Star Wars Reviews and Continuity

continuity-fixes to many of your favorite Star Wars books, comics, short-stories, cartoons, etc.,

in the Expanded Universe. You can also post your own. Simply follow the guidelines

Zahn's latest effort is a mixed-bag. As with his excellent Outbound Flight/Survivor's Quest duology and the ever-popular "Thrawn Trilogy," readers can look forward to a tightly plotted story that deftly weaves several seemingly disparate narrative strands into one exciting finale. This time, his signature trademark storytelling style takes place in the period known as the Era of Rebellion (which designates the time frame during which the Classic Trilogy occurs) and stars the film's main protagonists (minus the droids whom Zahn admits he couldn't find a place for) six months after the Battle of Yavin (seen in Episode IV: A New Hope)

Fans of Zahn's prior novels will be thrilled to find eighteen year old Mara Jade in her role as Emperor's Hand. She is smart, principled, quick on her toes and tough as nails. It's a pleasure to revisit this character during her youth while she still naively believed the Empire stood for justice and Palpatine was a good man.

But the characters that really steal the show are the five rogue stormtroopers who come to make up the improvised squadron known as the Hand of Judgment. Running from the Empire is doubly difficult when you can't help but take time out to save locals and investigate a deadly pirate ring! Admittedly, there is some confusion as to who's who in this roster, and in a novel of 324 pages that includes quite a number of protagonists and antagonists, developing five new characters deep enough so that readers can delineate between them was going to be difficult at best. In this, Zahn is far less successful than Karen Traviss who's Republic Commando squadron have earned themselves a good four books and a place in many fans' hearts. But the guys from the Hand of Judgment are still an interesting bunch and their camaraderie and interactions are the highlight of the book. I wouldn't mind seeing more of them in the future.

The villains aren't quite as interesting as the protagonists. Caaldra, the head of the pirate ring seems almost interchangeable from the Commodore, another pirate captain, and there's no real depth given to either of them. But as they're foils in a larger plot, it's not noticeably distracting. Vader's on board too, and though used sparingly, he's always fun to have around. One of the best scenes of the book involves Mara's interactions with Vader (although there is an odd scene between the two towards the end of the book that has Vader behaving uncharacteristically bizarre.)

Sadly, the book is unable to maintain the high note that Mara and the stormtroopers bring to it. While the plot is well-realized, with just a minimum of coincidences to propel it forward, it lacks the epic scope of the "Thrawn Trilogy" and the deep sense of mystery and intrigue of his more recent duology. But those matters are trifles next to the book's biggest failing. Zahn stumbles in the very area long-time fans of the EU feared he might. It's blatantly obvious that the author simply has no knowledge of the era he's writing in. And while no real damage is done to continuity as some feared, Zahn's characterizations of Han and Luke are strikingly off, which is not to say that they don't sound like their film counterparts. In fact, it could be argued that Han and Luke sound almost exactly like they do in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. The problem is that they shouldn't.

Anyone who's been a long time fan of the EU or who's gone back and read the stories that take place in the days, weeks and months after A New Hope knows that Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewie have had a lot of adventures together. Sadly, Zahn doesn't seem to know that and his versions of them behave like distant acquaintances. In fact, Zahn has written a Han that is so unrelentingly bitter and resentful as to be almost unrecognizable. Worse, for someone unknown reason, the author emasculates Luke at almost every opportunity he gets. When I say these characters resemble their film counterparts, what I mean is that they do so in regards to their least likable traits. Han is irascible, sarcastic and just plain unfriendly. Luke is even worse: whiny, inexperienced, foolish and incompetent! (One can't help but wonder if this was done on purpose to provide a contrast with Mara Jade who's shown to be the epitome of efficiency and power.) Luke is led around by the spirit of Obi-Wan like a puppy on a leash as Obi-Wan basically tells him exactly what to do in nearly every situation. Zahn even has Luke whine that Obi-Wan isn't doing enough for him! Where is the Luke of Archie Goodwin's Marvel series and newspaper strips who was quick on his feet, quick to anger and full of ideas!? See, Goodwin took the Luke from A New Hope as well, but instead of denigrating him by focusing on his lamer qualities, he built on him to show the growth and transition Luke was making to the man he would become in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, impetuous yes, but courageous and loyal; volatile, but also smart and confident. Zahn instead takes Luke figuratively back to the farm, and apparently back in time, conceiving a version of him that behaves like a silly teenager. The only time Luke has any kind of positive impact in the story is when he's using the Force, otherwise he proves to be an embarrassment in practically every other situation. And there's no reason for it. There's no crystal star in the area that's messing up the Force, no lost girlfriend in the recent past, no clone emperor testing him with the dark side. Zahn merely doesn't have a handle on Luke, and he demonstrates that by portraying him in a pretty pathetic light.

On page 129, we get this paragraph: "Stormtroopers. Luke shivered. He'd grown up tangling with Sand People and had some idea how to deal with them. But Imperial stormtroopers were something else entirely. He and the others had survived a couple of brief encounters with them aboard the Death Star, but even at the time he'd had the feeling the Imperials had been taken by surprise and weren't operating at full efficiency... Their next encounter with the Empire's elite, Luke suspected, would be very different."

The above paragraph would lead you to believe that Luke is not only frightened of stormtroopers (so much so that he actually "shivered") but hasn't had any dealings with them since the Death Star. Anyone who's read any of the stories that take place in this period can tell you that Luke would not be shivering at stormtroopers, as he's dealt with quite a few of them and rather successfully! The paragraph is pointless, misleading, ultimately erroneous and damaging to Luke's character. It should have been excised. What should have taken its place was some sense of the camaraderie that exists between Han, Luke and Leia. But there isn't any. Not even a little.

Luke is googly-eyed towards Leia, as is Han, which is fine at this point. But after six-months of hair-raising adventures, they're also good friends. One of the best things about stories set in this period is the relationship between all of them. Yet you won't find that here. The reader is given no sense that these guys have been risking their lives for one another on one harrowing mission after another. In the hands of an author who knew and incorporated the history of these characters, a bout of acrimony amongst them could have been pulled off successfully as a sudden rift in their relationship would have proved interesting. But because Zahn chose to ignore all of the stories that take place in this time-frame, his versions of Han, Luke and Leia are veritable strangers who's only connection to one another is the events depicted in A New Hope (which is constantly referred back to) six months prior. The entire time I read their sections I was left wondering 'Who are these people and where are the real Luke, Han and Leia?!' Clearly, not in this book.

In fairness, Leia is written well. Zahn has a good ear for her and her dialogue is natural and fitting with the character at this stage of the game. She's not with the rest of the group, however, choosing to go off on her own for reasons we're not exactly sure of and that are less than satisfying (other than as a plot device.) We're likewise never clued in as to why Han's suddenly acting like a stone mite crawled up his butt. At the end of the book, Leia utters a magic sentence or two to him basically saying that since Chewie wants to join the Rebellion Han should just relax and join the Rebels for Chewie's sake. And just like that he's all better. (And they said Leia's Force powers were undeveloped!) At any rate, it might have been nice to know what triggered his bad mood in the first place.

