Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 11: Rise of the Wookiees

The curtain falls on Star Wars Adventures with this volume. Though Chewbacca is the main star of this book, the focus is on the sequel trilogy and honestly, it's just not as exciting as the original films nor the prequels.

Chewie's story sees the Wookiee helping the Resistance free his native planet Kashyyyk from the First Order. The stormtroopers have taken prisoners; one of which is a mortal enemy of Chewbacca's from a neighboring tribe. In order to save his people, Chewie must overlook an age-old rivalry, even if it's at the sake of his personal pride.

Another highlight of this volume was a Tony Fleecs pencilled adventure starring R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8, unfortunately. Sorry, but Poe Dameron's droid is just a third wheel here. However, the story was such a visual masterpiece. It reminded me of both Sergio Aragones and Frank Quietly- kinda cartoony but full of detail. 

I also enjoyed the 2-part 'Tales From Wild Space' story. The epic of Emil Graf has a perfect ending; all the while promising further adventures. I do think it was a bit annoying that it took the last 'Wild Space' adventure to finally understand why Emil Graf goes around the galaxy telling stories of the Star Wars Universe. But, I can finally say I know what the character is all about.

The 3 stories starring the newer characters were the weakest of the bunch. The Finn story and glimpse at Poe's X-Wing training sessions with Rey were just too saccharin. The only thing missing from those two tales would have been appearance from Rose Tico and that would have made both of them unreadable. Can we all just admit Poe Dameron is a fascinating character. But he's brought down by those new trilogy wet blankets Finn and Rey.

The story with Kylo Ren team-up with General Hux was the best of the new character-only stories. Maybe it's because they are bad guys. Maybe it's because the two villains want to kill each other just as much as they want to squash the Resistance. I would have loved it if IDW would have scrapped the Rey and Finn stories and stretched out the uneasy alliance between the highest ranking officers of the First Order. It would have made for a much more entertaining read and have helped to bumped up my rating of this book.

This isn't IDW's last hurrah with Star Wars Adventures. For one reason or another, Marvel, Disney or IDW (or some combination of the 3) decided it was best to restart the series at issue #1. Could it be due to the latest rise in comic book speculating? That false belief that a #1 issue sells more books... Or is it due to the fact that Dark Horse regained the licensing rights to Star Wars and IDW was looking to unload their stockpile of Star Wars stories before their contract with DIsney ran out. 

I probably won't have an answer for that anytime soon. Only 1 trade of that new series was ever published and my library doesn't carry it. Heck, I can't even find it on Amazon or favored online comic book sellers. I'm probably going to have to wait to find them individually in the bargain bins.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 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.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 5: Mechanical Mayhem

This collection of Star Wars Adventures issues is all about droids!

The classic duo of C-3PO and R2-D2 are the heroes of the main stories. The first tale is set during the Clone Wars where Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amadala are hoping to get a little bit of me time together during a diplomatic message. However, it turns out to be a Separatist plot with an array of droids holding the Jedi and Senator from Naboo hostage. 

Then in a story set during Age of Rebellion, Artoo has a suspicion that a droid aboard ship with him is an Imperial spy. With Threepio out of service and the rest of the Rebellion crew unable to speak droid language, Artoo must unmask the sabateur alone.

The Tales From Wild Space Stories involved IG-88, Max Rebo and Mace Windu. The artwork of the Max Rebo story was highly detailed. The Mace Windu story was the best with the Jedi helping a young boy survive Separatists. As for the IG-88 story, I cannot remember at all what happened. 

A good read. Full of all-age Star Wars fun by talent such as Elsa Charretier (The Department of Truth), Nick Brokenshire (Dead Seas) and Mauricet (Dastardly & Muttley). It just wasn't full of 100% memorable material.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Droids Unplugged #1

Chris Eliopoulos takes Star Wars fans on a tour of the 3 trilogies through the eyes of droids. 

For episodes I-III, one of Darth Maul's probe droids runs afoul of those pesky Jawas and finds a friend in the process.

