Chewbacca comic book mini-series answers nearly 40 year old question about original Star Wars movie

Marvel wrapped up the first year of its new run of original Star Wars comics by answering a question that has been on fans' minds ever since the original movie debuted in 1977.  In the closing sequence of the film why didn't Chewbacca get a medal along with his buddies Luke Skywalker and Han Solo?

Come on even George Lucas got a medal!

Well in the concluding edition of a recent five issue Chewbacca themed comic book mini-series story arc from Marvel that hit store shelves on December 30, 2015 that nagging question has finally been answered. This story by writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto involves Chewie heading back to his home world of Kashyyyk shortly after the events that transpired in A New Hope, but his transportation has some technical difficulties in route that leads to him crash landing on an Imperial occupied planet Andelm IV.  He then becomes embroiled in an adventure to help a teenage girl named Zarro save her friends and family from being enslaved in a gangster's mining racket that provides military supplies to the Empire.  In CHEWBACCA #5 this duo ultimately saves the day and as Zarro remarks in her goodbye to the Wookiee as he prepares to head home that she wished she had some acknowledgment or recognition for her heroic actions that saved the planet's inhabitants from a life of slavery.  In his Wookiee howls, growls and barks, Chewbacca communicates that displaying medals goes against the warrior nature of his species. He then hands Zarro a gift he pulls from his spaceship just before he departs for Kashyyyk...his medal, like the one seen worn by Luke and Han at the end of Star Wars, that he also was given following the ceremony celebrating the destruction of the Death Star.

So there you have it!  A new bit of Star Wars canon was just added to the saga acknowledging that Chewbacca was respected for his contributions in rescuing Princess Leia and destroying the Death Star but because Wookiees have a cultural aversion to being presented with medals he was provided with his privately at the conclusion of the ceremony.  So for all those fans who were distressed that the Wookiee had been dissed by his human counterparts don't be dismayed because it appears according to Chewbacca that medals are for sissies not real warriors so he really didn't want one in the first place.  So in a touching conclusion to Marvel's Chewbacca comic book mini-series a courageous teenage girl gets to enjoy and cherish a Medal of Bravery that will always remind her of a very special Wookiee who befriended her. 

Free Online Star Wars Comic Strip Available On Webtoons.com

The digital comic service Webtoons.com has launched a new bi-weekly comic strip series that fans of SciFi are definitely going to want to check out.  Every Thursday and Sunday the web site will be publishing a new Star Wars comic strip that people can read for FREE!  This new digital comic series will center on the original Star Wars trilogy digging into the story from a new perspective -- from the point-of-view of a young Luke Skywalker.  This is the first time this comic series which has been an overseas sensation has been made available within the United States.

Star Wars is authored by Hong Jacga, a renowned Korean comic artist who has received huge accolades for such work as Hwa Ja, Dorothy Band, and The Cat Funeral -- the latter two works having been adapted into musical and movie form respectively. To effectively deliver the original Star Wars story, Hong Jacga not only reconstructs events from the films but also includes main characters, backgrounds and locations consistent with the Star Wars universe while adding his uniquely realistic and exquisite art style. As a fan of Star Wars himself, Hong Jacga's passion for the original material really shines through in the series and there will be much to look forward to with new interesting content available exclusively through the Star Wars digital comic.

 “Our fans in the United States are in for something special as they now have a chance to dive into the epic Star Wars story in a totally new way, only on Webtoon,” said JunKoo Kim, Founder and Head of Webtoon in a press release to A Geek Daddy. “This immersive digital comic experience offers a brand new experience for Star Wars fans and perfectly showcases the appeal of our digital storytelling format.”

To read Star Wars fans can visit  www.webtoons.com – or download the Webtoon app through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Lost Piece of Star Wars Heritage Rediscovered & Restored

Short films running before the feature presentation at movie theaters have been a marketing niche for Disney & Pixar films in recent years so it is an interesting tie-in that as Star Wars joins the Walt Disney Studios family that a short tied to that franchise which was though lost has just recently been found and restored.  While filming scenes for Empire Strikes Back in England, the movie's art director Roger Christian pitched a script he had written to George Lucas.  Lucas was impressed enough with the script that he provided a budget for Christian to produce a 25 minute short film called Black Angel and committed to have it play in select European movie theaters (including 400 theaters in the United Kingdom) in front of the Empire Strikes Back.  Black Angel accompanied the original release of Empire Strikes Back and then it disappeared not to be seen again for nearly 35 years when the original production audio and video were recently discovered in storage at Universal Studios and restored.  For years because the short was never seen in U.S. theaters or re-released many Star Wars fans though Black Angel was just a legend or hoax.

