Comic Talk: Star Wars Adventures #3

Comics are frustrating and never release on time or on schedule, especially Star Wars comics. We should be here today talking about Star Wars Adventures #4, but the release date changed (again) and so I am going to talk about Star Wars Adventures #3 instead, which released on February 3rd.  

Prerequisites:

When the anthology series "Star Wars Adventures" first released in 2017 it was told through the lens of Emil Graf, pilot of the Star Herald. Emil told stories and tales to his crew: CR-8rR, BB-00, and a Kowakian monkey-lizard named Noni. Each story was also meant to teach a lesson to one of his crew members. Star Wars Adventures was published by IDW and ran for 32 issues before it was rebooted last year.

The relaunched series is still an anthology series that can take place in any Star Wars era and feature any character, however it is no longer framed through the lens of Emil Graf or the Star Herald crew. 

It also now features a slogan "Tales of Villainy" 

Who wrote this?

Michael Moreci has been writing for Star Wars Adventures since 2018. Before that he worked on horror comics such as Stranger Things & Vampironica.

Sam Maggs is new to Star Wars comics but is a Canadian author most knows for her book "The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy"

Characters: 

The first tale "Life Day" sees Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice "Obi-Wan Kenobi" on planet Kashyyyk during the celebration of Life Day. 

The second tale "The Hostage" features Darth Maul captured and chained on planet Bahlah. 

Why Should I Read It?: 

Obviously these tales are marketed towards kids, but they don't have to be. The scripts would work just as well with an older target audience. The only part of these stories that is really "kid-ified" is the art itself.

The genius of the anthology format is that you could find yourself in any era of the Star Wars universe with characters that you love.  The tales are quick-burns and then you are onto something new.

Comics can be so frustrating because issues often release months apart and it is easy to lose the plot threads. When comics are suddenly cancelled mid-plot-thread it is even more frustrating. Star Wars Adventures does not run into this issue. A lot of these stories are one shots, and if not, the story is going to be resolved the very next week.

What's Next?

If it releases on schedule I will be back next week to review High Republic Adventures #2

Aliens of "The High Republic"

Mirialans

Mirialans were a near-human species from planet Mirial- a cold, dry planet located in the Outer Rim. Mirialans could be identified by their green skin and geometric face tattoos. Face tattoos could be gained after completing a special task, but some were status symbols. Tattoos were seen as an important, yet sometimes antiquated tradition among the Mirialan people.

Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her apprentice Barriss Offee were the first Mirialans to appear in Star Wars. However novels and guidebooks from 2002 first identified the pair as being human. It may have been the 2004 MedStar novels that first assigned the Mirialan species name to the two Jedi.

In The High Republic series Vernestra Rwoh is a young Mirialan Jedi knight. Vernestra is the main character in “A Test of Courage” by Justina Ireland.

Umbaran

Umbarans were sometimes known as Shadow People. They hailed from a dark planet in the Ghost Nebula in which never saw daylight. Their colorless eyes could see deep into the ultra-violet spectrum. The Umbaran culture was a complex caste system and individuals would spend their lives attempting to rise into higher and higher social levels.

Sly Moore, chief of staff to Chancellor Palatine, was the first Umbaran to appear in a Star Wars film.  The character design of Sly Moore was inspired by Gothic Subculture. Moore was a close confidant of Palpatine and was rumored to have given birth to Palpatine’s son Triclops.

Orla Jareni is an Umbaran Jedi Knight / Wayseeker who appears in the novel “High Republic: Into the Dark” by Claudia Grey.

Zygerrian

Zygerrians were a fur-covered, pointy eared species from the outer rim. On their native world the Zygerrian government ran a slave trade.  Zygerrians often carried retractable shock-whips, which were a symbol of their culture. Shock whips were non-lethal as Zygerrians preferred to capture their enemies, rather than kill them. 

Zygerrians were first mentioned in “The Star Wars Sourcebook “in 1987. They first appeared onscreen in The Clone Wars animated series. Though the Zygerrians featured in Clone Wars are coyote-like in appearance, Zyggerrians that appeared prior to the animated series were hairless with facial ridges. Dave Filoni chose the coyote appearance specifically because he wanted the species to look deceitful. 

Farzala is a Zygerrian Jedi Padawan that is featured in the “High Republic Adventures” comic series.

Pantoran

Pantorans were a blue-skinned species from the moon, Pantora. The Pantorans had an very old society that once worshipped a moon goddess. ThModern Pantora was known for its beautifully designed democratic society, which stood as a symbol against oppression and slavery. Pantorans often wore golden face tattoos which denoted their family symbols.

