Tag: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Canon Comic Review by Chris: C-3P0 #1 “The Phantom Limb” (One-Shot)

C3PO #1 "The Phantom Limb"

.– Slight Spoiler Review –

(This article is written by Chris Wermeskerch and it’s his second post as a contributor for the Manor! Give him your quarter-portions for joining the Star Wars fan-site community over on Twitter: @ChrisWerms)

Marvel’s Star Wars: Journey to The Force Awakens…I mean, Star Wars Special: C-3PO has had a wild ride. One of the earlier one-shots announced for the Marvel line-up of Star Wars comics, this C-3PO issue was promised to come as a part of the lead-up to the premiere of The Force Awakens in theaters. Production delays plagued the issue pushing it from December to March finally to April. The issue is here, so where does it stand? Continue reading “Canon Comic Review by Chris: C-3P0 #1 “The Phantom Limb” (One-Shot)”

Canon Comic Review: C-3PO #1 “The Phantom Limb” (One-Shot)

C3PO #1

– Spoiler Review –

The oft-delayed, and much maligned for it, C-3PO one shot, “The Phantom Limb,” is finally out in comic shops everywhere, defying expectations for it to become the first “Phantom Comic” of Marvel’s run. Originally scheduled to release before The Force Awakens, as part of the “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens” line, C-3PO reveals the story behind the always nervous droid’s mysterious red arm seen on him (and heard constantly mentioning about) for the majority of the film. Written by James Robinson, with the art handled by Tony Harris, is the issue any good (even if you ignore the delays and expectations)? Continue reading “Canon Comic Review: C-3PO #1 “The Phantom Limb” (One-Shot)”

Canon Young Adult Novel Review: Star Wars: Before the Awakening

Before the Awakening

Spoiler Review –

Serving as both a companion piece to the original trilogy character-focused YA novels from “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the film itself, Before the Awakening (written by Greg Rucka, art by Phil Noto) fleshes out the three new highly entertaining and enjoyable leads of the new trilogy, Finn, Rey, and Poe. Overall BtA doesn’t change our perceptions of the characters, but it deepens the strong character work done for them in the film as well as explain the state of the galaxy a little more than the film cared to. Any fan of The Force Awakens and these three new leads should take the time to read their stories within Before the Awakening. Continue reading “Canon Young Adult Novel Review: Star Wars: Before the Awakening”

Canon Short Story Review: Star Wars: Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens (Volume 1)

Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away - Aliens

Spoiler Reviews –

UPDATED: The “Tales from/of” series has long been a stalwart of the literature arm of the Star Wars franchise, giving life to the background characters seen throughout the films. The tradition continues into the new canon with the newest iteration of the idea, written by Landry Q. Walker: Star Wars: Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens (Volume 1), which is part of the “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” line. Volume 1 originally released 4 stories as ebooks prior to the TFA‘s release, but they have since been collected, with two new stories, in a hardcover edition that released April 5. Below are reviews for all six Tales stories: 1) “All Creatures Great and Small”; 2) “The Face of Evil”; 3) “The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku”; 4) “High Noon on Jakku.”; 5) “A Recipe for Death”*; 6) “True Love”* Continue reading “Canon Short Story Review: Star Wars: Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens (Volume 1)”

Canon Short Story Review: Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon

The Perfect Weapon

Spoiler Review –

Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon is a short story that is part of the “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” written by Delilah S. Dawson, and centers on spy-for-hire Bazine Netal and her latest mission. Overall, The Perfect Weapon is an enjoyable spy-fi romp in the Star Wars universe, with a strong central character in Bazine, but it tends to be predictable thanks to its over-reliance on spy genre tropes (though that same reliance is what makes it enjoyable in the first place). Continue reading “Canon Short Story Review: Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon”

Canon Comic Review: Shattered Empire #4

Shattered Empire #4

Spoiler Review –

By the will of the Force, Shara Bey finds herself helping Luke on a mission he deems vitally important. Shattered Empire #4 wraps up some questions, leaves several things tantalizing open, and gives Luke his first new canon post-Return of the Jedi moment (and it raises even more questions about his role in The Force Awakens), leaving me wishing this had been an on-going series instead of a limited one.
Continue reading “Canon Comic Review: Shattered Empire #4”

Canon Comic Review: Shattered Empire #3

Shattered Empire #3

Spoiler Review –

Shattered Empire #3 is quite the exhilarating ride thanks to an epic battle above Naboo where it becomes clear the planet was lucky to have three badass lady pilots on the ground when the Empire attacked. Continue reading “Canon Comic Review: Shattered Empire #3”

NYCC 2015: New Star Wars Novels, Short Stories, and Comics Announced! (UPDATED)

New Republic BloodlineIt’s already seemingly a fantastic time to be a Star Wars fan, what with 6 new films on the horizon and all the comics and novels already in the works, but it’s only going to get better and better: at NYCC the other two entries in the Aftermath Trilogy got subtitles (and release windows), Claudia Gray has a new novel, a couple of short stories are on the way, and a new comics series called Obi-Wan and Anakin were all announced! Your wallets won’t be happy with an awakening of this magnitude. Continue reading “NYCC 2015: New Star Wars Novels, Short Stories, and Comics Announced! (UPDATED)”

Canon Comic Review: Shattered Empire #2

Shattered Empire #2

Spoiler Review –

While Shattered Empire didn’t have the strongest of starts, #2 says frak that and ups the ante and its game with a puzzling new Imperial character, a solid lead in Shara, and a what-the-hell ending. Continue reading “Canon Comic Review: Shattered Empire #2”

Grand Admiral Canon: To Be or Not to Be “So Artistically Done” Again

Grand Admiral Canon

– Warning: This article contains spoilers for Aftermath and Lost Stars

Let me start this off by saying, without a doubt, this article is pure speculation. The Fleet Admiral character introduced in the final pages of Star Wars: Aftermath is without a name, species, or any other physically identifying details. He remains a mystery and will likely remain to do so until we’re much closer to the release of the second part of the Aftermath Trilogy sometime next year. But what we have been given is enough for myself and many, many, many others to speculate on the Admiral’s identity, with millions of fingers pointing at an all too familiar Grand Admiral who is synonymous with the original Expanded Universe. However, it’s as equally likely it’ll be someone else entirely or a brand new character as much as it could be the famous Admiral. But once I decided to make the assumption it could be the old staple of the Legends-verse, Thrawn, I started to wonder: how can the new unified canon make the Grand Admiral character fresh and unique while still honoring what came before in Legends? Can he really be so artistically done again? This article has my answers to those questions. Continue reading “Grand Admiral Canon: To Be or Not to Be “So Artistically Done” Again”