"Disney is the Devil!"

This seems to be a common thread among Star Wars fans- at least the ones that make comments on the Star Wars Facebook page. I discovered this recently when checking out a post from Star Wars congratulating the Clone Wars for winning a daytime emmy.

The response to this seemed to boil down to: "Yeah! Congratulations, now you're cancelled!"

And indeed, it seems that Disney is canceling production of the show. This should come as no surprise for a couple reasons:

1) The show is currently running on a network owned by a rival company—a competitor of Disney.

and

2) The clone wars has run five seasons, covering a lot of 'in-universe' time. The stories have been steadily building up Anakin's transformation from idealistic youth to embittered and disillusioned adult. In my opinion, you simply can NOT continue building and building and never have the pay off. And the 'pay off' in this instance is Anakin's fall to the dark side. This will indeed put an 'end' to the Clone Wars, and it is only right that it should.

And yet people seem to be quite upset about this, despite the 'writing on the wall'. Reasons are varied, but the most common themes I have noticed are these:

• Disney is 'money grubbing'
• Disney runs all its franchises into the ground
• Clone Wars should have continued for years because it was good!
• Now we'll never have 'closure', because its cancelled!

I want to begin by answering the last two. As I stated before, the Clone Wars takes place during a very finite amount of time. The Clone Wars lasted 4-5 years. The show has already run five seasons, covering a lot of time and ground in the process. Unless the series wants to pull a 'MASH' and go on for longer than the actual war lasted, it NEEDS to end, for the sake of the story.

As far as getting 'closure' goes, Disney has stated they will continue the story—though they have not yet said exactly how. I imagine they'll do something like a series of movies or perhaps even release a movie in the theatre- like they did when they launched the show. It is even possible (though no one has stated so) that some characters may continue into the new series they have planned, set during the 'Rebellion' era. In short, it sounds like they're going to give us closure, just not in a series entitled 'The Clone Wars'.

Now, on to the claim that Disney is 'money grubbing'. Well… duh! They're a corporation, they're in the business to make money. They can make more money if they bring the show 'in-house' and show it on their own network. There are probably contracts with Cartoon Network in place that we know nothing about—perhaps things that would prevent Disney from simply 'moving' Clone Wars to a different network as a series. So yes, Disney is in business to make money- you can't really fault them for that, unless their business practices WERE designed to destroy their properties for short term gain.

Now, if you were talking about the Disney of the late 80's/early 90s, there may have been some truth to this claim. There was a period there (the Eisner years) where it felt like Disney focused a bit too much on 'efficiency' and not enough on product. Their successful films felt 'diluted' by the slew of low-budget tie-ins that were churned out to go with them.

In my opinion, this changed with the introduction of Pixar and its eventual merging/takeover of Disney. They are currently experiencing a 'renaissance' of sorts. They are producing some truly awesome movies with stories that are NOT formulaic and don't feel 'cheap'. In short, it feels like Disney got its soul back- at least to me. Go on, watch the first ten minutes of Up. If you are not moved, you're not human.

This all leads me up to my last 'rebuttal' of the complaints against Disney: They run their franchises into the ground. A lot of folks seem to think Disney is going to 'destroy' Star Wars. In response to this, I say: Look at Marvel Comics. When Disney acquired the rights to the Marvel Universe, people were squawking the same arguments. That Disney is somehow going to 'disneyfy' everything and ruin it. That did not happen. In fact, quite the opposite happened. Marvel films are some of the hotted properties on the planet right now. Why? Because Disney seems to realize an important thing: People LIKE things for REASONS. If you CHANGE things beyond recognition, people STOP LIKING them.

In short, Disney is Money Grubbing. So they are NOT meddling with proven formulas just for the sake of 'disneyfying' them. They want to make money, so they are giving people what they want. It is a novel idea, really. Considering the butcher job so many studios do when they get ahold of a project. It seems that most hollywood studios feel they have to 'put their mark' on something creatively, to change it and make it 'theirs'. In the process, they usually destroy the reason that people liked the thing in the first place. So far, Disney hasn't done this. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

And finally, I'd just like to say this… if Disney DIDN'T take over Star Wars, odds are we would NOT have seen any new movies. Seemed to me that Lucas was 'done' with his creation- perhaps even before he made the prequels. As it stands now, it looks like we have a brand new TV series (at least one) and FIVE brand new movies in the pipeline. And until I see some actual work from Disney, I am willing to give reserve judgement and hope that these things will be something people will want to watch. They have a pretty good track record so far.

But then, fans react viscerally to just about everything. If you didn't care, you wouldn't comment anyway. So take all of this for what its worth- just the opinion of another fan who wants the Star Wars franchise to be great again—to set a standard of awesomeness for a whole new generation of fans like it did with mine. I honestly believe Disney can do this, so please, how about a little 'hope', or at the very least reserve the bile until the company has actually produced something for us to look at and criticize.

Character Conversion: The Fantastic Four (Part 4)

And finally, the Human Torch.

Character Conversion: The Fantastic Four (Part 3)

One of my personal favorites: The Thing.

Character Conversion: The Fantastic Four (Part 2)

Here is part two of my series on the Fantastic Four converted for use in the Star Wars setting. Today, we have Susan Storm.

Character Conversion: The Fantastic Four (Part 1)

Since my earliest days in gaming I have been a big fan of mixing genres and even characters from other settings. I usually try to keep this very low-key in my own campaigns, but from time to time, I wonder what more direct conversions would look like.

Since Marvel Comics have always been some of my favorite, I decided to start with some of their earliest characters: The Fantastic Four. Just what would these folks look like in a Star Wars setting? What would their backstory be? Could I make their various superpowers 'believable' within a Star Wars setting?

Well, here are the results of what I came up with. I am pretty pleased with them. Please note, however, that in most cases the characters are nowhere near as powerful as their Marvel Universe counterparts. Likewise, the characters I will be presenting represent the heroes in the earliest stages of their career. While they may be masters at some things (science, medicine, etc.), they are not necessarily combat monsters. Reed, Susan and Johnny in particular don't have much combat experience up to this point, and their stats reflect that.

Over the next four days I will be releasing the Fantastic Four. Today I present to you Mr. Fantastic, aka Dr. Reed Richards. Click on the image to embiggen.

UPDATES!

No. I have not died.

Yes. I am still working on my modules!

But until I am finished, I have some side projects to share...coming up right away in another series of posts... hangon.

Adventures in the Forbidden Zone - Update

I am now 2/3 done with the book. I have the intro, Episodes 1-2 and all the appendices. Started writing Episode 3. All that remains from there is Episode 4 and the Epilogue. I am not sure if I will finish this by the end of the month (as I had planned), but I imagine it won't be too far into May.

Here are some of the pages in their pre-proof-reading stage.

Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (Updates)

Here are a few more pages from the adventure book I'm working on. Most pics are taken from the film (sorry for graininess), others are stuff I 'scavenged' from elsewhere. Fans of the original movie (Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone), will recognize folks, even if some of the details have changed (notably, Chalmers, who is no longer an Android, since such things are very rare in the Star Wars universe and I didn't want to just make her into a protocol droid or something). Again, the following haven't been proof-read or anything. If you see anything you like, or hate, or wonder about, just comment. Thanks!

Adventure Module Update...

Just to show those who care that I am indeed working on the interior of the modules mentioned in my last post, here are the first few pages of 'Adventures in the Forbidden Zone'. Keep in mind that these are pre-proofreading. If you see something wrong, however, feel free to point it out. More updates will follow as I progress. I will also, as I finish, release these modules on mediafire to whoever wants a copy. They are, of course, not for profit in any way. Just some 'fanfic' I wouldn't mind sharing with folks.

New Projects...

So. These are what I've been working on lately. Just for fun.

Working on my Star Wars adaptations of these various movie favorites (or guilty pleasures as the case may be). The covers are for my inspiration, done in the classic Star Wars D6 module format that I love so much. The interiors will likewise be a homage to West End Games design. Hopefully, folks will know what movies these covers are referencing. But if you don't I'll comment later.

OTHER CREWS (PART 2): STARHUNTERS

INTRODUCTION (Repeated from Part 1)
One of the things I wish I had done more of in my Star Wars campaign is introduce more NPC 'crews'. Some could be allies to the PCs. Others could be rivals and still others could turn out to be enemies. Oh, every now and then I'd throw a ship captain or two (there were several neat ones in the old Minos Cluster campaign found in the D6 Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters), but for the most part, these were few and far between.

