rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 24, 2016 4:05:20 GMT -5
Star Wars #90Cover dated: December 1984 Issue title: The Choice!Script: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Bob McLeod (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Bob Sharen Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Bob McLeod (pencils)/Tom Palmer (inks) Overall rating: 6 out of 10 For me the treatment of the Empire after Endor is the biggest disappointment of the entire Marvel run. The Galactic Civil War, the whole engine of the story for the first four fifths of the series run is brushed offscreen with a few unsatisfactory lines of dialogue that raise more questions than they answer. To be fair, as you have pointed out Confessor, Duffy and the other Marvel writers very much had their hands tied by Lucas. It is maddening, knowing what freedom Timothy Zahn would have just a few years later when writing Heir to the Empire, to think about what we might have seen if the Marvel writers had had the same opportunity. As it is we are told that the (unidentified) Imperial leaders have surrendered to the Alliance and the former Rebels are facing a mopping up operation against small factions of ex-Imperials. I know you've said that the bulk of the Imperial military was destroyed at Endor Confessor but that is only likely if the Empire just has a few dozen ships available in the entire Imperial Navy. The evidence from the film suggests a fleet of a couple of dozen Star Destroyers - a big and powerful fleet certainly, but not the hundreds or thousands the Empire is implied to have. Lines from the film itself imply a much bigger navy. As our heroes approach the Sanctuary Moon and Luke senses Vader on the Executor Han reassures him that "there are lot of command ships" implying that the Empire has several similar ships around (some reassurance Han! ). There is also the line about "the Imperial fleet spread throughout the galaxy" which implies the Empire is using (and has) enough warships to bluff the Rebels into thinking the Second Death Star won't have much protection. Even Palpatine's line about a full Legion of his best troops being on the Sanctuary Moon does imply he has more than one legion. The earlier Marvel comics also give the Empire a big fleet - big enough that an entire fleet of older ships can be left to patrol unimportant backwaters ( #46) or that an immense armada can perform escort duty for an admittedly important secret weapon ( #61). So where did all these Imperials go, and if they did dutifully lay down their arms why didn't the Alliance of Free Planets use those ships and crews in the desperate life or death struggle against the Nagai? Aside from the 'where did all of the Imperials actually go?' question the peace negotiations feel like a real missed opportunity too. Imagine our heroes having to protect Imperial moderates from diehard Imperial hardliners, or uncover threats from Rebel factions unhappy at a negotiated peace, or find the first traces of Lumiya and/or the Nagai scheming. As I've said it isn't Marvel's fault that we didn't get to see any of this, but even knowing that it still feels very disappointing. Moving away from the Empire and to the rest of this issue I can't say Mon Mothma and the rest of the Alliance leadership comes across very well. The decision that no one who is not present for an arbitraily timed meeting should have no say in the future of the GFFA is not just stupid it is worryingly undemocratic. The comics seem to have forgotten that there is an existing galactic government that Leia is part of (and Admiral Ackbar is not) - the Sentate! I've never understood why this institution is never referenced again, even though we have already met at least one senator (Greyshadow) so there must be others out there. Lines in A New Hope ("the Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate...") suggest that even under Palpatine the Senate was not entirely composed of Imperial-line lapdogs and with the Emperor dead it is the obvious body to undissolve itself and take over the government at least on a temporary basis. Indeed the suspiciously shadowy Imperial leaders Mon Mothma mentions could even be the Senate. So... do I have anything positive to say about this issue. Actually yes, despite my disappointment at the offscreen end of the Galactic Civil War (which isn't the fault of Duffy) and the stupidity and ingratitude of the Rebel leadership towards the people who won the war (which might be more the fault of Duffy). The cover is really very striking and our heroes are well characterised throughout. I do like the tensions between Rik Duel and the Rebels and the brother-sister bonding between Luke and Leia (and I didn't know even the sibling bond was restricted by Lucas.) We even get the first steps towards a new generation of Jedi Knights, even if Luke is understandably reluctant to take the plunge. Even given my frustrations I'm very happy to stick with these stories. If anything knowing the near impossible restrictions the Marvel writers were placed under increases my admiration for what they do achieve.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 24, 2016 2:35:31 GMT -5
