Star Wars: Darth Maul: Saboteur Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Darth Maul: Saboteur is an eBook, or rather an eStory, which was publicized as a digital prelude of sorts to Michael Reaves' novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. In fact, though, it takes place more than six months and probably close to a year before the novel, shortly before the Darth Maul comic, and it chronicles Maul's first solo assignment. Written by James Luceno, the author of a duology set in the New Jedi Order series, as well as a forthcoming prequel-era novel, 'Cloak of Deception,' Luceno continues his high standards of writing and delivers a piece of quality entertainment.
In this story, which in terms of length is worth approximately fifty printed pages, Darth Maul is sent to disrupt a couple of corporations mining lommite ore, a substance needed for the production of transparisteel. With these corporations devastated, the Neimoidian Trade Federation will pick up the pieces, and the profits, helping to cement their trust in Darth Sidious.
This story shows us a more restrained side of Maul than we have seen before. In the comic, he was a killing machine, plain and simple. In the novel, he was a ruthless hunter. This story was able to show us his ability to be patient when necessary, to cover his tracks, to deceive rather than simply all-out attack. Of course, there is a cool lightsaber fight, but the appeal of this story is in his other abilities. In addition, in this book we meet Lieutenant Governor Tarkin of Eriadu. Yes, the same Tarkin who later dies in the movie, and the same Tarkin who will be a main character in 'Cloak of Deception.' I love the way Luceno is able to tie things together.
Overall, this is a very fun story. Is it worth two dollars? Yes. Unfortunately, without the ability to print the eBook format means staring at a computer screen for around an hour, which really detracted from the experience for me. Nevertheless, if you like Star Wars, or are a 'Mauloholic,' this book is worth the buying.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars: Darth Maul: Saboteur

Click here for more information about Star Wars: Darth Maul: Saboteur

Read More...

Star Wars - Dark Forces: Rebel Agent Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this graphic novel on a whim! I'm an avid Star Wars fan and am willing to read anything Star Wars. However, graphic novels tend to be expensive, so I usually just satisfy my Star Wars cravings with a regualr novel. I saw my opportunity to check out this portion of the Dark Forces trilogy, based upon the Dark Forces video game, when it was marked down as a special deal in a local store. I figured that if I didn't like the novel, I didn't pay much for it, and I can sell it off. Well, I can say with confidence that there is no way I'm going to sell this graphic novel!...
...Not only will you find the story entertaining, but the artwork is amazing. The novel has 25 lithograph-style pictures beautifully done by Ezra Tucker. The story is full of action and you'll find yourself rooting for Kyle and his partner Jan. I find myself wanting to get a hold of the rest of the series! Definitely a trilogy worth checking out!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars - Dark Forces: Rebel Agent

Click here for more information about Star Wars - Dark Forces: Rebel Agent

Read More...

Legacy of the Force Booster Pack: A Star Wars Miniatures Game expansion (Star Wars Miniatures Product) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This latest set introduces some more veteran versions of our favorite characters, while introducing some new faces to minis.
The faction that seems to benefit most from Legacy is the Galactic Alliance. Kyle Katarn is just a beast, especially if you include Spirit Luke. Cade Skywalker from the Legacy comic makes a very strong mark on this game.
This is not the best set to start with, but is a very good set to tide us over until the Knights of the Old Republic set that comes out in August.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Legacy of the Force Booster Pack: A Star Wars Miniatures Game expansion (Star Wars Miniatures Product)

The Jedi and the Sith are at it again. . . Celebrate thirty years of Star Wars with this exciting Star Wars Miniatures Game set featuring characters from the Legacy comic book series, as well as characters across the entire Star Wars saga.The Star Wars Miniatures Game allows fans to stage their own epic battles with the most diverse collection of high quality, authentic figures available.Each booster pack contains: 7 random standard miniatures -- all prepainted, full assembled, durable plastic Full-color stat cards (one per miniature) Legacy of the Force set checklist

Click here for more information about Legacy of the Force Booster Pack: A Star Wars Miniatures Game expansion (Star Wars Miniatures Product)

Read More...

Star Wars: Epic Battles (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (DK Readers: Level 4 (Prebound)) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As the title suggests, "Epic Battles" is a look at combat in the Star Wars universe. It's a terrific premise for a book since young viewers have often found the fight scenes to be one of the most compelling dynamics of the story. The book takes a thematic approach and looks at land and space battles. The major conflicts are well covered including the campaigns that happened on Naboo, Geonosis, Kashyyyk, Hoth and Endor. In addition to the major space skirmishes, time is spent on the more exciting dogfights like Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter vs. Jango Fett's Slave I. In addition, Author Simon Beecroft discusses the saga's most interesting lightsaber duels. The book does in excellent job of showing how the Sith are behind much of the galaxy's discord. A strength of the title is that is pulls the entire saga (all six films) together. A glossary is included. In terms of the illustrations, the vast majority were lifted from the films. While the pictures are high quality, the writing is also good. Given the 48 page length and vocabulary level, this title is best suited to readers on a fourth or fifth grade level. "Epic Battles" offers an exciting look at the great conflicts of the Star Wars saga.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars: Epic Battles (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (DK Readers: Level 4 (Prebound))

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. These emergent readers cover a wide variety of high-interest topics, and the illustrations carry a heavy visual impact that will engage reluctant readers.

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Star Wars: Epic Battles (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (DK Readers: Level 4 (Prebound))

Read More...

