Star Wars: Life Day Treasury - Holiday Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away by George Mann & Cavan Scott

George Mann and Cavan Scott present Star Wars stories set during the Wookiee holiday known as Life Day. Other than Boba Fett, Life Day has become the most enduring contribution to the Star Wars universe to come from the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. This treasury of tales show how different cultures and solar systems celebrate Life Day in regards to the winter solstice. As each populated planet has their winter solstice begin at different times, potentially you could celebrate the holidays every day. Coruscant, Tattioone, Alderaan, even the forest moon of Endor celebrate the beginning of winter and the New hope of warm, fertile days ahead.

I like that this book is set during different periods of time. The story on Coruscant occurs during the days of the Old Republic. My favorite story, 'The Song of Winter's Heart' takes place during the early days of the rebellion, showing how a pair of best friends can grow apart on different sides of the political spectrum, with one becoming a storm trooper and the other a rebel, and yet, the shared cultural heritage of the holidays can make even the worst of enemies brothers once more.

I also like that a majority of these stories star established characters. While my favorite tale had all-new characters, whom I hope to one day encounter again, other stories feature some of the most beloved characters across all 3 trilogies. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Wicket and the rest of his tribe are amongst those who appear. You won't get Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia. But as you could probably guess, Chewbacca and his family, including son Lumpy, star in the Life Day story set on Kashyyyk that closes out this collection. Yup! Han Solo is there too!

Some characters from before Episode I, who have been established in the pages of either Dark Horse or Marvel comics publications appear here too. One such character is Jedi Knight Stellan Gios, who appears on the cover. I only know that Stellan is an established character thanks to a Google search. I'm wondering if he was meant to be based on actor David Tennant. Because that's who he looks like in profile in the beautifully painted cover image by Grant Griffin. All of the artist's paintings were fantastic and added greatly to the intended theme of each story which range from humorous and heartfelt to suspenseful and scary. 

I wouldn't mind a second volume of Life Day stories. Maybe we could see what Life Day festivities are like on Cloud City or when observed by the Hutts. But I would also like to see some sequels. I really would like to know what happened to the opposing main characters of my favorite tale. Did both survive? Did they reconcile? I really want to know more about their story. If that's not reason to believe that is a great read, I don't know what is! And there are several characters, who are not Han or Chewie, in this book that I wanted to know more about.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars 

Star Wars Adventures (2019 Free Comic Book Day Edition)

This 2019 Free Comic Book Day offering features a scary story starring Han Solo and Chewbacca. Only it's not the real Han Solo. I don't care that this is a comic book. But the version of Han illustrated in this book is the Alden Ehrenreich Solo origin film version. The only (acceptable) version of Han Solo is Harrison Ford. Plain and simple. There is no substitute. 

Now one thing added to the appeal of this book is that this is a Tales From Vader's Castle story. Since 2018, Star Wars fans have been delighted by an annual all-ages horror themed anthology set in the Star Wars Universe. It's become a new Halloween tradition. However, there's no such thing as Halloween in Star Wars. That doesn't matter as it still makes for a fun October time read. 

Compared to other Vader's Castle stories, this one isn't really that scary. Probably because this was a Free Comic Book Day offering. Mistress Lina and her droid Crater, who are the story's narrators, make a return appearance from the 2018 debut of Tales From Vader's Castle. As they explore Vader's home, Lina recalls an early adventure from Han and Chewbacca's early days involving a heist as a droid museum. 

This story sets up the framework for prospective fans to pick up the trade paperback which collected the first series. There was a Han Solo ghost story in the first anthology. I double-checked. This story is not a reprint of that issue as writer Cavan Scott managed to have both versions of Solo (the true and the reboot impostor) in the same story. There's no Harrison Ford in this book.