What seemed to be the barrier to me was that there weren't a lot of 'ready made' NPCs of this sort- at least not in 'official' products of the time. But looking at it now, I see a whole slew of possible ideas I could just steal from other sources (something I am not afraid of doing). So below are some ship crews who I think would make interesting encounters for a PC group in a Star Wars setting. And FYI, I am once again slanting this towards a Rebel vs. Empire time-period. So, without further ado...

THE CREW OF THE SUNRIDER (II)
This crew is based on the short-lived DC comic introduced in the late 70's…'oddly enough' right after Star Wars was released! What a coincidence! In any case, it was billed as a space-opera sort of book. I actually own a couple issues of this and found it…entertaining. In truth, though, I was a little annoyed by the main 'hero' of the book (Flint)- he was just 'too much' for me, with his bad wisecracks and worse accent. Even so, the 'Starhunters' could form a fun NPC crew for your players to bump into.

In the original story, the crew was put together by the corrupt mega-corporation that runs earth. They were sent off to find 'the true origin of man'…and got involved in a battle between powerful ancient races of good and evil. Oh, and they were genetically altered so that if they tried to return to earth, they would mutate and die, so… there.

THE SHIP
The exact capabilities of the Sunrider are a bit vague. In fact, the Sunrider was actually destroyed early on in the series and the group commandeered another ship and promptly renamed it the Sunrider II. As far as I can tell, it was a bit larger than something like the Millennium Falcon, but still something of 'transport' scale. As with many sci-fi stories, the ship's computer ("Ozzie") is sentient and forms a member of the crew.

THE CREW
Donovan Flint, Soldier of Fortune
He's a swashbuckler and man of action with an outrageous moustache and goatee and an equally outrageous accent (Irish). He also has this cool blaster pistol that extends (on a chord.. powerchord?) from his wrist. In fact, I think he has two. He was 'recruited' by the corporation for his fighting abilities and rather quickly assumes a leadership role- taking over from Darcy Vale- the Corporate agent sent to lead this particular expedition. Needless to say, there is some friction between the two as well as some sexual tension.

Darcy Vale, Corporate Agent
A beautiful, talented and intelligent woman- but also one with unswerving loyalty to a corrupt corporation. One can assume from this that she is at least somewhat 'greedy'- i.e. she is being well paid and wants to continue to be. She is not happy about being 'demoted' by the rest of the crew when Donovan took over. In fact, she may very well betray the group if given the opportunity. Even so, some of the tactics the corporation uses are enough to give her some 'pause'- and may force her to reexamine her loyalty at some point.

Jake Hammersmith, Engineer (?)
I was never clear exactly what this guy's role on the crew was, though I think he may have been an engineer? In any case, he's a big, strong guy with a massive mutton-chop moustache thing. He also seems to have some kind of a past friendship with Donovan Flint and the two seem to be good buddies. Jake is enamored with the ship's computer-tech, Mindy Yano, and concerned about her health problems. He is also not a big fan of the Corporation or their manipulative tactics.

Mindy Yano, Computer Tech
A petite young woman who is a whiz with computers and electronics. She is shy and somewhat reserved but seems to return Jake Hammersmith's affection. Unfortunately, she has been suffering from siezures which the ship's doctor seem to think may have to do with the Corporations genetic tampering. In reality, unknown to the rest of the crew, Mindy was implanted with a signalling device- something that records (through Mindy's senses) the Sunrider's mission. It periodically sends off messages, and when it does, she has siezure-like symptoms.

Bruce Sellers, Ship's Doctor
An older man with short hair that is greying at the temples. Little is known of his past but he seems to be a very competent and intelligent member of the crew- good at his job and very curious about the ailment Mindy Yano seems to be suffering.

Theodore 'Mac', McGavin, Exobiologist
A wiry older man, "Mac" is a talented and extremely curious scientist. Though he dislikes being 'forced' into the current mission, he is curious if there is actually something to find out there. He seems to get along well with Dr. Sellers, with both men being quite intelligent.

Ozzie, Ship's computer
A highly-spirited artificial intelligence who seems to have taken quite readily to Donovan Flint's command. He is helpful and competent but (as I recall) somewhat annoying in his 'humorous' comments.

ENEMIES
I don't know enough about the Series to point to any particular enemies of the crew of the Sunrider- but their main nemesis was the Corporation itself. A bunch of powerful men and women scheming to gain some great power from the discoveries of this crew- and not just for financial gain, either. Rather, they seem to want some kind of 'mystic' power (or at least, that's the feeling I always got).

USES IN THE GAME
The whole 'hunting for the origins of mankind' thing from the comics may be a little far out for a Star Wars setting. But not /too/ far off. What I see is much the same situation. A secret council of powerful businessmen within the Corporate Sector Authority 'recruited' a band of criminals/political-prisoners. They implanted cybernetic devices in order to ensure the loyalty of the crew- and sent along a trusted agent (Darcy Vale) to command. The devices prevent the group from taking direct action that would hurt the Council- but otherwise gives them free will.

The mission the Sunrider's Crew is sent on is to discover some ancient device- a supposedly 'mythological' artifact. I could see this as something like the 'genesis' device from Star Trek. Along the way, they would be beset by space pirates, hostile aliens, monsters, crazies, rival corporations, Imperial agents, etc. Even after Flint 'rebels' and takes over command of the ship, the Corporation (aware of things through its 'spy' Mindy) would let the ship continue, since Flint seems determined to find the artifact anyway. If the crew succeeds, the corporation could just find Flint and take what they want from him anyway.

Does this sound convoluted? Well, yes. But within acceptable limits, I think. In any case, PCs could become involved with the Sunrider crew in several ways- they could be assigned (as rebel agents) to find the 'genesis artifact' and run into this 'rival' group. Or, they could be looking for it on their own prerogative. Or it could be something as similar as a chance encounter in a remote cantina somewhere. Perhaps a couple encounters to set things up. Finally, assuming the crews get along, the PCs and NPCs could team up to find the Artifact together- perhaps taking slightly different (but mutually supporting) paths to it.

OTHER CREWS (PART 1): BLAKE'S 7

One of the things I wish I had done more of in my Star Wars campaign is introduce more NPC 'crews'. Some could be allies to the PCs. Others could be rivals and still others could turn out to be enemies. Oh, every now and then I'd throw a ship captain or two (there were several neat ones in the old Minos Cluster campaign found in the D6 Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters), but for the most part, these were few and far between.

What seemed to be the barrier to me was that there weren't a lot of 'ready made' NPCs of this sort- at least not in 'official' products of the time. But looking at it now, I see a whole slew of possible ideas I could just steal from other sources (something I am not afraid of doing). So below are some ship crews who I think would make interesting encounters for a PC group in a Star Wars setting. And FYI, I am once again slanting this towards a Rebel vs. Empire time-period. So, without further ado...

THE CREW OF THE LIBERATOR
These are, of course, stolen from the classic British Sci-Fi series "Blake's 7". Alas, I have only ever seen a handful of moments from these series, but the premise is very intriguing- and happens to fit in very well in a Star Wars setting. Just replace the evil 'Alliance' with the evil 'Empire' and there you go- a whole crew of freedom fighters seeking to overthrow tyranny.

THE SHIP
The Liberator is an advanced starship that the crew was able to... liberate. In the Star Wars universe, I see it as being a prototype Imperial warship or perhaps a prototype developed by some other planet or faction that was seized by the Empire. In either case, it would be a purpose-built warship of transport scale (thus being a bit smaller than the ship shown in the series). I could also see the ship as having been built by a race of artificial intelligences that the Empire perhaps wiped out or forced into hiding.

THE CREW
The crew themselves consist of the following- thrown together by circumstance.

Roj Blake
The Captain and idealist of the crew. Blake has suffered personal loss at the hands of the Empire and desires nothing less than its overthrow. He is a charismatic leader, but one prone to obsession about his task. I see him as joining the Rebel Alliance, but operating largely independently.

Kerr Avon
A computer expert (and cyber-thief) who is logical, pragmatic and self-serving- in many ways the opposite of Blake.

Jenna Stannis
The hot-shot pilot and smuggler. Despite her criminal background, she is very loyal once her trust is earned.

Vila Restal
A thief and con-man. He is smart but cowardly and has a weakness for alcohol and women.

Cally
A guerrilla resistance fighters who also happens to have Force powers. Though minor, she is learning quickly. Unfortunately, she has not learned much in the way of mental defense, thus leaving herself open to mental attacks.