Star Wars: We Don't Do Weddings (Dramatized) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was expecting to hear a standard reading, but this was more like a narrated radio drama! It was well worth the money!
Very entertaining backstory for the band in the Star Wars cantina. The story is augmented by music from John Williams and original music for the band! I read it on the book "Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina" and while good, this was much more informative!
Buy it and enjoy!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars: We Don't Do Weddings (Dramatized)

Click here for more information about Star Wars: We Don't Do Weddings (Dramatized)

Read More...

Star Wars: Night Lily: A Lover's Tale Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Do you remember the Star Wars Cantina?
Nightlily: the Lover's Tale by Barbara Hambly audiobook is about an Imperial tax official on our familiar backwater planet who is running a few scams on his own in order to make some pocket change and keep his skills honed. I don't think he was especially honest.
I think that part the appeal is the same as reading a novel set in your home town or a town so many people are familiar with either by personal experience or by association. We all remember Mos Eisley on Tatooine and Obi Wan's comment from the first several times we watched Star Wars. Its easy to integrate the visuals of the town and the cantina and I had no trouble imagining seeing it from the other side of the room and knowing what the band was thinking and going through* and witnessing the famous events from a second, or in some cases third, point of view.
This recording is dramatized and incorporates the music and sound effects from the movie, further adding to the effect.
*See "We Don't Do Weddings: The Band's Tale" by Kathy Tyers to witness this same moment from the Band's point of view. This is fun!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars: Night Lily: A Lover's Tale

Click here for more information about Star Wars: Night Lily: A Lover's Tale

Read More...

Star Wars - Infinities Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's not easy to rewrite the star wars universe. Case in point: Imagine that you have to rewrite Return of the Jedi. You may change one event, one moemnt, then let your imagination flow. The possibilities for what may happen are almost endless.
But the important thing is, no matter what you come up with, it's important to take the time to tell your story well.
As with the previous two installments of the infinity line of star wars comics (A new hope and the empire strikes back, or IANH, ITESB), the folks at Dark Horse take the classic film and change one event, then see where the story goes. Remember the moment where Leia, disguised as Bossh, armed a thermal detonator in Jabba's palace? What would happen if that detonar...well, detonated?
With that simple change, the story of Return of the Jedi changes. There is no skiff sequence, no rancor fight, and sadly, one of the most beloved charachters is vaporized as a result (and no, it's not Bib Fortuna). From there, the story continues towards it's final moment...the final battle of the rebel alliance and the galactic empire above the endor moon.
What sets Return of the Jedi, infinities apart from IANH and ITESB is it's story. While the first two departed from the established story line greatly, IROTJ sticks fairly close to what happens in the film. Luke still fights Vader on the death star, the rebels still have to blow up the generator on Endor, and Vader must choose between following his master, or killing his children. Instead of the big details, it's the little ones that are changed.
Because it sticks closely to the established story, this entry in the infinities line isn't as compelling or fascinating as the previous two. Don't get me wrong, it's still entertaining, but it's just not as compelling as IANH or ITESB. There are great moments, such as how the bunker is destroyed, Han getting out of the carbonite, and what happens to Vader, but the one thing I noticed the most when reading this comic was the feeling that it was rushing as quickly as it could towards it's conclusion. As I said ealier in this review, if you're going to tell a story, try to tell it well. From the moment the rebeliion heads towards the Endor system, the book picks up the pace and doesn't let up, going at mach 4 towards the ending.
And in the end, this is what harms the story the most. It just goes too quickly. There's no real sense of how vast the final battle is, or how compelling the emotional fight is between Vader and Luke. one example is a description on the back of the book. We're told, "what if the ewoks fought both rebel and imperial?". Indeed, the ewoks attack the rebels...for all of two panels, then they vanish, never to be seen again, and with no impact on how the story plays out. Moments where the potential for emotional drama is high stop two panels short, stopping these scenes dead in thier tracks. Going really fast is not always the best option when you're telling an action story, as it is possible to go way too fast, as is the case here.
But even with the speed and pacing issue, IROTJ is still a fun read. The artwork is unique, looking like a strong blend between hand drawn and computer enhanced, and the final page of the comic, with what happens in it, is sure to put a huge smile on any star wars fan's face (but to reveal it would be criminal).
Now the big question...to buy, or not to buy? I'm really not sure what to say here, except that your best bet is to find this comic in a store, read it, then decide if you want to buy. Just like with the issue of bringing the fluffy ewoks into existance in the star wars universe, you either like it, or you don't like it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars - Infinities

Star Wars Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi was a fitting climax to one of the truly great sci-fi cinema legends. As the credits rolled, the Empire was in ruins, Luke had led his father Darth Vader to redemption, and Leia and Han were reunited. Yet in the universe of Star Wars: Infinities, the smallest twist of fate can rewrite a saga! In Infinities - Return of the Jedi, all it takes is for C-3PO to lose his head! The result is that Han remains in the hands of Baba Fett, Luke is captured by the Emperor and the Rebel Alliance walks into a trap from which, this time, there is no escape! As thrilling as the movie, the seismic ripples reshaping this fantastic mythology lead to a shocking, epic conclusion worthy of the Star Wars legend!

Click here for more information about Star Wars - Infinities

Read More...