Featuring art by Derek Charm, this issue has a certain charm to it; even if it doesn't feature MY Han Solo. Loved the closing panel! And the back cover by Francesco Francavilla, featuring the imposing visage of Lord Vader overlooking his Mustafar is just breathtaking. Oh, how I would love to have a print of it to hang in my office!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Ward #1

Imagine it's your first day at a new hospital. You're a trauma doctor. Before you even make it through the emergency department doors, you encounter your first patient. She's bleeding out and she's got a tail!

That's the first day of work for Dr. Nat Reeves. And this encounter is what opens the doors of St. Lilith's, a clandestine hospital for magical creatures. Just like any medical center, it's overcrowded and underfunded. Only it's protected by magical charms to keep it out of the attention of the general public. So how can Dr. Reeves be a part of all this?

Nat's origin is the crux of this story which really intrigued me. Only 24 pages just isn't enough story to reveal it all. This Dark Horse comic is a 4-issue miniseries that debuted last Summer. I read issue #1 almost as soon as it came out in stores. I read it and I then kinda forgot about it. 

I've also got issue #2. Yet I missed the boat on the other 2 issues. So, I'm kinda at a stopping point. Once I get the other 2 books, I'm gonna finish this. I promise. 

This Cavan Scott penned tale was really fantastic. It was a mix of Harry Potter and TV's E/R. It's also the second such comic in as many years to focus on emergency medicine with a twist. AWA's ET-ER is about a hospital that specializes in extraterrestrials. Just as great and not really different as that medical center is secretly housed on planet earth, just as St. Lilith's is.

Well, there is one thing where that other book is superior- it's stories are self-contained whereas The Ward is a string of cliffhangers. 

I hate cliffhangers.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 9: Fight the Empire!

After a collection that saw a trio of stories set during the Clone Wars, Star Wars Adventures devotes a volume to a triumvirate of stories that occur during the original trilogy in the midst of the Age of the Rebellion.

First we see Luke and Han negotiating an arms deal on behalf of Princess Leia. Han's past history as a swoop racer has long been discussed. In this story, we see Han return to those roots when he gets the bright idea to participate in a swoop race in order to earn some extra credits. 

The middle story has Leia on a mission with C-3PO and R2-D2 involving an orphaned child and some storm troopers.

In story #3, immediately after the destruction of the second Death Star, Lando is participating in a star ship race in order to gain information about a pirating ring that has been disrupting Rebel supply runs. With the surprise appearance of a memorable character from Episode I, this was the best main story of the collection.

All 3 of the Wild Space back-ups were excellent. The Bib Fortuna story was a little out of character for Bib and Jabba and yet, it's a hilarious story that had hints of plausibility. The spy tale starring Mos Eisley Cantina regular Kabe was rather clever. I never realized just how tiny she was. But the best story of them 3 involved a rather special tauntaun and her trainer. 

A tauntaun with a very large tail is abandoned by her herd. A series of misadventures results in the creature becoming part of the Rebellion and later a beloved hero of the battle of Hoth. This story was so good, I read it 3 times. I really hope that somewhere out there on a lovely snow planet, the tauntaun and her person are roaming the frosty countryside in peace and prosperity.

Lots of fun this volume was with a lot of great talent. Derek Charm and Cavan Scott (Tales From Vader's Castle). Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs). Michael Avon Oeming (World of Krypton). I wish all of the volumes of SWA were this awesome!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular

A little unusual background about this UK Halloween special. It was published last October over in England. However, due to whatever reasons, shipping delays, customs, you name it, I didn't buy this book new until later this past spring. That means I've been hanging on to this tabloid sized release for quite some time.

In the spirit of British publications such as Beano, Monster Fun isn't a brand new anthology. Instead, it's a revival of a cult favorite weekly magazine from 1975-76. That book along with this bi-monthly reboot is aimed at readers aged 7-12, containing series devoted to the more macabre, unusual and bizarre comic book characters from across the pond. Most of the stories are humorous franchises. Yet, there are a couple of more dramatic pieces included in this book.