Olag Gan
An ex-convict imprisoned for killing an Imperial trooper who murdered his girlfriend. He has been implanted with an experimental cybernetic device that prevents him from killing (and is evidently very difficult to remove). He is, however, courageous, strong and dedicated to the cause.

Zen
The advanced control computer onboard the Liberator. Something of an enigma, the dour Zen's true loyalties are unknown, though it does cooperate with the crew- so long as they do not put the liberator (and itself) in positions of undue danger.

Though all the characters in the TV series were human (except Zen), a GM could easily alter the races of any of the crew to give them a more varied look/feel. Who's to say Vila isn't a Bothan or Cally isn't a Togruta. Whatever your particular tastes are.

THE VILLAINS
This crew would also come with its own villains- folks dedicated to their destruction and/or capture. These include:

Supreme Commander Servalan
A ruthless and intelligent woman in charge of a task force assigned to crush resistance to the Empire. She is cold, calculating and not above using her sex-appeal to get what she wants. She has a certain (sociopathic) fondness for Kerr Avon (Blake's second), and it seems as though he reciprocates- though neither trust or even 'like' eachother.

Captain Travis
A brutal and (like Servalan) ruthless Imperial soldier. He was responsible for Blake's initial capture and was seriously injured by the freedom-fighter as well- resulting in his having a cybernetic arm and scarred face. Needless to say, he sees his hunt for Blake as a personal vendetta. His blunt and single-minded approach to this conflicts with Commander Servalan's style and plans for her own rise to power... a situation that may eventually come to a head.



USES IN THE GAME
Using such a crew in an RPG is tricky- since they are 'heroes' in their own right- with their own storyline and such. One of my major rules for Game Mastering is to NEVER allow the PCs to be outshone by NPCs. Thus, I would see Blake's crew as an interesting roleplay encounter- another 'team' of rebels who they bump into while 'off duty' or some such. Friendships or rivalries could be formed. Then, at some future date, the PCs may find themselves in a tough spot where the Liberator Crew has to help them out- or vice versa, the Liberator might require their assitance. After several such close brushes, the PC and NPC crews might join together for some important mission. The 'tragic' ending of the Blake's 7 TV Show could easily be expounded upon in an RPG session or two- perhaps with the players showing up after or during the 'final stand' of Blake and his crew.

New Star Wars Movies...

There isn't a whole lot more to this post than a bunch of subjective rambling about Star Wars. Oh, wait, that's every post on this blog! Well, anyway, I just want to throw up some stuff I would love to see in any future Star Wars movies and some things I really hope don't happen:

What I'd love to see:

1) The original characters. Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, Artoo and Threepio. Hell, I'd love to see 'Wedge' again- and Ackbar and... you get the point. That being said, I would NOT want to see an action movie where all the action centers around 60-70 year-old folks. No, I'd want these characters to take the 'background leadership' roles to a new set of young heroes- their children, proteges, etc.

2) A focus on non-Jedi/Sith characters (at least one). Yes, Jedi are cool. But you ask any fan who the coolest character is, you're probably going to get either 'Han Solo' or 'Boba Fett'- neither of whom are Jedi or Sith. I have long said that 'non-idealistic snarkiness' was absent from the prequels, and they suffered for it.

3) Dialogue. Good dialogue. Jokes that are actually funny. Lines that don't sound stilted. Disney, you have an awesome pool of writers and directors. Please use them.



What I hope I don't see:

1) The plots of ANY of the expanded universe books/series. As much as I liked Heir to the Empire, I don't think it would make a particularly good trilogy- especially if you were using the original actors. Ditto for the Dark Empire arc. And do not get me started on the New Jedi Order books. If you're trying to appeal to a PG or PG-13 audience, you don't have a story about a war where trillions of people are slaughtered by masochistic aliens, Han becomes a drunk, deadbeat father, Luke becomes an ineffectual tool, Han's kids are killed and/or tortured by giant space-chickens until they turn to the dark side of the Force, etc.

1a) The above includes the inexplicable and jarring changes in personality of the main heroes (Luke, Leia, Han, etc.) from their characters as shown in the original trilogy. Please keep them true to what we have seen in the movies, not to some authorial need to have them act a certain contradictory, idiotic way because it advances the plot of a shitty novel.

2) The collapse of the New Republic from corruption. Seriously, the heroes of BOTH trilogies were fighting to save and then restore the Republic. To me, this means that it MUST have some merits. Billions died to restore it. Heroes sacrificed to restore it. To have it fall apart (again) from corruption in just a few decades reflects poorly on our heroes for having believed in such a system and for allowing it (on their watch) to crumble in such a short time. One would think/hope/pray that our heroes would fight as hard as they did DURING the war to ensure the survival of the Republic AFTER the war. One would also think that trillions of oppressed beings would also take measures to ensure a functional government- at least for another thousand years.

3) Any mention of midicholorians. At all. Ever.



Stuff I am still on the fence about:

1) The inclusion of popular EU characters. The two that spring to the top of this list would be Mara Jade and Kyle Katarn. I wouldn't necessarily mind the inclusion of either of these folks, except for the fact that if you DID include Mara Jade, you would have to have some kind of 'explanation' for her presence- and I already said I hoped they will NOT delve into the Heir to the Empire stuff. As far as Katarn goes? Doubt you'd need much backstory on him, he could appear in the background without much question. Could have a kid that participates in the adventure as well. Could even be a main character. That would be neat.

A short post, I know, but just some stuff on the top of my mind. How about you? What would you like to see? What do you hope they don't include?

A New Era for Star Wars?

Yesterday's news that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm was a huge surprise. My initial reaction could be best described as 'leery'. Especially with the news that they would be doing an Episode VII. Why? Because my first thought was "Please god, no. Not the stupid New Jedi Order series." And my second thought was. "Please god, no, not the Legacy series either!"

But the more I thought about the situation- the more I began to see what wonderful possibilities this opens up. Why? Because Disney is really awesome at what they do. They make entertaining movies (really good ones through Pixar) and they have extraordinarily well designed events and attractions (seriously, Disney World and all the other parks are amazing).

Yes. They are also great at making money. But in the last decade at least that seems to be a result of putting out quality stuff rather than just milking the 'direct-to-VHS/DVD/Blueray' market. And really? I have no problem with people making money if they give you quality in return. And for me, Disney does that.

An example of that:

A year or so ago, Star Tours was re-opening at Disney Hollywood studios. They had a traveling 'show' go to malls across the region to promote this. The show included a really cool kiosk style booth complete with costumed characters (C-3PO, R2-D2, Jedi Mickey and Minnie, etc.). They also had this official 'Star Tours' representative in uniform- and in character- chatting up the crowds and cracking jokes. They had giveaway items and picture opportunities. They made the whole thing a lot of fun. Why? Because they're good at it. They hire people who are good at it. They care- because they know the Disney brand stands for quality fun.

That is why I am glad to see the Star Wars brand turned over to Disney. Because they care. That's the thing that I felt was lacking from Lucasfilm alone. George Lucas just didn't seem to have the 'passion' about his creation that he did in those early years. And it shows- to me at least- in the prequels. They were 'okay' movies, but not 'great'- despite the huge budgets and awesome special effects and film technology.

What makes me feel even better about Disney acquiring Star Wars was the interview Lucas gave about the fact that he was 'moving into another phase of life', and (mostly) retiring from running a company. He said he has ideas about Star Wars- treatments for the 'next three' movies. But as Kathleen Kennedy (the new head of Lucasfilm under Disney) pointed out- they have writers working on those treatments. Lucas would be a creative advisor (the 'Yoda on her shoulder as she put it), but man... I was so excited to hear they had WRITERS. Don't get me wrong. George Lucas is a visionary when it comes to ideas- putting disparate themes and ideas together (Samurai Westerns in Space with Nazis), but he really isn't a great writer when it comes to dialogue. And he is not a great director when it comes to ACTORS. Disney on the other hand, has used a pool of very AWESOME writers and directors to make some incredible films (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up). I can't help but feel 'giddy' imagining people of this caliber being put in charge of my favorite universe.

And this doesn't even touch on the fact that there is now a very real possibility of more Star Wars themed attractions in Disney parks. Why not a 'Star Wars Land' in the scale of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios? I can think of any number of attractions I would LOVE to see...

