peshifter Tunga Arpagion’s trite portrayal of an Imperial Grand This review is adapted from my weekly Star Wars column over at The Grimoire Reliquary!
peshifter Tunga Arpagion’s trite portrayal of an Imperial Grand Moff was not one. It’s generic–and I know for a fact Gillen can be strikingly original when he wants to be. An actor incapable of showing off…we’re all familiar with that story beat, aren’t we? It’s a trope and a half, it gets cheap laughs but Mutiny at Mon Cala might’ve been better off with–no, you know what, it’s fine, I expect too much. Come on, Filip, why the high expectations? This isn’t John Allison’s Giant Days we’re talking about.
Now, for the elements I did enjoy – and there were several. C3P0 navigates the line between amusing and cringy in just the right way, and that’s where old goldbucket works best. Seeing Lee-Char, a character so hopeful and lively in The Clone Wars series reduced to this:
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This, my friends, is the stuff of nightmares, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Mutiny has its moments – memorable, excellent moments, far better than . Its beginning is a little slow, but I appreciated Gillen taking a moment to allow Hand Lonely and Lukas Spacetalker to socialize with some Rebellion pals, while Leia is out and about making plans with the big wigs, trying to attract the Mon Cala trading fleet to the cause.
Larocca’s art once again does bizarre photorealistic things here, and I wish it didn’t. He’s so good when he’s drawing properly; there really is no need to be this faithful to the source material....more
Ashes of Jedha sees a great deal many minor characters from Rogue One either reAdapted from my weekly Star Wars column over at The Grimoire Reliquary!
Ashes of Jedha sees a great deal many minor characters from Rogue One either referenced or appear in the pages of the trade paperback. Judging by the publication date, these issues weren’t quite a tie-in to that movie but they could’ve been. Make of this what you will. Some elements were of interest, such as the reappearance of Queen Trios, the rather excellent character from the aforementioned Vader run. I also enjoyed the Imperial commander, a rather bad egg with the nastiest robotic arm an imperial salary can buy. Luke reckoned he’d go on a Force quest at the worst of times but of course it all worked out, and he only had to kill one new friend corrupted by the Dark Side.
Han and Leia flirted, probably, and I have the firm suspicion that I might’ve even laughed at one time or another at the antics of the . Excellent characterizations of our heroic triad, but not an altogether memorable adventure, and the side-characters are best left forgotten.
If you’ve got a local library that purchases comics and are itching for another unimpressive Star Wars read – knock yourselves out. If you’d rather read something good…maybe do with a summary of this and the next one, and jump to Hope Dies....more
First off, the art in this volume is by and large fine. Props to Villanelli, good work, I enjoyed looking at this book well enough.
Sigh. Why do people at Marvel like the bounty hunter cyborg Beilert Valance so much? He’s not an interesting character. Stormtrooper who lost more and more of his body until he became nothing but a cyborg, bla-dee-blaah. Every time I see him, I think to myself, I think, “Move over, Arnold! There’s a new cyborg in town, and he’s as good as you were in Terminator 3!” Yeah, Valence…he’s not great. I will concede one point–he was marginally more interesting here than in the abyssmal Target Vader comic I read last year (though the art of that one was its one redeeming quality).
This comic, then, gives ansxwer to the ages-old Star Wars question: “Are bounty hunters vehicle enough to make a Star Wars story interesting just by benefit of starring in one?” The answer is an unambiguous “no”. There’s an attempt at painting some of the bounty hunter characters as morally complex and it even works for one of them, but far more often than not makes for a generic, by-the-numbers tale that lacks in originality and treads through every action movie cliche you’ve seen in a Willis-Stalone-Schwarzenegger feature from the 1980-90s.
Boba Fett is his usual lawful evil self here. He never lets go of a debt unpaid, as we’ve seen in the Mandalorian – but the depth he banks on in this one is decidedly darker. If this seemed to be going the way of a solo comic book for Fett, I might’ve been persuaded; but he is left to the edges of The Galaxy’s Deadliest, little more than a plot device to induce drama and stir things up. The argument could be made that Sacks is attempting to raise the stakes of this series by centering it on Valence, an original character who isn’t wearing Fett’s plot and beskar armour; if so, it doesn’t fill me with excitement about what comes next for this conflicted, Empire-weary bounty hunter with a conscience…even if he’s joined by a sidekick now.
I will say one thing, I have no idea where exactly Sacks is heading in Volume 2. I can’t wait to find out.
No, really, I’m not capable of waiting. I lack the emotional investment in this series, and so I won’t. Thank every D&D deity I did not spend a single cent on this pretty but empty bit of glossy paper....more
Gah, Salvador Larocca, what did you do with Han’s face?!
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For someone who can draw well, Larocca occasionally gets real weird with the whole…rotoscopic effect? I know rotoscoping is an animation technique and this is illustration, but I can’t figure out if there’s a different phrase for this. Anyway, Larocca…Han’s face get progressively weirder and I don’t know why you wanted to give us nightmares but you did, and you oughtn’t’ave!
Onto discussing the story of Out Among the Stars! This is perhaps my favourite of the last three volumes of Aaron’s run; rather than tell a coherent, five-issue story, Aaron splits his cast and pens an adventure for each of them. These one-shots were thematically coherent and I enjoyed them a great deal more than last week’s Yoda’s Secret War. There’s something to be said about Leia and Luke getting stuck on some island paradise planet, spending a few weeks fending for themselves and eventually helping the locals by taking on a regiment of stormtroopers. It’s a very Luke-and-Leia thing to do, and it offers adorable character moments which add to their relationship. Aaron plays around with their longing for family, their conceptions of home, the whole “unknowingly siblings” background.
Han Solo is up to rebel-y business while Luke and Leia are away, helping Mon Mothma transport a Hutt prisoner to a Rebel cell that’ll interrogate him for precious information. In typical Solo fashion, things don’t go according to plan…or do they? It’s fun having post Episode IV Han go off and do something for the rebellion on his own, rather than being prodded by Leia into weird, competitive leadership games.
The one story I loved saw R2-D2 retrieve C3PO from the Empire; not just from any imperial ship, either, but the star destroyer Darth Vader is currently in. It’s hilarious to watch him sneak about the ship, disrupt communications, pit stormtrooper squads against one another, and create chaos at hitherto-unseen levels. It’s glorious fun and the best use of these two droids in a great while.
There was also another stormtroopers issue, which…uh, I think I liked it, but I honestly can’t remember what exactly it was about. Make of that what you will.
Oh, and an…an….another annual! What was it about? WHAT WAS IT ABOUT?!
…
Yes, I sneaked a peek at Goodreads just now to kick the old meat computer into gear. Turns out this one had Leia and Han on some icy planet. Action-heavy, with some fellow who bore Han a grudge and what-have-you. I…did not like that one. It’s forgettable and uninteresting and I’m not impressed with Jason Latour’s story at all.
