at the beginning of the film, and explain that Anakin had been personal bodyguard of Padme for at least 6 months, and Jedi-Kapow! You can read (literally!) between lines that Anakin and Padme have been close for a fair amount of time and they fell in love during that time.
WORST ACCOUNTING EVER
I am an accountant, so maybe I am a geek with an unique vision about the thing with the Clone Army…
…that mysterious Sifo-Dyas paid to the people in Kamino to raise a vast Clone Army. You can bet that it wasn’t any cheap…
…and the Jedi Council never notice that they didn’t have a good amount of their money anymore in their arcs???!
Also, Yoda, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, didn’t have a single clue about how the heck the Kaminoans claimed to be paid by the Jedi to make the Clone Army, but they didn’t hesitate a second to take them and put them into a “slave-like” service for the Republic (good thing that “slavery” didn’t exist in the Republic anymore!).
And nobody followed the money involved!!!
Not all battles are won with lightsabers. They only to track the accounting books.
What the heck they were doing in the Jedi Council? Only looking “cool” in their seats?! They are the leader of the Jedi Order, so they should at least one time per year to check their finances.
Why taking such extremes like Order 66? Palpatine only needed an Audit Intervention and the whole Jedi Council could end in jail for money embezzlement! And if their funds weren’t used in that (Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis could take the money from other part), still the Jedi could be charged for property (the clones) misappropiation.
And in any case, if the Jedi have so much money…
…couldn’t they pay for the freedom of poor Shmee Skywalker, only to avoid some mental stress to Anakin, and he could stay in the safe side of the Force?!
WORST SHAPE-SHIFTER EVER
Mmh…
…why the heck, you create a Shape-Shifter Bounty Hunter, but she keeps her original outfit?! Even more ridiculous, wearing a veil in her helmet, why a veil to hide her face if she can change it?!
Yes, it’s more believable that she only change her physical body and not also her clothes, but this is where you have to avoid falling into too realism…
“Oooh! How odd, I was just chasing a female bounty hunter with your exact clothes, but nope, you have to be another person, since your face is different, yeah.” Geez!!!
JANGO & DOOKU
Jango Fett and Count Dooku must be the best things in the movie…
Jango Fett, since he has a cool Mandalorian armor, and ANYBODY is cool with a Mandalorian armor. And while he wasn’t that effective against Jedis, well, anybody without Force powers isn’t that effective against Jedis, but just watch how many Jedis has survive against true Siths, and you realize that poor Jango wasn’t that bad really.
About Count Dooku, sure, he’s a pale replacement of Darth Maul (even if he was Dracula before, no offense), but Dooku’s best moment is when he tells openly to Obi-Wan what is really going on, that a Dark Lord of the Sith is controlling the Republic, and dang Obi-Wan didn’t believe him!
During the Original Trilogy of Star Wars, we find out a detail here and another there, about wHere come the prequels!
JEDI AND SITH MEET AGAIN!
During the Original Trilogy of Star Wars, we find out a detail here and another there, about what happened to the Republic and the rise of the Empire.
Of course, those little details, matter not much, since after all, good ol’ Georgie wrote what he wanted in the prequels, not matter if they were contradictory with the previous released information in the original trilogy.
For thousand years, peace had prevailed in the galaxy and the Republic was protected by the Jedi Order…
…but the Sith hadn’t dissapeared as people think and a masterplan was about to be applied with the goals of turning the Republic into an Empire and the destruction of the Jedi Order…
…and everything began in the little planet of Naboo and a commercial blockade…
…along with a small detour to the planet of Tatooine.
Sooo, from here on, I will do some specific comments and explain differences between the movie and book, so if you haven’t watch the film, be warned of keeping reading on…
Qui Gon-Jin rules! He’s the best Jedi ever. Period.
However, I think that the whole trouble of being stranded in Tatooine could be managed better (but of course, we wouldn’t have Star Wars, so maybe it wasn’t shortsight, but things that should happen in benefit of the story), since they need a spare part to fix their Nubian cruiser and the Republic money wasn’t good in Tatooine…
…but hey! The Nubian ship is almost peachy-keen shape but the hyperdrive system, so…
…why not sell the dang Nubian ship, and buying some less fancy cruiser instead, even it was smart to change of vehicle to avoid being followed, they only needed a cruiser big enough for two Jedis, a queen, her cohorts, a security captain and the pilots…
…and they could avoid requiring the help of certain kid that years later would become kinda some little trouble to the Jedi Order.
Moreover, while Qui Gon-Jin couldn’t do his Mind Trick on Watto, it seemed that Watto did something to Qui Gon-Jin since Watto told him that nobody else had that kind of Nubian spare parts and he believed him, since he didn’t try with any other store, hey! Who knows? Maybe there was some other business alien with that kind of spare parts and even accepting Republic money, but of course, why distrust someone so trustworthy like good ol’ Watto?! Geez!
It’s curious that the Senate is dealing with a trouble of a commercial blockade at Naboo, and their “brilliant impartial” solution is deposing the current Supreme Chancellor and naming a new one that he’s from Naboo!