Sorry, I've been offline for a couple of days -- it was my Birthday yesterday and celebrations and family stuff took precedence. Anyway, as for your OUTRAGEOUS comments about Princess Leia... Oh, belated happy birthday! Hope it went well! I had one last month. I agree with a lot of what you're saying here, but I don't understand why you feel that Leia isn't very rebellious? Also, although you are spot on about her dislike of and resistance to the Empire having been instilled in her from a young age by Bail Organa, I wouldn't go so far as to say that Leia has "the most black and white attitude to the Galactic Civil War". Her motivation is different to Han and Luke because she's suffered a lot more personal tragedy at the hands of the Empire than they have. The losses that the princess had to endure -- that of her parents, her entire world and everything she called "home" (not to mention the psychological torture she endured on board the Death Star) -- utterly dwarfs anything that Luke Skywalker had to endure. Very true. Princess Leia suffers far more than any of the others. However, and I think this is important, her attitude is already set in stone before Grand Moff Tarkin destroys her home. The very first time we see her Leia, still a princess and a senator, she is running an incredibly important and dangerous mission for the Rebel Alliance of which she already appears to be one of the leaders. She sneers at both Vader and Tarkin and bristles with heroic defiance. At this point Alderaan is still around and given her position and her 'outraged diplomat' act towards Vader it is fairly unlikely Leia has felt the oppressive nature of the Empire on a personal level (she almost certainly has seen it affect others however.) I think a lot of that personal loathing of the Empire was down to how she was raised, which is why she seems less rebellious to me - Luke is already in a state of rebellion against his aunt and uncle (even if he is not very good at it ) and Han and Lando are in rebellion against the galaxy at large. Leia is following in her father's footsteps. Ummm...yes, the lowest rating for one of the regular U.S. comics -- although issue #78 came close with 2½. Some of the Pizzazz strips scored as low as a ½ point, but as far as the regular series goes, yeah, this is the lowest rated issue so far. Wow. Hopefully that score will remain unchallenged for the rest of the run! As noted in my review, I think that the only way that you can make this story fit into then-current Marvel continuity is to slot it between pages 5 and 6 of issue #81. I speculated in my review of issue #81 that several days, if not weeks, must've passed between those two pages, based on how things had changed on Tatooine when Han and Leia got there, so it's feasible that Luke could've gone off and had this adventure on the planet Solay during that time. Yeah, that makes a sort of sense! The 90's/2000's Expanded Universe had a few stories set straight after Jabba's demise which are kind of fun. In one of them some of Jabba's thugs try and steal his personal ship only to find the Hutt had set up the ship's computer with a security program based on his own personality.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 23, 2016 15:09:49 GMT -5
Kind of surprised no one had anything to say about my thoughts on Leia in #86 - I thought that would be at least a little controversial! Anyway, back to the catching up! Star Wars #88Cover dated: October 1984 Issue title: FigureheadScript: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Bob McLeod (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Julianna Ferriter Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Bob McLeod (pencils)/Tom Palmer (inks) Overall rating: 8 out of 10 I will have much more to say about Galactic Politics - and the Empire in particular - when I get to #90. For now I'll concentrate on the story at hand. I've had some issues with the Alliance of Free Planets arc but one thing I do really like is how we get see each of our heroes enjoy a day in the limelight. Leia's solo (no pun intended) adventures have always been a favourite of mine, since they often have espionage/intrigue elements - I know you didn't really like #48 Confessor but I found it pretty fun, and this one is better than that. As always I love the worldbuilding aspects we see in many of these stories and you're right, that is a very neat touch with the hairstyles. It was an interesting descision to have Lumiya make her first appearance against Leia rather than the far more obvious Luke. I have to agree she feels a bit, well, 'undercooked' here but we will of course see more of her! Star Wars #89Cover dated: November 1984 Issue title: I'll See You in the Throne Room!Script: Ann Nocenti Artwork: Bret Blevins Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Joe Rosen Cover art: Bret Blevins Overall rating: 2 out of 10 I could be wrong but is that the lowest rating you've graded Confessor? I don't think it is quite as bad as that, but it isn't good and unfortunately it jars badly with the issues around it, in style, characterisation and continuity. Where are Plif, Kiro and the Rik Duel Gang? Last we saw they were with Luke but seemingly they've vanished. In some respects this almost fits more easily with the 1990s continuity, taking place some time after The Truce at Bakura. Still not a perfect fit but the absence of the Marvel characters and the presence of the Empire make much more sense (the Imperial armanda I'll save for my reaction to #90.) One small aspect I do like is that Luke temporarily seems to have stepped out of his "no mushy stuff please, we're Jedi" phase in favour of his earlier characterisation as a rather romantic individual. That said I agree Confessor I'd rather not have Luke remind himself of Leia when looking at Melody!