Pantorans are not to be confused with other blue skinned species such as the Chiss (who have red eyes) or Wroonians (who have yellow eyes).

Star Wars fans were able to glimpse a very early concept drawing of a Pantoran as far back as 1995 as part of the “Star Wars: Episode I Insider's Guide CD-ROM”. The species would not appear onscreen until “Revenge of the Sith” premiered a decade later, where George Lucas and his daughter, Katie, appear as Baron Papanoida and Chi Eekway Papanoida. Initially the Pantoran name was not attached to the species. According to old guidebooks, the character that George Lucas played was a Wroonian and the character that Katie Lucas played was a Twi’lek. There’s even an action figure of the Katie Lucas character with Twi’lek Lekku. However in 2009 a Season 1 episode of “Clone Wars”. Firmly establishes these characters as being Pantoran.

Pantoran characters appear in “The High Republic: Into the Dark” and “The High Republic: A Test of Courage”. 

Tholothian

Tholothians were a human-like species with long white tendrils growing from their heads. Tholothians tended to have dark skin and blue or violet eyes. Tholoth was a warm world with many trees. The Tholothian government prided itself in keeping wildlife preserves over large swaths of their planet.

Many Tholothians were skilled force users including Jedi Council Members Adi Galia and her cousin, Staff Allie. Indeera Stokes is the Tholothian Jedi who appears in the novel “The Light of the Jedi”

 

Comic Talk: Darth Vader #10

Darth Vader is arguably the most iconic character of an entire franchise of iconic characters. Vader has been a goldmine of merchandise for decades and he will continue to sell merchandise long after "Baby" Grogu "Yoda" is a forgotten memory. Star Wars comics have always cashed in on Darth Vader. Dark Horse had a dedicated Vader line from 2011 - 2014 and Marvel has hardly let a month go by without a comic with Vader's name on the cover. The current Vader line is actually the 3rd to be published under the title "Darth Vader". 

Prerequisites:

You do not have to be familiar with the plot of the first Marvel Vader line that covered the timeframe between "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back" to enjoy this comic. You also don't have to read the "Darth Vader Lord of Sith" series, the "Vader: Dark Visions" or the "Target Vader" series. 

What you should really be familiar with before tackling "Darth Vader #1" (2020) is the novel "Queen's Shadow" by EK Johnston. Trust me, it's worth it. 

Who wrote this?

Grek Pak has been writing Star Wars comics since 2019. Pak first wrote the series "Age of Rebellion" before taking over as head writer on the closing arc of the main Star Wars line (#68 - #75). 

Characters: 

Vader is on a journey of self-discovery in which he is haunted by his past, his present, and his future. The journey has taken him to the planet Tatooine (where he grew up), the planet Naboo (where he fell in love), the asteroid field of Polis Massa (where his son was born), the planet Mustafar (where he was reborn), and now the planet Exegol (where his Master keeps secrets). 

Ochi of Bestoon is a Sith assassin, who was first introduced in "The Rise of Skywalker". Palpatine had tasked Ochi with eliminating Vader, but now Ochi is very much a captive and along for the ride on Vader's strange quest.

Why Should I Read It?: 

The character of Darth Vader has never been so compelling. Fresh from his duel with his son, Luke Skywalker, Vader is questioning his place in the Galaxy. Vader's tenuous relationship with his master has always been strained, but now it feels like it's at the breaking point. Vader wants Palpatine dead and Palpatine knows it. This series bridges the gap between Bespin and Endor, but also draws on storylines from both the Prequels and the Sequels.

What's Next?

I will be back in two weeks to review Star Wars Adventures #4

Comic Talk: The High Republic

Star Wars fans who read comics should be overjoyed with the fact that 2021 will have 7 ongoing Star Wars comic series, which is probably the most in the history of Star Wars comics.

Over the next couple of months I will be checking in on these various series and this week I am looking at The High Republic #2 by Cavan Scott.

Prerequisites:

The High Republic series is part of the newly launched "High Republic" subfranchise which includes various comics, books, and novels which take place in an era set about 200 years before "The Phantom Menace". Though readers should feel free to dive into this series without any prior knowledge it might be a good idea to read Charles Soule's amazing novel "Light of the Jedi" which launches the series.

Who wrote this?