Star Wars: Darth Maul Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)`Darth Maul,' just to set the record straight, takes place several months before Michael Reaves' novel `Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter,' and shortly after James Luceno's eBook `Darth Maul: Saboteur.' While this comic is extremely impressive visually and fun to look at, in terms of plot and story it's severely lacking. There is a minimum of dialogue; the focus is on Darth Maul's killing ability.
The plot is basic: Darth Sidious sends his apprentice Darth Maul on a mission to destroy the leadership and organization of vast, galaxy-spanning criminal syndicate Black Sun, in order to minimize the possibility of any interference with his plans. Darth Maul, of course, being one to never disappoint or fail his master, embarks on his quest in his new Sith Infiltrator full of the goodies we saw in Episode I.
Even more so than most of Jan Duursema's work, this is an extremely visually impressive comic. There are plenty of imposing images of Maul standing there looking impressive and frightening, and more fight scenes than in any other Star Wars comic I believe. We get to see Maul go on killfests against tons of beings, as well as one on one fights with several others, including a Dathomiri Nightsister (one of the kind we saw in `Infinity's End,' not the breed from `Courtship of Princess Leia'). Unfortunately, although this book is great fun the first few times around, it loses re-readability because there is no real plot, and very little expository dialogue. In addition, by the time the end comes around, the constant "Maul against many" fights are beginning to get quite boring and predictable. To be fair, there were a few interesting scenes about the Sithly nature of the Force and how it compares to other Force users such as Jedi and Nightsisters, and there's a cool scene involving a telepath, but other than that it's just a bloodbath. In addition, there are several tie-ins to the other Darth Maul products - we see Oolth, who will later show up in the Michael Reaves novel, and are introduced to Hath Monchar, who we see in both of the other Darth Maul books. However, there is also one extremely unnecessary scene in this book which really doesn't fit the mood and detracted from my reading pleasure - a couple of pages with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan that have nothing to do with the story. I don't see why they were thrown in there, but it wasn't at all helpful to the "plot."
Overall, this is a very well drawn comic with minimal plot. If you are a "Mauloholic," a Star Wars fan, or just like a good fight, this comic is for you, but if you don't read it, you're not really missing anything.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars: Darth Maul

In hiding for generations, the evil Sith have waited for the precise moment to reveal themselves and take vengeance upon the Jedi Order. But in the final days before the Trade Federation blockade of the planet Naboo sets into motion the Sith plan for the overthrow of the Republic, the scheming Sith Lord Darth Sidious becomes concerned about the potential interference by the criminal syndicate Black Sun, a vast and powerful organization feared throughout the galaxy. Sidious cannot allow anything or anyone to hinder his purpose, and so he unleashes his merciless apprentice, the death-dealing destroyer, Darth Maul, to eradicate his adversaries -- as only a master of the dark side can! Star Wars: Darth Maul is the first-ever graphic-novel adventure of the ultimate Sith enforcer, an explosive tale of intrigue, mystery, and blistering action. Collecting the action-packed four-issue comic series.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Star Wars: Darth Maul

Read More...

Path of Destruction: A Novel of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Darth Bane) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Star Wars Expanded Universe contains events dating back at least 25,000 years before the films, but until the publication of Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, these millennia have been the province of videogames and comics. The books have kept a tighter focus, starting right before The Phantom Menace and moving out to just shy of forty years past Return of the Jedi. It is a delight to finally have fiction set in another time, and this era in particular (1,000 years before the Battle of Yavin) has not been fleshed out. To my knowledge, only one comic book series (Jedi vs. Sith) has been set during this time, as the Knights of the Old Republic games and comics take place several thousand years earlier.
Karpyshyn was the lead writer for the Knights of the Old Republic videogame, which had a plot I would rank right there with the films themselves and the very best of the novels. By the midpoint of the game, the storyline was absolutely riveting as your character worked out his or her past and started to understand the underlying drift of the tale. With this game as a credential, I eagerly anticipated Karpyshyn's first foray into Star Wars novels.
I wasn't disappointed. Darth Bane's origin tale is well thought-out and deftly written. Many elements of this story were clearly inspired by Revenge of the Sith. In some places, this story mirrors that film, as we see some similar events in Bane's path as we experienced in Anakin's, including a vaguely-defined notion of a Chosen One, an exploration of passion as strength, a need to wipe out other Force users (Light or Dark in this case), and some serious peril for children who get in his way.
However, the storyline differs sharply in many ways. Bane had a horrible childhood, abused by an alcoholic father and condemned to work in cortosis mines on the barren planet Apatros to pay off his father's accumulated debts. Despite being a slave, Anakin's childhood doesn't look that bad in the movies; his mother clearly loves him and Watto doesn't come off as a very harsh taskmaster. Bane forges his path to the Sith through hatred and anger; Anakin finds his through attachment and love.
I enjoyed the time spent on Korriban at the training facility for the Brotherhood of Darkness. Karpyshyn gives a strong sense of how the Sith have lost their way, and indeed, they come across as somewhat bad but not truly evil. There's too much pretense of honor and equality in the Brotherhood to jive with the Sith we know such as Palpatine or Anakin. This segment of the story is a superb set-up to Bane's determination to enforce his newly-conceived doctrine of the Rule of Two (no more, no less).
One aspect that sometimes holds the book back from being completely engaging is the sense of inevitability in the story. Anyone who has seen the films has an excellent idea of who will prevail in the Bane vs. the Brotherhood of Darkness with its hundreds of Dark Side users. Bane's path to power and embrace of the Dark Side are also very carefully mapped out with no real surprises along the way. At points, the story reads more like a history than a ripping adventure yarn.
I'm thrilled to see Del Rey take the chance of publishing a book set in an entirely different era from usual. I hope it will pay off and more stories set further out (in both past and future) from the movies will follow. There is plenty of room at the end of Darth Bane: Path of Destruction for sequels, and it'd be great to give Karpyshyn the chance to tell us more of Darth Bane's story.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Path of Destruction: A Novel of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Darth Bane)

Click here for more information about Path of Destruction: A Novel of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Darth Bane)

Read More...