The final third of the book draws tight all the loose strings, and the story works better here because its focus is on Zahn's strength: his own characters. Fact is the novel would've been much stronger without Luke, Han and Leia, not because they're not wanted, but because Zahn character-assassinates the former two so badly it takes you out of the story almost every time they're "on screen." For those who are exclusively novel readers, or exclusively Zahn readers, this may not seem as apparent. But to anyone who knows the EU, it's a major failing and a confirmation that no matter how fine the novelist is (and Zahn is a damn fine novelist) if he doesn't familiarize himself with at least the period he's writing in, he shouldn't be writing in that period. And at this stage of the game, SW fans rightly expect better.

The story itself is well-conceived and enjoyable in it's own right, but where it misses it misses big, and the mis-characterizations left a sour taste in my mouth. Allegiance is ultimately a missed opportunity. Traviss, Denning, Allston, Luceno, Stewart, and a half-dozen others would've researched this area thoroughly and crafted a fine story, giving readers not only the appropriate characterizations and relationships for the film's heroes, but nods and ties to the history presented in the older comics and tales that came before. Zahn instead chooses to give us Stacey, the Valley-Girl pilot from the fan-film parody Pink Five. This reader fails to be amused. Rather than cute references to non-canon sources, I suggest it's time Tim Zahn learns the Star Wars Expanded Universe beyond his own works, or simply stops writing books that take place in eras he chooses to know nothing about.

4 out of ten.

Star Wars Kids #1-5: The Rebel Thief

Continuity Fix

Mention of the character Sprool and the planet Dennogra in Star Wars Missions #11: "Bounty Hunters vs. Battle Droids" demonstrates that this story-arch has to have a measure of validity. Many, including myself, however had rendered it Infinities due to some irreconcilable continuity errors. Upon reexamination, I see that the only real contradictory passages occur in issue #1, which has Han say that he gave his reward money back to the Rebels (which we know is not true – it was stolen by Crimson Jack in the early Marvel issues.) The scene also depicts the immediate events after A New Hope, events that have been detailed in the Pizzazz and the aforementioned Marvel comics. Removing only issue #1 from this story arch improves matters by eliminating all the contradictory elements. And the story still works without it.

Bane of the Sith

This short story from Kevin Anderson appeared in Gamer #3 detailing Darth Bane's mission to find an apprentice following the events of Jedi vs. Sith. The events of this story, however, constitute Infinities due to the publication of Drew Karpysyn's novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction which provides a very different explanation of Bane's actions in Jedi vs. Sith as well as demonstrating that the young Padawan Rain also became Bane's first apprentice Darth Zannah (note: the New Essential Chronology published prior to Darth Bane tries to reconcile this by having Zannah meet Bane on Onderone.) Anderson's story has Bane attempting to warn the Dark Lords from using the thought bomb (when in the novel it was he that lured them into using it) and trying to preserve the Brotherhood of Darkness (whereas in the novel Bane vehemently seeks to bring about their destruction ... and does.) The short story also has Lords Quodis and Kaan appear as spirits scolding Bane for being a coward and Bane feeling guilt over the incident that he claims he tried to prevent. The novel, however, makes it clear that not only is Bane at this stage utterly devoid of emotions such as guilt, but that the Sith spirits could not have come back to haunt him as they were either utterly destroyed or trapped in stasis (until the time when Kyle Katarn released them years later.)

The New Essential Chronology

Review

Much more than a guide, The New Essential Chronology recounts the thousands of years of Star Wars history as has been told through nearly thirty-years of film, television, books, comics, videogames, roleplaying supplements and more. Complementing the 238 pages are all new, gorgeous full-color illustrations by Mark Chiarello, Tommy Lee Edwards and John Van Fleet. Including some of Kevin Anderson's text from the former edition, author Daniel Wallace adds all new information on the three films of the Prequel Era, the Clone Wars and the New Jedi Order, as well as supplementing quite a bit of additional information from recent titles as well as older sources that the prior guide failed to include (which was extensive). The new text is well written and easy to follow and a new color map graces the back pages (although well done it's by no means exhaustive). While no guide can substitute for the original materials themselves, this one does a fine job educating fans and authors with limited time on some of the more important historical information comprising the Star Wars Universe.

Unfortunately, certain shortcomings from the first guide remain including a focus that is heavily weighted on modern material and scant on earlier, well-loved stories from the seventies and eighties. Whole chapters are devoted to plots from recent video games, while the period between the Classic Trilogy – and era jam-packed with stories – is given a few scant paragraphs (and it's not as if there wasn't room - page 129 is almost 3/4 empty!), and even then much of that material is devoted to recent sources. Admittedly, plot synopses from video-games is great for the many non-gamers who don't have the time, money or resources needed to invest hours upon hours of gameplay (and who may be resentful of the fact that Lucasfilm accepted this medium to tell exclusive stories that were part of continuity). But it doesn't weigh against the fact that Scholastic's Missions and Adventures series, Marvel UK (including Devilworlds), and Russ Manning's newspaper strips are absent from mention altogether. Granted, what is here is a tremendous improvement over the first Essential Chronology. And some of the nods to older material are quite clever (eg., the indication that the Slivilith from Marvel #55 is a Yuuzhan Vong creature is brilliant), nevertheless, a few scant pages covering the Era of Rebellion (the four years constituting Episodes 4-6) is nothing short of disappointing, especially considering the wealth of material that was published for that time period. Too many pages are spent on obscure West End Games Roleplaying sources (such as The Adventure Journal which told tales of unknown characters) than on comics and newspaper strips which focused on the main heroes of the films.

One other glaring omission – which the first guide also dispensed with – is a bibliography. Why Del Rey/Ballantine would pass on the opportunity of presenting a complete list of their novels is beyond me. More importantly, a bibliography would have been a service to the fans looking to track down the original source material from which all the information in the book came. Dare I dream further, a cross-referenced index to the original source material would have been even more useful. I notice that the Official Site saw fit to provide something of this nature, and a good job the author did of it. But why isn't it in the book?! Ah well, I guess we could print it out and stick it in the back. The New Essential Chronology still has a long way to go to satisfy this fan. But despite its shortcomings, it's still a tremendous effort on the part of the author that manages to tie together an incredible amount of disparate information and provide ingenious continuity salves. For those disappointed over the first 'essential' guide, this one is a major improvement, and one that should satisfy both the new and hardcore fan alike....at least until a later "extended" edition comes out in years to come!