It's real though and here is Roger Christian telling the story about the short film followed by Black Angel in its entirety:



At the time it was created Black Angel received kudos from the movie making community with director John Boorman motivating the cast and crew of his 1981 movie Excalibur by having them watch Black Angel and people who saw the short in theaters keeping its memory alive over the years until it was rediscovered.  Roger Christian also notes that George Lucas after watching Black Angel modified the light saber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on Dagobah in Empire Strikes Back to be in slow motion because he was impressed by a similar style used during a fight scene in the short film.

Christian is now attempting to create a film based upon the full script he originally presented to George Lucas to review and has launched an Indiegogo campaign to get production off the ground which has already raised more than $100,000.  CLICK HERE if you are interested in contributing or for more information on the Black Angel feature film.

A SciFi Book Review: STAR WARS - HEIR TO THE JEDI

I recently read Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne which was an ok read probably more suited for teens and young adults than 40 something adults like me; but still worth flipping through by "more mature" readers looking for a book to amuse themselves with on a plane ride, while being lazy on a vacation or maybe stuck in bed after a medical procedure.  It's not that it is a bad book just that the main character is a wild and bit reckless teen who tells his story in first person perspective which is probably much more relatable to people closer to the age of the nineteen year old hero - Luke Skywalker - portrayed in it than me.

Heir to the Jedi is an adventure novel that takes place in the Star Wars timeline between the movies Episode IV A New Hope ( aka "Original Star Wars" ) and Episode V The Empire Strikes Back ( aka the best of the Star Wars movies made so far - we'll see how Episode VII The Force Awakens pans out in December ).  The premise of this story is that a brilliant cryptographer named Drusil who is renowned for her ability to breach advanced communications and security systems is being detained by the Empire and it is up to the Rebel Alliance's number one asset to come to the rescue before her skills can be corrupted by Imperial agents.  Luke Skywalker races to Drusil's aid with the help of a team that consists of his ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 and a new Rebel recruit named Nakari Kelen, who has a personal score to settle with the Empire after Darth Vader killed her mother for writing and performing a hit song that mocked him to a galactic audience of music lovers.  Nakari, with the support of her biotech mogul father who found his riches couldn't save his wife from the power of the Empire, provide much needed assistance to the Rebellion and a really nice space yacht which transports the team on their mission to rescue Drusil.

What really stands out in this novel is just how alone Luke Skywalker is after the Battle of Yavin.  In A New Hope, his only family that he knows of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen Lars were murdered by Imperial storm troopers on Tatooine; Ben Kenobi was cut down by the light saber blade of Darth Vader, and childhood best buddy Biggs Darklighter was shot down attacking the Death Star.  As Heir to the Jedi begins Luke finds himself known by everyone as the hero who destroyed the Death Star but himself hardly knowing anyone.  In this novel, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and even C3P0, are off on other assignments leaving Luke with just R2D2 to keep him company and watch out for him.  Nakari steps in to fill that void and we see both characters develop and grow throughout the story as they work together to rescue Drusil from the clutches of the Empire.

With having seen Return of the Jedi and taking consideration all of the Expanded Universe materials that have been published it can be easy to skip over the fact that Ben Kenobi really abandoned Luke Skywalker at the end of A New Hope with no understanding or training on how to be a Jedi.  Without any knowledge of Yoda or any other Jedi to teach him, Luke finds himself frustrated in Heir to the Jedi as to whether or not he'll ever be able to master the Force.  He ponders if destroying the Death Star may have been his one and only encounter with utilizing the Force.  Having this book written in first person narrative really highlights the frustration of this young adult who has accomplished a great feat but now finds himself alone and unsure of himself.