According to the publisher, this special was 48 pages in length. But it felt longer than that and mostly in a good way. The Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular read to me like a deluxe British version of the Sunday funny pages. About half of the stories were less than 2 pages in length, making for some immediate laughs. Of the remaining segments, I don't think anything was longer than 8 pages.

My favorite segment was probably the Leopard From Lime Street, about a teenager who is granted the mystical powers of the jungle cat when he's attacked by one at the local zoo. It was a legit superhero story with a creepy antagonist and great art. French artist, Laurent Lefeuvre's work is a cross between Francesco Francavilla (Afterlife With Archie) and Derek Charm (Star Wars Adventures). I'm really hoping to find more adventures of this character in the future.

Another favorite was the superhero parody starring the classic duo known as the Birdman, and Chicken and their new partner, the Sparrow. It's All Hallows Eve and the 3 heroes are summoned to save the city from Solomon Grundy of all people! Grundy is a character of folk legend. But wonder if this version is in any way affiliated with DC'S big baddie...

Other enjoyable stories involved a company of monsters trying to compete with the internet in the no-quite-so lucrative jump scare business, a young girl who helps her father save his fledgling studio by putting on an impromptu blockbuster horror picture, and family that goes on a Halloween yard sale for some spooky bargains. (BTW are Halloween yard sales a thing in the UK? Because if so, I am in!)

A lot of the remaining stories were entertaining, just not favs. But there was a story inside that I absolutely hated. Called Sweeney Toddler, The Demon Baby, it's a story about a devil of a toddler with foul intentions and that emirates even more foul odors. The story was one endless diaper joke after another. With it's what I am assuming cockney slang, the yarn was also darn near impossible to understand. I thought that this was a gross parody of the British version of Dennis the Menace that I couldn't wait for to be over. Ironically, the ending was most cerebral thing about the whole thing. Neat twist ending. But not enough to save it in my opinion.

I also really liked the lead story that starred Frankie Stein. Mostly for the amazing array of Easter Eggs that artist John Lucas peppers throughout the short. Speaking of Easter, I recently got a copy of this year's Monster Fun Easter Special and I can't wait until next spring to read it! Mostly because it's extremely rare to score an Easter related comic in the states for some reason...

Lots of British fun. But you'll need to check with your favorite LCS for availability due to the really wonky delayed releasing of this series.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #1 (Family Comic Friday)

After a terrifying trip through the Dark Side of the Force, Family Comic Friday is daring to Return to Vader’s Castle for more chills set in a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #1
Written by Cavan Scott
Art by Francesco Francavilla and Megan Levins
Published by IDW Publishing
Retail: $3.99

Last year, IDW Publishing took Star Wars fans on a frightening 5-week long countdown to Halloween in the pages of Tales From Vader’s Castle. When I reviewed that book, I predicted that we would see another round of scares this Halloween- and I was right!

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #1 kicks off a 4-week miniseries that is already slaying it’s predecessor in terms of quality. My big issue with last year’s event was that Vader’s Castle was lacking a proper horror host to tie in the ominous presence of the Sith Lord’s inner sanctum with the spooky stories being recalled.

In this series we finally have a host in the form of Darth Vader’s personal caretaker, Vanee. This character has all of the make-up of a great host of a horror comic. He is really  eerie; possibly deranged. Vanee is also quite ghoulish, and most importantly, he’s a good storyteller!

Of course, the story is actually crafted by Cavan Scott. The main writer from Star Wars Adventures, Cavan Scott really seems to live and breathe Star Wars. That makes him the perfect choice to craft these legends of Lucasfilm!

Once again, the stories aren’t terrifying to the point that young readers can’t enjoy them. The first story, which guest stars Darth Maul, is about as chilling as that scene in Empire where Luke must go into that tree on Dagobah to face the Dark Side of the Force. If your child can tolerate that segment, they’ll get a thrill out of this series.