And it’s absurd that when Naboo is facing an invasion, it’s sent only two Jedis, aaaaah!... …but when everything was solved and there is a party with music and food, the whole dang Jedi Council travel there! Geez!
SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE ANYWAY?
The story didn’t began on the book on Naboo, but you have two chapters introducing little Anakin and his life as slave at Tatooine, the construction of C-3PO, including a revealing incident where he tries to heal a wounder Tusken Raider and he ponders about what he could do if somebody would hurt his mother. Also, it’s told the previous Pod Racing where Anakin “saved most of Watto’s pod”. There is an aditional scene showing the natural kindness of Anakin, when he invited Qui-Gon Jin and Padme, some food in a street tent, even when the very Anakin isn’t able to buy some for him.
Padme has a last name, Naberrie, which is contradictory of the way that she’s referred in Episode II.
Anakin tells Padme that he’ll marry her in the future, and while Padme didn’t take it seriously since he’s just a kid, he tells her that he won’t be a boy forever.
Obi-Wan Kenobi relationship was quite damaged for a while in the narrative when Qui-Gon Jin insisted of teaching Anakin and all that that involved.
Darth Maul has a lot more dialogue in the novel than in the movie.
There is a detailed account about what happened with the Sith Order and how Darth Bane changed all with his Rule of Two.
Yoda was against of teaching Anakin (and most likely Mace Windu was against too) but the rest of the Jedi Council voted in favor.
This was the edition that I actually read for the Original Trilogy, but I did separate reviews of each Episode contained The Force is strong here!
This was the edition that I actually read for the Original Trilogy, but I did separate reviews of each Episode contained here.
I did review of each Episode (IV, V & VI) featured here in this edition, just look for the separate novelization of each Star Wars movie of the Original trilogy, and you'll be able to read about my thoughts on each Episode, along with the differences found on each of those said Episodes in comparison with the theatrical films.
I have bought the Omnibus edition with the three original “Star Wars” movie novelizations but I’ve chosen thiThe Original Trilogy comes to an end!
I have bought the Omnibus edition with the three original “Star Wars” movie novelizations but I’ve chosen this edition to make a better focused review of each single book.
So, once again, if you haven't watched this movie due being frozen in carbonite for 40 years or so, then don't read any further since there are spoilers ahead! Don't say that I didn't warn you, Rebel Scum!
ANOTHER DEATH STAR…REALLY?!
Thanks to Rogue One, we now know that the Empire didn’t do on purpose the fabrication mistake leading to the destruction of the first Death Star…
…but after losing that humongous mobile station, drastically reducing the financial resources of the Galactic Empire, one thought that they should invest in ANYTHING else but…
…another blasted Death Star!!!
Geez!!!
Especially when the Emperor Palpatine didn’t wait until it would be totally finished, at least in its outside armored plates to avoid any incursión of fightercraft in the eventuality of losing the protection of the energy shield (that obviously precisely happened).
I admire Palpatine since he’s one of the very few villains that has been allowed to win and keep in control of the Empire for like 20 years, not much fiction villains are able to enjoy such long victory time without any sensible intervention of heroes. But, it’s sadly unbelievable to see that at the end of his successful period in command of the galaxy, he was “forced” (by good ol’ Georgie’s script) to come up with an uninspired plan of making a second Death Star, instead of choosing something else more ingenious and useful, like a whole fleet of Super Star Destroyers.
And to make it more indignantly, there are the Ewoks, it’s not like I hate them per se, they’re cute alright, but I still can’t believe that a bunch of space care bears were able to defeat in ground combat to a whole Imperial Stormtroopers’ detachment. I’m sure that those Ewoks should think that the Rebel Alliance were a pack of fools, since they were battling the Empire for 23 years without success and the Ewoks “beat” the Empire in an afternoon.
Geez!!!
SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE ANYWAY?
I have to admit that while Return of the Jedi novelizations have several relevant additional scenes, like…
…Luke Skywalker making his new lightsaber at Obi-Wan’s house.
…Jabba is a lot more disgusting and meaner to poor Leia during her slave time.
…Ewoks were a lot more difficult to convince them to help the Rebels.
…you can read about the whole inner conflict on Darth Vader’s mind between his loyalty to the Emperor and the option of helping Luke.
…Palpatine is able to learn that Yoda was Luke’s second teacher of his Jedi training.
…the Second Death Star was seconds away of destroying Endor’s moon.
And as you can guess, always there are odd comments that they are contradictory with the whole Star Wars story, taking in account how the Prequel Trilogy was developed…
…Obi-Wan’s force spirit tells Luke that Owen Lars was his brother (what?!) and that her mom, in other words, Padmé Amidala, died when Luke and Leia were four years old (dang!).
…Palpatine’s backstory is told in detail, but due the Prequel trilogy, and even if you may indulge me with the existence of some (now “legends” (non-canonical)) novels like Darth Plagueis (that it should be titled Darth Sidious, since it was more developed the life of Palpatine than Plagueis), you may guess that many of those details became contradictory....more
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