R2-D2 represents episodes IV-VI. And yes, I know he could be representative of any of the trilogies! In this segment, atribute to the late Kenny Baker, Artoo has a series of misadventures as he tries to make it Luke's X-Wing to get it prepped up for take-off. If you read this story and you think Bil Keane's Family Circus and those cartoons when one of the kids traipses all over the neighborhood, you'd be right on the money with this story.

Naturally, BB-8 is the droid of distinction for the episode VII-IX trilogy. Here, the rolling droid plays matchmaker for a X-Wing pilot and a mechanic. 

All three stories were very good. My favorite was the probe droid adventure. That one was heartwarming.

All of the artwork is cartoony. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that this comic is rated Teen and I think that was the wrong rating. Chris Eliopoulos is noted for his all-ages work with titles such as Cosmic Commandos and Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius. This book should have been rated all ages. Either someone in the Bullpen doesn't know how to rate comics or Marvel rated this higher in order to attract older readers. 

Sure, this book is from 2017. But it's yet further proof that Marvel Comics has been shooting itself in the foot for years now for not reaching out to the upcoming generation of readers. 

So if you are a parent of Star Wars loving kids, trolling the bargain bins and you run across this book- GET IT! Forget what the cover says! This is more than suitable for them and fun enough for you to enjoy with the kiddos!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth: Advent 2019 Day 1

Welcome to Day One of my 2019 Advent: Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth. 

We start things off with the very first toys I can remember! I'm talking about Luke, Chewbacca, Leia and R2-D2! The first four figures issued by Kenner in the Star Wars Early Bird set from 1977.

Right now, Baby Yoda (AKA The Child from The Mandalorian) is the hot toy of 2019. But in the year I was born, it was anything Star Wars that was the hot property for kids to own. However, because nobody thought that Star Wars was going to be a hit, when Christmas of '77 rolled around, there weren't anything from a galaxy far, far away for kids to play with. 

So Kenner and Sears got this great idea to offer an early bird special. With this, kids would get an empty box with a fill-in sheet promising to send the recipient of the first 4 figures sometime in early 1978. Never has anyone, except maybe cats, ever been so excited to get an empty cardboard box for the holidays!

True, I was only a month old in Christmas of 1977. But my dad had the forethought to go ahead and order a set for me at such a young age. Yes- by the time I was two, I already had the entire original run of Star Wars action figures plus a lot of the playsets and vehicles. 

I am also quite sure that my dad play with all of my stuff before I was old enough to play with them, citing quality control or something else ridiculous that new dad's claim.

So as my Advent gift to you, I present you with the TV ad that ran prior to the 1977 holiday season for the early bird set. 

Enjoy!

See you tomorrow for Day 2 of Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth!

Star Wars Adventures Ashcan

The introductory issue to IDW's amazing all-ages Star Wars series. While Star Wars Adventures is a great series, this issue, to me, is what this series could have been. 

Cavan Scott has done a great job writing never-before-revealed episodes of your favorite Star Wars characters. But there is this back-up feature called 'Tales for Wild Space'. It has some minor characters from some 90s kids series hosting tales of the Old Republic and beyond. It doesn't have a nostalgic feel. For that segment, the real hosts of the back-up stories are our narrators here- C-3PO and R2-D2!

Landry Q. Walker (Danger Club) penned this issue. It's the only story by Walker in this entire series (thus far)! But I think that Walker had the right idea having Threepio and Artoo be the storytellers. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. 

As for the artwork by Derek Charm. It's 100% perfect. It's how I always wished a Star Wars cartoon would have looked like when I was little. Yeah, we had Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks growing up. But an honest to God animated series with Vader, Luke, Chewie and the rest- Derek Charm crafts a classic-looking animated style!

A very tough issue to find. It was supposed to be a freebie given away at comic book shops nationwide. But I never came across it until finding a copy in a bargain bin. I'm not sure if IDW didn't print a lot of copies or if my area of the country just didn't fare well on the publisher's marketing campaign.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Droids and Ewoks (Family Comic Friday)

 With The Last Jedi debuting in theaters this weekend, I thought it would be ideal to cover something Star Wars for this week’s Family Comic Friday. While many Star Wars comics are able to be enjoyed by readers of all ages, there was only two series that I felt that really deserved my attention today. Ladies and Gentlemen, as well as kids of all-ages, I present to you Droids and Ewoks!