Young Jedi Knights: Fall of the Diversity Alliance

Continuity Notes

As per The New Essential Chronology, the Boba Fett that appears in this series (beginning in Shards of Alderaan) is NOT Boba Fett, but his daughter Ailyn Vel, who assumed her renowned father's identity and took the bounty. Ailyn's mother may be Sintas (last seen in Tales #7: Outbid but Never Outgunned) with whom Fett had a daughter.

Jango Fett: Open Seasons

Continuity Notes

Some of the internal dates listed in these four issues are incorrect. The New Essential Chronology has attempted to fix some of these. See below.

Issue 1 is marked at 36 years before Geonosis, placing the first attack of the Death Watch on Mandalore at 58 BBY.
Issue 2 details the death of Jaster Mareel at the hands of Viszla (leader of the Death Watch) and the ascent of Jango Fett as head of the Mandalorians at twenty years before the Battle of Naboo (Dooku met with Sidious just after the Naboo Conflict) at 52 BBY, six years after Jango's first encounter with the Death Watch.
Issue 3 contains an erroneous dating problem listing the Battle of Galidraan (the final conflict where Viszla – through a corrupt governor – tricks the Jedi into wiping out all the Mandalorians save Jango who is sold into slavery) at 12 years before Geonosis, or 34 BBY. This only allows a two year span of time before Jango is recruited by Dooku, which is contradictory to the story which states that Jango was a slave for years before escaping, exacting his revenge on Viszla (in issue 4) and becoming a famed bounty hunter who was eventually recruited by Count Dooku (who had fought at Galidraan as a much younger man) in 32 BBY. The likely answer is that the issue should have stated that events took place 12 years before Naboo, not Geonosis. This would place the Battle of Galidraan at 44 BBY.
Issue 4 does not contain any internal dates (other than the erroneous tag line inside the cover of each issue stating "This story takes place 36 years prior to the Battle of Geonosis).

The New Essential Chronology attempts to fix the latter problem, but for unknown reasons alters the dates of issue 1 by two years to 60 BBY. It then seems to arbitrarily place the Battle of Galidraan (issue 3) twenty years later at 40 BBY. In the former case, I have stuck with the issue's internal dating. In the latter, I have based the date on the notion that the author erroneously dated the events from Geonosis rather than Naboo. Finally, The New Essential Chronology lists Jango's enslavement as lasting two years. This helps to place the events of issue #4 at 42 BBY.

Marvel #68: The Search Begins

Continuity Notes

Much has been written in recent times uncovering the long and sordid history of the Mandalorians. These issues of Marvel were the first to explore the culture beyond Donald F. Glut's novelization of The Empire Strikes Back which merely noted the Fett's armor was from a group of evil Mandalorian warriors who fought against the Jedi in the Clone Wars. In these issues, however, we travel to Mandalore itself and meet the last of a vanquished race of Mandalorian Supercommandos, Fenn Shysa and Tobbi Dala, who as the survivors of 212 Mandalorians were more concerned with restoring their own planet and culture than with the Galactic conflict. Later comics and roleplaying game supplements added many layers to the history of Fett and the Mandalorians, so much so that their history had begun to get murky. Then Episode II revealed shocking new information that appeared quite at odds with the earlier history. At last, author Abel Peña in an article in Insider #80 set the record straight regarding all things Mandalorian, tying in all the events including the Fetts, Clones, Jaster Mareel, Concord Dawn, Alpha 02, Fenn Shysa and Tobbi Dala in a single satisfying historical thread. The New Essential Chronology sums up the role Fenn And Tobbi played along with the mention in The Empire Strikes Back novelization: Following their decimation in the Battle of Galidraan in 44 BBY (see Jango Fett: Open Seasons), "Alpha 02, an aberrant Kaminoan clone of Jango Fett became obsessed with rebuilding the clans and recruited two hundred soldiers from police units on Mandalore... These new Supercommandos comprised the Mandalorian Protectors, and they struck against the Republic at Null, Kamino, and New Bornalex. Following many bloody battles, only two recruits remained – Tobbi Dala and Fenn Shysa, both of whom returned to Mandalore." Evidence too indicates that Darth Sidious had played a role in their deception. When the two men returned to their home planet, they found it overrun by slavers, and spent years battling them, eventually joining the Alliance of Free Planets temporarily to aid in their crisis against the Tof, and rebuilding the supercommando Protectors. Shysa became reigning Mandalore until his death (saving Boba Fett on the planet Shogun) when Fett took over and led them against the Yuuzhan Vong.

Marvel: Annual #1

Continuity Notes

As per The New Essential Chronology which borrowed the information from Pablo Hidalgo's Holonet News features that appeared online and in the Insider, Obi-Wan and Anakin's trip to Skye occurred in 13-14th month after the Battle of Geonosis (21 BBY) just prior to the Battle of Jabiim. During this time, many young Padawans had lost their masters and were being assigned to masters who already had apprentices. Such was the case with an unnamed Jedi Padawan that accompanied Obi-Wan and Anakin to Skye. This salient point, as clarified by the article written by Rich Handley and myself in Gamer #1, highlights the fact that when Anakin returned years later as Darth Vader, he sought to disguise his former identity as Anakin Skywalker by claiming he'd destroyed Anakin and Obi-Wan, leading the S'kytri to assume that Vader had been the other unnamed Padawan. When Luke defeated the cruel despot, the Majestrix of Skye, it was this distorted version of the truth that they told him.

Untitled Sunday Strip

("The Kashyyyk Depths" or "Return to Kashyyyk")

Review and Continuity Notes

Hard to imagine that this untitled Russ Manning Sunday newspaper strip that ran from July to September 1979 detailing an adventure with Han and Chewie on Kashyyyk remains unpublished. The strip acts as a prequel of sorts to another untitled earlier strip "The Constancia Affair" (titled and reprinted as a heavily edited – now rare – KB Toys promo comic). Like one or two other strips, it is in reality a flashback tale narrated by C-3PO to the tremendous Alliance computer known as Mistress Mnemos. Like other Manning Star Wars adventures, it's loads of fun and feels appropriately retro and nostalgic; in this tale, we see Kashyyyk as we should have – but didn't – in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. We explore the lower depths of Kashyyyk, meet the useful Sureggis, learn that Life Day is celebrated every three years. We also meet Gyla Petro, a scientist that Han saves from Imperials. Gyla remains with Han through to the later adventure told in the former strip ("The Constancia Affair") where she begins to suspect that Han may be a smuggler or Rebel. 3PO indicates to Mistress Mnemos that Gyla later gave Han reason to believe she might have been an Imperial spy, but sadly the story is never told. 3PO jumps to a story about Luke on Tatooine, promising to get back to the tale. Perhaps Russ Manning had intended to tell that tale, but he never did, passing away shortly thereafter in 1981. Archie Goodwin took over for him on the newspaper strips with "Planet of Kadril" (finally reprinted on Starwars.com's Hyperspace) furthering his own legacy that began with the Star Wars comics in Marvel, only this time with legend Al Williamson. Thanks to the efforts of Pablo Hidalgo and Lucasfilm, Manning's daily strips have been reprinted on Hyperspace as well, although, for some reason, they're reprinted without the color Sunday strips (neither the two separate stories nor the Sundays that were part of the daily strip), but we can hope that one day we'll finally get to see these rare Manning gems.