Enough of Jason Aaron! Onto Kieron GIllen’s run–please be good. Please. Oh, but before I tell you all about that, we’ll take a week off to check out the much more recent STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS!...more
I’ve been curious about Yoda’s Secret War for a while now. Why wouldn’t I be? I love me my favourite space frog, that ancient green lad of fine reputeI’ve been curious about Yoda’s Secret War for a while now. Why wouldn’t I be? I love me my favourite space frog, that ancient green lad of fine repute. The war itself, alas, is not altogether my cup of tea. Someone must’ve pointed out the Mad Max/Earthbender nonsense going on here, and if they did, they’re right on the money. Master Yoda hears a disturbance in the Force and follows it to another one of those planets that do not appear on any star maps, which confirms my suspicions that star maps ain’t worth a buck; once he lands, he discovers himself in the middle of a conflict between two tribes of children. He agrees to help one, is summarily captured by the other and–how is the greatest living Jedi captured by children, you ask? Something about glowing blue rocks he can’t control.
The children send Yoda into the sacred mountain of blue rock, where he humbles himself before a new master who teaches him to Rockbend. This, I liked – it’s true to character. The rest of it is–there’s no way getting past this–bland. Despite the occasionally interesting moments and character interactions, there’s a lot here I read through not because I was hooked but because I wanted to be done faster, to “get to the good part”. I suppose the ending is okay, something about a character learning a lesson, which is very textbook, but executed well enough. Yoda's characterization is the best part of an otherwise forgettable story-as I'm updating this on Goodreads, I already find I've lost more than a few details.
Oh, I enjoyedthe annual! Leia’s in trouble and badly hurt–thankfully, she is saved by Pash, a capable engineer on the planet Skorii-Lei. Pash, affectionately called “Bash” by her fellow workers, wants nothing to do with the rebels or the Empire. All she desires is to live her life–but she’s too decent a person. What follows is a fun little romp that shows Leia at her most vulnerable, and introduces a side character I hope Aaron will use in future volumes. It’s a tight enough story and after I got over my usual reluctance to read annual stories (they’re usually a let-down) I found myself enjoying it more than I did the secret war itself.
Aaron’s writing is Strange-levels bland, as I mentioned. Larroca’s art is great here, and that alone makes browsing through the pages worth it. Yoda’s look is recognizably Prequel trilogy in the best ways possible. Kelly Thompson pens the annual, and I enjoyed Emilio Laiso does the art for the annual; I liked it plenty, and hope to see Laiso do more Star Wars in the future (I mean, he probably has, I’m just abysmally behind and too lazy to check).
The verdict? It was okay, could’ve been better, if you live near a library that offers it, get it. Don’t waste your money otherwise....more
In search of respite from Jason Aaron’s 2015-2018 Doctor Strange run, I’vThis review was originally published over at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary!
In search of respite from Jason Aaron’s 2015-2018 Doctor Strange run, I’ve at last decided to take once more on the endless, thankless task that is my weekend column, SUNDAY STAR WARS. There will always be some piece of Star Wars media that steals away my attention for forty-five minutes a week, and I like scratching my comic book itch with the veritable legion of franchise comics coming from Marvel. Corporate synergy at its best, amirite?
It has been a little while since I last felt the desire to tackle Marvel’s flagship Star Wars title, but my library has the lot of them, resting in near-mint condition–might as well help myself, right? Thus we come to the star of this post, Jason Aaron’s fourth volume, Last Flight of the Harbinger. The judgement, for those too impatient to read forth until post’s end?
Eeeh, ye. Yeah. ‘Sgood.
Thanks for rea–Not enough? Fine.
I enjoyed Aaron’s work on this volume–the stories he tells are entertaining, and the first issue enclosed in this volume (centering on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s continued efforts to protect Luke Skywalker) is even heartfelt. All the characters sound as they should – Luke is hopelessly naive and heroic, Han buries his loyalty with layers of cynicism, and Leia’s sense of what’s right charts the course for our merry band of adventurers as they enact a dangerous heist and make to break through a dangerous Imperial blockade that’s starving out an entire planet’s worth of inhabitants. These last ones are also rebel sympathizers, and of course that makes it all the more important that the Rebel Alliance come up with some scheme to save them all. In typical Rebellion style, it’s as reckless as it is dangerous – the heist I mentioned has as its end goal the commandeering of a Star Destroyer, while convincing the Empire that said ship, The Harbinger, is thought destroyed.
Even with all this enacted, there’s still plenty of trouble ahead – for one, The Harbinger requires a crew of 2,000 to operate at peak condition and Leia only has a skeleton crew to work with; and when the ship is severely damaged due to the very heist that procured it, fixing it is far more difficult than you (or Chewbacca) might think. And let’s not even get on
Star Wars comics at times have a troubling tonal incongruity – not so with Aaron’s work here. Tense and even brutal at certain times, the story has plenty of lighthearted moments, classically reminiscent of all the Millenium Falcon shenanigans you might love from the original trilogy. Good enough it made me nostalgic for the movies, eager to see them again.
Other miscellaneous thoughts on that account: A really sweet issue showing a competent squad of stormtroopers massacring Rebels before clashing with our adventurers. Good set-up, narrated by an Imperial loyalist whose allegiance you really can’t blame – well-reasoned and relatab, to a point. They’re not exactly relatable bad guys outside of that, but they’ll do, for a team of bucketheads. I also had a fun time seeing one of my beloved Doctor Aphra’s supporting characters pop up in that first issue–the nasty piece of work that is Black Krrsantan (yes, I looked up the spelling), the wookie bounty hunter without scruples.
Great art all around, good on Molina, Mayhew and Eliopolous. Oh, and there was this tiny R2-D2 story at the end of the trade paperback, which did not, in any way, appeal to me. Such is life.
Do support your local libraries, folks! Stick around, like this post, follow the blog–more reviews are, as always, on the way. Oh, and I’ve got a YouTube channel, help me grow? https://www.youtube.com/c/FilipMagnus......more
This review was posted as part of my weekly column, Saturday Star Wars, posted over at my blog, the Grimoire Reliquary.
I’ll be, a Darth Vader comic boThis review was posted as part of my weekly column, Saturday Star Wars, posted over at my blog, the Grimoire Reliquary.
I’ll be, a Darth Vader comic book that taps deep into the prequel movies without mucking things up. This comic book Greg Pak has succeeded where I would’ve been skeptical he might, and has done so with flying colours. Speaking of colours, two colour schemes dominate the past and present. Neeraj Menon uses a subdued colour palette for the present, with plenty of grey and overwhelming black, as well as cold, natural beige for skin tone. All these are bathed in red whenever the Dark Lord of the Sith’s lightsaber is drawn.