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 22, 2016 16:03:37 GMT -5
I'm 35 so far too young for the Marvel comics. My exposure to Star Wars (beyond the films of course) was in the early 90's with the Thrawn Trilogy, The Courtship of Princess Leia and so on, so that period, running up to around the release of the Special Editions is basically my favourite era of the Expanded Universe. I'm a roleplayer too so the WEG books have a big part in that too, and I still like to read through some of those books even though it has been forever since I got to play. I read the Brian Daley Han Solo Adventures about ten years ago and liked them a lot, and got into the Marvel comics when Dark Horse started printing their omnibus editions in 2010 - I had known about them for years thanks to mentions on the Jedi Council Forums but never gotten around to picking them in any format. While the 90's will probably always be favourite era I have grown to really love the early stuff. It probably helps that the dominant Expanded Universe stories of the 2000's - the New Jedi Order books and their follow ups kind of left me cold. (I'm reading the new Marvel comics but they don't have the charm of the old Marvel stuff, or the 90's era comics.) Anyway, back to catching up: Star Wars #87Cover dated: September 1984 Issue title: "Still Active After All These Years"Script: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Tom Palmer Colours: Michael Higgins Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Tom Palmer Overall rating: 6 out of 10 Poor Chihdo and Plif miss out appearing on the cover with the rest of heroes. I wonder who they upset? Actually I want to talk about Chihdo. I like all the Rik Duel Gang and Dani is probably my favourite character in the Marvel run, but what is interesting about Chihdo is that he is a Rodian. Even leaving aside everything we learn about Rodians later in the late 1980s and 1990s (which as Confessor points out is a seperate continuity) Chihdo is unique in being a member of a non-human species from the films rather than invented by Marvel. I love a lot of Marvels alien designs but there is a certain charm in seeing a 'known' species too; it makes the universe feel consistent. I've mentioned before how strange it is to have no Twi'leks running around given how popular they became in later Star Wars media. Anyway, like I said I like the Rik Duel Gang and they are in good form here, even if Luke's 'perfect gentleman' behaviour (as you perfectly put it Confessor!) is really beginning to strain credibility. As I've said before Luke isn't someone who has shied away from girl since the beginning; he has had strong crushes before and even at least the start of a relationship with Shira Brie. I don't have a problem if he really isn't interested in Dani at all (though I think he's nuts - Dani is awesome) but it does seem more like he is being written as someone with no interest in romance at all. And yes that superweapon is ridiculous, though I admit we do at least get a good story title out of it.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 22, 2016 10:36:51 GMT -5
I always thought that Boba Fett's return in Star Wars: Dark Empire (1991-1992) was a pseudo-continuation of Star Wars #81, where he briefly escaped the Saarlac & then fell back in. I always thought he escaped again, and thereby that's how he showed up in DE - where he said something like, "The Sarlaac found me somewhat indigestible" to Han. Sure, I know that DH & the '90's SW novels largely ignored the Marvel comics continuity, but I still think they kept the Marvel comics in mind in some cases... What gets confusing with SW EU continuity is that there's so much of it these days. You have the late '70's/'80's continuity (SOTME novel, Marvel comics, Brian Daley Han Solo novels, Lando Calrissian novels, WEG) & then you have the '90's-on novels/comics (DE, HTTE trilogy by Tim Zahn, the terrible Jedi Academy novels by KJA, etc.). Now, you have the post-Disney continuity, which ignores most/all of the previous continuity. I can't keep track of it all, so don't even bother. I'll just read what I like. Disney & Lflm. can go screw themselves with their continuity Weirdly, I think the original Marvel comics run was one of the few things out of continuity during the 90's - Splinter of the Mind's Eye got a graphic novel treatment by Dark Horse in 1996, and both the Brian Daley Han Solo books and the L. Neil Smith Lando books were slotted into the timeline by A.C. Crispin in her late 90's Han Solo book. West End Games seems to have been pretty much always in continuity - Timothy Zahn researched WEG books when he was writing the Thrawn Trilogy and WEG produced sourcebooks for most of the novels.I think the problem the 90's writers had was that while it was very easy to make something like Han Solo at Stars End fit continuity because it was set at some indeterminate point before the films started it was much, much harder to work in the Marvel comics.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 22, 2016 7:42:42 GMT -5