Before Disney purchased Star Wars, Cavan Scott wrote comics for many other franchises including Power Rangers and Doctor Who. Scott's first foray into Star Wars were the children's books "Adventures in Wild Space", which he wrote with Tom Huddleston. Since then Huddleston has worked on the Star Wars Adventures comics, the Choose Your Own Destiny books, and the Dooku: Jedi Lost audiodrama. Scott's "The Rising Storm" will be the second hardcover book in the High Republic novel series (due out June 29th)

Characters: 

Jedi Padawan, Keeve Trennis (introduced in the book A Test of Courage) and her Master Sskeer (introduced in the book Light of the Jedi) are stationed at Starlight Beacon in the Outer Rim territories (think Deep Space 9). Keeve is ready for her Jedi trials but there's something wrong with Sskeer. Every since the Battle of Kur the Trandoshan has been acting strange- like Dark Side strange. Trennis considers going to the other Masters with her concerns. 

Why should I read it?

This might be the first Star Wars comic (certainly the first Marvel Star Wars comic) to feature a black female in the leading role. But representation aside Keeve Trennis is a fairly cool character. Like Vernestra Rwoh (see A Test of Courage) she is a new Jedi Knight discovering her place in the galaxy. Also like Venestra Rwoh (see A Test of Courage) the creators have given Trennis a fairly unique type of lightsaber in that her double-bladed green lightsaber can unlock to form two single blades.

If Keeve Trennis isn't enough for you, Sskeer is the "mystery box" mechanism of this series. Just what is going on with this Jedi Master and how could that impact  the Jedi Order itself?

What's Next?
I will be back next weekend to review the comic Darth Vader #10 by Greg Pak

Creatures of the Mandalorian Season 2

Krayt Dragon

The Krayt Dragon is the first creature to ever feature in the Star Wars franchise. Right around the 11 minute mark you will see it, right behind C-3PO. The bones of a creature sprawled out on the sand dunes of the Jundland Wastes.

The first mention of a Kryat Dragon was in the 1976 novel "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker" which predated the film by several months. The image of a living Krayt dragon was first drawn by Ralph McQuarrie as concept art for the film. The art shows a battle between Tusken Raiders and a large dragon, an encounter finally realized on screen four and a half decades later in Chapter 9 of The Mandalorian.

Almost all living Krayt dragons in the Star Wars franchise have been depicted as giant lizards similar to the Ralph McQuarrie art, but "The Mandalorian: Chapter 9" reimagines Krayt Dragons as long sand worms, similar to the creature from "Dune" or the monsters from "Tremors".

Krayt Dragons are native to Tatooine where they terrorize local communities. Tusken Raiders utilize Krayt Dragons for their meat. In their native habitat, Krayt Dragons ate a variety of desert creatures and also swallowed stones to help with digestion. Krayts were long lived and sometimes swallowed Kyber Crystals which would turn into a pearl in their stomachs. If the pearls were small enough they could be used to power lightsabers, though some pearls grew quite large in size and could be bigger than the head of a humanoid.

Knobby White Ice Spider

Knobby White Spiders are creatures based on another Ralph McQuarrie design (this time for "The Empire Strikes Back"). In the old Expanded Universe, Knobby White Spiders were from Dagobah. But according to Legends Canon the spiders were actually living roots (part of the lifecycle of a gnarltree). 

Another creature similar to the Knobby White Spiders are the Krykna, which appeared in the second and third seasons of "Star Wars: Rebels". The Krykna were native to planet Atollon. The Rebels of Chopper Base used sensor beacons to keep these spiders away from the base itself. 

Knobby White Ice Spiders appear in "The Mandalorian: Chapter 10". They are native to the ice caves of Maldo Kreis. These spiders appeared to have 6 legs as juveniles, but 8 legs as adults.

Lava Meerkat

Lava Meerkats were small mammalians adapted to live on the volcanic planet Nevarro. They were commonly found on the banks of subterranean rivers of lava (as seen in "The Mandalorian Chapter 8").

A Lava Meerkat is also featured in the opening scene of "The Mandalorian Chapter 12" where it is being tortured by a gang of Aqualish. Curiously, in concept art featured at the end of that episode the Lava Meerkat is scene breathing fire at one of the Aqualish. Could this fire breathing be a adaptive trait of the creature?

Massif

Massif were creatures that first appeared in "Attack of the Clones". The dog-sized lizard-like creatures were domesticated by Tusken Raiders and primarily used to guard Tusken settlements. The creatures were fearsome and formidable, but they were quite docile in the presence of Tuskens or those who could speak the Tusken language.