Continuity Note:

For fans wondering how both this story and the Holiday Special can be included on the timeline, I've reasoned it as follows: Only one panel of the strip shows the Wookiees celebrating, but it's not a Life Day celebration; rather it appears they are celebrating the fact that the Orga root was obtained so that they could celebrate Life Day (notice they are holding it up). There's time for Han and Chewie to drop off Gyla and return for the actual ceremony and celebration. En route, they drop off the droids to Luke who informs them of his latest mission and his need for the droids. Perhaps Han spends some time with Gyla afterwards at some intergalactic watering hole, perhaps not. Either way, before he and Chewie can return her to her home planet of Kalgo 13 (as noted by C3PO to Mnemos), Luke contacts Han onboard the Falcon letting him know that Imperials have discovered his ship. Luke drops off the droids as a beacon for Han to locate the hidden entrance to the Constancia Rebel base. Han and Chewie become embroiled in Constancia's fight against the Empire and help save the day. Here the story ends, and a missing untold tale occurs of Gyla's possible treachery (or rather seeming treachery as 3PO doesn't note that she was definitively a spy – simply that she gave Han reason to suspect she might have been). Though we do not know the outcome, we do know that Chewie would not miss the opportunity to celebrate Life Day with his family for any reason! Here, the events of the much maligned Holiday Special would occur. For more information on the Holiday Special, click here.

Clone Wars: Volume II (Season 3)

Possibly Continuity fix

After much deliberation, I realize that the majority of the events as portrayed in this third season of the animated series, while visually exciting, cannot be made to reconcile with established continuity. Several attempts have been made by fans and officials at LFL alike to find a means of fitting Genndy Tartakovsky's poorly-conceived third season story into and around the rest of the tie-in EU media, namely James Luceno's novel Labyrinth of Evil and the online comic-strip, Reversal of Fortune. The bottom line, however, is that the series' structure and resultant contradictions with other EU sources are too many and too convoluted a mess that to be reconciled. Even LFL's Sue Rostoni has stated that from a historical perspective, Labyrinth of Evil (and by extension Stover's Revenge of the Sith novelization which the cartoon also contradicts in places) are the accurate sources. Thus, I've rendered the majority of Season III (episodes 22 to 25 in particular) Infinities. Perhaps, like Starlog 32-4-1 (the cartoon Lumpy watches in the Holiday Special), it's an in-universe holodrama created for kids during or after the Clone Wars. One element of the cartoon that seems certain to have occurred is Mace Windu's force-choke of General Grievous (as that explanation has been provided by ILM supervisor John Knoll to account for Grievous' condition). For a closer look at the headache created by this animated series, click here and read a few pages of the enormous thread.

For those who would like some means of keeping the third season of cartoons in their personal timelines, here is a means that might aid in that endeavour. Chaz LiBretto has been kind enough to allow me to post a detailed breakdown of the main lead-in stories for Revenge of the Sith. While any possible fix for the Clone Wars Vol. II cartoons won't be pretty, if you insist on keeping them on your personal timeline, here's a possible way it can be viewed. Thanks Chas!

21 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Republic # 74: The Siege of Saleucami

20 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Republic # 75: The Siege of Saleucami

19 days before the Battle of Coruscant

18 days before the Battle of Coruscant

17 days before the Battle of Coruscant

16 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 22 – Anakin and Obi-Wan’s Subterranean Assault (Scenes 5 – 6)

15 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 22 – The Separatist Offensive (Scenes 7 – 11)

14 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 22 – Dooku vs. Grievous (Scene 12)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 1 – 48)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 22 – Ordered to Nelvaan (Scene 13)[1]

13 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 49 – 91)

12 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Reversal of Fortune (strips 1 - 24)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 92 – 109)

11 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 110 - 126)

10 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 127 – 171)

9 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 172 – 194)

8 days before the Battle of Corucant

7 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 195 – 203)

Reversal of Fortune (strip 25 – 33)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 204 – 216)[2]

Reversal of Fortune (strip 34)

6 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Reversal of Fortune (strips 35 – 39)

5 days before the Battle of Coruscant

4 days before the Battle of Coruscant

3 days before the Battle of Coruscant

2 days before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 217 – 227)[3]

1 day before the Battle of Coruscant

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 228 – 250)

Ø Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 – Rude Awakening

Ø Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 250 – 254)

Reversal of Fortune (strips 40 – 54)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 –Invasion / Republic Fighter Deployment (Scenes 1 – 3)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 255 - 260)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 – Padme’s Apartment / Mace’s Dogfight (Scene 6)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 255 - 260)

Ø Reversal of Fortune (strips 55 – 59)

Ø Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 261 – 266)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 – Saesee Tiin and the Battle above Coruscant (Scene 7)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 267 – 273)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 – Yoda joins the Battle (Scene 9)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 273 – 275)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 – Jedi Master Ground Assault (Scene 12)

Reversal of Fortune (strips 60 - 74)

Ø Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 276 – 282)

Ø Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 23 – Palpatine Attacked (Scene 13)

Ø Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 24 – The Escape from 500 Republica (Scenes 1 – 3)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 283 – 285)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 24 – The Chase (Scene 5)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 25 – Mace Leaves the Battle (Scene 1)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 286 – 309)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 25 – The Underground Chase (Scene 2, 4, 5)

Ø Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 310 – 316)

Ø Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 25 – The Battle with Grievous and the Magna-Guards (Scene 9 – 11)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 317 – 320)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 25 – Mace Windu’s Arrival (Scene 12 - 13)

Reversal of Fortune (strips 75 – 84)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 321 – 337)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 25 – Message from Mace Windu (Scenes 14)

Labyrinth of Evil (pg. 338 – 339)

Clone Wars: Vol. 2 # 25 – The Battle Continues (Scenes 15)

The Day of the Battle of Coruscant

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (pg. 1 -

Reversal of Fortune (strips 85 - 109)

[1] It would seem that, despite orders from Palpatine, Obi-Wan finds waiting for Yoda to arrive on Cato Nemoida more important than heading to Nelvaan at this time.

[2] Tholme is still alive at this point. Also, Dooku notes that days have passed since the incident on Naos III (during chapter 28 – 29).

[3] Anakin and Obi-Wan have been on Belderone for four days awaiting orders.