Star Wars #86Cover dated: August 1984 Issue title: The Alderaan Factor!Script: Randy Stradley Artwork: Bob McLeod (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Bob McLeod Overall rating: 8 out of 10 For a Rebel Princess Leia is not very rebellious. I said it before and I know that is a weird thing to say. Of the main cast Leia is by far the most ideologically commited to the Rebellion. In many ways she is the heart and soul of the movement. That being said, as Confessor's choice of quote makes clear, Leia did not come to the Rebellion as an adult, after some personal turning point or tragedy. She was raised in opposition to the Empire and her beliefs are Bail Organa's beliefs. That doesn't mean she doesn't think about them - she comes across as far too smart and passionate a woman to simply be parroting someone else's view - but it does make her different to Han or Luke or Lando, and in think in some ways she probably does still have the most black and white attitude to the Galactic Civil War. I've always enjoyed issues where Leia is forced to come face to face with dedicated Imperials who disagree with her politics but don't fall easily into a corrupt, power hungry standard Imperial box. In many ways they make a fascinating counterpart to Han confronting his own foils in the Rik Duel Gang. This story is the most memorable, and given the Alderaan connection, the most personal but equally interesting is her dealings with Major Grau in the World of Fire arc (from Star Wars Weekly) and Admiral Lieutenant Giel in Golrath Never Forgets! (#65) - respectively an Imperial patriot who refuses an offer to defect out of principle and an officer who even after being demoted is willing to sacrifice himself if it means killing Leia on the belief that her death would be a far greater blow to the Rebels than his would be to the Empire. As I've said though this probably the most memorable of the stories where Leia has to confront someone who simply rejects her beliefs without being an unthinking drone, who considers her a traitor. As you say Confessor, the TIE pilot doesn't have the most well thought out philosophy but there is genuine weight to his conversations with Leia, and to the fact that she is able to get through to him. None of the previous encounters had truly happy endings, and perhaps neither does The Alderaan Factor! but I think this is the one that shows her best, at her most mature, wisest and most compassionate.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 22, 2016 6:08:35 GMT -5
Yes, and that's why it's best to treat all three continuities seperately, in my view. Although I was annoyed back in the '90s when Dark Horse and West End Games etc decided to dispense with the Marvel Comics' continuity entirely, I'm now of the opinion -- having seen three distinct eras of the "expanded universe" come or go -- that they should all be separate from each other. Rather than viewing them as "legends", I very much tend to view the original Marvel continuity as being an entirely separate universe to the Dark Horse/West End Games/Timothy Zahn etc continuity, and that timeline as a different universe to the current Disney continuity. I know that, in reality, it's not quite as cut and dried as that (we had Shira/Lumiya in the Marvel and DH/WEGs continuity, for example), but in my mind that's how it is. To make a Marvel superheroes analogy, to me, the current Disney continuity is the Earth-616 universe, while the Dark Horse continuity might be viewed as the Earth-1610 (Ultimates Universe) and the original Marvel SW as Earth-311 (Marvel 1602 Universe). That makes a lot of sense. I know relatively late in the DH/WEG continuity (from around 2000 on) there was an effort to include more of the old Marvel continuity with Lumiya showing up in an important role in the books and several Zeltron characters appearing. Likewise the Disney continuity has taken a few aspects of the older continuity in a 'broad strokes' kind of fashion. Still as you say it is best to regard them as seperate universes. Star Wars #85Cover dated: July 1984 Issue title: The HeroScript: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Bob McLeod (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Bob McLeod Overall rating: 7 out of 10 There really is just something a lot of fun with having Han, Chewie and Lando altogether and if Drebble isn't my favourite supporting character of the Marvel run (Dani!) he has a lot of charm in a bumbling, sympathetic villain sort of way. It is a likeable end to an entertaining subplot and I love your choice of quote Confessor. I do have some thoughts on the Alliance of Free Planets Arc but I think I better save those for the issues when we start to look at how the new Alliance operates.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 21, 2016 12:25:41 GMT -5