With all of this, I am trying to remain 'cautiously optimistic'. I am hoping for the best- because I really see a lot of potential here. I just hope it pans out. And I hope to hell I never have to sit through "Episode VII: Vector Prime"... seriously. Screw you guys. I will never forgive you for killing Chewbacca. Though even more than that, I will never forgive you for turning Han into a selfish jerk and Luke into a whining, ineffectual loser or... wait, wait.. Whew. Breathe. Cautiously optimistic. Yes, cautiously optimistic.

TUESDAY TANGENT: Geek Cred

I have always been 'proud' of my geek status, but there are some elements of geek culture of which I am not a fan. This doesn't mean I do not like or even appreciate these things for what they are. It just means I do not 'love' them as many other 'geeks' do. In short, where many of my fellows go crazy for this stuff, I am just 'meh'. So yeah, essentially, this post is eroding some of my (admittedly prodigious) geek cred. So, without further ado, three geek things I am indifferent about:

1) Doctor Who
Simply put, the brand of sci-fi that this is just isn't my cup of tea. I prefer my sci-fi a bit less 'wacky' and a lot more grounded. While I realize how clever many of the stories are, and how long-running the series is, I have never been a big 'fan' of it and would not go out of my way to watch it. And no, it isn't just because of the crappy production values of the 'classic' series, or because I somehow don't 'get' how deep the story arcs are or even because I prefer more action to the cerebral adventures of the doctor. It is as I said: too wacky for me.

2) Bladerunner
While I can appreciate the setting and special effects and even the mood evoked in this film, I was disappointed the first time I saw it. Admittedly, this was because I was expecting an action flick and got a noir film. Even so, I have watched this several times over the years, at different stages of 'maturity', and I do not find it particularly compelling, or even well acted. For me, it is all style and not a lot of substance. Yes, I know. Blasphemy. But there it is.

3) Anime
I enjoy some anime series (Starblazers, G-Force, Robotech, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Beebop)- I do so mainly because of the awesome spectacle of them- certainly NOT for the melodramatic characters and often bizarre story twists, to say nothing of the stereotypical sight-gags and visuals that I find annoying. In fact, I generally do not like the traditional big-eye anime look for characters- but I cannot deny that nobody can pull of starships and mecha like these films do. Below are some examples of what I find annoying in anime- the obstacles that will forever prevent me from becoming a 'fan':

a) the cartoonish BIG MOUTH YELLING when characters get angry. No matter how realistic or even 'serious' a series is, characters are suddenly distorted to ridiculous degrees. It is jarring to me. And the same can be said for the HASH MARK BLUSHING or GIANT WATER DROP SWEATING, or the ever present CHARACTER STANDS THERE QUIVERING, TEETH GRITTED AS THEY PONDER WHATEVER THE HELL for minutes on end, just eating up run time.

b) Annoyingly EMO characters. Okay, I understand characters have weaknesses- things they have to overcome, but my GOD. Rick Hunter- grow a pair of balls, please. And Minmei.. shut the hell up! So damn annoying. I swear, my first watch-through of Robotech, I was just biding the moments until the next giant mecha fight.

c) Lecherous old men. I understand. It's a Japanese thing. It just isn't funny. Sorry.

d) School Girl/Sailor outfits. I understand. It's a Japanese thing. It's still creepy.

e) Cute talking animal/stuffed animal sidekicks. Just.. why? No.

f) The haircuts. Seriously. WTF is up with the haircuts?

STAR WARS OMNIBUS: A LONG TIME AGO, VOLUME 4 (Part 2)

Since I'm not able to make one big post about this (obviously) I will continue to post my overview/review of issues from the old Marvel Star Wars comics. In this post, I'll discuss two different stories:

CHANTEUSE OF THE STARS

This adventure picks up where the last left off, with our heroes returning to their Rebel base to report the disappointing results of their last mission. They are then briefed by Alliance command on new leads they have uncovered regarding the lost rebel agent (Tay Vanis) and the information he has on a new, secret Imperial weapon. Strangely enough, intercepted imperial transmissions also implicate Han Solo as having some part in this. It is decided that Luke and Leia will follow the lead to Vanis while Lando and Chewbacca track down the lead dealing with Solo.

The story follows the former duo as they travel to the neutral diplomatic space station of Kabray. Luke and Leia are posing as the servants of their alien friend Plif, who is himself posing as an ambassador from his world to the diplomatic session that is evidently being held on the station. For those who don't remember, we had met Plif the Hoojib quite a few issues ago- the cute, tiny, telepathic, energy-eating bunny-rabbit looking guys? Ring a bell?

In any case, both Luke and Leia are a bit shocked/dismayed to discover that there are quite a few Zeltrons present on the Kabray station. And much like Dani, they seem to be infatuated with Luke for some reason. As Luke and Leia mingle with the delegations, they look for clues as to a message that Tay Vanis had supposedly left here. Along the way, they overhear all kinds of interesting tidbits of information, and spy some alien species there they they had encountered in previous adventures: Stenaxes and Lahsbees, in particular.

The whole situation is played rather light-heartedly. Luke is constantly hampered by Zeltron 'groupies' all wanting to show him a good time. He manages to find Vanis' message, but along the way, he overhears a plot to poison one of the delegates and is them nearly caught by the Empire. Ironically, Luke uses the Zeltrons as 'cover'- allowing them to drag him back to the party, through a patrol of Stormtroopers who had been closing in on him.

Leia, meanwhile, is sneaking around as well- only to be mistaken for the entertainment. Since she was skulking where she shouldn't have been, Leia has no choice to but to take on the role of a singer- the eponymous 'Chanteuse of the Stars'.

Luke, swamped by Zeltrons, is back in the main ball room by this time- and is just in time to see Leia make her big entrance on stage- in a ridiculous wig, boa and bikin-like costume that will be very reminiscent of her gold bikini later on. Having no choice in the matter, Leia begins to sing- and does a good job entertaining the crowd. Too good, in fact. Her sultry performance accidently triggers the puberty response in one of the Lahsbee delegation, turning him into a raging Huhk (the monstrous, mature form of the Lahsbee). To make matters worse, the assassination plan that that Luke had overheard earlier goes into effect as well- with poison soup being delivered to one of the delegations.

In the chaos that erupts, Luke manages to 'accidently' spill the poisoned soup. He then, ironically, runs for cover behind some Stormtroopers who prepare to take down the Huhk... only to find that their blasters have no power. Why? Because Plif and his Hoojib friends had secretly drained the energy from the weapons in the off chance that Luke and Leia were discovered. Unfortunately, that bit of prudent forethought didn't account for a rampaging Huhk. All seems lost, with Luke and the Stormtroopers about to be pulverized. Then Leia breaks into song again- capturing the Huhk's attention- and 'soothing the savage beast'.

The adventure ends with Luke surrounded by Zeltrons, Hoojibs and Lahsbees, looking on as Leia 'tames' the Huhk with her song.

All in all, this was a fun and silly little story- a nice change from the serious tone of the previous story arc. It was also interesting in that there was VERY little 'action', but rather, a lot of talking and sneaking and clever plans and improvisation. There was actually some very fun dialogue and some clever sight gags as well. About the only thing I didn't like about the story was the whole Huhk thing, at least not how it was presented. For all its fantasy elements, Star Wars is reasonably grounded in 'reality'. The whole idea of a tiny Lahsbee instantly transforming into a giant Huhk- without any explanation of how he suddenly gained all that mass- is a little much to believe. Also, if Lahsbees are essentially the 'child' form of their species, why would they be present at a diplomatic function as representatives of their world? Were I writing the story, I probably would have omitted the Lahsbees altogether and just had the 'huhk' role replaced with some kind of big animal that had been brought in as entertainment (like a trained bear), only to suddenly go amok (perhaps as the plot of some OTHER nefarious person). Leia still could have used her singing voice to soothe it, etc. Even with these problems, though, this is one of my favorite short stories in the series.

Favorite Dialogue:
Plif (After being boorishly dismissed by the Imperial Doorkeeper): "And what qualifications do you have- outside of officiousness, boorishness and misguided snobbery- for any duty whatsoever? When the young lady and the gentleman agreed to join the delegation I lead, I assured them they would be subjected to no unpleasantness. Make a liar of me again and I assure you the Imperial governor of this satellite will hear of it!" -- what an awesome bluff/intimidation

Zeltron #1 (To Luke): "Hello there! I've never seen a man as beautiful as you in my life! Want to have some fun?"
Luke (trying to be polite): "Not really..."
Zeltron #2 (Joining Zeltron #1): "Well, we do! Don't be selfish!"
Luke (quickly and 'suavely' excusing himself): "Uh... bye."