The Unseen Queen (Star Wars: Dark Nest) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A year after the events of The Joiner King, the threat of Dark Nest has appeared again. Sent to investigate, the Skywalkers and Solos visit the Utegeta Nebula, the new home of the Killiks. Confronting UnaThul with their concerns with Dark Nest, things go unexpectedly wrong when they find themselves accused of aiding in the mysterious attacks on Killiks nests. Han and Luke stay behind to look into the source of the attacks and find more answers about Dark Nests, while Mara and Leia are sent back.
Summoned by Queen Mother Tenel Ka to Hapes, Jacen Solo finds he is responsible to protect a special secret that she reveals to him. An attack by the former queen of Hapes in alliance with Dark Nest, alerts him to danger they face. Jacen is also the recipient of visions that show the looming disaster of another galactic war.
The Unseen Queen was an excellent second book in the Dark Nest series. The pace was a little slower than in the Joiner King but that's normal for a middle book. I love the way Denning has added the scenes where Luke discovers the recordings R2 has of Anakin and Padme. Leia's involvement in a more Jedi capacity has also been great to see. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in Dark Nest, The Swarm War.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Unseen Queen (Star Wars: Dark Nest)

This is the second book in a trilogy that will bridge the events of the hugely popular "Mew Jedi Order" series. Despite being given new worlds to populate, the insectoid Killiks have not found peace. A seemingly unknowable enemy has been attacking the new nests - and the Killicks hold the jedi responsible. Travelling back to the Unknown Regions to unravel the mystery, the Skywalkers and Solos discover an evil far more familiar than they ever expected...and even more terrifying. Why does the dark nest want to kill Mara? Will Jacen's apocalyptic vision trigger another galactic war, or prevent one? And perhaps most ominous of all, what deadly secret are the Killiks hiding? To find out, Luke, Mara, Han and Leia must embark on a perilous journey into the uncharted void between right and wrong. The ferocious Unknown Terrors are only th beginning of the awesome challenges that lie ahead in their quest to fathom the unfathomable.

Click here for more information about The Unseen Queen (Star Wars: Dark Nest)

Read More...

Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)James Luceno, walking EUncyclopedia, returns once more with yet another of the type of novel he's best suited to write. His particular strengths and weaknesses are ill-spent on smaller novels such as Agents of Chaos; however, with his comprehensive grasp of GFFA minutiae, he's very well suited to novels such as Cloak of Deception and this newest, Labyrinth of Evil (and to an extent, The Unifying Force), which exist as much to tie multiple plots together into a comprehensive, coherent whole as to tell stories of their own. Here he manages to take a very impressionistic view of the Clone Wars, told piecemeal in various media and through various relatively unconnected novels, and meld it all into a whole, as well as tying events back to pre-TPM and doing his best to make it look like there actually has been a lot more structure and continuity and causality in the stories we've gotten of the Clone Wars than there really has been.
There's not really much need to talk about his style; by now you already know whether you like it or not. He has an odd mix of typical third-person POV and near-omniscient viewpoint, without a particularly memorable writing style and with a sometimes-annoying but often useful and fun (at least to the more-than-casual Star Wars fans like me) tendency to infodump and show off just how much he knows about what he's writing about.
This novel doesn't stand terribly well on its own, but then it's not supposed to. It's more a summation and drawing-together of what's gone before in anticipation of Revenge of the Sith. To that end, the first two-thirds of the book follow a very straightforward connect-the-dots plot, with the dots being a lot of fun action sequences and the connectors being lots of encyclopedic, almost history-bookish descriptions tying together all that's gone before. Then, for the final third, the book takes a dramatic turn for the better -- and more exciting (especially for me, since I've been keeping myself spoiler free for Revenge of the Sith) -- as the book leads straight into what will prove to be the HUGE opening moments of the final Star Wars film.
Here we see Anakin and Obi-Wan, Mace and Yoda all in fine form. Padmé, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and other familiar faces also all show up. Dooku, while not quite as fleshed-out as in Dark Rendezvous, is still an interesting character. Palpatine and Sidious are as good as we've ever seen them, if not better (and worse). And finally, finally we get an introduction to the character of General Grievous, whom we've seen in comics and television shows but has been conspicuously absent from the novels. Also in this book we've got some pointed political commentary that those leaning more to the right probably won't particularly appreciate, we've got a fine antecedent for a key moment in ANH, and, in true Star Wars fashion, plenty of dis-arming and other dis-memberment.
In the end, this is for the most part an okay Star Wars novel that blossoms in the end into one of the better ones, and leaves you salivating for Revenge of the Sith.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)

Click here for more information about Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)

Read More...