Yes, I think I made mention in my review that a lot of this comic has a Flash Gordon-esque quality to it. I have no problem with that at all, especially given what a big influence that strip was on Star Wars as a whole. Exactly! Very Flash Gordon! I had no idea about this. I agree that to an Irish person, that would be jarring. I think I might edit my review to include this nugget of info. Are you from Ireland, rossn? I am Irish yes. Honestly it wouldn't be quite so jarring if they had picked a more mythic name - I guess, to use a British example again, it is the difference between calling a planet Avalon and calling it Birmingham. Both have British connections but one sounds less 'modern' right? Also there is the weirdness about dropping the naming convention halfway through that I mentioned. Fair point. And I especially agree that the ending of the story, like a number of other one-shots in the series, was unrealistically cut and dried. But I'm not sure that I see the idea of having an oppressive monarchy at odds with the vibe of the Star Wars universe. I mean, here on earth, we have benign monarchies, symbolic monarchies, and despotic monarchies...so why not in that galaxy far, far away? That's true. I'm not sure why it rubbed me the wrong way so much. As I've said before there is a definite 'offness' in the treatment of Sarna - if she's supposed to be a comedy relief villainess/bickering sexy love interest for Lando that's one thing but if she is meant to be a tyrant a comfy exile after a violent revolution seems weird. It does make me wonder if the Rebels had any plans for Palpatine other than regicide. Would he have be tried? I think that the small squad of Imperials we see in this issue is perfectly in line with the state of the Empire in the ongoing series during this period. I have a much bigger problem with the huge Imperial armada that appears over the planet Solay in issue #89. That really doesn't fit in very well with the post-ROTJ status quo that Duffy had created. I was thinking of that actually. The different continuities all seem to have come up with different views on the fall of Empire. Original Marvel Comics - Quick and Clean The Empire surrenders/collapses within days of the Battle of Endor, with a few holdouts acting as essentially pirates and raiders until the Dark Lady steps in and reunites some of these remnants in her alliance with the Nagai (the Imperial fleet in #89 is hard to reconcile this, though ironically fits in perfectly with the following option.) Expanded Universe - Slow and Messy The Empire starts disintegrating after Endor with systems defecting to the Alliance and rogue Imperial breaking away to form warlord states. However a 'core' Empire stays reasonably intact, if gradually shrinking for the next couple of years under the Emperor's surviving successors, before the New Republic, having secured the Outer Rim liberates Coruscant (see the X-Wing comics/novels). After that the Empire quickly declines but remains a viable state - by the time of the Thrawn Trilogy (five years after Endor) the New Republic controls most of the GFFA while there is a 'rump' Empire stretching across a quarter of it's former territory. The tables are briefly turned by the brilliance of Grand Admiral Thrawn and then the Emperor reborn ( Dark Empire) but by seven years after Endor the Empire has completely collapsed with ex-Imperial warlords fighting each other while the rest of the GFFA ignores. Admiral Pellaeon manages to reunite them into a functioning Empire again, but they are far too weak to threaten the New Republic. Much later it will be this surviving rump state ('the Imperial Remnant') that signs a peace treaty with the New Republic. New (Disney) continuity - Quick and Messy As Expanded Universe above but on a much quicker, more destructive timetable with a brutal civil war and the Empire imploding at Jakku a year or so after Endor and a peace treaty that leaves a battered, much reduced and (theoretically) disarmed Empire independent but ostracised, eventually to evolve into the First Order.
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rossn
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Post by rossn on Oct 21, 2016 6:19:00 GMT -5
Star Wars #84Cover dated: June 1984 Issue title: Seoul SearchingScript: Roy Richardson Artwork: David Mazzucchelli (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Roy Richardson (pencils)/Tom Palmer (inks) Overall rating: 7 out of 10 So not only does Drogheda exist in the GFFA Seoul does too? Actually I can forgive this one a little more since seems to exist more to set up a pun, a very bad pun true, but there isn't the strange half finished worldbuilding there was in Issue # 83. I always liked the immediate pre- Empire stories and you are right Confessor this does feel like a throwback. That isn't a bad thing neccessarily and it is good to see the Empire again but it does open the way for a very inconsistent portrayal of the post-Endor galaxy where some of the time the Empire seems to have collapsed completely and some of the time there seem to be major elements intact, somewhat like the post-Imperial warlords we would see in the later Expanded Universe books (Warlord Zsinj for instance). It is a bit of a headache. Other than though the story is a fun old school adventure and it is just good to see Han being Han.