Both series were published beginning in 1985 by Marvel Comics. Droids and Ewoks were released as tie-ins to the ABC animated series of the same name under the Star Comics imprint. Both series were published bi-monthly. Unfortunately, neither series, just like their animated predecessors, lasted very long.

Droids- written by Dave Manak. Art by John Romita Sr, Mary Wilshire, & Ernie Colon

This comic starred C-3PO and R2-D2. Billed as a prequel to A New Hope, the Droids drift around the galaxy looking for new masters. Every issue had the duo meeting new owners, getting into some sort of trouble, and then saving the day. Space Pirates, corrupt government officials, and dreadful alien smugglers were the usual assortment of baddies.

Like the cartoon it was based on, Droids did not run as long as Ewoks did. With only eight issues published, Droids is one of the hardest Star Wars comics to find. The first three issues were illustrated by Spider-Man legend John Romita Sr. The final trio of issues featured the adventures of Episode IV as told in Threepio’s point of view. They are the most sought after of the Star Comics releases.

Ewoks- Written by Dave Manak. Art by Warren Kremer

The Ewoks comic book was an odd duck just like the cartoon series it was based on. The cartoon ran for two seasons. The first season was considered to be a lot like the Ewoks live-action TV films as that there was a much more serious tone. Issues 1-4 of Ewoks featured some really fierce looking monsters and baddies that often got in the way of Wicket trying to prove that he’s ready to come of age in the tribe.

By issues 7, the second season of Ewoks had begun to debut on TV. ABC television wanted a more kid friendly look and feel to the show. As in the comic book as well as the cartoon, the monsters started to look less scary, the color palette was less serene, and some of the plots were just plain silly. Another thing that hurt the Ewoks comic was that the show’s main villains, the Duloks, a fierce rival species that looked a lot like the Grinch, were only featured in two issues. They were pretty good foils to the Ewoks but grossly underused in the comics.

The series was written by Archie Comics scribe Dave Manak. You could tell that Archie and the gang were a big influence as Wicket and fellow Ewok, Teebo, would have silly competitions for the affections of Chief Chirpa’s daughter Princess Kneesaa.

All 14 issues were illustrated by Warren Kremer, formally of Harvey Comics. Marvel in it’s attempt to rival Harvey with it’s Star Comics imprint, had lured away several big names from the rival publisher .You can really see Kremer’s style was deeply impacted by drawing Harvey Comics for so many years especially in Ewoks #9. There the children of the Undersea Kingdom look a lot like Casper the Friendly Ghost if he was a mer-creature.

A Galaxy Spanning Crossover

Fans of both Droids and Ewoks never got to see their favorite animated characters crossover on Saturday Morning TV. But in October to November, 1986, those fans got their wish in print form. In Droids #4 and Ewoks #10, C-3PO and R2-D2 made an unexpected visit to Endor.

The droids were hired as nannies for an royal alien tot named the Star Child. One of the Star Child’s relatives wants the kid out of the way and jettisons the lad along with Threepio and Artoo into space and then tries to vaporize them. Instead, the escape pod hits a wormhole and are sent to Endor where they crash land.

Artoo thinks he can get the escape vessel mobile again. But it will take some time. That’s a good thing, because those evil Duloks just kidnapped the Star Child.

A Legacy Remembered

There were a number of reasons that Droids and Ewoks got the boot from TV and comics so quickly. It’s hard to believe but by 1986, Star Wars had started to run its course. With no new theatrical movies being produced, kids were interested in other things like Thundercats and Transformers. The action figure line was virtually non-existent and the toys based on these two properties were exceptionally hard to find. The main Star Wars comic was lagging in sales and Marvel had no interest in renewing the license when it came due in 1987. Ultimately, by the summer of 1988, there were no more Star Wars comics of any kind being released.