Leia (Singing): "Like a meteor cutting across a starlit night... he brightens up my darkest hour...he's gentle, he's true... never tries to force me, oh no... and so I follow him... like the tail of a comet...I'm just his satellite yeah... never stray into any other orbit... not while he's around...I'm empty when he's away from me... my heart's a black hole... because he's the one who makes my skies a heaven."
Yeah. Wow. What lyrics.

Favorite Sight Gag:
As the rampaging Huhk that had been just about to pulverize Luke and two stormtroopers turns and walks away, one of the troopers stammers "I think we're saved!" The other promptly passes out. THUD.


HOTH STUFF

This is another single issue story arc. It follows the adventures of Wedge Antilles after the battle of Hoth, though it starts long after the battle, with Luke, Leia and a nameless rebel pilot investigating a derelict transport approaching the Rebel fleet. Luke seems to think (for some reason) that Wedge, having been MIA since the battle, is onboard. Unfortunately, once they're on the ship, they find it deserted- though the ship's log is intact. Leia plays this and so we see Wedge's story in flashback form, narrated by the man himself:

The story begins with the fall of Echo Base. Wedge and his gunner, Janson, are shot down while trying to escape in a Y-Wing. They crash land, and in the process Janson is wounded. The two of them take shelter in a destroyed AT-AT until the Imperials appear to withdraw. They then sneak back to the destroyed Rebel base in the hopes of finding something that will help them- or perhaps a way to send a signal to the Rebel fleet. Unfortunately, Wedge discovers (through the base's still functional sensors) that the planet is picketed by patrols of TIE fighters in orbit- ships that would pick up any distress call he attempted to send out.

To make matters worse, Wedge finds Wampas in the base, attempting to eat a few Tauntauns who were left behind. Wedge manages to kill the Wampas and rescue at least one of the tauntauns. He uses this to help him hunt some of the local wildlife to feed himself and Janson over the coming days. Janson is in bad shape, though- just barely hanging on- but as long as those TIE fighters are overhead, they're stuck.

And then one day, Wedge returns from his hunting to find Janson has been brutally murdered. The culprits are soon revealed to be a group of scavengers who had somehow snuck onto planet through the Imperial picket and were now ransacking the remains of the Rebel base. The leader of this group is someone Wedge is evidently familiar with- Arns Grimraker, a ruthless cyborg.

Wedge manages to sneak into the scavenger camp and sabotage several of their vehicles before stealing one of their transports and lifting off. The scavengers give chase, but due to Wedge's sabotage of their navigation computers, they fly right into the Imperial patrols and are wiped out. Wedge's transport is damaged, however and he finds himself losing power and drifting without food or fuel. That's when the log ends.

Back in the present, Luke is devastated to hear of the apparent death of his friend. It's then they spy Wedge outside the ship in a space suit- alive and well. When he gets inside, he explains. He'd been outside fixing the ship. Evidently the hold of the ship had spare food and parts, so his situation wasn't as dire as the log had lead them to believe- he just hadn't had time to update it.

And so the group returns to Rebel base with Wedge. A happy ending after all.

This issue features a different writer and artists than the previous issues- and it shows. It isn't BAD, just a bit jarring when you've gotten used to a particular style. The story itself is actually pretty well done, with relatively coherent narration and monologue. I do, however, have a few problems with the plot, one major, others nitpicky. We'll start with the major.

Why would the Empire leave the Rebel base in any state of intactness? I mean, it had functional sensor systems and heating. Why wouldn't they just obliterate the whole thing from orbit once they'd picked over it. That sounds a lot more like what they'd do. I mean, the story could have been told without any major 'loss' by saying that Wedge had made his way to a rebel outpost that the Empire hadn't found... or something.

Now for something nitpicky- The author here seems to imply that Wedge and Luke were as close as brothers and that Wedge had been raised on (or at least spent time on) Tatooine in the past. Here, I think they were just confusing Biggs with Wedge for.. whatever the reason.

The author also gave Wedge an accent- either Scottish or Irish. I don't know why they did this, since Wedge DID speak in the films, and without accent. But there you go.

Also, I don't like the fact (for personal reasons) that they killed of Janson. I am glad they ignored this particular issue entirely when they did the Rogue Squadron comics. So, I guess this entire story could be considered non-canon, which is fine with me. Could easily be the story of some other Rebel pilot and would make a pretty good premise for a Star Wars RPG adventure.

STAR WARS OMNIBUS: A LONG TIME AGO, VOLUME 4 (Part 2)

I continue here with my thoughts on the next few adventures in the compilation of classic marvel Star Wars comics of the 1980s

LAHSBANE

This is a one-issue adventure that finds all our heroes (plus Dani the Zeltron, who stowed away on the Falcon in the last issue) re-united for a mission to the titular planet Lahsbane to find a lost rebel agent who apparently crash landed there. Unfortunately for the crew, things aren't going so well. The Falcon is immediately grounded with some kind of mechanical problem and the native Lahsbees (small, giggling, ewok-like critters) aren't exactly being helpful. Luke manages to get some information out of the natives- but it is bad news as well: the rebel agent is dead and it seems the Lahsbees took the data-tapes from the agent's ship and stored them in an apparently abandoned city- a city that is on the other side of a huge canyon- far from the Falcon's current position. And just when you thought things couldn't get worse, an Imperial Scout ship arrives and lands nearby. Thankfully, they didn't seem to notice the Falcon on their way in.

As Lando, Luke and Chewie set about camouflaging the ship, Leia and Dani get into a verbal altercation. Indeed, the two do not seem to get along at all. Some highlights of the conversation are as follows:

Dani (haughtily): "...I don't want any Imperial officer finding me here. I have the death sentence in six star systems."

Leia (snarkily): "As many as that? I didn't know there were so many places where what YOU do is still illegal."

Dani (angrily): "I was referring to STEALING! My partners and I have robbed and conned some very important people in our day!"

Leia (bitingly): "Oh yeah? You made a thorough mess of the only caper I ever saw you work! Your 'client' nearly killed you!"

Dani (defensively): "We fooled YOU pretty well!"

This escalates until the two of them pretty much dare each other to journey to the 'abandoned' city. They prepare to do so by commandeering some primitive balloons from the Lahsbees. As they are doing so, however, the Imperials happen by. Dani manages to distract them by dancing (which, for some reason, the Imperials enjoy, then move on without questioning WHY there is a Zeltron here...). Unfortunately, as Dani dances, Leia (hiding nearby) loses control of the balloon and is blown over the canyon. Dani only JUST manages to return in time to leap onto the balloon. Together, the two women drift towards the city.

Luke and Lando, just finishing the camouflage, are perturbed to discover that they have been left behind. In fact, the two seem oddly chauvinistic here- the implication being that the women are 'helpless' without them. Luke commandeers a Lahsbee glider and heads across the canyon- leaving Lando to finish repairs on the Falcon. It is then that a gigantic, shaggy-furred, hulking humanoid suddenly attacks, battering Lando and even Chewbacca when the latter comes out to help. As the fight rages, Threepio explains to a clobbered Lando- these huge things are "Huhks"- the mature form of the tiny Lahsbees.

We cut from here to Dani and Leia exploring the seemingly abandoned city. There, they find (and break into) a treasure vault containing the tapes left behind by the rebel agent as well as... well... treasure. On their way out, however, they run into a group of enraged Huhks.

Cutting back to the Falcon, Lando manages to get to his blaster and stuns the Huhk trying to choke the life out of Chewbacca. Evidently, for all their size these things are highly susceptible to energy blasts.

Back in the city, Leia and Dani are preparing for their final stand against the Huhks- only to have them collapse in front of them- having been stun blasted from behind by a smug-looking Luke Skywalker.

With the rebel tapes in their possession and the Falcon back in working order, the heroes prepare to leave the planet- only to discover that Dani is missing! Seems she's stolen the Imperial's scout craft for her own- along with a load of treasure she pilfered from the locals' vault while Leia was looking for the tapes. Decked out in her newfound jewels, Dani bids her farewell and states her intention to find her old partners again.

All in all, this was an okay adventure, even if it did have some pretty huge plot holes. For instance, the Imperials find Dani in the woods and she 'distracts' them with a Dance. It seems to me that only Lahsbees and Huhks live on the planet. Wouldn't a random Zeltron, dancing in the woods, make the Imperials suspicious?

Also, the Imperials are pretty much ignored after this appearance. They don't ever find the heroes, or the tapes and are apparently stranded on the planet at the end of the adventure. Seems weird to introduce an 'obstacle' like them and not use it.