Endgame (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Vol. 9) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Endgame is a denouement, a figurative and literal cleaning up and sorting out, the final chapter in Dark Horse's Clone Wars series. That doesn't mean there's nothing but talking heads and exposition. On the contrary, there's plenty of action in three stories about choice and consequence.
Chronologically, the volume begins with the 3-part "The Hidden Enemy," in which former Jedi double agent Quinlan Vos is on assignment to Kashyyk, fighting alongside Yoda and the Wookies against Trandoshan Slavers and the Separatist Droid Army. With the issuance of Order 66, Vos finds himself an enemy of the state, hunted, alone in a Kashyyk forest crawling with clones. The closing pages of the story have created some contention among regular readers of the Vos comics, but even so you'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful that don't believe John Ostrander and Jan Duursema are the best writer/artist team ever to work on a Star Wars comic. This is yet another excellent example of their witty writing, keen plotting, and creative composition - and for me at least the closing pages were a very pleasant surprise.
Endgame continues with the two-part " Into the Unknown," the tale of two Jedi on the run days after Order 66, the tale of two choices, of two Jedi trying to make sense of a world turned upside down.. For Master Kai Hudorra, the priority is survival, to live to fight another day, even if this means forsaking not only the Jedi but - for her own good - a young Padawan as well. For Jedi Dass Jennir, the motivation is duty and obligation to right what the Order helped create, to aid those now fearing reprisal from the Empire. Author Welles Hartley is to be commended. There is no recrimination here, from the characters nor from the author, only the sympathetic portrayal of events, which in the end point to the reader and ask - how would you choose? The message is only enhanced by the art, beautifully detailed work from Doug Wheatley, whose only fault here is in making Dass Jennir look far too much like Orlando Bloom's Legolas.
The final choice in this volume is left to the newly minted Darth Vader, who must obey his new master and forget his old one, or indulge his desire for revenge. Between Vader and his anger are a half-dozen Jedi spreading the word that Kenobi is among them, bait to lure Vader into their Sith trap. Impressively, writer John Ostrander presents in a just a few pages of his one-issue "Purge" a more interesting portrait of Anakin in the days following his reanimation than James Luceno did in 336 pages in his wreck of a novel, Dark Lord. Credit goes here, as well, to artist Doug Wheatley for bringing the action scenes to life. The only cringe-inducing moment was Vader yet again having his hand cut off.
This final chapter in Dark Horse's long running prequel era series (beginning back in 1998 as simply Star Wars) will be remembered most as the home of John Ostrandrer and Jan Duursema's stories about Jedi Quinlan Vos and his Padawan Ayala Secura. While those two will be missed, there is much to look forward to as Ostrander and Duursema launch the new post-Luke-Skywalker series, Legacy, and in the new post-Revenge-of-the-Sith series, Dark Times, featuring the continuing tales of Jedi Dass Jennir.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Endgame (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Vol. 9)

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Endgame (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Vol. 9)

Read More...

Death Star (Star Wars) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the thirty years of Star Wars so far, the Death Star has stood as one of the single most iconic elements of the entire story. It burst upon screens in 1977 early in Star Wars, as an rapid camera cut leapt away from Tatooine to this gigantic menacing space station. We knew it was recently completed but little more. What was the conception of such a monstrous project? Who built it and how long did it take? Was the increasingly-insignificant Senate aware of the Emperor's plans for it? Why did someone with the evident powers of Darth Vader appear to bow to the commands of Grand Moff Tarkin? These questions and more have been bandied about in fans' minds for decades, some being touched upon in the Expanded Universe but most never directly addressed.
Adding to the general interest in the Death Star were its two appearances in the prequel trilogy. Attack of the Clones gives us a glimpse of the initial Death Star plans as Count Dooku takes them from Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser for "safekeeping." In Revenge of the Sith, we see the skeletal frame of what appears to be the real Death Star in progress as the newly-armored Darth Vader and his master Darth Sidious gaze upon it contemplatively. This shot raised new questions for me, chief among them being how did it take an apparent eighteen years to get from this skeletal frame to the finished station?
Based on the level of interest and the many questions surrounding the Death Star, the opportunity was ripe for a comprehensive look at the whole project from start to finish, whether in book, cartoon, videogame, or some other form. I had high hopes for Michael Reaves and Steve Perry's novel Death Star to take that opportunity and run with it. However, after having read it, I'll say the opportunity is still there. Death Star is a mixture of high and low points with some clear strengths and weaknesses, but inarguably it does not answer the many outstanding questions out there.
For starters, the book is set in a surprisingly narrow window of time. It only covers the months right before completion of the station and does not attempt to fill in the intervening time. Perhaps Lucasfilm instructed the authors to stick to this timeframe due to a potential conflict-of-interest with the forthcoming Star Wars live-action television series which will cover events in the years between Episodes III and IV. More likely is that Reaves and Perry wanted time in the book to introduce sub-plots and new characters of their own, which didn't leave much room for a story that jumps through decades of Death Star development.
There are a great many new characters and stories to keep up with in this book. Making this rather challenging is the rapid-fire shifting from scene to scene, sometimes more often than once a page. The movies sometimes move at this pace but it's disorienting in a novel. Midway through the novel, I felt unsettled as I kept wanting it to slow down and let me get to know the characters and settings a little better.
A very strong and memorable storyline from this book is that of Tenn Graneet, the Imperial Navy Master Chief Gunnery Officer who ends up being the one to pull the trigger on Alderaan. I'd never given much thought to how that would feel, since the films focus on the leaders giving the orders, but it's well done here. I love how they even work in the odd double "Standing By" at Yavin IV from the film - a nice touch for those of us who have seen the movies MANY times.
It was interesting to see Doctor Divini return from the authors' Clone Wars-era Medstar Duology and follow his continuing storyline. The inclusion of Admiral Daala seemed a bit superfluous - perhaps this was because her scenes with Grand Moff Tarkin were a little on the grotesque side. The authors do a solid job with Tarkin himself and Darth Vader, and I found myself frequently wishing there were more scenes with them. Most of the other characters were adequate but I'm not likely to remember them very long.
Reaves and Perry did a great job of altering my concept of the station itself. I had never pictured recreational areas, shopping and cantinas as being part of the Imperial facility, but now that they've brought that in it makes perfect sense. Military personnel should always have some place to blow off steam and the requisite civilians to help with those services. There were some scenes in the cantina that felt more Love Boat than Star Wars, but I'm glad they didn't set the whole novel in the hangars, conference rooms, and detention areas we see in the films, as that wouldn't have made much sense.
The climax of the novel aligns with the events of Episode IV. Scenes feature dialogue taken verbatim from the movie, although many new events with the new characters are woven around them. This did not bother me at all - the movies are so familiar that I would find it jarring at this point to attempt a restating of their dialogue. There's plenty of excitement despite knowing the fate of the station beforehand and the authors do a great job with presenting the Imperial perspective on the attack by the small groups of Rebel snubfighters.
Death Star is a reasonably entertaining read but I am still hopeful to someday learn more about the history of this icon of the saga.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Death Star (Star Wars)