Heir to the Jedi also shows off the young and reckless side of Luke Skywalker similar to the scene in A New Hope where the teen arrogantly challenges Han Solo about the quality of the Millennium Falcon and pilot's skills as they attempt to escape the Imperial blockade over Tatooine.  In this new adventure you witness Luke as the 19 year old kid who sometimes doesn't really think out things as much as he could or should.  During his escapades in Heir to the Jedi, Skywalker finds the tomb of a Jedi that was killed in Order 66 and is able to recover a light saber.  Curious about how light sabers work, he takes it apart to "study it" and accidentally breaks it which shows how the character can be impulsive and further highlights his lack of knowledge when it comes to the ways of the Force.  In another scene, Luke puts his mission at risk when he engages Imperial war ships that don't have any obvious connection to his assigned goals and objectives because he's in the mood to pick a fight.  As you read through this book, you join Luke Skywalker in wondering if maybe there won't be any heir to the Jedi after all.  And that's the rub...this story really delves into whether or not Ben Kenobi was the last of the Jedi or if Luke Skywalker is the heir to the Jedi.  Of course any Star Wars fan knows the answer to that, but this story is told from Luke's perspective and he has no clue what the future holds for him.  Joining him on this journey is what makes this novel an interesting read.

If you are looking for a literary masterpiece this isn't the book you are looking for; but if you are just searching for an amusing way to pass the time I believe readers (especially teens and young adults) will like Heir to the Jedi as an easy to flip through, fast paced SciFi adventure that takes place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. 

DISCLAIMER:  I received limited access to a digital edition of  HEIR TO THE JEDI for this review from its publisher. The views and opinions in this review are my own.  I was not required to post a positive review for access to this book.

Marvel Provides a Sneak Peek @ New Star Wars Comic Book Series

Comic books featuring the cast of characters and story lines revolving around the original trilogy of Star Wars movies aren't anything new as Marvel Comics had a monthly series in print during the time these films were released which was published between 1977 and 1986.  Dark Horse Comics followed that with a monthly series called Empire that had a variety of story lines tied to the movie Star Wars: A New Hope, including how Luke Skywalker's best friend Biggs Darklighter defected from the Imperial Navy to join the Rebels, that ran from 2002 through 2006.  More recently Dark Horse published a monthly series titled STAR WARS that was focused on the time period directly after the events in Star Wars Episode IV that ran from 2013 into 2014.

Marvel Comics is regaining the license rights for Star Wars comics in 2015 and is debuting a series titled STAR WARS with brand new stories focused on the time period between the movies A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.  While this isn't exactly new territory to explore in the world of comic books, what is new about what Marvel is doing that will set these stories apart from previous ones is that they will now be part of the recognized canon for the Star Wars story.  This means they will be considered officially as much a valid part of the Star Wars universe and its over all tale as the movies.  In the past novels and comic books were treated more like fan fiction than an extension of the movies - as past published works are now known as the Legends Collection - so including these new stories as an official part of the Star Wars saga is really a brand new arc for comics.

With excitement for the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens blockbuster that is arriving in theaters in December of 2015 joined with the fan and critical praise for the new Star Wars: Rebels animated television series there is a lot of excitement and renewed interest in the franchise that Disney acquired from George Lucas in 2012.  Marvel Entertainment, which was also acquired by Disney in 2009, is adding to this hype with its renewed publishing of Star Wars comic books.  In fact ComicBook.com is reporting that Star Wars #1 has collectively received more then a million orders from comic book stores for the series' January 14, 2015 debut issue.  Putting that into perspective, the last comic book issue to print and sell a million copies was the milestone 500th issue of BATMAN in 1993.

For all the fans counting down the days until January 14th, Marvel just released a sneak peek of the upcoming Star Wars #1:

 

So here is the synopsis from Marvel for the upcoming #StarWars #comicbook series:

Luke Skywalker and the ragtag band of rebels fighting against the Galactic Empire are fresh off their biggest victory yet—the destruction of the massive battle station known as the Death Star. But the Empire's not toppled yet! Join Luke along with Princess Leia, smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, droids C-3PO and R2-D2 and the rest of the Rebel Alliance as they strike out for freedom against the evil forces of Darth Vader and his master, the Emperor. Written by Jason Aaron (Original Sin, Thor: God of Thunder) and with art by John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Uncanny Avengers), this is the Star Wars saga as only Marvel Comics could make it!

Another angle that Marvel is using to drum up sales and to also cater to its collector markets is that there will be a variety of variant covers, at least 13 of them, that will be printed in quantities significantly lower than the main release version of the comic book.  One will be my favorite comic book artist Alex Ross that will pay tribute to the original cover of Star Wars #1 published by Marvel Comics in April 1977.   Another variant will interlock with the first issue covers of the upcoming Darth Vader series and Princess Leia min-series to create a poster when all three are combined together.  The one I like the best though is a reproduction of the Kenner package for their Luke Skywalker action figure which is the first Star Wars toy I ever owned as a kid and which the artwork I find to be just really impressive.  