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The past is seen through the red filter of Vader’s rage, which does an excellent job defining the time period; Pak keeps to straight adaptations of the movie events, which is acceptable but I see it as a bit of a missed opportunity. It might’ve been an interesting narrative device, to have Vader’s remembrances twisted, skewered towards his present beliefs, his rage and–yes–even self-pity.
This is the first of Disney’s Vader comic books to take place between Episodes V and VI; it’s Vader’s investigation into the death of Anakin Skywalker’s wife, Padme Amidala. During it, he comes face to face with a woman whose face is a striking reminder of Padme’s: one of her former handmaidens.
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Armed with the failure of apprehending his son, Vader looks to understand how Luke slipped his reaches in the first place. Haunted by the memories that led to the loss of Padme, Vader is more introspective and passive than he usually appears. He’s not too chatty, our old Darth, which is why Pak decided to add an Imperial droid analyst, who makes oh-so-much idle chit-chat. I wonder how he’ll end up…
This one offers resolution for some Prequel-era Naboo-based characters, which I thoroughly enjoyed; it puts to rest a whole minor faction whose absence I’d always been curious about in the Rebellion era. What’s more, it sets up a second volume I’m very excited for, with an appearance by everyone’s badass cowl-wearing grandpa, the big Pee, Emperor Palpatine himself.
Phenomenal work by Raffaele Ienco, too, on what is some of the finest art in a Darth Vader title yet–and that’s saying something–you’ll agree, if you’ve read either Soule’s or Gillen’s run. I’m mightily impressed by Pak, to tell you true, and I can hardly wait until June for the second volume. I suppose I’ll dry my tears on the pages of Alyssa Wong’s first volume of Doctor Aphra, come January!
Before then, you might as well get this one–you won’t regret it!
This was originally posted over at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary. I've got a semi-regular weekly column with all the Star Wars content you might liThis was originally posted over at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary. I've got a semi-regular weekly column with all the Star Wars content you might like--check it out!
Is this a good adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s 2016 Thrawn novel? Yes. Should you read it if you haven’t read the novel first? I wouldn’t.
Jody Houser, Luke Ross and Paul Renaud do a fine job of adapting this work but it’s inevitable that some elements of Zahn’s novel will be lost in the translation; Eli Vanto, our PoV protagonist sees his role contracted, for example. Thrawn shines (it’s what he does), and so does Arihnha Pryce (surprisingly). The most important events are given the necessary breathing room, but many of the complexities of Thrawn’s relationship with the Empire and many an imperial are given little more than passing nods. If this run had two additional issues, perhaps, Houser would’ve had more time to pack this in with some more of the character that oozes out of Zahn’s novel.
The art is what makes this trade paperback worth owning–it’s not the best line art I’ve ever seen, but it has a distinct Star Wars feel to it, and it gives a visual dimension to Thrawn that you won’t otherwise get from Zahn’s novel. Some really cool covers, of course (Marvel’s great with Star Wars covers), like the one on Goodreads here.
Like the book, this has all-star appearances by the biggest names in the who’s who of the Galactic Empire–Grand Moff Tarking, Emperor Palpatine, and even Darth Vader. The dynamics between the Emperor and Thrawn are rendered faithfully–their meeting is done well, I believe the dialogue lines are drawn from the novel verbatim.
My score for this is a 3.5 stars out of 5 on Goodreads. I’m not sure whether I’ll mark up or down for this one…choices, choices. Shockingly, I don’t have a proper review of the 2016 novel, so I can’t link to that one at the end of this post, but if you’d like to read about Zahn’s latest Thrawn novel, follow this link!
I borrowed this from my local library–support your libraries, folks!...more
Target Vader is another one of those comic books I checked out of my local library in search of a topic to write about as part of this weekly column. Target Vader is another one of those comic books I checked out of my local library in search of a topic to write about as part of this weekly column. I love Darth Vader (who doesn’t?) and the premise of him being hunted, while a fixed conclusion, can provide for plenty of entertainment, if done right.
If you want that, you should look to Soule’s Darth Vader #18, which does a far, far, far better job of it than this six-issue limited run by Robbie Thompson. What Thompson offers is an underwhelming story about Vader on the hunt for a mysterious syndicate selling weapons to the Rebellion, which goes by “The Hidden Hand.”
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This syndicate is none too happy to be chased around by the Empire’s meanest attack dog, and so they contract out a hit on Vader. Enter Beilert Valance, a bounty hunter with the face of a Terminator and a bedside manner like he’s stepped straight out of a Punisher comic book.
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He’s joined by a band of other bland bounty hunters and a mildly familiar one, Dengar (he appeared in Empire Strikes Back for…what, thirty seconds?) and the lot of them gun for Vader. Several fun action sequences follow, the kind you read and forget about, in-between stuffing handfuls of popcorn in your mouth.
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Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee The high-point of this comic book is the art– plenty of the one-page spreads of Vader would make the entry into my private collection of .jpegs of the Dark Lord. But even then, there’s a veritable cornucopia of artists, some of whom better than others. Some of the aforementioned others have messy line art, which is a shame. The covers by Neeraj Menon are where it’s at, though:
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A SciFiPulse quote on the cover of the trade paperback says, “This is a Star Wars fan’s dream come true,” but I struggle to see which fan that is; perhaps that one fellow who likes the same regurgitated content without much in the way of new ideas explored. This is a lazy attempt at Star Wars with some good art and an entertaining sequence or four–but what a shame, to have the opportuntiy to write for this universe and blow it on this.
A three mediocre, mediocre stars for this one....more
Here it is, the last chapter in Simon Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra run. It’s a love letter to the character he spent three years writing, through some excellent ups and a few mediocre downs. A Rogue’s End concludes on a high note, however, and one that convinces me that following this character has been worthwhile.
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It ends where it began, but much worse.
Doctor Aphra is once more working under the Dark Lord of the Sith DARTH VADER* but this time is on the shortest of leashes, the only reason she’s still breathing due to her saving the life of Emperor PALPATINE**. The cover of the volume captures her precarious position with Vader perfectly:
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Gorgeous cover art by Ashley Witter, as always. How long can the fury of the angriest Sith in the galaxy be contained? The answer is in the question, and with that ticking clock at the back of every reader’s mind, there’s an undercurrent of tension which serves Mr. Spurrier very well indeed. Vader is his threatening self. I’m sure some might be unhappy with the resolution at display, but I quite liked the place he and Aphra ended up at. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite her in the face.
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This volume sees the return of all the important people in Chelli Aphra’s life, from everyone’s favourite pair of homicidal droids, Trip and BT-1 to her old man, to the brutal wookie Krrsantan and in the third Aphra annual. Most important for many will be Magna Tolvan’s return; the contentious relationship between the two lover-nemeses (a term all too rare in Star Wars) comes to a head in typical fashion, where Aphra and ‘Sir’ are concerned — blood, betrayal, and banging. Look, I had to go all the way with the alliteration.