Labyrinth of Evil

Review

"The Board is set; the pieces are in motion." Gandalf's line from that other final entry in a major blockbuster trilogy is apt to describe the lead-in novel to this May's final entry, Revenge of the Sith. James Luceno's Labyrinth of Evil describes the diabolical machinations of dark lords, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus, aka, Count Dooku, as the final part of their plan is set into action. Those who have been sleeping through the last two Star Wars films are unlikely to recognize these characters and probably don't even know what a Sith is. And in fact, many may have to go back and re-watch the maligned and misunderstood Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones to fully understand what is going on and what is about to occur.

Indeed, this isn't your father's Star Wars, and in many ways, that is a good thing. Where the Classic Trilogy boasted a more loveable cast, the Prequel Trilogy is chock full of story. Machiavellian manipulations, dark webs of deception, misguided loyalties and obscured motivations are the order of the day. Fans have waited years for the unveiling of the Clone Wars, and it does not let down. To any who have been following the comics, novels and cartoon series, the Clone Wars are, of course, a ruse, a game, a mere tool used to advance the powers of the Dark Lords of the Sith, and in particular, Darth Sidious, the man who will one day rule the galaxy as Emperor. And everyone else, including (and especially) the Jedi, are his pawns in this vast game that promises to deliver this May. This novel shows you the chaotic opening days before that vast conflagration unfolds...

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi attempt to capture Nute Gunray, Neimoidian leader of the Trade Federation, but instead discover a more valuable item, a key that could lead them to the identity of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious. One clue unlocks another, eventually leading them to the heart of the Republic, Coruscant. But other events are at work and a trap is laid with Dooku as the bait. Anakin and Obi-Wan are sent to Tythe to capture him, while Mace Windu and a team of experts pick up the trail of Sidious into the winding underbelly beneath the capitol. The time for the penultimate plan has arrived and Sidious appoints the leader of the Droid Armies, the fearsome General Grievous, to undertake the boldest maneuver of the Separatists yet: attack Coruscant and kidnap Supreme Chancellor Palpatine!

Labyrinth concludes just as Episode III begins. The action is fearsome and the pacing tight. Here too, are the answers to some mysteries, in particular, who Sifo-Dyas is, why he created a clone army and why he may have been eliminated. Labyrinth overlaps with and ties into the daily online webstrip, Reversal of Fortune (available over on Hyperspace), as well as the third season of the Clone Wars cartoon (debuting March 21st). Luceno succeeds not only in preparing fans for the final and intense events of Revenge, but in capturing Lucas' own themes of apocalyptic despair and political doom. Labyrinth of Evil resonates because its political and sociological landscape is not all that different from our own, and as such is a biting diatribe against a jingoistic leadership plummeting headlong towards self-aggrandizement and global decay. And that, after all, is what good science-fiction and fantasy can do.

Jedi's Honor: A Solitaire Adventure

Continuity Notes

This is a Solitaire Adventure from West End Games which allows you to essentially 'choose-your-own-adventure' throughout the course of the story. You play Luke Skywalker, who is looking for a new Rebel base, but ends up embroiled in a quest to save the son of a Jedi Knight from the clutches of an Imperial governor. As Luke has not physically seen Darth Vader since the Battle of Yavin, the story has been placed where appropriate. Unlike many games in this style, there is essentially one correct path which would be considered the 'historically' correct one. For those only interested in the story aspect, and not the game, that proper path is laid out below (with acceptable main variations in brackets). Simply follow the entry (not the page) numbers.

Jedi's Honor: 1- 23 - 28 - 31 - 9 - 17 - 22 (or 32 - 26) - 14 - 8 - 5 - 41 - 27 - 59 - 55 - 64 - 46 - 68 - 61 - 58 - 76 (or 49 - 65) - 90 - 72 - 82 - 57 - 99 - 86 - 104 (or 74 - 98) - 85 - 108 (or 106 - 119 (or 87) - 96) - 75 - 93 - 120 (or 111) - 100 - 112 - 97 (or 127 - 136 - 140) - 121 - 130 - 126 - 142 - 117 - 123 - 132 - 138 (or 148) - 146 - 116 - 134 - 147 - 150 The End.

Jedi Trial

Review

I've been reading and enjoying Star Wars literature for years now and I'm hardly the most difficult reader to please. While many disparaged books like Ruins of Dantooine, The Crystal Star and Planet of Twilight, I found much about them to enjoy and was glad to have read them. Sadly, David Sherman and Dan Cragg's entry into Star Wars did not evoke similar feelings, quite the contrary, proving at last that there could be a Star Wars book utterly not worth reading. To be fair, I'm no fan of military history and clearly the authors are. Don't get me wrong, I've always been the first one to say that Star Wars allows room for different kinds of stories to be told. The only caveat, I believe, is that the story be interesting. Jedi Trial is not interesting, not even mildly interesting, not even in a 'it's so bad it's good' kind of way.

Jedi Trial is the book in which at its end Anakin is granted the title of Jedi Knight. It should have been a powerful, intriguing adventure. It should have featured Anakin. Oh, he's in there all right, but he's utilized so little that he's practically a background character. The authors for some reason think that we'll be far more intrigued by their own brand of heroes and villains. We're not. Even the known bad guys get short shrift. Dooku and Asajj Ventress appear as holograms only. They utter lines that sound little like them and make threats that are never carried out. Instead we're given a banker with purple teeth who thinks he's some kind of military genius. He's not and we don't care either way. And what exactly is it that Dooku/Sidious are up to? This is never once made clear.

Here's the plot: Praesitlyn has one of the Republic's main communication centers. The Separatists attack it, the locals fight back, the Republic eventually send Jedi and Clones, and the Separatists eventually send a larger force. There's battles along the way. Oh and you, the fan, are treated to pages upon pages of military-speak. So if your thing is reams of barely understood military tactics, followed-up by reams of barely understood military engagements, followed-up by reams of barely understood discussions of why the said military engagements didn't go as planned, followed-up by more military tactics and engagements, then this is the book for you. If not, please send Lucasfilm a note saying: "What the heck were you thinking?!".

Even the so-called comic-relief is in military-speak. Amused, I was not.

Surprisingly, there are some humans in here, but just barely as the authors take little or no time to develop them. A young military woman meets a young hot-shot pilot and the two instantly fall in love. If you thought the Anakin/Padme romance was a bit too whirlwind and unrealistic, wait till you see this one. Sadly, they're main characters so we're forced to follow them around. There's a Rodian with the highly creative name of Grudo (!) and a character that resembles Mon Mothma who guards the communication center. I suppose she's likable enough, but for some utterly unknown reason (other than the fact that she's an older woman) Anakin sees his mother in her and gets all emotional. This is all obviously designed so that when things don't turn out as he'd like, Anakin can go into another Force-rage (only this time he slaughters droids). Anakin is joined by Nejaa Halcyon, who unless you've been boning up on your X-Wing books, is the Jedi grandfather of Corran Horn. Fans of the latter series may be thrilled to finally see this guy in action (I've noted many who were not), but the rest of us will wish his exploits had been saved for a short story instead.