So what do you think of Star Wars #1 ... are you going to be picking up a copy from your local comic book shop?

Star Wars Inspired Hot Wheels Cars Race to Stores

Hot Wheels has a new lineup of toy cars racing to store shelves just in time for the holiday shopping season that have designs inspired by the characters from Star Wars.  We recently picked up the Darth Vader Mobile that both my kids and myself agree is just pretty darn cool.

The back of the packaging for the diecast car reads:

As powerful and menacing as Lord Vader himself, this jet black sports car commands the road with a force befitting a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Vader's iconic helmet, mask and chest plate create an ominous design that can intimidate even the fiercest drivers, while his Lightsaber side trim indicates he's always ready for battle.

If you only knew the power of the dark side, you'd steer clear of this sinister speed machine!

To help market this new line of Hot Wheels toy manufacturer Mattel actually commissioned the creation of a real life #DarthCar that has been driving around the country making promotional appearances.  It looks like a fierce ride!

The Darth Vader Mobile was fabricated from a Chevrolet Corvette with a 526 horsepower GM LS3 V-8 engine featuring a six-speed manual transmission and has been road-tested at speeds at up to 80 miles per hour; though it has the capability of reaching a velocity of 150mph.  The car has illuminated side pipes that are styled to look like red lightsaber and special audio effects that include Vader's breathing and the sound of light sabers igniting which can be controlled by an iPad.  Plus the helmet styled roof lifts off to provide access to the vehicle utilizing a smoke machine to add dramatic effect to the process.  Impressive, Most Impressive!

Check out this video on the making of the Darth Car:

There are five models of the Star Wars Hot Wheels Toys - Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Chewbacca, R2D2 & Darth Vader unless you get the exclusive collectors pack at Target which features a sixth car: the Stormtrooper.

 

 

 

 

My wife's favorite car is the Yoda version which she says is adorable.  I personally like the Luke Skywalker fighter pilot car the best.  Interestingly, my twins actually agreed on something for once and both like the Darth Car the most.  We all came together though to agree that these cars were awesome...well except for the R2D2 buggy which we all felt was pretty lame.  These Hot Wheels cars are available at Toys R Us, Walmart, Target and Amazon.com.

Pigs In Space: The Star Wars Themed Muppet Show Episode that Predicted the Future

 

Wow! I stumbled across a Star Wars themed episode of The Muppet Show the other day finding myself amazed that the original series is as good as I remember it being as a kid and that Jim Henson had the insight to know way back in 1980 that someday in the future The Muppets and Star Wars would all be a part of the Disney family. Kermit the Frog & cast are joined in Episode 417 of The Muppet Show by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (in C3PO costumer), Peter Mayhew Mayhew (Chewbacca) and R2D2 (listed as played by himself in the show credits).  The Star Wars quartet go on a variety of missions behind the scenes of the show and on stage wrapping up with a foreshadowing song number that has the Muppet and Star Wars characters singing together "When You Wish Upon a Star" in front of a prop that looks very much like a Disney amusement park castle.  Freaky!!!

There are some nice Star Wars skits in the show including a "Pigs in Space" feature and a Fred Astaire inspired dance number by C3PO.  It is also funny that at this point in his career Mark Hamill was really concerned about being type cast as Luke Skywalker in Hollywood so he insisted that if he appear on the show they do something that differentiated Mark Hamill the actor from Luke Skywalker the character.  So the show has a gag where Mark Hamill is portrayed as Luke Skywalker's "cousin" who is showing off various talents in an effort to get his own skit on the variety show.  While I was hooked into the watching the episode by the Star Wars connection, I have to say I was truly impressed by the  non-Star Wars related performances in the The Muppet Show which reminded me of just how great this family friendly show was in its time. I highly recommend sitting back for a half hour and enjoying this classic original episode of The Muppet Show:

Here are a few easter eggs from the show you may want to look out for while watching it:

Hanging on Scooter's bedroom wall during his "Six String Orchestra" number are posters of Luke Skywalker and an upside-down Star Destroyer.