If you have a young reader who loves to be a little scared during Halloween and loves Star Wars, then Return to Vader’s Castle is the perfect start to get them in the All Hallow’s Eve spirit! Thanks to writer Cavan Scott and Jughead: The Hunger’s Francesco Francavilla and Megan Levens (Spider-Gwen), Star Wars fans of all ages will be in for a treat!

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #1 is currently available in print and digital formats. Issues #2 debuts on Wednesday, October 9th.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

This review was originally published on October 4, 2019 via Outrightgeekery.com.

Star Wars Adventures Annual 2019: Ac Family Comic Friday Extra!

Some weeks there's just so much great stuff coming out that you can't put in into just one review. That's why we have Family Comic Friday Extra! This week, meet a forgotten character from a galaxy far, far away in our look at Star Wars Adventures Annual 2019!

Star Wars Adventures Annual 2019Written by Cavan Scott, Pierrick Colinet, Elsa Charretier
Art by Mauricet, Margaux Saltel
Published by IDW Publishing
Pages: 48
Retail: $7.99

2019 has seen the return of the original Star Wars universe! Earlier this year, Marvel released Star Wars #108, wrapping up several long-lost story lines from the first ever Star Wars comic book series. That issue brought about the return of a few characters that many fans never thought that they'd ever get to see again.

One thing I have to say about Disney- they listen to their customers. Star Wars #108 was such a big hit, the over-sized issue went into a second print. The cyborg bounty Hunter, Valance was so well received, he's back in the pages of the new Marvel miniseries Target: Vader.

Valance isn't the only character seeing a return to action. In this giant-sized annual, the ever-so-suave Lando Calrissian is joined by a character so controversial, he's considered the Jar-Jar Binks of the original Star Wars trilogy. I'm taking about Jaxxon!
Jaxxon is a smuggler rival of Han Solo's. He's rude, crude and incredibly self-centered. He's also a giant green bunny rabbit!

For years fans have debated on the character. The creation of Jaxxon was brought about because Lucasfilm forbid Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader from interacting with each other during the gaps between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. So Han Solo and Chewbacca went on a series of solo adventures, running into the likes of Jaxxon.

Like a broken bottle of vinegar, Jaxxon stunk. And he was very hard to get rid of...

Jaxxon would appear several times throughout the original comic book run along with appearances in the Star Wars newspaper strip and some Dark Horse books. But we all thought we'd seen the last of the space bunny when Disney declared that all events of the Star Wars extended universe were null and void.

As Disney and fans would have it, Jaxxon appears here to stay as he and Lando seek to free a race of people enslaved by the Empire. Together, these two swindlers must pull off the ultimate con which will require Jaxxon and Lando to rob the Emperor's archive of stolen relics.

The idea of telling the backstories of all these artifacts that the Empire has ransacked would make for an awesome anthology series set in the style of Star Wars Adventures. But for now, let's talk about this story…

It's set immediately after the battle of Endor. There's great cameos from beloved characters such as Han, Leia and Nien Nub. Landon is great and he's got way better chemistry with Jaxxon than Solo ever did.

The problem with Jaxxon is that he's a total jerk. You might hate Jar-Jar Binks. But you also kinda pity him. There's not very much redeeming about Jaxxon. But he's a great comedic foil in this story.

The artwork was very good. I was disappointed that regular Star Wars Adventures artist Derek Charm wasn't available for this annual. But I liked the cartoonish style of Mauricet (Dastardly & Muttley). It greatly reflects the humor that writer Cavan Scott masterfully peppers throughout this adventure.

Jaxxon and Lando's tale isn't the only glimpse into the universe of Star Wars. The back-up story stars a very young Princess Leia and her until-now unseen adoptive mother. In this beautiful epic by writers Pierrick Colinet and Elsa Charretier (The Infinite Loop) and artist Margaux Saltel (The Wicked + The Devine), Leia's mom regales the tyke with a hopeful bedtime story about the brave Padme Amidala!