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Seeing Aphra on board the Executioner offers several funny moments, from her interactions with Vulaada Klam (now working as Imperial cleaning staff and bunking with Chelli) to the spite her fellow archaeologists hold for her, to the off-hand comedic tasing she suffers from at the hands of an Imperial general whenever she lets her mouth get away from her.
But what Doctor Aphra is good at is interposing humour with questions of morality, loyalty, and the perennial selfishness of our title character. Her inability to do the decent thing has been well recorded, but the question whether she is capable of change, one way or the other, might just be answered.
The last issue proper in the run (though the third to last piece in the trade paperback) has some words of Aphra’s I particularly enjoyed:
Y’know, I spent a lot of my adult life kinda hot for discipline. The idea of it, I mean. Oh, not ust the Girls-in-uniform thing–although, sure, that.
But mostly–a galaxy like this? The jackboot always felt safer than the jungle. I guess it’s about time I admit I always made a little exception for myself.
Like–the tyrannical forces of brutally imposed order sure are impressive…
Just as long as they’re pointed at someone else.
As for the art, I’m not an enormous fan of Caspar Wijngaard’s art, but it is at the very least consistent. What I dislike most is the way he draws eyes — other than that, the line art is good enough; but Aphra’s eyes are so lifeless. And not just her — but then again, maybe it’s the fault of color artist Lee Loughridge for using simple, monochrome colours. I’ve been trying to figure out for a while what I find wrong with the art and it’s this — shame, that.
A Rogue’s End is a lot of fun — the whole of Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra run has been a blast for me, despite the dip in quality in the middle. I give you my hearty recommendation to check it out, and will be giving this a 4.5/5 score on Goodreads.
What’s next for the good Doctor? I’ll find out in January 2021, when the trade paperback of Alyssa Wong’s first volume comes out!
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Until then, join me next week for another dose of Star Wars goodness!
*I wanted to sound a little like the opening crawl of a Star Wars movie, for a minute there.
**Read above. Also, this refers to the events of the previous volume....more
Joy to the world, I’m but a step away from the seventh and last volume of Doctor Aphra‘s first run. Between you and me, dear reader, I loved this voluJoy to the world, I’m but a step away from the seventh and last volume of Doctor Aphra‘s first run. Between you and me, dear reader, I loved this volume. Loved it.
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Remember how I told you not to get used to the consistent art style and direction of the previous volume? That was some solid advice, I’ll have you know! These five issues have four pencillers working on them, four inkers, and two Color artists! Some of the style change can be excused by the switch back and forth between Chelli’s present and her adolescent memories on the planet of Arbiflux, but a few pages in issue 32, in particular, struck me as downright ugly.
The cover art is brilliant, though; I’m particularly fond of issue 35:
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So cute! And it captures Chelli’s personality very well.
The story tackles a daring rebel plan to do away with the Emperor; in case the title, UNSPEAKABLE REBEL SUPERWEAPON, wasn’t clear enough. Aphra’s far more principled half, ex-Imperial captain Tolvan, shows up and the two share some of that amazing chemistry which last year earned Doctor Aphra a nomination, and then a win, just this July 30, of a GLAAD award. The complex, explosive relationship these two share comes to a head once more, especially on account of how Aphra used a memory-manipulating alien to make Tolvan believe she’d killed the woman she loved at the end of Volume 4.
Long story short, the rebels try to recruit Aphra; that doesn’t work out. The Imperials try to kill Aphra (was it in this volume, or last? Or in every volume?); that doesn’t work out either, on account of Aphra broadcasting across the entirety of the Galactic Empire that she has in her possession something the Imperials want, and is willing to give it up out of the goodness of her heart. This brings her in contact with Minister Pitina Voor (told you she’d come into play!), a particularly ambitious and highly placed courtier of Palpatine’s at the head of the Coalition for Progress.
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The remaining issue and a half is one enormous contest in wits and wills between her and Chelli, and…The finale is great. It shows so much of what I love about Chelli Aphra — all the deviousness, the plans within plans she’s ready to make when she’s wronged, the extent to which she’s willing to go to get even. There’s a depth to Doctor Aphra that Spurrier hasn’t always managed to tap into, but he succeeds here, and with flying colours. There’s something that makes me want to gush like a kid about those last two pages, too, so I’m gonna!
SPOILERS (and Filip’s kid impression) incoming:
Then–then it ends with a “No no no no” and a VWOOOM; and Aphra, knowing what’s about to happen, hugs Vulaada and holds her tight, their eyes closed, only for him to address her…
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Hell of a close. Can’t wait to read the last and seventh volume of Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra! After that, I am more than eager to jump into Alyssa Wong’s take on the character!...more
The good Doctor is back, and running for her life with her dearest pal, the homicidal protocol droid Triple-Zero. The two frenemies are in quite the bind–as soon as they grow further than 20 metres apart, the explosives implanted in their necks will arm, and go ka-BLOOEY!
Grizzly, but what’s a little blood, guts and blown-out logic matrices betwixt friends? Not much at all, I think!
Oh, and I shan’t offer you much in the way of amusing panels, since I borrowed this volume, and the next, from my local library.*
This was an interesting volume, continuing on from the previous paperback, when the human among these two lovely boys popped into Doctor Aphra‘s life and strapped a pair of bombs in her and Trip’s heads. Why would he do that, you ask?
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The boys, together from 1977! (Doctor Cornelius Evazan, seated right, with Ponda Baba, seated left.) This, then, is a struggle for survival on the planet Milvayne, which is built on the notion of law-abiding snitches. It’s not a good place for a psychotic murder-droid to be with; somehow it’s an even worse place for Chelli Aphra. Whether because of the bomb or because of the company, I shan’t say (it’s totally the company) but on the road to freedom, the two cross paths with robotics doctors, Imperials, mercenaries, some old foes come back to life-adjacent existence, and even capture the attention of one Minister Pitina Voor, of Emperor Palpatine’s own cabinet. This last one will be important next week, when I talk about Volume 6, Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon.
Doctor Aphra continues to embrace an irreverent, near-Guardians of the Galaxy tone, which juggles murderous humour with sombre questions of personal morality, loyalty and empathy — to some success.
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What I enjoyed most about this volume the most was the character arcs both Chelli and Trip underwent; the antagonistic relationship between droid and archaeologist developed, and was written very well. Aptly named, Worst Among Equals does offer compelling proof as to how shifty a character the good Doctor is, while reminding the reader there’s an ember of decency somewhere deep inside the self-serving exterior Aphra has spent her whole adult life building.
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Among my favourite quotes, spoken by Trip to Aphra, is this one:
Bonding. It’s too delicious.