As I mentioned in the commentary above, there is also the odd touch of chauvinism on display in this story. When Luke and Lando find out the women have gone off by themselves, they are aghast. This is really odd, considering how capable both of these women have proven to be in previous adventures. And then Luke does indeed have to show up to 'save' them. It just seemed odd to include this based upon writing in the earlier stories. At the very least, however, they came up with reasons for why Leia and Dani were unarmed at the time.

One thing I really did enjoy was the dialogue between Leia and Dani. They don't like each other, and the sniping between them is humorous. It becomes more so in future issues of the comic as Leia finds herself beset by 'annoying' Zeltrons at seemingly every turn. In fact, it becomes one of the running jokes of the series.

Favorite Dialogue:
Dani (dancing to distract the Imperials): "I love the forest in the moonlight! It makes me feel so full of.. of-"
Leia (whispering as she hides a short distance away): "You're full of it, alright. Just so long as you keep their attention..."

Leia (exasperatedly): "It's not that I mind dying...it's just that this is such a stupid way to go!"
Dani (panicked): "I mind dying!"

Unintentional humor:
Lando (after blasting a Huhk from behind): "I hope you didn't mind a little assist from the rear, Chewie..." Ummm. Yeah.


Artwork:
Again, the artwork in this era of the comics is my favorite. I am particularly fond of the variety of outfits the heroes are now 'allowed' to wear. This stands in stark contrast with the movie 'costumes' they were forced to wear in the early issues. Seriously, for the first year or so of the comics, Leia was in that white dress with the hair buns and Luke NEVER changed out of his farm boy clothes... was getting annoying.


THE ISKALON SAGA

This is a three-issue story-arc that finds our heroes on a diplomatic mission to the titular ocean planet of Iskalon. The story begins in "The Iskalon Effect" with some exposition. Luke explains aloud why they're on their mission, Threepio expounds on plot points from the previous missions leading up to this- namely the whole idea that the group is still looking for a lost rebel agent (one different from the one who they found had died in the last adventure). The dialogue also briefly touches on Leia's growing feeling of despair at the loss of her homeworld, of many of her comrades in the Rebellion and of Han Solo.

With this out of the way, we finally delve into the meat of this particular story as our heroes meet with the local aquatic species and discuss goings on in the area. They learn of Imperial subjugation and destruction from Primor, the leader of the Iskalon people. In fact, Iskalon itself has a garrison of troopers- seen patrolling outside the aquatic starport as the heroes carry on their meeting. Our heroes then learn that the agent they are looking for had recently visited Iskalon and was headed from there to the nearby world of Gamandar. It is decided that Lando, Chewbacca and the Droids will head to Gamandar to continue the search while Luke and Leia remain on Iskalon to deepen diplomatic ties with the locals.

Primor's son, Mone, decides to travel with Lando and his team and assist them in their mission, leaving his wife, Kendle, behind to worry. Meanwhile, Primor invites Luke and Leia to take an underwater tour of his planet.

Unfortunately for all involved. The previous discussions seem to have been overheard by a shady-looking spacer type. We see this man board his ship and and overhear his thoughts about getting an 'imperial promotion'.

The scenes shift to show the Imperials on Gamandar doing what Imperials do- opressing the locals, etc. The as-yet-unnamed Imperial Governor (who has one red, cybernetic eye with a cool crosshairs motif on it) receives the spy's transmissions and puts a plan into action. This is soon revealed to be the launch of a massive missile. Ironically, as the Falcon flies to Gamandar, they have to dodge out of the way of the missile as it heads to Iskallon- never knowing exactly what it was they passed.

Back on Iskalon, Luke and Leia return to the aquatic spaceport after finishing their underwater tour. They are shocked to see Kendle (Primor's daughter-in-law) inside the station, her water-tanks smashed- evidently the victim of some attack. Luke and Leia rush to her aid and reach her just as the Imperial missile strikes the oceans nearby. This sets in motion a massive tidal surge that crashes down on the spaceport. Thus ends the first issue of this arc.

The next issue (appropriately titled 'Tidal') picks up where the last left off. Luke and Leia struggle to survive the flooding of the spaceport. A revived Kendle tries to help them escape, but the group is suddenly attacked by another Iskalonian. Kendle promptly swims away, seemingly leaving Luke and Leia to their fates.

The story cuts back to Lando and his crew landing on Gamandar. There is a long spiel here about how they're going in undercover, even though they use the name Millennium Falcon. Yeah. I don't understand that either. In any case, they get a meeting with the local commander (the one with the cybernetic eye). We learn he is Admiral Tower. Lando, dressed in a raspberry beret and eyepatch, introduces himself as Captain Drebble. Amusingly, Drebble is the name of a former 'business associate' of Lando's, one who he apparently cheated and one who, on the planet Stenos just a few issues earlier, had put a 10,000 credit bounty on Lando's head. It is even more amusing that Lando actually uses this alias in future adventures... as we will see.

In any case, Lando pours on the 'charm' and attempts to locate the Rebel Agent (Tay Vanis)-or at the very least his droid- by posing as an enemy of the rebellion and in particular of Tay Vanis. He offers the Admiral payment in exchange for information on Vanis. Unfortunately, Tower tells him that Lord Vader wants Vanis as well, so... no deal. Tower allows Lando and his chums to leave- for the time being. As our heroes depart, the Imperial spy we saw on Iskalon appears and confirms to the Admiral that these were indeed the rebels he was looking for.

Unnoticed by Lando and the others, Artoo has slipped off by himself- having been mistaken for an Imperial droid...

Lando and the others head to the Imperial droid quartermaster- searching for Vanis' droid, whom they believe may (unknown to the bad guys) be in Imperial hands. They proceed to purchased K-3PX, who they believe to be the droid they're looking for. Once out of Imperial earshot, Lando attempts to convince 3PX of their good intentions, letting it slip that Luke Skywalker was with them on Iskalon. This seems to shock and interest the droid for some reason...

From there, we cut back to Iskalon itself. Luke, Leia and Kendle are confronted by an orange-skinned Iskalonian armed with a knife. The assailant promptly destroys the one air-tank Luke and Leia were sharing, forcing them to follow him out of the wrecked aquatic spaceport and up to the surface. They make it- barely- and discover a scene of horrific carnage. The port is in shambles and the broken bodies of the dead float everywhere amidst the wreckage. The orange-skinned local is nowhere to be seen, however. Luke and Leia survey the wreckage and are horrified that the Empire would kill so many innocents just to get them- noting even the deaths of most of the Imperial Garrison. They find the body of the planet's leader- Primor, floating with the others.

Kendle surfaces then, grieving for her father-in-law and all the other deaths. This is interrupted by the re-appearance of the orange-skinned native- who announces that all of this is Kendle's fault. Kendle once again flees. Luke and Leia prevent orange guy from pursuing, demanding he explain himself. He does so, noting that his name is Kiro and that it was Kendle who betrayed their location to the Empire- evidently in an attempt to save the life of her husband, Mone, who had gone with Lando. She hoped that turning in the rebels would save her family and her people. She was wrong. And it is at this point that Luke and Leia realize that Lando and the others were walking into a trap.

The issue ends with a shot of Lando and his team sprawled unconscious on the floor of an Imperial detention cell.

The next issue, titled "Artoo Detoo to the Rescue", begins with a scene featuring Darth Vader. Here, the droid 3PX reports to the dark lord on the happenings of the previous issues. Evidently, 3PX is an Imperial droid- though it is unclear at the moment if he was a plant, or reprogrammed or just a double agent. When Vader hears that Luke Skywalker may have been killed on Iskalon, he is furious and sets course for Gamandar right away.

Meanwhile, on Iskalon, Luke, Leia and Kiro tend to the few wounded survivors they find, but are soon attacked by a monstrous sea-beast- a Chiaki. It has been drawn by the 'feast' that all the dead bodies represent. After the monster is driven off, a new threat appears. Kendle has returned- with a horde of angry Iskalonians. She has convinced them that Luke and Leia are the ones responsible for all this destruction. Not wanting to fight them, Luke attempts to hold off the horde with Force powers. He is unable to mentally sway the Iskalonians because they can and do think as a 'school'. They are, however, frightened off by a display of telekinesis. Unfortunately it is only a delaying tactic...