The artwork was a little more Little Golden Books than IDW Publishing. But it was still a very adorable tale that links mother and daughter of the first two trilogies together. If you have a young reader who is a big fan of the Star Wars Forces of Destiny line of toys and webisodes, they are going to love this capper to the 2019 annual.

The Star Wars Adventures Annual 2019 brought back fond memories of Marvel's Star Wars comics. This is a thrill ride and a half that all fans of Star Wars will love! And so will parents and guardians of younger readers! It's Force friendly and Jedi approved!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars!

Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle #4

Cavan Scott does it again! I didn't think it was possible; but Scott manages to make a truly eerie Ewoks story. And it's not one that's all cute and aimed at youngsters. 

In this issue, woklings are being kidnapped from the main Ewok village. Is it their arch enemies, the villainous Duloks? You'll just have to read it to see!

Man, what a great, creepy ending! Yes, Cavan Scott does a great job staying out of schmaltzy territory. But the real star is guest artist, Robert Hack (Archie Horror)! His renderings was so classic and yet so spooky looking!

I'm gonna say it folks; I want an Ewoks miniseries by Robert Hack! Oh and Cavan Scott! Both of them! I think it will be amazing and it will make up for those horrid Ewoks films from Disney that aired on ABC.

OKAY- maybe nothing can make up for those travesties...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle #3

I didn't think it was possible. But writer Cavan Scott found a way to bring together both the Alden Ehrenreich Han Solo with the Harrison Ford Han Solo without resorting to time travel or jumps in time as this issue progresses. 

We do have a jump in time as the rebels who crashed on Mustafar enter the Imperial compound, unawares that it's really Vader's Citadel. Their adventure has been what has framed all of these spooky stories from across the Star Wars universe. 

This series debuted over the month of October of last year. While I was on top of issues 1 and 2, for some reason or another I got distracted and forgot to catch up on the rest if this horror themed mini until now.

Derek Charm continues to amaze with his framing sequences. Corin Howell's (Bat-Mite) style was very clean and similar to Charm's. It was nearly seamless. 

Originally thinking this was a Ehrenreich tale and not a Ford tale originally put me off. But in reality, this is a Solo story! I'd really love to expound more on this but it would ruin the great plot twist. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures (Free Comic Book Day 2018 Edition)

IDW Publishing made the smart but still  controversial decision to have the Alden Ehrenreich Han Solo be the focus of this year's FCBD offering. One thing that helps the transition go smoothly here is the inclusion of classic Star Wars bounty hunters Zuckuss and 4-LOM. At a trading post, Han finds himself without Chewie, who has decided to check out the local grub scene. It is here that Han finds himself the prisoner of bounty hunters. Without his right hand make, how will the Corellian rogue get himself out of this jam?

My favorite bounty hunter is Boba Fett. However, I am a big fan of Zuckuss and 4-LOM. In the anthology novel Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters, the story of how an assassin droid and a Gand findsman become partners was the best of the lot. It was also very cool to finally see the interior of their ship, The Mist Hunter. 

Cavan Scott and Derek Charm are the Chris Claremont and John Byrne of SWA. Great storytelling! Amazing artwork! A pure love for all aspects of the franchise! May the force be with them for a very long run!

I haven't been able to really stay up on Marvel's run of current Star Wars titles. There's just so many, so I must purchase when they go on steep discount. But IDW Publishing been doing a phenomenal (and affordable) job on the all-ages take on the Star Wars Universe. I'm still not sure why IDW is doing them instead of Marvel. But I'm not complaining!

Okay- one small complaint... This issue ends with a cliffhanger in which you have to read an issue or two from the regular Star Wars Adventures comic. I understand that you are trying to boost sales. If you are going to do that, do it for the teen and older books. It's just not fair to make the kids have to buy something else in order to complete the entire story. Keep in mind, some kids are receiving these books from charities and donors such as myself after FCBD. To have an incomplete story just seems like a slap in the face, especially when done in the name of benevolence! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension Book One (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to Family Comic Friday. 