"THAT'S NO MOON."–Obi-Wan KenobiThe Death Star's name says it all, with bone-chilling accuracy. It is a virtual world unto itself–equipped with uncanny power for a singularly brutal purpose: to obliterate entire planets in the blink of an eye. Its annihilation of the planet Alderaan, at the merciless command of Grand Moff Tarkin, lives in infamy. And its own ultimate destruction, at the hands of Luke Skywalker, is the stuff of legend. But what is the whole story, and who are the players, behind the creation of this world-killing satellite of doom?The near extermination of the Jedi order cleared the way for Palpatine–power-hungry Senator and Sith Lord–to seize control of the Republic, declare himself Emperor, and usher in a fearsome, totalitarian regime. But even with the dreaded Darth Vader enforcing Palpatine's sinister will, the threat of rebellion still looms. And the Emperor knows that only abject fear–and the ability to punish dissent with devastating consequences–can ensure his unchallenged control of the galaxy. Enter ambitious and ruthless government official Wilhuff Tarkin, architect of the Emperor's terrifying dream come true. From inception to completion, construction of the unprecedented Death Star is awash in the intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and daring gambits of those involved on every level. The brightest minds and boldest egos, the most ambitious and corrupt, the desperate and the devious, all have a stake in the Death Star–and its potential to control the fate of the galaxy.Soldiers and slaves, loyalists and Rebels, spies and avengers, the innocent and the evil–all their paths and fates will cross and intertwine as the Death Star moves from its maiden voyage to its final showdown. And a shadowy chapter of Star Wars history is stunningly illuminated in a thrilling, unforgettable adventure.From the Hardcover edition.

Click here for more information about Death Star (Star Wars)

Read More...

The Unifying Force (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 19) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It is very hard to review this book on it's own as it is the wrap up to the ambitious New Jedi Order Series. I'll try to comment on both of them in their appropriate place.
There are some problems with this book, I felt it was too long for one and the first 300 pages dragged. I'm reviewing it now and I got it in hardcover when first released. However the ending picks the pace up and manages to keep the reader enthralled.
There are obviously no real surprises here. The ending has been telegraphed fairly well over the last 4 novels or maybe more. That being said although we know where the journey is taking us, Luceno, not one of my favorite authors, makes the journey a pleasant one. We get to see Luke absolutely kick butt, we see the annoying Solo children of the previous publisher's books come into their final fruition. Though I didn't like Jacen's temporary godhood it was the telegraphed culmination that he would be the new "balance of the Force".
The ending was particularly well done, bittersweet farewells of tired damaged warriors in a tired damaged galaxy with some very nice human moments.
What can we say about the NJO? I don't think it did all it set out to do, but it came pretty close. It was light years above the New Republic series of the previous publisher. The lows of the NJO came nowhere near the many many lows of the previous series. We saw main characters die, we saw characters change, we saw the philosophy of the Force through many viewpoints. We saw a high level of writing overall and some pretty good editing to contain the very large story arc. We got new stories in the Star Wars universe with an intriguing culture in the Vong. We got Nom Anor, the most despicable creature ever who went from being an absolutely loathed cardboard villain to someone the reader knew inside out. We saw many characters have very real crises of faith, hit rock bottom and come back in a fashion that didn't make it seem predictable or cliche.
Thus it is somewhat sad to see it end. It needed to end, don't get me wrong, it had gone on long enough and it was time. The Clone Wars novels are now the spiritual successors to the NJO, showing the greater depth and complexity of the shaded morality of the universe that we first saw here.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Unifying Force (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 19)

At long last, the New York Times bestselling series that launched the Star Wars saga into the next generation and into thrilling new territory reaches its spectacular finale. Side by side, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, their children, and their comrades in the Galactic Alliance rally for their last stand against the enemy that threatens not only the galaxy, but the Force itself.The Galactic Alliance's hard-won success in countering the Yuuzhan Vong onslaught has proven all too brief—and the tide has turned once more to the invaders' advantage. Having overcome the sabotage strategies of the Jedi and their allies, the marauding aliens have pushed deeper into the galaxy and subjugated more worlds in their ruthless quest for domination. Coruscant has been remade into a Yuuzhan Vong stronghold. The remnants of the resistance are struggling to form a united front. Luke, Mara, and Jacen are missing in action. Clearly the stage is set for endgame. Now, as Han and Leia receive the chilling news that hundreds of high-ranking Galactic Alliance prisoners face slaughter in a sacrifice to the enemy's bloodthirsty gods, Luke and his team try desperately to convince the living world of Zonama Sekot to join the Jedi's final campaign against the Yuuzhan Vong. Yet even as they speak, a lone space station is all that stands between Alliance headquarters on Mon Calamari . . . and wave after wave of ferocious enemy forces waging their most decisive assault.At the same time, the Jedi's alliances throughout the galaxy are being tested—and the chances of victory jeopardized—by rogue factions determined to deploy the lethal weapon that will exterminate the Yuuzhan Vong . . . and perhaps countless other species. And among the Yuuzhan Vong themselves, the threat of revolt has reached a boiling point—as the oppressed underclass and powerful officials alike fear their Supreme Overlord's mad actions will provoke the wrath of the gods.Ultimately, for both the forces of invasion and resistance, too much has been sacrificed —and too much is at stake—to ever turn back. And now, nothing can stand in the way of seizing victory . . . or facing annihilation.