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Post by rossn on Oct 20, 2016 18:00:14 GMT -5
Star Wars #83Cover dated: May 1984 Issue title: Sweetheart ContractScript: Linda Grant Artwork: Bob McLeod Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Bob McLeod Cover art: Bob McLeod Overall rating: 6 out of 10 There is a lot I love about this issue and, alas, a lot that drives me crazy. First the good: this a great use of Lando as a quick witted, charming scoundrel. I've complained before about how the comics have had difficulty using Lando (and to be fair they got better) but I think this my favourite use of him. Lando is a much smoother character than the scruffy Han and in many ways this feels much more like his world - sure he can fly a ship and fire but he is someone who can slip into the diplomatic world better than anyone except Leia. I also think he had a lot of fun chemistry with the very sexy Sarna, who sort of comes across as the anti-Leia (more on her in a moment.) I also love the design of Drogheda which feels very Marvel Star Wars in that wonderful space opera way the comic can manage. The planet and society are not as ambitious as Iskalon but there is considerable beauty to the landscapes and people we see. Unfortunately I have a couple of serious problems with the story. Firstly there is the planets name. I understand that not many Americans will have heard of the real Drogheda but to an Irishman it is just incredibly jarring to hear it be used as the name of a planet in the GFFA. Drogheda (the real one) is a fairly substantial town with a particularly important role in Irish history. It would be like naming the planet Salem for Americans or Hastings for Britain. What's worse is that having settled on an Irish name for the planet and an Irish name for the queen's sister the naming convention is dropped halfway through - Princess Danu of Drogheda is sibling to the very un-Irish sounding Queen Sarna and enemy to the even less Irish-sounding Harlech. I know the impact wouldn't mean much to someone outside Ireland but it really jarred me out of the story. My other problem is going to sound very strange, but I found the politics of the story a bit... odd. Star Wars has a complex relationship with royalty: the Emperor is evil but Princess Leia is heroic and the very name 'Jedi Knight' evokes nobility. Sweetheart Contract has a weird vibe that seems to suggest that the problem with Queen Sarna is not that she is a spoiled airhead (though she is) but that there is a stark choice between monarchy and democracy, with monarchy being very much a Bad Thing, an idea that seems both at odds with anyone who has visited a constitutional monarchy and, again, with the Star Wars universe. It would be a bit different if Sarna was presented as a dictator directly installed by the Empire but she seems to have inherited her throne from her father. I don't see why Danu couldn't just have said she'd reform the government or let the people decide. It all seems very cut and dry, but surely if Queen Sarna is that bad she should be put on trial by the people? Unless we are meant to see Danu as more of a shady character than it first seems. (It might be seen as a bit of irony that immediately after overthrowing the apparently despotic rulership of the world in name of 'democracy' Danu effectively issues a royal command letting her sister go free, but I don't think that irony was intentional, just like the choice of planet name.) Wow, reading that back makes it seem like I hated the story. Despite my problems I really didn't and I'm a bit sorry we never saw Sarna again. Poor Lando.
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Post by rossn on Oct 20, 2016 5:47:07 GMT -5
Of course not. I'm always happy to discuss any of the issues that I've reviewed, regardless of when I wrote that review. Glad to see you back around these parts, rossn. You've been missed. Thanks, good to be back! Well, I know it's handled differently in later expanded universe sources, but within the old Marvel continuity the Empire actually capitulated after the Battle of Endor. Of course, there were still some isolated pockets of Imperial resistance scattered throughout the galaxy, along with those ambitious individuals who strove to unite them in challenge to the new Alliance of Free Planets (as you'll see from some of my most recent reviews), but ultimately, the Empire actually surrendered. I guess that having lost the twin figureheads of Darth Vader and the Emperor, along with its latest armored battle station and a sizable portion of the Imperial fleet -- not to mention a legion (usually 10,000 troops) of the Empire's finest soldiers -- was too much for the organisation to take. So, it's not strictly true to say that "the Empire collapsed completely literally overnight" in the Marvel run. They actually surrendered and voluntarily laid down their weapons. Thanks, that clears things up a little. It probably isn't the direction I'd go in - I like the internal collapse of the Empire and slow retreat we see in the X-Wing comics and novels and the Thrawn Trilogy - and it seems more true to the Imperial we know and love (to hate) for them to fight over a throne than surrender meekly. Still, hearing what constraints the Marvel writers were working under I suppose that had to work in the way they did. (I agree losing the Empire does leave a huge narrative hole.) Star Wars #82 Cover dated: April 1984 Issue title: DiplomacyScript: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Ronald Frenz (breakdowns)/M. Hands (inks) – ["many hands"/uncredited inkers] Colours: Ken Feduniewicz (uncredited) Letters: Joe Rosen Cover art: Ronald Frenz (pencils)/Tom Palmer (inks) Overall rating: 5 out of 10 I agree this probably wasn't the most thrilling issue ever but it was fun to see Iskalon again, a very colourful and striking world and the Rik Duel gang are always entertaining. I am surprised by how downbeat the issue is. It is realistic that the Iskalonions are still traumatised by what happened to them but it is an interesting choice to see the Alliance of Free Planets stumble so early.