Meanwhile, on Gamandar, Lando and his team wake to find themselves in a detention cell- having evidently been waylaid by K-3PX. According to Lando, the droid 'blasted' them all by surprise. All I have to say is: Wow. That's a pretty skilled droid. Admiral Tower then shows up to gloat and explain to them all that they were also betrayed by Kendle. Unfortunately for the Admiral, he is interrupted by K-3PX. The droid, acting on orders from Darth Vader, has the Admiral arrested.

As Admiral Tower is dragged off, R2-D2 shows up. He's been working 'undercover' all this time, pretending to be an Imperial droid. Amusingly enough, previous scenes have shown various officers around the base taking credit for Artoo's good work. In any case, he quickly frees his companions. As Lando and the others escape in the Falcon, Tower's execution is ordered by a hologram of Lord Vader. Tough luck.

Back on Iskalon, the situation grows dire. Luke, Leia and Kiro have to repulse attacks by both the angered natives and surviving Imperials. Things go from bad to worse when Kiro is wounded and begins to 'drown' in the air. As Luke and Leia struggle to get him to the water- another, monstrous Chiaki shows up. Its then that the Falcon arrives, blasting the beast. It collapses onto the platform wreckage. Ironically, it lands on Kendle, killing her.

Kiro is saved, but Mone, broken by the loss of his father and wife, returns to his people and decides that they will all retreat beneath the waves and have no further contact with off-worlders. And so the story ends- with death, tragedy and the loss of a possible ally to the Alliance. Whuf.

Overall, I liked this story, but again, there were some major holes in the plot. The most glaring of these is the fact that Lando openly uses the name Millennium Falcon when landing on an Imperial controlled world. He 'disguises' their presence by claiming that the ship belongs to Mone- because this evidently will throw the Empire off the scent. Okay, Yeah. I don't follow.

Secondly, there is Lando's plan to get information on Tay Vanis. Seriously? The best he could come up with is to go directly to the Empire? Still, I can't fault him entirely, indeed, I find the whole situation amusingly reminiscent of an RPG session in which the players come up with a somewhat sloppy plan then try to muddle their way through it... while the GM just sits back and gives them enough line to hang themselves with.

The oddest problem I have with the plot, though, is the fact that there are three traitors when there doesn't need to be. Why even include the character of the Imperial spy when the same purpose could have been served- and more dramatically- by Kendle. I mean, both the Imperial AND Kendle told Tower all about the rebels and their plans. These traitors have been brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Dept. Oh, and then there was K-3PX. Did he really need to betray Lando and the others when they were already betrayed... why would tower let them walk out of his headquarters at all when he already knew they were rebel spys....

All that being said, the CORE story is a solid one. For Lando and his crew there is good 'caper' action. For Luke and Leia there is a lot of angsty soul searching going on. And then there is the ending, which is surprisingly 'down' for a Star Wars comic, but fits pretty well with the 'desperate' tone of the post-Empire Strikes Back era.

It should also be noted that this adventure marked the introduction of Kiro, who would become and important supporting character in issues to come, even if he /does/ remain on his homeworld at the end of this particular one.

Favorite Dialogue:
Admiral Tower (bored): "" That's very interesting, mister...?"
Lando (disguised as Captain Drebble, with his arm slung around the Admiral's shoulder): "Drebble. Drebble they call me. "Drebs" to my friends. See, Admiral Tower, the way I got it figured is a man wants to do business in a new playce, first thing he oughtta do is drop in on the guy in charge and-"
Admiral Tower (incredulous): "Really? And do many people call you "Drebs"?"

STAR WARS OMNIBUS: A LONG TIME AGO, VOLUME 4 (Part 1)

I had been waiting anxiously for this particular volume to come out, as it includes several of my favorite storylines from the Star Wars marvel comics of the early 1980's. What I'm going to do now is run through the various story arcs and give a quick review (or rather my opinions) on the writing and the artwork in each. Since there are a lot of stories present, I imagine this is going to take me a few posts to cover completely.

In case you had forgotten, this volume picks up where the last one left off, in the months after the capture of Han Solo (during the Empire Strikes Back). As before Han's friends are searching the galaxy to try and find Boba Fett and prevent him from delivering Solo. Before I get going on the first story, I'd like to discuss this running 'motif'. The assumption in these comics is that Boba Fett is having to run a 'gauntlet' across the span of the Galaxy. I had always kind of thought that Fett just flew back to Tatooine, but...well, in these books, it is a months-long odyssey at least. Every story begins with the characters on a mission to help track Han down or explaining why they are NOT doing so (i.e. they're on another, more immediately important mission). Reading the issues back-to-back, this gets kind of old, but if you look at the book as a monthly thing, well, it can almost be forgiven. In any case, I'll try not to belabor this point as I go from story to story.

THE MANDALORIAN ADVENTURE
This story arc is told in two issues, the first titled "The Search Begins", the second titled "Death in the City of Bones". In the adventure, Princess Leia heads off with Threepio to track down a lead on the planet Mandalore. It seems that Dengar (presented as a compatriot of Boba Fett) has been seen on the planet. Leia wishes to capture and question the bounty hunter to see if he knows the route Fett is taking with Han's carbonite-encased body.

What she finds instead is an Imperial sponsored slaving operation being opposed by a Mandalorian freedom fighter by the name of Fenn Shysa. Fenn is presented as having been a comrade of Boba Fett and one of the few survivors of their unit of 'Supercommandos'. While Fett left to find his fortune in the stars, Fenn and his friend Tobi Dala returned home- only to find their world in the grip of slavery and tyranny. Apart from this backstory, Leia also discovers that Fenn's rebels have captured Dengar. The crafty hunter refuses to talk, however, unless the Princess helps him escape. Using her feminine wiles Leia manages to distract and overcome the Mandalorian and free Dengar. Unfortunately, she is quickly betrayed. Evidently the hunter had some kind of tracking device on him which leads the local Imperials right to him.

Leia is captured and taken to a forbidding fortress constructed inside the skeletal remains of a truly colossal beast (the titular 'City of Bone'). Here, she is introduced to the Suprema, an odd-looking, reptilian being in charge of the Imperial slaving effort on Mandalore. Her imprisonment is short-lived, however. Fenn, having infiltrated the base in a suit of Stormtrooper armor, manages to rescue Leia and his previously imprisoned friend Tobi Dala as well.

Things escalate quickly from there. As Fenn's rebels attack the city from the outside, Slaves turn against their captors within- inspired by the running firefight of Leia and the Mandalorians versus the Imperials. Unfortunately, Dala is mortally wounded during the battle. Urging the others to go on, Dala manages to cause an explosion in the base which takes both his life as well as the Suprema's. Leia and Fenn escape, with Dengar in tow. Unfortunately, questioning reveals that the bounty hunter doesn't know anything about Fett's whereabouts. Thus, the mission ends in failure and disappointment for Leia, though with the consolation that Fenn and his rebels have struck a major blow in their own fight for freedom.

Though there are numerous canonical problems with this story (the origin/timing of the Mandalorian Supercommandos, for instance), I am actually quite fond of it. The action is fast-paced and feels very 'Star Wars' to me, with chases, and captures and running gun-battles. Likewise, the overall storyline struck a chord with me. So much so that I used it as the basis of a mini-campaign in my tabletop game, where my PCs joined up with Fenn and his rebels to finally defeat the Empire, once in for all.

Some things I laugh at include Fenn's last name: Shysa. Which, pronounced phonetically, sounds a lot like a rude word in German. Also, I found Fenn's pseudo-Irish (or Scottish?) accent to be odd. But the comics tended to do that when they tried to make a character sound 'exotic'. In fact, later in the series, the writers give Wedge Antilles a similar accent- which is very odd considering he actually SPOKE in the movies- and without accent.

As an interesting, final note, the expanded universe has retconned various aspects of this story. 'The Suprema' was classified as being of the Falleen species of reptilian humanoids. However, he does not look remotely like any representation of that species that I have ever seen. The 'City of Bone' has likewise (and very oddly) been retconned into being the ruins of a Mandalorian theme park. The giant skeleton is now explained away as a gigantic building/sculpture that was the centerpoint of this theme park. Yeah, because that is SO much more believable than it being just a giant skeleton. Meh.

As a fun side-note, the Mandalorian adventure ends with a epilogue that will lead into the next adventure. Chewbacca and Lando are onboard the 'Wheel' gambling space station (visited MUCH earlier in the comic series) and find out that Bossk and IG-88 (again portrayed as compatriots of Boba Fett) are going somewhere that Lando and Chewbacca do not seem excited to go. I like the fact that they used the Wheel as a location again, even if it is such a short little touch-point. It helps to add 'depth' to the setting they're creating in the series. At least in my opinion.