For several years, there was nothing new Star Wars until in 1991 when an author by the name of Timothy Zahn wrote a little book called Heir to the Empire. Almost immediately interest in Star Wars sky-rocketed again and Dark Horse quickly snagged up the rights to the Star Wars franchise. They would published hundreds of comics based on the George Lucas for over 20 years until 2014 when Disney bought Lucasfilm and the license when back to Marvel.

Near the tale end of Dark Horse’s run on Star Wars, they began issuing collections of Marvel’s run of Star Wars comics. In 2012, they released the Star Wars Omnibus: Droids and Ewoks. This massive volume has over 500 pages and collects all 22 issues plus a bonus coloring book story set during Return of the Jedi.

Last year Marvel reissued all of the Star Comics titles under its Star Wars Legends line of reprinted comics. That volume retails for $75. However, Amazon still has a couple of dozen of the Dark Horse Omnibuses for only $15. So if you are looking to read the entire run of both series without shelling out some big bucks, this is the way to go.

Fun for Star Wars fans of all-ages. Neither of the series were really canon. But in the mid-80s, both Droids and Ewoks were the cartoon and comic fixes we were looking for.

This article was published concurrently at outrightgeekery.com.

The Weapon of A Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry

  

  The Weapon of a Jedi is the third (and for me, final) young adult novel in the Journey to Star Wars: the Force Awakens series. 

   The events in this book occur shortly after the Battle of Yavin. Here, Luke Skywalker is sent on a mission to infiltrate some Imperial codes but the Force has other plans for the aspiring Jedi and he crash lands on a mysterious planet that houses an abandoned Jedi temple. There, Luke continues his training but Skywalker must protect the historic site from poachers and the Empire or countless centuries of Jedi lore will be lost forever.

     This series of books are supposed to offer clues and hints for Episode VII. But just like the Force Awakens, there is nothing about Luke Skywalker's current state of health. In fact, the very small opening scene and closer that takes place 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi does nothing to offer the reader anything about Episode VII except introducing the reader to an X-Wing pilot that I don't even remember being in the film. 

   I really felt that this book would be the one that would explain everything. In reality, I could have skipped this book. The story by Jason Fry was quite good. But if you think you have to read this book before you go to theatres to see The Force Awakens- save your cash on popcorn and jujubes instead. This book will be waiting for you on store shelves nationwide. And if you wait long enough, you might even find it on discount. 

   I wish I did...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The 18 Days of a Star Wars Christmas Miracle +7: Day 21

Since I celebrated the Ewoks cartoon yesterday, it's only fair that I celebrate the other cartoon series that made 1984-85 great- Star Wars: Droids! 

   Though Ewoks lasted a couple of years longer- Droids was clearly the better show. It featured C-3PO and R2-D2 as they travelled the universe looking for new masters but always ending up discovering trouble. 

   Anthony Daniels supplied the voice to Threepio as he did in the films. Though I doubt Kenny Baker was the doing the beeps and boops of Artoo.

   One thing that made the show so awesome was that stormtroopers, TIE fighters, and a certain bounty hunter from the Empire Strikes Back made appearances on the show. Another aspect was that it featured the writing styles of one Paul Dini- the genius behind Batman: The Animated Series and creator of Harley Quinn.

  My advent gift for you today is one of those amazing episodes written by Dini.

   Enjoy...
 

The 18 Days of a Star Wars Christmas Miracle +7: Day 10

   I wonder if Wampas bounce?

   There have been tons of Star Wars parodies in the past 4 decades. From mash-ups with Elvis to the Family Guy TV-show's take on the original trilogy, the ways to make a little fun at the ways of the Force seems endless.

   My advent present today is by far on of the worst Star Wars parodies or all-time. From September 1977, I present to you the Donny & Marie Star Wars Special! 

   I'm sorry I don't have a receipt so you can return this but hey, this clip is only 12 minutes long. So, the suffering isn't endless. Guest-starring C-3PO, R2-D2, Darth Vader, and a score of dancing stormtroopers, this is one of those things it's so bad, it's good. 

   You just have to see for yourself...

   Enjoy...

The 18 Days of a Star Wars Christmas Miracle +7: Day 2

 

 It just wasn't Christmas without this LP. I don't know how many year's in a row would be put up the Christmas tree watching 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and listening to this album. 