I imagine–oh!–you see yourself in her[a young girl Trip and Aphra cross paths with, surviving in the underbelly of Milvayne]. Born survivors, unsure whether to flee the tyrants or take shelter under their skirts. I’m afraid I’m not the only one looking in mirrors today, Doctor. You do know she’ll betray you?
If you truly are remotely alike, it’s practically inevitable. Would you like to know the odds?
I have observed you for a long time, Doctor. Monster hunters and mercenaries…lovers and lords…I don’t think you’ve ever met someone you wouldn’t throw to the anoobas to save your skin.”
Trip, doing some psychoanalysis in-between murder. This also included the second annual story, which introduces a pair of monster hunters, Winloss and Nokk, who make their return as supporting characters with a bone to pick with Aphra.
Read back-to-back with the next volume, I appreciated how much it set up for the thinner sixth volume. I appreciate Spurrier’s writing a little more in this volume than in The Catastrophe Con, which was a weaker trade paperback overall. This one earns that 4/5 star score on Goodreads with ease, where the previous one really struggled.
The line art is by Emilio Laiso (with Andrea Broccardo on issues #31), coloured by Rachelle Rosenberg. The colours are vibrant and inhabit well the aesthetic of the Star Wars universe. I preferred Kev Walker’s rendition of Aphra herself — his sharp lines better fit my image of her. Laiso’s art is more consistent in terms of overall quality; but don’t get too used to consistency in that department — the next trade paperback employs three artists, each one’s style different from the next!
I leave you with this panel:
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What better captures Doctor Aphra than this? I know not.
*Support your bloody libraries, folks! Now more than ever....more
It is a testament to Timothy Zahn’s skill that among all the Force-sensitive warriors This review was originally published over at The Fantasy Hive.
It is a testament to Timothy Zahn’s skill that among all the Force-sensitive warriors and diplomats, among all the scoundrels and morally questionable archaeologists, his is one of a handful of characters that endure as endlessly fascinating. Mitth'raw'nuruodo, better known as Thrawn, was the superb antagonist of the Heir to the Empire trilogy (1991-1993), and a mainstay in the collective imagination of the Star Wars fandom. The striking from cannon of this trilogy (which revitalized the entire franchise, and contributed to George Lucas’s decision to return to a galaxy far, far away) for the sake of Disney’s sequel trilogy was one of the early moments of contention between long-year fans and the Mouse; when Zahn was announced to helm one trilogy (and then another), I do believe old man Ben Kenobi must’ve sensed a million voices cry out in surprise, and then sigh in contentment.
That first trilogy was a little uneven, and more a collection of standalone stories chronicling Thrawn’s rise to power in the Galactic Empire, his partnership with Darth Vader, and his internal struggles to *squints eyes* secure funding for a series of stealth fighter ships by making a wager with Director Krennic and Grand Moff Tarkin, which was then met by some serio—let’s move on, shall we?
I hold Thrawn in such esteem because few characters signify the sci-fi elements of the Star Wars DNA better than he does. The best Thrawn stories, I have always held, are strong enough that they would thrive in a setting different from the Star Wars one. If you were to crop all the important plot points and characters, and only have to do some fine-tuning to make of a franchise novel something unique and original, could you do it? When it comes to most Thrawn books, the answer is a resounding yes. (With the exception of Thrawn: Alliances, that is, which incidentally is the weakest of Zahn’s Chiss-centred works.) These novels are enhanced by being in the Star Wars universe, not dependent on it.
Chaos Rising is a return to form for Zahn*. The first in three novels which chronicle Thrawn’s ascendance in his native Chiss Ascendancy (you didn’t think I would resist, did you?), this does exactly what you want a Star Wars novel to do after the horrible dog’s breakfast** that was the sequel trilogy. It expands the fricking universe in ways that are beyond engaging, while offering a whole new look at our title character. One character I was crazy about in the Thrawn: Treason novel makes her return here – Admiral Ar’alani, whose personal history with Senior Captain Thrawn goes far deeper than I dared hope. She’s one of the main PoV characters in this one, and the novel is all the better for every sentence spent through her perspective; Ar’alani is almost a foil to Thrawn in some ways. Though incapable of seeing what he sees (Thrawn is a tactical genius, capable of understanding both the strategy and tactics of other species by studying their art and philosophy), Ar’alani excels at seeing through the minefield that is Ascendancy politics, and her own insights into military matters are no small thing. Through an unlikely friendship with the more junior officer, Ar’Alani proves an invaluable ally in the political machinations taking place against Thrawn.
One of the consistent points of Thrawn’s characterization across thirty years of books, comics and even animation has been his inability to process the world of political intrigue. In Chaos Rising, there’s no end to the Chiss’ blunders. Add to that the complex hierarchical order of the Ascendancy, with its nine ruling families plotting and conniving against each other for greater power, and you will begin to see how great a blind spot Thrawn’s political ineptitude is.
To offset this slap-down I delivered, let’s look to a consistently portrayed strength of the Chiss tactician. He has always been an excellent teacher, offering leading questions and gentle nudges to those who serve with him, guiding them to seeing a problem and figuring out its solution. It’s an ever-engaging dynamic that earns Thrawn the loyalty of those that surround him. This time around, I most enjoyed his taking the young Chiss girl Chirri under his tutelage, teaching the skywalker to fly. Yes, you read that right – skywalker is a title in the Ascendancy, reserved for young children capable of guiding vessels through the chaos of hyperspace. They do so through the Force—though they have no skill in manipulating it otherwise.
Half a dozen other characters make for a memorable cast of allies and adversaries to Thrawn, most of them Chiss. Zahn does some interesting worldbuilding for the Ascendancy, which renders them to life while enriching Thrawn himself, making of him something of a…maverick, I believe, is a word one antagonistic aristocra uses to describe him. The villain of this piece is General Yiv the Benevolent, an all-around pleasant chap who has no dictatorial tendencies at all and seeks to promote peace and—yes—benevolence throughout the galaxy.
Just kidding. Yiv is no push-over. The nefarious Nikardune’s tyrannical leader, he is a commander of great skill equaled only by his pride, and someone comfortable with working in the shadows at the edges of Ascendancy space. His threat is immense, and Thrawn’s recognition of that thread places the two on a collision course that dominates Chaos Rising and never, ever disappoints.
As always, Thrawn’s tactical prowess takes centre stage. Set pieces offer not a single dull moment, and the sound effects Star Wars audiobooks implement do not fail to make any of the half a dozen engagements between Chiss and other alien species climactic and thrilling.
A pleasant surprise in this piece has to do with the humour Zahn deploys – it hits all the marks, and I didn’t quite expect that. It’s not that Zahn’s previous novels are devoid of humour, but it has never stood out the way it does here. Whenever Thrawn himself cracked a few jokes, I was wheezing.