Favorite Dialogue:
The Suprema: "Ahhh, fire. I like fire in a human. It sizzles so nicely when squelched."
Leia: "Tell me, Suprema, does the Empire give special training in arrogance--or are you one of the lucky ones with natural talent."

Fenn: Say pal, didja know yer shoelaces was untied?"
Stormtrooper: Gosh, no. Thanks, I guess they must've…HEY! WAITAMINIT! Stormtrooper boots don't HAVE laces!
Fenn: I know.
THWOCK (sound of stormtrooper getting pistol-whipped)

Artwork:
This 'era' of the comics is probably my favorite when it comes to artwork. Those involved were Gene Day and Tom Palmer- the latter of whom continues through many issues past these. Unlike in the earlier 'Chaykin' era, the characters look like 'themselves' (though aren't slavishly always in the same 'costume'). The technology looks like it does in the films (for the most part), too. I am all for artistic expression, but when you are basing a work off of something people are familiar with, I think there should be some compunction to represent that subject in a manner that LOOKS like the source material. Call me crazy.


THE STENAX SAGA
The next three issues of the comic series ("The Stenax Shuffle", "Return to Stenos", and "Fool's Bounty") detail the adventures of our heroes on the planet Stenos. The first such story is actually a flashback to an earlier mission that took place previous to the Battle of Hoth. To me, it seemed like an excuse to have a story featuring Han Solo again- who was no doubt a very popular character in the comic series, just as he was in the movies. In fact, the cover art for this first issue has a starburst touting the fact that it features Han Solo.

The Stenax Shuffle finds our heroes on the planet Stenos, looking to find a rebel cell that has failed to report in. While searching the ruins of a temple that the rebel group had been using as a base, the heroes find a group of smuggler 'friends' of Han Solo: Corellian ner-do-well Rick Duel, Dani the female Zeltron and Chihdo the Rodian. Duel claims to have been part of the lost rebel cell and convinces the rest of the group to help take up their 'mission' of finding a lost statue of great religious significance to the Stenax (a hostile, winged-humanoid species native to the planet).

The two groups work together for a time, though neither side really trusts the other. Amusingly, Han seems to be a bit wary/jealous of the attention that Rik Duel seems to be paying to Leia. Likewise, Luke seems totally flustered by the attention paid to him by Dani the Zeltron (presented here for the first time as an over-sexed, uninhibited humanoid species with magenta skin and hair).

Unsurprisingly to everyone, things fall apart once the statue is found. Duel attempts to betray everyone. First, he betrays the heroes to the local Imperials, causing the Stormtroopers to show up. Second, he betrays the Imperials by letting the Stenax know that the idol was found. Thus, while the Imperials attack our heroes, the Stenax attack the Imperials. In the confusion, Rick flees, intending to take the idol and sell it elsewhere. Unfortunately for him, the Imperial Governor was expecting this treachery and is waiting at Duel's ship. And just as unfortunately, Han, Leia and the rest manage to turn the wrath of the Stenax back onto Duel and the Imperials by telling them where their 'god' is and who has it. Thus, our Heroes flee the planet, even as Duel and the Imperials are swarmed by the Stenax.

With that flashback complete, we return to the present and turn to the next issue of the comic: "Return to Stenos". In this issue, Luke and Lando set out into the main starport-city of Stenos in search of clues to the whereabouts of IG-88 and Bossk, both evidently seen on this planet. Artoo and Chewbacca are forced to remain on the ship since only 'humanoids' are common on this planet (this seems a bit contrived to me, but I'll go with it).

Unfortunately for Luke and Lando, their attempts to keep a low profile are quickly scuppered when they enter their first cantina. Here, a man by the name of Drebble recognizes Lando and claims he was once cheated by him. He offers 10,000 credits on the spot to whoever captures Calrissian. A massive gunfight erupts in the cantina. Luke and Lando barely manage to escape- mainly through Luke's newfound Jedi leaping and lightsaber wielding abilities. They flee through the streets from an angry mob only to run into Rick Duel and Dani- who also seem to be in hiding. Dani in particular seems to be glad to see Luke- and again, Luke is amusingly flustered by her attention.

Luke tentatively agrees to help Duel and Dani find their lost friend Chihdo, but is quickly pulled away by Lando, who has spied someone moving a carbonite-encased body through the streets. The two report back in to Chewbacca and Artoo before pursuing the carbonite 'package' to a suspicious building. They break in only to find that it is Chihdo encased in carbonite, and that the whole thing was a trap set by Bossk and IG-88, who have the two surrounded. The issue ends on this cliffhanger note.

The next issue begins with Luke and Lando surrounded and seemingly doomed. At the last moment, however, Rik Duel and Dani emerge from hiding to aid them. Unfortunately, Bossk and IG-88 have too many henchmen- and iG-88 utilizes a powerful 'sonic shriek' to partially nullify Luke's ability to fight. In the end, Rik and Luke manage to escape. Lando and Dani are captured.

As Rik and Luke attempt to formulate an escape plan, we cut back to Chewbacca and Artoo, who have grown tired of waiting and sneak into the spaceport to take matters into their own hands. The two of them set about trying to recruit the Stenaxes, though the hostile Natives seem 'reluctant' to say the least. Meanwhile, Dani and Lando manage to escape from their captors- only to flee right into a carbon freeze chamber. Here, Bossk intends to freeze them in preparation for the capture of Luke (the big prize here).

Luke and Rik duel show up just as Dani and Lando are about to get frozen. But instead of battling, Bossk's men, they simply tackle Lando and Dani to the ground just before a wave of Stenax spears cut into the bounty hunters. It seems that Chewbacca was able to convince them to help afterall- simply by gaining their respect as a fearsome warrior. Bossk and IG-88 flee in the confusion.

The story ends with Chihdo saved and Rik Duel scheming on a way to get the Stenax to work for HIM. Luke, Lando, Chewie and Artoo leave disappointed- having reached a dead-end in their search for Han Solo. As they leave the planet, however, they find out they have a stow-away in the form of Dani, who has grown bored with Rik's schemes and wishes to pursue her capricious infatuation with Luke for a while.

I owned (and still own) two of the three comics of this story arc (the last two) and I always loved them. The story was lots of fun, with good quips by Lando, Luke and just about everyone. It was a nice mix of action and humor. I especially giggle at the scenes of Chewbacca 'sneaking' through the city- which include an especially exaggerated 'sneak' posture for him. Good stuff.

What really sold me on the story, however, was Rik Duel and his crew. Here we see what is essentially another 'adventuring party', only one that isn't at all 'heroic'. To me, Duel is very much a picture of what Han Solo COULD have become if he hadn't maintained a conscience. I particularly like that Duel and crew are 'villains' but of a notably 'grey' variety. They aren't evil per-se, rather, they're just incredibly greedy and self-centered.

Being a teenage boy at the time of these comic's release, I was also enamored with Dani the Zeltron. A promiscuous, magenta-skinned space babe? What's not to like? She was a fun character and I loved the interaction between her and Luke (and later Leia). I also respected the fact that the writers of the comic never abandoned the whole idea of Luke as a 'farm boy at heart'. He is completely (and amusingly) flummoxed by the attention Dani lavishes on him. He also never takes advantage of that. I like to think its because he's a 'nice guy' and that's what has always endeared Luke to me as a character. He's not the 'babe of the week' kind of hero. He's the paladin, and it is quite amusing to me to see how the knight in shining armor reacts to the femme fatale.

Favorite Dialogue:
Han Solo (nervously jealous of Rik Duel's attention towards Leia): "Chewie, you stay here and keep an eye on.. on Leia. And things."

Rik Duel (later, yanking on Solo's chain): "I'll stay here and keep an eye on..on Leia. And things.

Lando: "Luke, you've got to leave this to a man with some style. A man of subtlety. A man who knows his way around cities. You go blundering around with that direct approach you usually favor and someone might remember that they've seen you here before. At least we know *I* won't be recognized."
(a split second later)
Angry Voice: "Stop that man! He's Lando Calrissian! I tell you that man is a cheat! He robbed me! Ten thousand credits to the one who captures him for me!!"

Luke (as gunshots zip by): "Did you really cheat him?"
Lando (as more gunshots zip by): "Luke, among men of business, 'cheat' is a subjective term. It's open to some very broad interpretations…"
Luke (as still more gunshots zip by): "Great."

As stated in the intro, this is going to take a few posts to cover everything, so... i'll see you when those future parts are written.