Ultimately, this book is a bad Adventure Journal story gone awry and stretched out far beyond its acceptable limit. Like I mentioned, there's nothing wrong with a Star Wars story told from a different slant, but come on, it should still be Star Wars! How offended would Star Wars fans be if Judith Krantz wrote a Star Wars story and on practically every page unknown characters were smooching and engaging in pillow-talk! That's essentially what these authors have done, only they don't write boring Romance-fiction, they write boring Military-fiction. The main characters are dull and uninspiring; the story takes place on a dull and uninspiring planet where people do dull and uninspiring things. Even the war that comes to it is dull. The only question in my mind as I raced through this yawn-inducer desperately hoping it would come to an end, was 'why? why was this allowed to be published?' My biggest concern is that some kid, new to the Star Wars Universe, will see the beautifully-rendered cover, and pick up the book thinking it has something to do with Anakin and the Jedi (it is after all called 'Jedi Trial'!), only to discover it's even more mind-numbingly boring than his trigonometry class and never read Star Wars again! Heck, while reading it I thought I'd never read Star Wars again! Seriously, if you must, wait for the paperback, or just skip it entirely. There are so many amazing, literate, exciting and incredible Star Wars stories out there. This just isn't one of them. If I had a star rating it would get zero, and as such it ranks as the worst Star Wars book I've ever read.

Ewok Adventures: Caravan of Courage/ The Battle for Endor

Continuity Notes

Timeline placement for these films have been an ongoing source of controversy. Internal evidence seems to suggest that these films take place prior to the events in the cartoon series. Screenplay author Bob Carrau contributed to both the films and the cartoon series which followed it, and there is evidence to indicate that indeed the animated Ewok adventures were meant to be sequels to the two Ewok television shows. One striking piece of evidence is the fact that Wicket's youngest sister Winda is a cradled Wokling in the films, whereas in the animated series she is a much older Ewok, capable of independent speech and movement. What argues against that placement is the fact that the cartoon makers saw fit to include Chukha-Truk, the woodcutter Ewok killed by the Gorax at the end of Caravan of Courage. This would suggest that the cartoons take place before the two films (or at least some of them.)

There's also been controversy regarding the placement of the Ewok films due to the fact that Wicket appears to have learned Basic (in the second film) from Cindel, yet does not understand it when he meets Leia. Some speculation suggested that he may have forgotten it over time, but the editors at LFL provide a much more plausible understanding. As per Insider #87, the reason Wicket does not speak Basic in Return of the Jedi (and thus cannot communicate with Leia) is because in fact he never learned it. Cindel Towani and her brother were actually speaking another language (which was translated into English for English speaking audiences much in the same way Ewokese was translated into English in the animated series.) Other retcons have been bandied about as well.

Another striking piece of evidence that places the films and animated series long before the events of Return of the Jedi is the complete absence of Imperial activity on the Endor moon or in the skies above. Death Stars are not built overnight and Death Star II was transported to the Endor system some time after the Battle of Yavin (Kyle Katarn, Shira Brie and others were known to have attempted to destroy it in passage.)

In the final episode of the cartoon series, Imperials discover the Endor moon and attempt to steal the Ewok Sunstar (in a vain attempt to dethrone the Emperor.) Several Ewoks stow away aboard the Star Destroyer, but return safely home. The episode suggests that this event led to the Emperor's decision to use Endor as the place for the habitation of the Second Death Star. Thus, the placement of the films and cartoons in between Episodes V and VI that Insider magazine's timeline indicated some years back seems likely to be in error.

Animated Adventures: Droids

Continuity Notes

2004 saw the DVD release of eight episodes of the Droids animated series. Converted into two feature-length presentations, each center on a common storyline and lack the original broadcast titles and music. The Pirates and the Prince contain episodes 5-8 of the Mon Julpa storyline: The Lost Prince, The New King, The Pirates of Tarnoonga, and The Revenge of Kybo Ren. Treasure of the Hidden Planet entails the Adventures of Mungo Baobab storyline, including episodes 10-13: The Tail of the Roon Comet, The Roon Games, Across the Roon Sea, and The Frozen Citadel. Another DVD should be forthcoming containing the Trigon One storyline (episodes 1-4) and the feature-length The Great Heep.

Animated Adventures: Ewoks

Notes

The first DVD release of the Ewoks cartoons was released in 2004 and included 8 episodes combined into two full-length episodes. The Haunted Village includes the first three episodes, The Haunted Village, The Cries of the Trees, Rampage of the Phlogs and episode 9 (which concludes the storyline involving Morag the Tulgah Witch) Sunstar vs. Shadowstone. Tales from the Endor Woods includes miscellaneous episodes from the first season, Wicket's Wagon (ep. 10), The Traveling Jindas (ep. 5), To Save Deej (ep. 4), and Asha (ep. 13). The original opening titles and song are absent from this release. A later DVD release should be forthcoming containing the remaining episodes from season 1 and 2. See Ewok Adventures above for continuity notes.

Tales #21

Review

Start of the new format which individually labels which stories are in-continuity (and which aren't) and in what era they take place. Set at three stories, this first issue is off to a bang with two excellent multi-parters and one well-done standalone starring Kyle Katarn and the first comics appearance of the Yuuzhan Vong. All of the stories are interesting and the artwork outstanding on each. My favorite, Nomad, by Rob Williams is Star Wars at its finest and Brandon Bandeaux' illustrations are worth the cover price alone. Jeremy Barlow has done a great job here and has even seen fit to include definitions for each of the different eras (which I'm going to utilize here as well). Keep 'em coming!

Jedi vs. Sith

(for a detailed chronological breakdown with Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, click here)

Review by Rogueish (from the Dark Horse message boards)

So what is it all about? I guess someone said, shortly after The Phantom Menace, that there were some continuity issues that needed ironing out. Someone must have decided, "Hey, we need to do something about this rule of two business." For those uninitiated, the Sith Empire had been created by Dark Horse and set some 4-5000 years before ANH. (see the stories above - ed.)

So we needed a story, and Darko Macan was drafted in to give us all an insight into how the rule of two Sith Lords came about. Macan, famous for Vader's Quest amongst other things, teamed with Ramon F. Bachs to bring us a visual treat that put our minds at rest and to fix the continuity spill that enraged so many fans. So did it work? I've heard varying examples of praise and whatnot over this story. When I first read it, it was in tpb. form, and was what led me to this website after noticing www.darkhorse.com on one of the first pages. I was a lurker at first, but I remember that all the talk was about Ruusan and Bane, and the fan hysteria that went along with it. So the story (I won't spoil it too much, as there's bound to be someone out there who has not read it) is set around 1000 years before Episode 1 and we're led straight into the final battle between the Jedi and the Sith. There's no build up, no blurb to tell us what's been going on, just a small prologue that introduces us to some big malevolent guy that slaughters a family (including kids) with a shiny red lightsaber. That'll be Bane then.