If you’re looking for Marc Thompson to give a bad performance, keep looking. His Thrawn continues to be the defining performance for the character *scoffs at Rebels*, and Thompson never fails to imbue the wide cast with life. Ar’alani and Thalias are both splendidly done, the former’s performance a hundred percent consistent with what Thompson did in Treason; the latter is just a phenomenal new character, and I am eager to see where her personal story, so intertwined with Thrawn’s, will take her.
Chaos Rising had me nerding out so hard. I’m not ashamed to admit, I have a special place in my tiny black heart for Thrawn and Star Wars both, and this novel offered the best of both. I’m certain to relisten many a memorable section of the audiobook – the dialogue, combat and characterization warrant it.
*Especially if you’ve recently read Pawn (Sibyl’s War #01), as I did, earlier this summer.
**I was aiming for a synonym to ‘clusterfuck,’ because profanity is so bad, you guys, and turns out, this is a thing! I know!
If you're interested in some spoiler-heavy lingering questions I've got, you should read my semi-regular weekend column, Saturday Star Wars!...more
This review is part of my weekly column, Sunday Star Wars, at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary.
I enjoy works set out as prequels to the prequel trilogyThis review is part of my weekly column, Sunday Star Wars, at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary.
I enjoy works set out as prequels to the prequel trilogy – Master and Apprentice is one of my most favourite reads. I didn’t always like Darth Maul, but catching up on the Clone Wars series has warmed me up to ol’ Red’n’Spiky! And if I needed another reason, just look at that cover. It would make for a great effin’ movie poster in its own right. To make things better, the internal art is no less impressive from the get-go:
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What’s this graphic novel about?
Darth Maul grows restless as his master bides his time and weaves his web, awaiting for the opportunity to strike. So restless, in fact, that when Darth Sidious sends him on a task to aid the Sith’s allies in the Trade Federation, the dark apprentice jumps at the mention of a Jedi Padawan caught and held for sale to the highest bidder by a criminal, Xev Xrexus, on the planet of Nar Shaddaa. Maul’s help to the Trade Federation, for the record, is offered by way of executing dozens of aliens unhappy with the illegal operations the Federation deals in. Just in case you thought he was a good Samaritan or some such nonsense.
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As you plainly see, Maul is all too happy to help his friends and allies at the Federation. His first appearance on the very particular hive of scum and villainy that is Nar Shaddaa is stylish:
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The Sith definitely have a stylistic edge over the Jedi. Might that have something to do with how Palpatine got one over that little green muppet? Of course, criminals don’t like the kind of questions Maul asks, and before long, he’s fighting a good half dozen of them. Enter a few familiar faces from Season 2 of the Clone Wars!
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I never was a fan of Cad Bane but plenty of folks out there are. Don’t get me wrong, I can see the appeal – he’s very much the kind of character that draws inspiration from the Western aspects of the Star Wars Saga – the kind of mercantile villain riding from one town to the next, caring precious little about the moral hue of his actions, long as his pockets line up. Something always bugged me where he was concerned. Aurra Sing is more my speed – she’s observant and has fine intuition.
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There’s a tragedy to Maul, too. Stolen from his birth mother by Palpatine, fed the worst of his poison, taught only to hate and to destroy — there’s plenty appealing to the Zabrak warrior. As the result of the training he has received, his philosophy is very different to that of Sidious:
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These panels, digging into Maul’s way of thinking and revealing aspects to him hitherto unseen are likely my most favourite element of this entire graphic novel. The parallels he draws to his Master, the differences he sees, make him an awful lot more interesting a character:
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Eldra Kaitis, the Jedi Padawan captured, makes for an excellent foil to Maul. He wants her to fear him, yet she does not; he seeks vengeance for past wrongs but she has little interest in them; The conversations they have in issue four are only equaled by their excellent duel in the final issue in this volume. From her first appearance to her last moments, she encapsulates some of my favourite elements about the Jedi Order.
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Every page of the duel between Maul and Eldra showcases the finest in the art of Luke Ross. Listen to Duel of the Fates while you read Issue #5, I promise, you will not regret it.
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I cannot heap enough praise on that last issue, in fact. It does so many things right – as does the entire volume. The consistent art, the excellent characterization, even the bounty hunters’ side adventure; these make for an excellent, self-contained story that I won’t soon forget.
And here’s one of my favourite quotes, on a panel that isn’t much to look at (one of those panels that set up location, I don’t mean that it’s drawn badly or anything of that sort):
My Master… If he knew about my plans… Would likely find this amusing.
Like the very best Star Wars comics in the neo-Marvel era, this easily fits to the Clone Wars animated format – it reads much like It’s solid work, and one of my favourite graphic novels in the Star Wars universe. I’m happy to give it a score of five out of five stars on Goodreads!
Join me again next week for another dose of Sunday Star Wars!...more
This is the most conflicted I’ve been when it comes to poor, tortured Chelli Aphra. On one hand, some of the dialogue in thSome spoilers ahead.
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This is the most conflicted I’ve been when it comes to poor, tortured Chelli Aphra. On one hand, some of the dialogue in the second and third issues of this volume make for a downright gag-inducing reaction. Some of the jokes are bad, owing to the kind of self-referential humour you’d get from someone who is all-too-aware of the Star Wars franchise, rather than from someone who lives and breathes in the universe.
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On the other hand…in the later issues, some ridiculous awesomeness transpires, courtesy of everyone’s favourite Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader!
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What I expected to be little more than a cameo turned into a full-blown appearance which, as always, had lasting consequences for our favourite evil archeaologist. He’s such an enormous part of Aphra’s identity in the Star Wars universe and whether by his absence or his presence, Vader’s shadow defines Aphra’s status quo and shapes her actions.
Speaking of, Aphra’s voice remains consistent with what the ever-brilliant Kieron Gillen set out in the first edition of Darth Vader and again in the first two volumes of this run of Doctor Aphra. The moments when Aphra goes to absolute insane degrees of singular purpose just to enrich herself and satisfy her curiosity…these are when this volume and run both are at its finest.
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[‘Sir’ knows Aphra so well.] Despite my complaints, some of the issues click and come together exactly because of Aphra’s personality, as well as thanks to the drama some of her supporting characters (Magna, in the picture above) bring to the table. The conflict is solid and the emotional highs are quite high.
I saw one of the two final twists coming a mile away, and I really wish the author hadn’t gone with what he did — but I’ll admit to being morbidly curious as to how Aphra will get out of her latest gauntlet.
I find that I’ve gotten exhausted by evil C-3PO-alike, Triple Zero, as well as by his little astromech helper. Though that problem is somewhat addressed, I’d gladly see the once-amusing droid come to an unfortunate end in the next volume. He’s overstayed his welcome as is.