This episode of The Muppet Show was released prior to Empire Strikes Back appearing in theaters but Hamill is wearing Luke Skywalker's never before seen Bespin costume from the movie.  Hinting that this may be tied to the upcoming Star Wars sequel, the Muppets refer to his costumer throughout the episode frequently pointing it out and asking him "Who's your tailor?" which the audience wouldn't get the connection to until watching the movie in theaters and seeing him wearing it.  Even Mark Hamill says to Luke Skywalker "Who is your tailor? I love that outfit" in the high-tech for its time ending of the show that has the two of them appear with Kermit the Frog at the same time.

Similarly at the time of the show's broadcast, the audience wouldn't have known that Darth Vader's identity is revealed in Empire Strikes Back but The Muppet Show episode teases that the true identity of Dearth Nadir (Gonzo) would be revealed during the "Pigs in Space" skit. Was this a hint to the audience that Darth Vader's identity would be revealed in Empire Strikes Back?

Frank Oz was the puppeteer and voice on this episode for Ms. Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Animal.  He also was the puppeteer and voice for Yoda in the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi movies.  At the time this episode aired people wouldn't have known who Yoda was as the character first appears in Empire Strikes Back.

The space ship piloted by Ms. Piggy and her crew in "Pigs in Space" is named Swinetrek, a nod to Star Trek.

Disney purchased the rights to The Muppets in 2004 and Star Wars in 2012.  This episode that aired in 1980 foreshadowed that with its final number that has the characters sing one of Disney's trademark songs "When You Wish Upon a Star" with a castle behind them which are often combined to promote the company's theme parks and media products.  Now you can purchase Muppet / Star Wars co-branded items like these toys we picked up at Disney World.

Disney Channel's "Out of this World" Weekend

Friday, July 25th through Sunday the 27th will be "Out of this World" as the DISNEY CHANNEL features a weekend filled with SciFi themed programming.  The Disney Channel's "Out of this World" promo will be showcase the premiere of PHINEAS & FERB: STAR WARS and also feature a lineup of shows that feature scripts revolving around aliens, outer space and science fiction inspired topics.  You know I am going to be popping a big bowl of popcorn and watching these shows throughout that weekend with my kids!

PHINEAS & FERB: STAR WARS will be on Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 9pm and is a one hour television special that is a comedic mashup of the Disney Channels popular animated television show, Phineas and Ferb, with the Star Wars universe.  The story involves Phineas and Ferb living just one moisture farm over from a guy named Luke Skywalker on the planet Tatooine.  When R2-D2 and the Death Star plans inadvertently fall into THEIR landspeeder comedic adventures ensue.  Meanwhile chaos erupts on the Death Star when Perry the Rebelpus is trapped in carbonite while trying to stop Darthenshmirtz from using his new "Sith-inator."

Disney Channel will also be airing an episode of THE NEW YODA CHRONICLES during its "Out of this World" Weekend.  The NEW YODA CHRONICLES is in the middle of a new 5 episode arc in which it has already shown episodes 1 & 2 in May and June respectively.  I'm not sure if episode 3 is going to air during this weekend but based on the gap between the last 2 episodes it would fit.  There hasn't been a lot of info about the NEW YODA CHRONICLES tie in to the "Out of this World" promo - it is called "New" because the previous story arc ran on Cartoon Network and these "new" episodes which feature an imaginative and amusing combination of Star Wars characters and scenarios with LEGO building blocks - other than it is included in the trailer that the Disney Channel is currently airing to promote the event.  Hopefully they will show a brand new episode ... and wouldn't it be great if they showed the whole story arc up to now with all three episode during this themed weekend event.  That combined with PHINEAS & FERB: STAR WARS would be spectacular!

Here's a trailer for THE NEW YODA CHRONICLES: Episode 2 "Race for the Holocrons" which aired in the Disney Channel & DisneyXD (DisneyXD is aimed at tweens, teens & young adults and is considered a competitor with Cartoon Network - one of the reasons Disney pulled Yoda Chronicles and Star Wars: Clone Wars from that cable channel). 

As a long-time Star Wars fan, I have to say it is really nice that Disney has embraced the traditional trilogy and is pretty much ignoring the prequel movies since it took over the license.  You'll notice that the Phineas & Ferb special and The New Yoda Chronicles (plus the upcoming Star Wars: Rebels animated television series are all tied to the original Star Wars movies versus the prequels.  In fact from Disney's new Star Wars projects and marketing for the upcoming movie Episode VII you'd almost forget the Prequel movies ever existed.  Hopefully that is a strategy that will continue!