Every week, I review books that are fun for the whole family. Not every book I review is rated E for Everyone. But that doesn't mean that the books I review for FCF can't be enjoyed by all. 

Case in point is today's book selection: Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension, Book One. This book from Titan Comics is based on the long-running British television show of the same name. When Doctor Who debuted in 1963, it was intended as an educational kids show. The formula for the show varied every other story between historical tales and wild science fiction adventures. The historical episodes would teach children about Marco Polo, the Roman Empire, and other historical figures. The sci-fi episodes would have the Doctor fighting scary monsters with science, math, and technology. 

The monsters episodes proved to be more popular pretty quick. History would still play a factor since this was a show about time travel. Only now instead of visiting Winston Churchill to help defeat the Nazis, the Doctor would go back in time to 1944 to help save England from the Daleks. 

With all the monsters, over time, Doctor Who would garner a reputation of being scary. But that hasn't stopped the beloved series from being a weekly treat for family Saturday night viewings. As former Doctor Who show-runner Steven Moffat puts it, 'of course Doctor Who is a children's show but that doesn't mean that it's childish.' With testimony like that from one of the experts, I made my decision- this is a perfect read for a Family Comic Friday!

In this collected work from Titan Comics, when a mysterious ship crashes in London, the 12th Doctor rushes to the scene- only to come face to face with his daughter, Jenny! The Doctor's daughter has sought him out to warn him of a mysterious white hole of light that has swallowed up one of the Time Lord's former companions, Captain Jack Harkness. 

If appears that this mysterious energy source isn't just gobbling up former travelling buddies of the Doctor. It's also turning the Doctor's friends into monsters. From all of the Doctor's timelines, none of the Doctor's friends and enemies such as Madame Vastra, Rose, Bill, even the Cybermen are safe from this anomaly of space and time! But what if the Doctor falls victim to this strange force? If one of the 12th Doctor's former selves succumbs to this white hole, is that the end of him as well?

You don't have to be a long-time fan of Doctor Who to fully enjoy this volume. But it really helps. I am not as knowledgeable in the Titan Comics adaptations. So my familiarity with the comics only companions was pretty weak. I guess that balances out in the long run.

I've read a couple of Doctor Who crossovers in which he meets some if not all of his former selves. They're pretty good but they don't have the heart, humor, or fun as The Lost Dimension does. This first volume collects the first 6 chapters of The Lost Dimension was written by a trio of different writers. Nick Abadzis (Laika), George Mann (Warhammer 40,000), and Doctor Who journeyman, Cavan Scott each craft a pair of stories. Yet, I felt like each chapter was seamlessly crafted by just a single writing entity. That's a sign of a great story-writing team.

I felt the same way about the artwork of this book. Motherlands' Rachael Stott and Adriana Melo (Witchblade) trade off on the art duties and it was flawlessly good. 

There's a lot of questions that remain such as who is behind this time anomaly? Can the Doctor's friends be cured? And when does Book 2 come out?

I can only answer the last question. Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension Book 2 drops on March 20th, exactly one month after Book 1. So I don't have to wait very long to find on what happens next. All of the individual issues that make up volume 2 have already been released. I could get those, but I think that would be a little bit of a cheat. 

The comics that make up The Lost Dimension are not rated. However, in the spirit of the television series in which in is based, this book is for suitable for kids but it's not an immature book. The action, thrills, and humor can be enjoyed by all ages. Some of the science and physics might need an adult to help interrupt. As for the monsters, it's a tad scary but so are other family classics like Snow White and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension Book 1 debuts in stores on February 20th, 2018.

This volume reprints the following: 

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension Alpha, The Ninth Doctor Special, The Tenth Doctor #3.9, The Eleventh Doctor #3.10 and Jenny, The Doctor’s Daughter Special #1 & #2.


Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.