Though native to Tatooine, Massifs could be found on Geonosis, Florrum and were even imported to core worlds such as Coruscant.

Scurrier

Scurriers first appeared in the 1997 Special Edition of "A New Hope" - but the creatures were also seen in "Attack of the Clones". The CGI model of these creatures was actually a modified version of Jurassic Park's velociraptor. 

Scurriers often scavenged food from homesteads or settlements on the desert planet of Tatooine. Though skittish, they were a common site on the streets of Mos Eisley and Mos Pelgo.  

Creatures of the Mandalorian Season 1

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/12/creatures-of-mandalorian.html

"Light of the Jedi" #1 on the Best Seller list & all the Star Wars books that have hit #1

The cross-media project known as "The High Republic" has finally launched after a year of promotion- and it's off to a great start.

Charles Soule's novel "Light of the Jedi" has found it's way to the top of The New York Times Best Seller List and it's only the 7th Star Wars book in history to do so.

Here is some information about all of the Star Wars books that have hit #1 on the The New York Times Best Seller List.

1983: Return of the Jedi Storybook- A hardcover kid's book complete with full-color pictures from the film is an odd thing to see at the top of the Best Seller List, but every kid in 1983 just had to have this book. It spent a full two months at the #1 position and also became the bestselling hardcover of the year.

1991: Heir to the Empire - Star Wars did not have success outside of the films in the 70s and 80s. There was a terrible holiday special, a terrible holiday album, some questionable comics, and some really weird books based on Lando. When  Bantam Books decided to release some novels for an adult audience, no one thought it was going to work, but Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" started to climb the best seller list in May of 1991. But the last day of June the novel had topped the list and the Star Wars Expanded Universe was born. So many of Zahn's characters and plot lines still have a major impact on the new Disney Star Wars Universe, especially the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn. The sequels to Zahn's novel also spent many weeks on the Best Seller List but never quite cracked the #1 spot.

1999: The Phantom Menace Novelization- During my youth 1999 was the Summer of Star Wars. The franchise was back in cinemas after a 16-year absence. Star Wars was found on Pepsi Cans, in MTV music videos, a Weird Al Parody, it was everywhere. The Phantom Menace Novelization debuted in April of 1999- a full month before the movie released. Spoilers were everywhere. I remember my brother's friend straight up telling me that Qui-Gon and Maul were both going to die in the film. The concept of a spoiler wasn't really a thing before "The Phantom Menace", but Star Wars fans quickly learned how dangerous a spoiler could be.

It is notable that the book "The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime" also debuted in the fall of 1999. It peaked at #10, but launched a 19-novel series, many of which hit the Best Seller List.

2008: When "Revenge of the Sith" released in 2005, it seemed like Star Wars was finished. Lucas told fans that he would never release another film in the franchise. The future was Star Wars was now tied in with comics, books, cartoons, and video games. One such game was "The Force Unleashed" which told the story of Darth Vader's secret apprentice "Starkiller". The game became the fastest selling Star Wars game of all time and the book tie-in obviously did well too.

2016: The Force Awakens Novelization- 2015 was the Winter of Star Wars. After a decade away from screens Star Wars was back. Not only did it become the Highest Grossing Domestic Film of all time (a record it still holds), the merchandise tie-ins were flying off of shelves, even in book stores. Alan Dean Foster had written the first ever Star Wars novel in 1976, the first novel which was a sequel to the film Star Wars in 1978, and first showed up on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2002 for the Star Wars novel "The Approaching Storm". Now Foster had a #1 Star Wars book to add to his impressive library.

2018: Thrawn Alliances- Timothy Zahn had 8 Star Wars books appear in the Top 15 of the Best Seller List prior to 2018. He had narrowly missed the top position when his 2017 Thrawn book hit #2 in April of that year. Zahn has released a Thrawn book every year since 2017 and they always make the list. Zahn is arguably the most prolific Star Wars author. His next novel, Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good releases on April 27th, 2021.

2021: Light of the Jedi- With several Star Wars novels releasing every year it can be hard to predict which ones could top the Best Seller List. 2017 alone saw seven books in the Top 15. Six books have peaked at #2 narrowly, missing the mark- "Attack of the Clones", "Revenge of the Sith", "The Last Jedi", two of Zahn's books, and "Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse".

It is a delightful surprise and a testament to the Star Wars marketing team that "Light of the Jedi" had debuted at #1. Charles Soule does an amazing job on launching this sub-franchise "The High Republic", which will include 4 Novels, 2 Comic Series, a Graphic Novel, a Manga, and 2 Junior Novels in Phase 1 alone. And upcoming Disney+ series " The Acolyte" will also be tied into the High Republic Era.