   Produced in 1980 by Meco, the techno whiz behind the disco version of the Star Wars theme and the Cantina Song. Featuring Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca, the majority of the album took place in a droid factory making toys for an 'S. Claus.' 

   The album is hard to come by, with the cassette version being especially rare. But another reason that makes this album so collectible is that it features the first profession recording of Jon Bon Jovi. Recording under his birth name 'John Bongiovi' the future rocker landed the lead vocals on the song 'R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas' as his cousin, who was a producer on the project, ran the studio that John worked at as a custodian. 

    So as my advent present to you, here is a recording of that first Bon Jovi, er Bongiovi masterpiece...

  

Star Wars: Princess Leia #1

   Star Wars has returned to it's original home- Marvel Comics. I've not been able to get my hands on that series but was lucky enough to find this premiere issue of Princess Leia in a grab bag during this year's Free Comic Book Day.

   Leia takes place immediately after the credits to Episode IV begin to roll. The celebration for the destruction of the Death Star is short lived as the Empire now knows where the Rebels' hidden base is located. As Luke, Han, Threepio, and the rest of the Rebellion begin to pack up and move out, Leia is left to grieve for her beloved Alderaan. But the fiery Princess wants action and demands the right to serve her cause.

    However, with the Empire just issuing a 10 milloin credits bounty on her head, General Dodonna refuses to let the last living member of the ruling House of Organa off planet without an assault garrison, much less out of his sight. As rumors swirl that the Empire is capturing and murdering Alderaanian survivors in retaliation to the Princess' involvement with the destruction on the Death Star, Leia is determined to gather up as many refugees as possible before it is too late.

    This series looks to explore Leia's pivotal role in the Rebellion post Battle of Yavin. Along with R2-D2 and a House of Organa hand maiden turned X-wing pilot, this looks to be an exciting series that will take Princess Leia to the furthest reaches of the Star Wars universe.

   Next stop: Naboo!- home of Leia's birth mother Padme Amidala.

   I really enjoyed this opening chapter. The art by the great Terry Dodson (who was an artist on some of Dark Horse Publishing's Star Wars titles) is stunning. Dodson does a fantastic job with his photo-realistic renderings of not only the iconic characters but the vehicles as well. Directing Dodson into which corners of the Star Wars galaxy to explore is one of my favorite writers- Mark (Daredevil) Waid! He answers some lingering questions about the Battle of Yavin, such as 'Was Admiral Ackbar there?' Short answer- Yep, he was!

   I hope to get my hands on the rest of this storyline if not the entire series. I was thrilled to see that Marvel was getting it's hands back on Star Wars and with this first taste, I'm hungry for more.

   As Lord Vader would say "Impressive...Most Impressive."

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: The Protocol Offensive

 This original Dark Horse Comics graphic novel from 1997 is co-written by the expert on protocol himself, C-3PO- Anthony Daniels. 'The Protocol Offensive' is a politically intriguing affair in which Threepio and his astromech partner R2-D2 must prevent two warring tribes from annihilating each other while negotiating a trade treaty with a mining company all at the same time.

 

 This story takes place in that strange period of time where the cartoon 'Droids' occurred (prior to Episode IV: A New Hope) when  both Threepio and Artoo were without masters. Like in that short-lived series, the droids undergo no less than 3 ownership changes. Only these point of sales take place the means of a 48-page story!

 

   I really enjoyed this story. The writing was really good and the dialogue perfect (and why wouldn't it be, it was written by Daniels who crafted the iconic character he's played for over 35-years now.) The art was also very good and I just loved the painted quality of it and the cover.

 

  Finishing this story, I did have one puzzling question: if Lucasfilm is to be believed, thanks to the new trilogy finally being made, any work made after Return of the Jedi was rendered no longer canon. Since the series 'Droids' as well as the 'Protocol Offensive' occurs before episode IV (but was published after Episode VI) is this story canon or not? Either way you want to answer this, and I challenge George Lucas to write an explanation in this review's comment section, this was a great story and a fun journey to a galaxy far, far away...

   Worth Consuming.

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.