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My score for this is a very tentative 3.5 out of 5 stars – I wanted to go higher, I wanted to go lower. I hope the next volume doesn’t suffer from some of the problems of this one. If you’ve stuck around for this long…Catastrophe Con still makes for an engaging Doctor Aphra story, despite some issues.
I read this through Comixology’s Unlimited Subscription – sweet!...more
This review is part of my weekly blog column, Sunday Star Wars. With pictures!
Somehow I managed to miss out on talking about the final issue of the pThis review is part of my weekly blog column, Sunday Star Wars. With pictures!
Somehow I managed to miss out on talking about the final issue of the previous volume, The Last Padawan, reviewed last week here. All the more power to me, as it was very open-ended – I’m lucky to be able to read both volumes practically in bulk, I’d have chewed my leg off if I had to wait for months at an end for the resolution of the Rebels side-plot at play.
First Blood reads like two of my favourite types of Star Wars stories – a typical Clone Wars TV series adventure wrapped up in a shorter, Kanan-centric Rebels episode script. The Clone Wars portion of this one is a direct prequel to the events of The Last Padawan, and sees the young Caleb strike a connection with Jedi Master DEPA BILLABA after her recovery from severe injuries at the robotic hands of GENERAL GREVIOUS*.
If this Clone Wars-era story were animated, it would most likely be a two-parter, the first one taking place on the Jedi Temple at Coruscant, the second seeing Caleb and Billaba battle against Separatist forces in the Outer Rim. The culmination here is a battle between Billaba and Grevious happening at the same time as Caleb faces off a Kabe Warrior, one of a race of grey-skinned humanoids encountered over one of Asajj Ventress’ arcs in the Clone Wars series. The Kobe warriors are proficient in the martial arts, and this one makes for an acceptable secondary antagonist.
Looks a bit like a some kind of a fallen Jedi, I thought upon seeing him first. I continued enjoying every panel that showed Master Billaba – she’s at once vulnerable and resolute, and her connection with Caleb was fun to explore. Caleb himself – the young padawan boy, as opposed to Kanan, wasn’t anywhere near as interesting as in The Last Padawan, but that’s understandable. He goes through such a fascinating transformation
As for the Rebels sections, I enjoyed those well enough – seeing Kanan come to terms with what he went through over that first volume made for several excellent character moments, and I never say no to time spent with that delightful group of rebellious kiddos that is the Rebels cast.
What more is there to say? If you enjoy Star Wars, if you like Rebels and Clone Wars, this is a fun story with characters you already love. If you don’t…this isn’t going to win you over in any way. My score is a hint lower than the previous volume’s, at 3.75/5 stars.
*I don’t know why I suddenly began to mimic the opening crawl of a Star Wars movie but by Jim I like it!...more
I read this on the recommendation of a dear friend.
The first volume of Kanan, The Last Padawan is another excellent, heartbreaking story of the Jedi PI read this on the recommendation of a dear friend.
The first volume of Kanan, The Last Padawan is another excellent, heartbreaking story of the Jedi Purge and its consequences on those few padawans that made it through the cracks after Palpatine’s Order 66.
The first issue presents a very classic Clone Wars era story, with Kanan – his real name Caleb – fighting alongside Jedi master, Depa Billaba. I found the character of Billaba captured some of the finest in Jedi philosophy – her questioning the way the Jedi were forced into the command structure of the Republic’s army spoke to me of the underlying tension many of the wisest Jedi felt about their role in the Clone Wars. It reminds me of an older conflict in the universe, the Mandalorian Wars as spoken about in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II.
The character of Caleb Dune earned my sympathies time and again, in his fight to survive and leave his old self behind, forced to change for survival’s sake. It’s difficult to lose everything the way he does, to suddenly have every belief and creed you’ve held your entire life a threat to your life.
But onto lighter aspects of this first volume – the smuggler Janus Kasmir, the separatist general, I loved everything about both these supporting characters. Especially Kasmir, he had that “rogue with a heart of gold” nailed! *Spoilers* It was painful, though, seeing Caleb break with both of them, feeling he had to keep them safe by breaking the bond between him and them. */Spoilers* Such a funny thing, bonds – we define ourselves by them, but we often seek to break with them when we feel the need for change. Kanan wanted a break away from who he was – he saw that as his only way to survival; and so he did. It’s a small tragedy, but a tragedy nonetheless.
There’s an element that doesn’t quite make sense, now that I’ve thought on it – the two clones, former friends of Caleb and Billaba, doggedly chase the Jedi Padawan without any apparent oversight from Imperial authorities. I’ll chalk this up to the transition period between Republic and Empire but it’s still a crack in what is otherwise excellent storytelling.
I enjoyed Kanan – I loved the art by Pepe Larraz, and writer Greg Weisman does a very good job telling a fine Star Wars story, which offers plenty of context to one of Rebels‘ most likable cast members. My recommendation? If you’re looking for an action-packed story with plenty of fun elements, you can’t go wrong with this. My score for it is 4.25 stars. I will be reading Volume 02 soon!...more
This review originally appeared on my weekly blog column series, Saturday Star Wars, over at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary!
We readers and listenersThis review originally appeared on my weekly blog column series, Saturday Star Wars, over at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary!
We readers and listeners sometimes enjoy books that are not necessarily great works of fiction. Ahsoka, for example, has no shortage of small issues, the greatest of all which is its rushed pacing – and yet, I cannot find it within myself to feel more than trifling annoyance at author E. K. Johnston. Not when I had such a wonderful eight hours listening to voice actress Ashley Eckstein bring the character to life once more.
Ahsoka is a brilliant character, one of the finest additions to the Star Wars universe. Her arc in the Clone Wars animated series never ceased to capture the imagination and her fate post-Order-66 was the subject of great interest before Anakin Skywalker’s former apprentice resurfaced in the Rebels series a few years ago.
With Ahsoka, E. K. Johnston fills in the blanks and shows everyone’s favourite togruta at one of her lowest moments. Ahsoka Tano has spent the first years of the Empire hidden away, uncertain about how to make a difference in a galaxy controlled by fear and plummeting ever further in the depths of oppression. Changing circumstances force her to relocate from her hiding place on planet Thabeska to a small Outer Rim moon by the name of Raada, a settlement of only a few hundred farmers. In this settlement, Ahsoka – or Ashla, as she goes by now – befriends some of the locals, embracing the uncomplicated life of a mechanic.
It doesn’t last long, as an Imperial contingent arrives with the sole purpose of exploiting the arid lands of Raada in order to grow a crop of nutritional supplement, which has the side effect of leeching the nutritional elements inherent in the Raadan soil. The Empire forces the farmers to grow this poisonous crop, to which Ahsoka does not take kindly to; the farmers are even less happy about working at the end of a blaster, and resistance is quickly in the works.