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Post by rossn on Oct 19, 2016 15:55:47 GMT -5
Star Wars #81Cover dated: March 1984 Issue title: Jawas of DoomScript: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Ronald Frenz (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks)/Tom Mandrake (finished art & inks) Colours: Ken Feduniewicz (uncredited) Letters: Joe Rosen Cover art: Tom Palmer Overall rating: 10 out of 10 I agree this was a fun issue, even if I am not quite as fond of it as you are Confessor - I guess my love of the Expanded Universe makes the idea the Empire collapsed completely literally overnight a bit much to take. I agree with you about the Boba Fett being mistaken for a droid thing being out there - the same Jawas who wander about Mos Eisley and must see hundreds of different species can't tell the difference between a man in a helmet and a machine? Still that being said the issue is a lot of fun and that is an amazing cover! Oh and regarding Han's docking fees that subplot was used again in the Star Wars roleplaying game (the West End Games version.) Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley identifies the owners of the docking as an unlucky Duro couple who got into trouble with their payments to Jabba thanks to Han's thoughtlessness!
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Post by rossn on Oct 19, 2016 15:33:30 GMT -5
Returning to this thread for the first time in a long while I see I have a lot to catch up! I hope you don't mind if if I talk about some of the earlier reviews Confessor?
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Post by rossn on Jul 21, 2016 19:00:59 GMT -5
Star Wars #79Cover dated: January 1984 Issue title: The Big ConScript: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Ronald Frenz (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Joe Rosen Cover art: Ronald Frenz (pencils)/Tom Palmer (inks) Overall rating: 9 out of 10 I agree this issue was a lot of fun and a much better use of Lando than some earlier issues. I do agree the art on Han's poster is pretty awesome. Regarding Lando's ship I think I prefer his later EU ship Lady Luck. Aside from having a better name a luxury yacht that Lando has had extensively modified just feels more in character for the man, at least later in his quasi-respectable career.
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rossn
Full Member
Posts: 173
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Post by rossn on Jun 22, 2016 20:32:34 GMT -5
Ah, Palpatine enters the story! Objectively Empire is the better film but I always have a soft spot for Jedi. It might be because the last chapter of the trilogy (as it was then) was particularly rich in building blocks for the Expanded Universe. I am a big fan of Palpatine and Jabba (both alluded to before of course, but properly introduced in Jedi) and this story manages to give a glimpse of life both in the grimy underworld and in the centre of Imperial power. Yeah, I can well remember what a charge it was to finally see the likes of The Emperor and Jabba the Hutt back in 1983. Although, I've spoken before in this thread about how I was initially disappointed with the bloated, slug-like form that the galactic crime lord took, when compared to the more svelte Marvel version. I guess it just wasn't what I was used to, being an avid reader of the comics. Actually, although nowadays Jabba is something of a pop culture icon, I still think some of the concept designs that ILM came up with for the Hutt during pre-production of ROTJ were more interesting than the Jabba we finally saw on the screen. I don't know, I kind of like 'our' Jabba. I've half a mind to review his own 90s comics at some point. That said one thing that really does stand out for me is that the Marvel comics don't have any Twi'leks, for the obvious reason that Bib Fortuna and Oola weren't invented yet. The weird thing is that while none of the films have had one as a main character Twi'leks are probably the most common 'background' alien race in Star Wars! All of the prequels have Twi'leks walking around in them, Aayla Secura showed up in the comics, prequels and Clone Wars, one of the main characters in Rebels is a Tw'lek, an entire novel is set on their home world and that is without counting their countless appearances in the old EU. ( The Force Awakens is the odd man out in some ways for not having them.) I guess it didn't really hit me until we got to Return of the Jedi how much of the GFFA is still being formed.
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