There’s a background to this story that we haven’t seen. For instance, there are those (me included) who would like to see the build up to this final chapter, for that is what it is – it’s a final episode in what could be a duology or even a trilogy. I for one would like to see how the Jedi and the Sith came to be at their respective ragtag states on Ruusan, as well as various other tidbits that are alluded to within the story. For example, there’s an issue with Lord Kaan and Bane, and how and why Kaan attempted to poison his rival lord, with the aid of the svelte eye-candy Githany (and speaking of Githany, just what is her story with Kiel Charny?)

Anyway, the story itself is a real treat. As the title suggests, the reader will no doubt see plenty of lightsabers and battles between the two factions of the Force. The basic message is the old favourite; Light versus Dark, there’s no ambiguity. If you’re just a Rogue Squadron fan, or only a fan of fleet battles, then you shouldn’t read this book. But if you do like the Jedi, and you like lightsabers, then this is a must. But this isn’t just a bunch of pages depicting a long and bloody battle; there actually is a story within. The long and bloody battle we do not see, but we see the aftermath of such battles; the weary Jedi, led by Lord Hoth, desperate for reinforcements as his Jedi army licks it wounds, ready for the final push against their enemy. Some of these reinforcements consist of children, hand-picked by Jedi scouts, scouring the systems for Force-potential users. Three such children are drafted into the ranks of the Jedi on Ruusan, and their interwoven tales lead them into the thick of the battle between Dark versus Light.

What I like about this story is that it does indeed explain how the Sith, as a large body of people, were whittled down to just two. At first, we see them planning their little war with the Jedi on the planet. There’s a circle of Dark Lords, then there’s their minions, and then along comes Darth Bane, who has survived an assassination attempt and tries to unify their Sith powers to destroy the Jedi once and for all. He confides with Githany that the Dark Side is spread too thin, that their power is weakened and that for them to be strong again it should be contained in one vessel – one Dark Lord. It’s Githany that suggests that two may suffice, and Bane agrees. But it’s the deluded and ambitious Kaan that puts things in motion. He devises a plan to destroy the Jedi once and for all, hoping to end the cataclysmic struggle.

And what of the Jedi, and its Army of Light, led by the rugged Lord Hoth? Well that’s an interesting point. This story is another example of the Jedi Order, the Guardians of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy, embroiled in a bitter war, dying for their cause and resorting to violence to defeat the Sith. This could easily be spread among a multi-issue series, much like the Clone Wars in Republic. Instead, the 6 issues deal with the issue at hand, the Rule of Two, rather than why the Jedi need titles such as Lord, and why Lord Farfalla has a big shiny ship and indulges in red wine. This has been mentioned recently on other threads, and my suggestion on the title Lord is that it’s just a symbolic title, rather like the Generals during the Clone Wars. The Jedi in Jedi Vs Sith resemble knights in medieval Britain. Draped in capes and armor, living in tented camps adorned with flags, bugle boys and even one Jedi sports a bow and arrow, the Jedi of this era are a far cry from the likes of Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, and it’s a good indicator of how the Order evolves throughout the ages. Can you imagine Master Yoda uttering this quote: “...and all of us charged this morning and it was glorious…”

I shall not spoil the outcome here, but its pretty obvious that probably there may only be two Sith Lords at the end of the tale. I rate this story very highly, and Ramon F. Bachs’ artwork is an absolute delicacy, I want to see more of his work in Star Wars. Darko Macan’s legend (and it is a legend that he depicts – it’s the tale of how the Sith have been extinct for a millennia, allegedly) pits the reader into the thought processes of a serious Dark Lord, better than we saw with Naga Sadow or Exar Kun. He makes Bane more silent and deadly and rightly so, this is the guy that is the pre-cursor to the fall of the Republic. Where the great Sith Empire and other Sith Lords have failed, it’s thanks to Bane that Darth Sidious finally manages to control the Galaxy when others couldn’t. And you read where it all started right here within the pages of this fine story. I don’t know for sure how popular this book is amongst Star Wars fandom, but for me, it is a classic. It is up there with other epics like Dark Empire. In fact for me it’s even better. I do wish that other characters could be explored in other projects. I do like Lord Hoth, and I’m intrigued by the dandy Jedi Lord Farfalla, but at the end of the day, the rule of two is explained which was the task at hand so we’re unlikely to see them again. Nevertheless, not only is it job done, we’re given a right festival of comic and Star Wars genius. Bravo.

On a side note, for those of you who like bridges between Star Wars eras, then you should understand that the planet Ruusan, and in particular the site of the catastrophic ending, is the fateful Valley of the Jedi, the subject of much grief for Kyle Katarn and Jerec in the game Dark Forces: Jedi Knight. Thanks to Matt for pointing this out to me. You can read this book, and play the game without knowing that the two are connected. For further clarification, read the graphic book Dark Forces: Jedi Knight. (First posted on the Dark Horse Message Boards by Rogueish)

Jedi: Yoda

Review

An instant classic! One of the best tales of the Clone Wars and one of the most powerful Star Wars stories ever told. Yoda heads off to Thustra, a pivotal planet in the Republic's war against the Separatists, and home to his old friend, King Alaric, who has chosen to side with the enemy. Yoda's quest to find a peaceful solution to the ever-worsening conflict may be hampered by a web of Machiavellian plots and deceits that even he cannot unravel. While there is no shortage of action, this is first and foremost an intelligent and thought-provoking story that deals with perspectives and principles. It also serves as the perfect bridge between Episode II and III poignantly demonstrating the results of the Jedi's continued allegiance to the Republic, and their unknowing adherence to the manipulations of the Dark Lord of the Sith. Author Jeremy Barlowe and artist Hoon together weave a beautiful and tragic tale of betrayal, grief and lost ideals set against the epic conflagration of the Clone Wars in a galaxy far, far away....

Clone Wars Adventures

Continuity Notes

This digest-size issue comprises three separate Clone Wars tales told in the style of the animated series, and they are excellent, action-packed and beautifully illustrated! Obi-Wan and Anakin are trapped on a night planet and pursued by the Shadowmen in "Blind Force"! In "Heavy Metal Jedi" Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin must pool their different talents to face off against the Separatists most fierce droid creation yet! Finally, Kit Fisto continues his adventures undersea (as seen in the Clone Wars animated series) as he must search the depths for the mysterious leader of the Separatists on Mon Calamari in "Fierce Currents".