I’m continually impressed with how dark stories involving Ahsoka tend to get, and this is no different – there’s elements of torture here, of oppression, forced labour and mass murder. Just like the Clone Wars! Y’know…for kids!*
Ahsoka Tano, the confident wisp of a girl we know, is much changed at the beginning of this novel, the full extent of the Jedi Purge weighing down on her beyond anything she’s faced previously. It’s no wonder that she’d be hesitant to find a cause to fight for, then; however, Ahsoka goes through a transformation as she witnesses the brutality of the Empire first-hand. Through luck, a few new friendships and even an old ally or two, however, we really see her find her footing in this cruel new galaxy; Ahsoka is above all, a story about hope regained.
Ahsoka side by side with her voice actress, Ashley Eckstein Ashley Eckstein is a brilliant narrator; she’s truly made Ahsoka her own, to the point where thinking of anyone else taking over for her would force me and the rest of the Star Wars fanbase to rebel. She elevates an enjoyable novel to something I couldn’t stop listening to, an audiobook I want to return to despite having finished it a mere two days ago.
My other major complaint, besides the pacing which is really uneven throughout, has to do with the following: a few chapters felt out of place – especially one concerning everyone’s favourite Obi-Wan, which I can only imagine the editor forgot to delete, or perhaps the publisher inserted into the book by mistake. Bit of a weird flex, as the kids say.
My score for Ahsoka is a cheery 4/5 stars – with a recommendation to listen to the audiobook if you can, since it’s nothing short of brilliant. Please, Mister Mickey Mouse, gimme more Ahsoka stuff narrated by Ashley Ekcstein, sir!
*Though I make fun of this, I do actually believe that the adult way in which the Clone Wars, Rebels and, yes, this book too, deal with a variety of heavy topics is mature and something kids should bear witness to. The Clone Wars in particular has a depth of interesting topics, which are very relevant to the world we live in....more
This review was originally published over at booknest.eu
Published by: Del Rey Books Genre: Science Fantasy Pages: 352 Format: Audiobook Purchased Copy: This review was originally published over at booknest.eu
Published by: Del Rey Books Genre: Science Fantasy Pages: 352 Format: Audiobook Purchased Copy: from Audible.co.uk
At last, the one question that has been bugging me since I was 9 years old receives an answer! The question? Why the heck does Obi-Wan Kenobi hate flying so much? Now I know, and if you read this book, you will too!
Master and Apprentice deconstructs first and foremost the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, portrayed by Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in what was the best part of The Phantom Menace. The novel’s opening sees this relationship burdened with issues because of what both master and padawan consider to be The myriad differences between Kenobi and Jinn have made Obi-Wan’s apprenticeship difficult ever since its beginning. Qui-Gon is among the most unorthodox knights in the Jedi Order, all too happy to break procedure if it will bring him closer to his goals; he is, though the word has never been used in Master and Apprentice, a radical, willing to cross borders other Jedi knights wouldn’t even come near – which makes the fact that he gets offered a spot to the Jedi Council at the very beginning of the novel all the more interesting a hook.
Obi-Wan, meanwhile, is very firm on following the rules at this point in his training. He has his own set of problems – feeling like he is a bad apprentice, unable to live up to what is required of him is but one of them. The fact that he has difficulty finding peace in the Force during combat, his battle meditation easy to shatter, is another. What is evident early on is that both he and Qui-Gonn blame their own shortcomings but never one another. That’s a very Jedi thing to do, but it also speaks to how much they care about each other.
It’s at this point that Rael Averross, the previous padawan of Count Dooku (Qui-Gonn was Dooku’s last padawan), requests Qui-Gon’s assistance on the planet Pijal for the signing of a hyperspace lane treaty between the soon-to-be Queen Fanry and Czerka Corps, with the representative of the Galactic Republic ratifying it. Planet Pijal and its moon are rocked by the subversive activity of The Opposition, a former performance troupe turned terrorist cell that now threatens not only the signing of the treaty but Princess Fanry’s coronation.
Czerka Corporation, known to me first and foremost from the fantastic RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Knights of the Old Republic II, makes its proper debut in Disney cannon. Its business practices, chief among which is the possession of slaves, give rise to a lot of interesting arguments as to the role of the Jedi, the inability of the Republic to enforce its law (slavery is illegal in Republic-controlled space) and more. Averross, whose role on Pijal is that of planetary Regent, immediately set off some red flags with his indifference towards Czerka’s use of slave labour and general conduct.
A tertiary thread runs in parallel with Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon’s and Averross/Fanry’s – that of Rahara and Pax, a pair of jewel thieves with their own grievances with Czerka. I liked both of these characters, whose dynamic was inspired by Elementary’s versions of Holmes and Watson. Pax is a recluse who lacks all social graces – for a good reason, as he spent his adolescence onboard a drifting ship in the company of protocol droids. Rahara is the more human of the two, the part of this dynamic duo that helps Pax be more of a decent chap. Their unlikely friendship and budding romance were very sweet to read about, and the rapport they build with the Jedi adds an additional layer to an already great story. It also serves to challenge Obi-Wan’s views – working with jewel thieves tends to do that to any young Jedi hopeful.
A lot of great elements collide to create a politically-charged, morally complex story that has a lot going for it – great leads, interesting worldbuilding that both adds new elements to the cannon and reintroduces certain old ones for the first time after ye grand old Disney Legacy purge. I’m impressed with Claudia Gray and will be reading her ‘Bloodlines’ at some future point, no doubt about it now. My score for Master and Apprentice is a 4.5/5; I thought this was a tremendous read, as fun as Thrawn: Treason (reviewed here) in its own way.
Oh, and lest I forget about it, Jonathan Davis is as spectacular as ever in the narrator’s booth. His Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are eerily true to the originals, and he breathes a lot of life into Even his young Christopher Lee captures the essence of the character, even if he’s not on the level of Corey Burton, who voices Dooku on both Clone Wars animated series, and almost does the late, great Lee justice. As usual, the sound effects are also present – lightsabers, blaster fire, engines and plenty of mileage from those godly John Williams soundtracks. Del Rey doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the production budget of their Star Wars audiobooks, and us audiophiles are all the better for it.
One last name demands attention: The ridiculously talented Alice X. Zhang is to blame for the wonderful cover. Having looked her up only recently, I can already tell that I love her style so very much.
You should read this if you’re interested in:
• The difference between what is moral and what is lawfully good; • political intrigue; • a look at the issues that plagued the Galactic Republic before Palpatine’s take over; • a good mystery that totally got me with several of its twists and turns; • good character arcs; • Loads of Prophecy-talk; • Dooku flashbacks! • And More! Prob’ly.
Thanks for reading! Join me again next week for a review of God of Gnomes by Demi Harper. For updates and more, check out my twitter handle, @TheFilipMagnus and my personal blog, The Grimoire Reliquary on wordpress.com! ...more