Click here for more information about The Unifying Force (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 19)

Read More...

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 3: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This third volume of John Jackson Miller's KOTOR is not quite as satisfying as the first two. The humor's still there, as is a bit of well-scripted pathos, but the second half of the book becomes wordy, the conceptual work is a bit campy, and the story remains incomplete. If you're buying this volume as a stand alone, be aware the conclusion is in Volume 4.
Miller opens with a farewell, the Arkanian drifters Jarael and Camper saying fare-thee-well to the fugitives, padawan Zayne Carrick and Snivvian hustler Gryph. With no plan and no place to go - and no interest in paying full retail - Gryph hires a dim-witted Trandoshan to liberate private transport. Making orbit just as the authorities arrive, the trio don't realize they're piloting a provisioning ship (a mobile restaurant) until they fly right into the middle of a military convoy headed for the front. Unable to escape the armada, they follow to the planet Serroco, where Gryph sets up business and finds to everyone's surprise that while the Trandoshan may not be such a great criminal, he knows his way around the kitchen. But just as soon as things start looking up, the Mandalorians arrive and with them a Force vision of the future, a planetary inferno for the population of Serroco. To save them, Carrick has to convince the Republic forces to move off. And to do that, he has to turn himself in.
"Days of Fear" has all the elements that have made KOTOR such a remarkable series: humor, an emphasis on character over plot, cinematic storytelling, and beautiful art. It also offers one of those rare moments in comics, a scene that honestly evokes a warm feeling of sympathy and compassion. By "honest" I mean that the scene plays naturally. There is no special lighting, no large panels or exaggerated composition, no long-winded exposition - nothing to set the reader up, to say "Hey, here comes the emotional bit!" The scene is played low-key and for that it has all the more impact. Truly one of the best moments in comic books in recent memory. There is perhaps only one thing missing from this story and that is some background on the galactic political landscape. There's a war going on but we don't yet know why.
The second story here, "Nights of Anger," pales in comparison, though certainly not from lack of ambition. It finds Jarael sneaking back to her home world of Arkania in search of medical treatment for her mentor and traveling companion, Camper. Along for the ride is stowaway Mandalorian deserter Rohlan, who may yet turn out to be their savor after Arkoh Adasca, president of Arkania's planetary consortium, Adascorp, holds all three hostage. While they wait for Camper to be treated, Miller fleshes-out the history of his Arkanian drifters, genetic outcasts from a society valuing knowledge - and its application - above individual lives. Camper was himself a leading member of this society, a brilliant scientist conducting ethically suspect research for Adascorp. He has all these years been sought by the same to finish work on a project that will allow Arkania's rulers to intimidate the Republic into submission. To coerce Camper, Adasca needs Jarael. What he doesn't need is a troublesome Mandalorian, one who appears to be every bit as clever with a microscope as he is skilled with a blaster.
The plot is rather simple in summation, but what makes it work is the detail - and plenty of it, which comes to us courtesy of a panoply of talking heads. Presumably readers can look forward to a little more action in the concluding chapters, but to get there we have to put up with the set up, which includes some flinch-inducing camp. Arkania's two genetic groups are known as the Purebloods and the Offshoots, names that could have come straight from a 1970's Jack Kirby comic, as could the universe's new super-weapon, mammoth space-faring worms that eat everything in their paths.
The art in this volume is anything but Kirby-like, even Kirby-esque, though the work in the final two chapters may remind anyone familiar with 70's-era comics of Neal Adams. Harvey Tolibao is an incredible talent and I hope to see him doing more Star Wars in the future. The same is true of Dustin Weaver, who brings a clean Japanese anime influenced style and a great talent for depicting facial expression. Weaver covers two chapters in this volume, and the other third is provided by Brian Ching, a fellow who started out as the regular penciler for this book but whose work is looking more irrelevant with each passing volume. Not that Brian's work is bad, just that it suffers by comparison. At least to these eyes.
This volume not the best place to start reading this series. But with only two previous volumes, and both of them far better efforts than this third, you really should start at the beginning. You'll have fun reading your way here.
#

Click Here to see more reviews about: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 3: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger

Nearly 4,000 years before the Death Star, fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick's quest to clear his name runs afoul of forces beyond his control-forces he and his friends have helped to unleash!Con-artist Gryph sees the Mandalorian Wars as a chance to make a quick credit, but Zayne sees a terrible tragedy on the horizon-one where only an act of self-sacrifice can save the ungrateful Republic! But the real key to the future of the galaxy may lie with none other than Zayne's fellow fugitives, the genius Camper and the beautiful Jarael, who have just fallen prey to the forces they've spent a lifetime running from! Collecting issues #13-18 of the ongoing comic book series

Click here for more information about Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 3: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger

Read More...