In addition to the Star Wars programming for Disney Channel's "Out of this World" Weekend, the network will also be showing a number of episodes of their own original series with scripts tied to this theme.

According to the Disney Channel the "Out of this World" lineup will also include:

Jessie “Spaced Out” 
Ravi’s birthday present from his parents is a trip to outer space with the rest of the Ross kids and Jessie. Their trip takes an unexpected turn when Ravi ends up not going.
Guest starring John Rubinstein as Ivan

Dog With A Blog “Pod People from Pasadena”
Avery learns she’s been selected to create a float for her town’s parade and is excited to spend some quality time with her father to build it. Meanwhile, Chloe watches a sci-fi movie that leads her to believe her family is being taken over by aliens and that the parade float they are constructing is really a spaceship.

Liv and Maddie “Space-Werewolf-A-Rooney”
To prove to the skeptics that she is meant to star in “Space Warewolves,” Liv agrees to do all her own stunts, not realizing exactly how complicated they are.
Guest starring Garry Marshall as Vic Defazerelli and Mimi Drew as Whitney

I Didn’t Do It “Earth Boys are Icky”
Delia is convinced boys on earth are too ordinary for her and creates a strange device, partly developed by NASA, to communicate with outer space and attract an extraterrestrial boyfriend. Meanwhile, Logan finds himself in an even weirder relationship when he discovers his new girlfriend Danica is the vice principal’s daughter.
Guest starring Savannah Lathem as Danica

 Austin & Ally “Eggs & Extraterrestrials”

When Dez, Trish and Austin convince Ally to attend the annual Zaliens Convention that’s being held in Miami, Trish and Dez happen to stumble upon real Zaliens and the foursome must devise a plan to survive.

Additionally, there will be a brand new episode of "Girl Meets World" running during this weekend promo but the only connection I see to the theme based on the script for that episode is the word "World" in the show's title?  All of the Disney Channel episodes mentioned in this post are rated G.

Disney Publishing 4 New Star Wars Books to Introduce a New Generation to the Original Trilogy

Most children and young adults when they think of STAR WARS think of the prequel episodes I-III and the recent animated television show THE CLONE WARS.  Disney's new projects involving the franchise though will be more focused on being tied to the original trilogy of movies.  This fall a new animated television show titled Star Wars: Rebels that is set in a time period just before Star Wars Episode IV takes place will air on the DisneyXD cable channel and the new feature film Star Wars Episode VII is a spin off 30 years after Return of the Jedi and will reference many of the characters from the original trilogy.  It really appears Disney is focusing the Star Wars brand on the original trilogy and putting the prequels on the back burner at least for the near future.  So to acquaint today's youth with the foundation of the Star Wars universe that Disney is tying its future projects to they are publishing a new series of children's books to build interest and awareness on the original stories that started it all.

Disney Publishing Worldwide will release four new children's books tied to the original Star Wars movie trilogy beginning in October 2014 with The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight.  This will be a picture book encompassing all three films (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) written by Tony DiTerlizzi (the author of The Spiderwick Chronicles) and illustrated with Ralph McQuarrie concept art.  McQuarrie, who passed away in 2012, is one of my favorite artists and is known for working with George Lucas in providing the visual concept for the development of the Star Wars movies.  Ralph McQuarrie's concept drawings used for the pre-production of the original three Star Wars films are also the basis for the visual look of the upcoming animated television series Star Wars: Rebels.

Following the release of The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, Disney will release a book retelling the story of Star Wars: A New Hope written by R.J. Palacio (author of the children's novel WONDER that was #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List) in April 2015, Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back will come out in July 2015 written by Adam Gidwitz (author of A Tale Dark & Grimm) and in October 2015 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi written by Tom Angleberger (author of Origami Yoda) will be released.  These books will help kickoff the theatrical release of the next Star Wars film, Episode VII in December 2015.  The 3 children's book focusing on telling the tales of each individual movie will all  be illustrated by Ian McCaig, who was a concept artist for the prequel Star Wars movies Episodes I-III and specifically is credited as the designer behind the look of Darth Maul.

These will be some of the first Star Wars titles to be published in-house by Disney versus being printed and distributed by licensees.  The books will be available globally and in the United States will be published under the Disney-Lucasfilm Press imprint of the Disney Book Group.  Additionally, six new Star Wars titled books tied to the Star Wars: Rebels animated TV series on DisneyXD will be published by the Disney Book Group this August preceding the debut of the new show.  According to the press release announcing the new Star Wars books, Disney will engage in a combination of publishing Star Wars books through existing licencees, new licensees, and Disney-Lucasfilm Press.  It notes that in addition to the Star Wars: Rebels books published by Disney-Lucasfilm Press there will also be other titles from licensees DK, Bendon, Klutz and Scholastic.