The Golden Age of the Sith

Review by Erik "woodstock" Houser (originally from the Dark Horse message boards)

You know how everyone has their "first comic" that they read to death and are forever attached to? GAOTS is my "first comic." Sure, I had read Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi vol. 1 before this, but I never really attached to it. But then I got the floppies for this... and fell in love with the whole concept of the comic. The whole concept of Star Wars comics. I have read these issues countless times, as their current quality proves. I haven't read them though since I started actively reading comics in 2002, so it's great to go back and look at them with what I know about the medium.

I never actually had #0 until I ordered from TFAW in 2001 or so, so my original memories of the series are only for 1-5. As I went back into #1... memories flashed in my mind of reading this as a kid late at night, making unique voices and acting out every character. The lines are engrained in my head for this series. I know what the characters will say before I read it. THAT'S how attached to Golden Age I am.

Now that I've established that... I read Golden Age today for the first time in a long while, as I said. In the time since I've last read this, I have devoured the comics industry. Since June 2002, when I was properly introduced to the comic book world, I've read Watchmen, DKR, Sandman, Daredevil: Born Again, everything else Alan Moore has written... all the stories considered by everyone to be perfect. I know can properly assess comics, but I'm propably stil a little biased.

Golden Age is, simply put, flawed. Like every other single thing KJA is written, it has a great premise and excellent structure... but the script and dialogue just fall flat. I love how epic the story feels though. Gav and Jori have nothing left in the world, so they set out for parts unknown... and come across the long-lost Sith Empire. The bad guys.

Naga Sadow has got to be one of my favorite characters ever. In Golden Age, he's just the mastermind of everything... everyone plays into his hands. In my countless re-readings, it never ceased to amaze me how Naga knew everything, and it was all part of his plan. I will always remember the very last panel... that was one of my first experiences with a twist ending... so chilling, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Back to #0: as the letter columns later debated, I would have to agree that it is a pointless cash-in. Maybe not exactly a cash-in, but it's so pointless. The story of Gav and Jori is so much better when we don't know exactly how their parents died. It's just 12 pages of mashed together crap... including how Memmitt Nadill conveniently learns Jedi battle meditiation in a couple seconds after Odan-Urr has been studying it for years.

Another high points: the universally loved Aarba the Hutt.

Some low points: KJA causing all of us years of pain with the whole "Dark Lord Of the Sith" fiasco. I know, it's not that major, but it used to confuse me so much.

On to the art... well, Gossett's stuff in #0 is basic and not of any note.

But I love. Absolutely love.

I absolutely love Dario Carrasco's work on Golden Age, and I still count it as one of the best artistic efforts the Star Wars books have ever seen. Let's be honest: this story would have been a lot worse without him. This fully functioning universe he created... it's Star Wars, but it's NOT Star Wars. Which is exactly the way it should be. Some of the familiar SW trappings are present, but a lot is different. Which is logical. Think about how long 5000 years is... think about what Earth was like 5000 years ago. I love the Egyptian/Greek/Roman influences Carrasco implemented all throughout the series. I love how unique it is. His technology and architecture was different from the familiar, yet so good. His characters now remind me of Barry Smith's work. Everyone looks different and is very expressive. There's so many little things added to the story, that I presume were by Carrasco, that just make the universe feel so alive. Example: page seven of issue three, with the small battle between rodent and crab thing. And I really like the differing lightsaber styles for light and dark - backpacks for the former, powered-up broadswords for the latter. Carrasco really stood out with the environment - every planet has a different feel, and you would never confuse one for the other. All the giant tombs freaked me out on Korriban when I was little.

There are some awkward parts in the story though where word balloons make sense... which makes me think that this series was not done conventionally. It is my guess, that I am almost 100% sure of, that KJA sent Dario some slightly-detailed plans for a plot and then Dario designed the world and just drew the story. Afterwards, KJA looked at the pencil art and wrote the script in. That's the only way any of this makes sense. Example: issue four, page eight, where Empress Teta is addressing the Republic. She's still delivering the speech in panel four... but WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS. Another example is the universal confusion we've had over Naga Sadow looking Sith: KJA probably never specified that he should look human, and it was too late to fix it.

The coloring was perfect for this series too... drab, but bright when it was required. It really gave us the feel of the used, broken Star Wars universe.

Escape from Dagu

Cancelled title

For an as yet undisclosed reason, this book has been cancelled. If anyone has any further information on this book, please email me. Plot synopsis from StarWars.com:

William Dietz, author of the Dark Forces novellas, returns to Star Wars with Escape from Dagu. In the paperback novel, due out March 2004 from Del Rey Books, the Jedi Shaak Ti attempts to liberate Republic prisoners of war caught behind Separatist lines.

The shroud of the dark side has fallen and the Clone Wars have begun. Thousands of solar systems are defecting to the Separatists' Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by the charismatic fallen Jedi Master Count Dooku. But the threat to the Galactic Republic does not end there, for the malevolent Count answers to a shadowy Sith Lord - one who harbors his own sinister agenda.

The swamp planet Dagu, a remote place where the Confederacy has chosen to build a military base using prisoners of war, seethes with discontent. The slave laborers, including clone troopers, are determined to escape -- and the native reptilian Rybets have sworn to regain their freedom.

Count Dooku has learned that among the prisoners is a courier with information that could bring down the Republic. Dooku has selected Artel Darc,a most cunning and capable Dark Jedi, to apprehend the courier. But Artel Darc doesn't know that Shaak Ti, the legendary Jedi Master, is among the prisoners. Nor can he fathom how awesome a weapon the desire for liberty can be -- even against seemingly impossible odds.

Empire #20 and 21: A Little Piece of Home

Continuity Notes

Issues 20 and 21 of Empire seemingly contain a continuity-error. As per Archie Goodwin's Star Wars newspaper strips (now in trade paperback as Classic Star Wars volumes 1-3), the main heroes of the Rebel fleet departed Yavin with the full intention of traveling to Hoth where they would establish a new base. The events in these issues, however, revolve around Leia's search for a new base for the Rebels shortly after they depart Yavin. The only plausible way to reconcile this problem is to assume that Leia is searching for a base in addition to the one planned on Hoth. Likely she fears the construction and preparation of Echo Base (a 20 month job) is too long a time to allow so many of the ships of the Fleet to drift in space above Hoth risking Imperial discovery, thus her urgency to find another base where those ships can hide.

Update: The seeming continuity-error of this issue and the following has been officially resolved in the introduction to Empire #24 which definitively indicates that the placement of these stories occurs after the Rebels have discovered Hoth. The length of time it took to establish Echo Base was 20 months. Therefore, in the first few months of construction, there would not have been sufficient housing for the majority of the personnel aboard the Rebel Fleet. Leia's frantic search for yet another (albeit temporary) base for the Rebels is thus understood as it occurs within the early part of the 20 month interim period following the departure of the Rebels from Yavin 4 to Hoth.

The Marvel Series: A Long Time Ago

Notes