Posts

Posted on

The Clone Wars review: ‘Supply Lines’

Continuing with this season’s tagline of “Secrets Revealed,” we get to see a little bit more of the bigger picture in ‘Supply Lines’, last week’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Just like ‘Clone Cadets’, this episode is a prequel to a first season episode – this time, leading into the season one premiere, the Yoda-centric ‘Ambush’. What’s revealed here is: Jar Jar’s performing arts talent, how the Trade Federation is still part of the Republic, the Jedi with the most appropriate name in the galaxy, and a deeper look into Toydarian culture – and we get a good mixture of battles and diplomacy. Continue reading “The Clone Wars review: ‘Supply Lines’”

Posted on

Brief blurb offers new hint at Knight Errant

I’m not sure how noteworthy this is to anyone who picked up the preview of the comic/novel at Celebration – and it’s much less detailed than what we saw at StarWars.com – but this new blurb does offer a new detail of John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant novel.

A lone Jedi in Sith space dedicates her life to bringing down Sith rule, one act of sabotage at a time. A thousand years before Star Wars: A New Hope, the Republic is in a dark age and groups of Sith have taken over vast swaths of the galaxy. Hiding in one Sith hell-hole is Kerra Holt, a young Jedi working alone to destroy the Sith Masters. But what she doesn’t know is that she just might be the pawn of a powerful Sith Lord…

The Knight Errant comic book is due to start in October, with the novel coming in January.

Posted on

It’s official: Star Wars going 3-D in 2012

Well, they’re finally going through with it: The saga will be coming to theaters in 3-D in 2012, starting with The Phantom Menace. Although May seems the obvious choice, LFL is not committing to any dates or even a season for TPM, let alone the other 5 films. “The process is really extensive, and we want to make sure each of the films gets the attention it needs,” Lucasfilm spokeswoman Lynne Hale told USA Today.

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter claims “each of the films would be released in order at the same time each consecutive year, depending on how well the first re-release does.” Hrm.

MORNING (9/29) UPDATE: Variety delves deeper into the situation with the techies. Most notably, John Knoll says that no other visual effects will be tweaked or added.

Posted on

Heir to the Empire anniversary hardcover is coming

NJOE has discovered a listing for a special reissue of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire coming out next year. This is unconfirmed of course, but LFL has been hinting that something special is coming for the 20th anniversary of the book that jump-started the modern Expanded Universe.

Sue Rostoni confirms:

Yes, there are plans for a 20th Anniversary Issue of HEIR TO THE EMPIRE, coming out next June. It’s a hardcover — and that’s all I can reveal at this time.

Let’s hope the details emerge soon – and that they’ll include better cover art.

Posted on

Why do books come out on Tuesdays? And comics on Wednesdays?

As witnessed on Twitter this evening, a lot of folks are only just now noticing that books (at least the ones with official street dates) always come out on Tuesdays. Here’s some speculation, thanks to @Blankitout. But regardless of the reasons, that’s just the way it is, unless you happen to be J.K. Rowling.

It’s not unknown for bookstores to put books out earlier, but it’s not encouraged by the industry or a something you can depend on happening. In the last couple years – since the Legacy of the Force series began – I have purchased books early… Twice. And by ‘early’ I mean more than one day. And one time I paid as much for quick shipping as I did for the paperback. It is really not worth the trouble.

Of course, not all books are street dated, as we’ve seen with most of the Star Wars stuff geared towards kids. But it’s pretty standard for hardcovers and genres/authors with big followings.

Comics are easier… Wednesday is the day that Diamond delivers to comic stores. (They’ll start delivering on Tuesdays next year, but the books will still be street-dated for Wednesdays.) For all intents and purposes they have a monopoly on the direct market (aka comic stores,) so I feel pretty secure in trusting their distribution list.

Note: This is all as regards domestic (U.S.) books and comics. I haven’t the slightest idea how things work elsewhere.

Posted on

Out this week: The Jedi Path and everything else

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.

Posted on

Clone Wars review roundup: ‘Clone Cadets’ and ‘ARC Troopers’

While we’re waiting for the survivors of Ryloth to dig themselves out, let’s take a look at what the tubes are saying about the Season 3 double-episode premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Don’t forget our reviews of ‘Clone Cadets’ and ‘ARC Troopers’.

  • Clone Wars Reviews gives 3/5 out of 5 to ‘Cadets’, highlighting Dee Bradley Baker’s voice acting, and then gives 4.5 out of 5 to ‘Troopers’, though disagrees with offing 99 so soon after introducing him.
  • TheForce.Net focuses on the camaraderie and development of the clones as individuals and as a unit for the first part, and compared the battle in the second half to Episode III, and then dove in to cover Asajj. Discussion of 99’s character fits well into both reviews.
  • Newsarama covers both episodes in one recap, but points out that ‘Cadets’ lack of intense action helps to really set the stage for the stronger finish of ‘ARC Troopers.’ TV.com more or less agrees, saying, ” ‘ARC Troopers’ was nothing short of amazing and rewarded fans for patiently waiting through the ‘Clone Cadets.’
  • Den of Geek calls ‘Clone Cadets’ a brave but low-key opening, and loves the visually stunning scenes of ‘ARC Troopers’ but points out that story takes a back seat to the action.
  • BigShinyRobot calls ‘Cadets’ fun but not very substantive, and points out that really, Asajj Ventress owns the ‘ARC Troopers’ episode, and ends with “you need to be watching this in HD on the biggest TV possible”.
  • Dauntless Media gives ‘Troopers’ a B- for being visual excess, saved by the clones’ story. As for ‘Cadets’, it earns a C- in its review, feeling that while the story idea of humanizing the clones was worthy, the execution in storytelling was lacking.
  • IGN calls ‘Clone Cadets’ (giving it an 8/10) a nice departure for the series, with no real villains, and the not using the show’s main characters – and spreads some good observations on both 99 and what he means for the clone mythology, and on the role of bounty hunters on the side of the heroes. ‘ARC Troopers’ earns a 9/10 and the review starts with the statement: really cool – focusing on the battle scenes, Ventress, and the clones.
  • Mania.com is glad at the lack of Ahsoka Tano, and speculates that with ‘ARC Troopers’ delivering eye-popping action combined with just enough thoughtfulness, there’s a lot of great things coming this season.