One of my favorite books growing up as a child was The Illustrated Star Wars Universe which featured Ralph McQuarrie's artwork.  I still have a copy of the book in my library.  I'm going to be looking forward to taking a look at The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight to see how it compares to the original artwork book I own & to enjoy reading through it with my own children.  

The Adventures of Luke Skywalker's Great Grandson

Since 1989 Dark Horse Comics has been creatively portraying stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away with their license for the Star Wars universe.  They've expanded the dimensions of popular movie characters with tales about Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and even Biggs Darklighter who only had a few moments of screen time in Episode IV before his starfighter was blown up; and Dark Horse added new layers to Star Wars lore with brand new creations such as its Dawn of the Jedi, Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Times, and Legacy titles.  They have done a great job serving as  artistic and imaginative stewards of the Star Wars franchise for 25 years.

This is the last year Dark Horse will be publishing Star Wars comic books though.  With the sale of Star Wars to Disney many third-party vendors to Lucas' company are being replaced by others who are under the Mickey Mouse umbrella.  The Clone Wars television show for example was cancelled from Cartoon Network and is being replaced with a newly created animated series titled Star Wars: Rebels that will air on Disney XD.  Past and unreleased episodes of The Clone Wars also were pulled from Cartoon Network which is a competitive channel with Disney XD and placed on Netflix which has an expanding licensing partnership with Disney.  So it wasn't too surprising that Disney would pull the Dark Horse license as well since Marvel Comics is now a part of Mickey's family.  Marvel will take over the publishing rights for all Star Wars comic books starting in 2015.  That means that Dark Horse can no longer publish new works and also can't sell its pre-existing library either (if you buy digital comics though Dark Horse has informed consumers that you can continue to access in the future any digital editions purchased before the transition).

If you enjoy reading paper versions of comic books, you should look to purchase the Dark Horse Star Wars titles missing from your collection library before the end of the year.  To help fans with that purpose, Dark Horse recently published STAR WARS: LEGACY BOOK 3 which reprints the final issues from the Cade Skywalker series printed back in 2009 & 2010.  BOOK 3 contains issues #37 - #50 and the six issue WAR mini-series in it.

The Legacy comic books are set 130 years after Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin.  Now his great grandson, Cade, is living in a time where the Empire is back in power and the Sith once again are trying to rule the galaxy.  Cade though is a different Skywalker than Luke.  Cade Skywalker has given up on his Jedi heritage and turned to the life of a bounty hunter.  Yet in the end, like his great grandfather, a Skywalker becomes the last hope for a galaxy in turmoil.

I was impressed by the artwork in these comics, it doesn't try to be artsy but rather enhances the written text helping readers become absorbed into the story.  The creative team does a nice job of taking elements from the movies and other Dark Horse titles like Knights of the Old Republic and putting a new spin on them while maintaining a connection to the elements that make Star Wars what it is.  For the most part, I really enjoyed this story except for a few things that just nagged at me.  After all the struggles that Luke, Han, Leia and the Rebellion went though it was sad to see that was pretty much all for naught and there never really was a peaceful transition after the civil war...plus the Empire eventually comes back to power.  Adding Imperial Knights to the mix just never clicked for me, they are like Jedi but not because they serve the Empire.  Those weren't that big of a deal though, but the change where people who succumb to the dark side have their skin turn red to distinguish them as Sith just seemed silly and distracting to me. 

If you enjoy a good Star Wars story and haven't read the Legacy comic books, I encourage you to check them out.  You can pick up STAR WARS: LEGACY BOOK 3 online at Amazon for $25.81 or on store shelves at local comic book retailers.

On a side note, there is also a new monthly serial being published by Dark Horse that is set in the Legacy timeframe but instead of following Cade's adventures it is telling the story of Han Solo & Princess Leia's great-great grand daughter Ania Solo.

 

 

DISCLAIMER:  I was provided free access to a digital PDF review copy of  STAR WARS: LEGACY BOOK 3 for this post from the publisher.  A positive review was not required for me to access this time-limited PDF.  The opinions and thoughts in this post are my own.