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)James Luceno's brilliant sequel to Revenge of the Sith manages to not only complete the saga of Anakin's descent into Darth Vader, but create a dynamic, moving portrait of loss and acceptance in a galaxy turned suddenly upside down.
Jedi Knight, Roan Shryne, has all but abandoned his faith in the Force in the wake of the tragic events of Order 66. He finds little solace in his companion, a plucky young Padawan who has grand plans of saving the remnant of Jedi. En route, he discovers something even more disturbing, a chance to give up life as a Jedi and start over as an ordinary man.
Darth Vader is also undergoing a crisis of faith, unable to move on past the deceit and betrayal of his masters (both Obi Wan and Sidious) and to forge for himself a reason for being other than as yet another pawn for Palpy. But the dark plans of Sidious have only just begun as the Sith Lord prods and pushes Vader into situations that will trigger the chrsalysis of rage, a pathway to the true power of the dark side. His machinations will team Vader up with the newest emergent power, an Imperial Moff, who's overarching designs will mean the enslavement of a nation and the means of fueling life into the Empire's emerging superweapon, the Death Star.
Luceno builds a story filled with pathos, horror and intriguing insights into the minds of Darths Vader and Sidious. Numerous long-standing questions are answered along the way as we're enmeshed in the moral dilemma of a galaxy that's lost its way: a Clone Commando who will not obey Order 66, a politician who risks all to secretly undermine the Empire, a young Padawan that learns -- too late -- the price of blind obedience to duty, a race of fierce beings who will fight at all costs a losing battle against tyranny, and the former Chosen One who learns that he needs the Jedi still to grow into the agent of evil he's chosen to become.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Click here for more information about Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Read More...

Broken (Star Wars: Legacy, Vol. 1) (v. 1) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Where have you seen this before?
The Sith hold the reigns of empire, the Jedi have been massacred and the few survivors are in hiding, and the only hope for peace in the galaxy lies with a young blond-haired lad named Skywalker.
From Dark Horse's veteran Star Wars creative team comes Legacy, a new series set approximately 135 years following the Battle of Endor. For the contemporary reader just coming in off Revenge of the Sith, the story picks up with right where Revenge ended, a century later, with the bad guys ascendant and the good guys on the lam. Luke Skywalker's republic has crumbled, and his descendant (perhaps grandson or great grandson) doesn't appear able or willing to ride to the rescue. The new Star Wars anti-hero, Cade Skywalker is a surly, drug-addicted bounty hunter with only the smallest scrap of concern for anything but himself.
For fans of Republic, Dark Horse's long-running series featuring writer John Ostrander and artist Jan Duursema's Quinlan Vos, Legacy will feel in many ways familiar. The plot is deliciously complex, motivations are conflicted, and the scripting is tight, with very few wasted words. Page layout and composition helps move the reader through the story, there are more than a few hyperkinetic splash panels of Jedi/Sith lightsaber duels, and the coloring is suitably dark and menacing. It's unfortunate, though, that Ostrander has Cade Skywalker teamed up with two bounty hunters (one male, one female), just as he had two opportunistic ne'er-do-wells (one male, one female) riding shotgun with Vos, and that Duursema has drawn one of them to look suspiciously like Quinlan. (See the attached image, Quin or Syn?, and judge for yourself.)
While cannibalizing elements from the films and from their own work, Ostrander and Duursema manage to make this series stand out from another comic book hatchet job by cleverly rearranging some of the traditional elements and by adding a few of their own.This time around the Sith have usurped the authority of the Imperial Remnant, but in failing to eliminate the Emperor leave behind an embittered enemy, one who forges an alliance with the Jedi. Now the red-robed Imperial Royal Guard are the force-using, lightsaber-wielding Imperial Knights, a unisex outfit clad in shiny red armor (at least one of whom, for unexplained reasons, speaks in pseudo Old English: "I am Ganner Krieg, Knight of the Empire. You have ... struck down she I have sworn my life to protect!"; "The Jedi are more skilled than we...."). Doing away with the Rule of Two, Ostrander has populated the Legacy universe with a cadre of Sith acolytes and assassins. They are ruled over by the mysterious Krayt, a hulking humanoid covered in bio armor, armor from New Jedi Order villains the Yuuzhan Vong, armor that may have kept Krayt alive for a century or more, armor that is slowly and painfully consuming him. Like Palpatine and other Sith Lords before him, Krayt seeks the means to thwart biological inevitability, a search that will lead him to Cade Skywalker.
While hardly original in overall conception, the attention to detail in both the story and the art makes this a book worth checking out.
Broken reprints issues #'s1,2,3,5,6,7 of the monthly Legacy comic magazine. Issue #4 was a one-off story that does not fit into the continuity of Broken and is likely to be reprinted in book form at a later date.
#

Click Here to see more reviews about: Broken (Star Wars: Legacy, Vol. 1) (v. 1)

The Jedi Temple is attacked, an Emperor is betrayed, and the Sith are born anew! A lot can happen in a hundred years, but that's just the beginning of the story! Not since Luke Skywalker first stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon has the galaxy seemed like such a vast, exciting, dangerous place!Readers will meet a host of new characters, see fleets of new spaceships, and visit scores of exotic locations - some new and some familiar. This is a perfect jumping-on point for any reader - an epic beginning to an untold chapter of the greatest adventure in the universe!

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Broken (Star Wars: Legacy, Vol. 1) (v. 1)

Read More...