Club Jade

Do you want to make people smile?  Get The Jedi Path (Vault Edition) and tell them to push the button. 

I brought this to my local Star Wars club meeting, yesterday, and people actually squealed with delight when the vault opened.  And when they calmed down enough to do it again and listen to the sound effects?  Delighted claps that made them look like five-year-olds on their birthdays. 

Going beyond the coolness of the vault, the book itself is fantastic!  It’s designed as an orientation manual/text book for younglings at the Jedi Temple that has been passed from master to apprentice in a line descending from Yoda to, belatedly, Luke.  (And, yes, they explain how this happens.)

As with many textbooks, it’s filled with notes scribbled in the margins.  And I think this is my favorite part.  It represents a conversation through the ages.  And Dan Wallace really captures each owner’s voice in these notes.  Of particular amusement, however, are Darth Sidious’ notes after he captured the book in the Order 66 aftermath.

There are also tons of keepsakes inserted by its various owners that are hilarious.  My only complaint would be a coin that keeps falling out of the book and rolling across the room; a particular source of amusement for my dogs.  I suspect that will make it difficult to keep this collectible intact in the future.

As to the book itself?  It’s a brilliant compilation of thirty-three years of Star Wars lore in a spackle job at a level not seen since Michael Stackpole’s I, Jedi untangled the Bantam Era.  Contradictions are explained.  Disparate details from several different authors are melded into a coherent theory.  And it’s all in the style of textbook; along with some stunning illustrations.

I’m no Santa Maul, but I would definitely add this one to your holiday/birthday wish list.

The Jedi Path. I have yet to see any copies in a brick-and-mortar store yet, but The Jedi Path has been dominating the news cycle. There are interviews with Daniel Wallace at TheForce.Net, and Geekdad, plus a feature on Amazon.com – which is probably your best bet for getting a copy right now.

More on Heir anniversary edition. First, Del Rey’s Suvudu blog confirms that Timothy Zahn is working on the annotations, while Sue Rostoni has confirmed that they are “looking into some variations of a special cover.”

Comics CBR has features/interviews on John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant and Tom Taylor’s Blood Ties arc.

Columness. EUC’s latest columns are on zombies and Boba Fett. I am so clearly not the intended audience here. (She says with a resigned, sisterly affection.)

Two-for-one classic comic artists. The next Star Wars Insider will feature an exclusive Howard Chaykin cover and poster, while a Star Wars drawing by Jack Kirby surfaces on Twitter.

This is a big week for releases, which I guess is understandable seeing as all we’ve had for the rest of the month is a reprint. Hunker down, kids: I got a lot to go through.

The biggest item (literally) is Daniel Wallace’s The Jedi Path, the wildly anticipated “in-universe artifact” that will teach you to be a Jedi. Or so they claim. (I am skeptical. Of course, that’s my job.) It does have a neat case, though. Also out on Tuesday is Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil in paperback.

Also of interest is The Art of Drew Struzan, which TFN has graciously reviewed.

As for Wednesday Dark Horse (or their printers) are making up for lost time with Blood Ties: A Tale of Jango and Boba Fett #2 and Invasion: Rescues #4, while those who prefer TPBs can pick up The Force Unleashed II adaption and the second volume of the A Long Time Ago… omnibus.

Quinlan Vos making the jump to TV? Yakface spotted a Clone Wars action figure of the character, who was originally slated to appear (but didn’t) in the S1 episode ‘Bombad Jedi.’ Signs are good that Master Vos will finally get his day in the sun… Also curious? The character resembles Dave Filoni. Maybe we’ll see Vos play buddy cop with Plo Koon?

Speaking of comics… Techland has a two-part interview with Star Wars comic editors Randy Stradley and Dave Marshall. Part I covers Marvel and the early years of Dark Horse’s involvement with the franchise and what’s coming up; Part II goes into more detail with the process and challenges.

Upcoming. Dan Wallace and The Jedi Path are getting some buzz: He did a video tour of the book with EU and an interview with Techland.

Giveaway. Win Star Wars ABC and Millennium Falcon: A 3-D Owner’s Guide from The Detroit News’ Geek Watch blog.

First look. The Jedi Path comes in a vault. What? Yeah. Or: “Passed down from Master to Padawan, the pages of this venerable text have been annotated by those who have held it, studied it, and lived its secrets.” Since we’re living in the real world, I like Dan Wallace’s explanation: ” It’s supposed to look like an in-universe artifact that fell through a rabbit hole from the galaxy far, far away.” It is an interesting concept, but mostly I just fear what the Jedi Church will make of it.

Hey hey hey, goodbye. Yes, it’s official: There will be no Imperial Commando 2. (It was probably a lose-lose sans Traviss anyway.)

Namesake corner. Sideshow is teasing about a Mara Jade figure again. They like the Adam Hughes painting! (Sigh.) At least she’s not doing laundry?

Comics! Preview the October solicitations, including Knight Errant #1. Which just so happens to be on the cover of August’s Previews.

Interview. Paul Kemp (Crosscurrent) on Fictional Frontiers