The novel feels like a true Star Wars Event. The only book I have ever read quite like it is probably "Vector Prime" all the way back in 1999 when the "New Jedi Order" was launched. The "Light of the Jedi" isn't just a good Star Wars novel however, it's also a really good book despite being tied to the franchise. The concepts herein could work as a generic sci-fi book worthy of a Hugo award (fingers crossed).

Charles Soule has previously written several Star Wars comics including the current mainline Star Wars series. 

*Much of the New York Times Best Seller List research for my blog was compiled from another blog:

https://puerto-pirata-veracruz.blogspot.com/2019/08/star-wars-books-in-new-york-times-best.html

Aliens of the Mandalorian Season 2

Season 2 of the Mandalorian continued to include appearances of classic Star Wars aliens from the original trilogy. These aliens are a treat because so many of them are left out of the Star Wars sequels.

 Abyssin

The cycloptic species known as Abyssin were a tribal race from the desert planet of Byss. Abyssin were seen as a violent race and communicated in a language that consisted of grunts. Like Gamoreans, many Abyssin were hired a thugs. The Abyssin also had the unique ability to quickly regenerate lost limbs. In fact every cell in the Abyssin body was replaced every 80 hours. Abyssin could live to the age of 200-300 but they would eventually lose their regenerative ability and walk out alone to the desert to die. 

A 1978 magazine identified the cyclops creature from the film “Star Wars” as a "Cyceyed" but the name didn’t stick. A 1989 sourcebook was the first to identify the species as “Abyssin” and the 1995 Customizable Card Game identified the Abyssin that appeared in the Cantina scene as “Myo”. 

In The Mandalorian Chapter 9 an Abyssin gangster known as Gor Koresh lures Din Djarin into a trap but ends up strung up from a light pole.

It is notable that the front of Jabba's throne is adorned with four sculptures of Abyssin heads. One such sculpture also appeared in the 1985 TV-movie “Ewoks: The Battle For Endor”.

Mon Calamari

The Mon Calamari species were native to the watery world of Mon Cala. The species lived in underwater cities as well as cities on land. They lived side-by-side with the Quarren species until the Clone Wars when the Quarren decided to join the Separatists.

The Mon Calamari were named after a calamari salad, which creature designer Phil Tippet was eating for lunch one day. Eight Mon Calamari masks were constructed for “Return of the Jedi” in tones of red and orange. The Mon Calamari from Rogue One (Including Admiral Raddus) have skin tones of white and grey and are said to be from the polar regions of Mon Cala.

In The Mandalorian Chapter 11 several Mon Calamari appear on the watery moon of Trask. Norwood Cheek & Frank Ippolito portrayed two of the Mon Calamari in Chapter 11.

Quarren

Quarren are an obviously aquatic species who share the ocean world of Mon Cala with the Mon Calamari. Quarren could dive up to 300 meters under the oceans of Mon Cala. They also were able to spit ink from their mouths as a measure of self defense.

The Quarren species first appeared among the denizens the Jabba’s Palace in the film “Return of the Jedi”. Though the Quarren action figure was simply called “Squid Head”, a 1990 Galaxy Guide would give the name Tessek to Quarren at Jabba’s Palace.

In The Mandalorian Chapter 11 several Quarren appear on the watery moon of Trask.

Unknown Frog Species

Though "Frog Lady" appeared in the background of the Mos Eisley space cantina in the first season of The Mandalorian, most fans did not notice her. This season we were introduced to her, her mate, and her hatchlings. Though this Frog Species appears pretty weak, they actually have many survival techniques that help them navigate a dangerous galaxy. When in danger the Frog Species can hop quite quickly. Like Gungans, they have long tongues capable of quickly catching prey. They are not capable of speaking basic but are innovative and can often find other ways to communicate.

The eggs of the Frog Species are very fragile and cannot survive hyperspace. The eggs also need to be kept at warm temperatures and a female Frog can only lay so many in her lifetime. Once fertilized these eggs quickly begin to hatch into a "tadpole" stage.

"Frog Lady" was portrayed by actress Misty Rosas who also portrayed the Ugnaught Kuiil in Season 1 of the Mandalorian.

Aqualish

The Aqualish were an intelligent species from planet Ando that varied in appearance. The Aquala were more adapted to a aquatic lifestyle and could be identified by two giant fins on the end of their arms. The Ualaq were arachnid-like with four eyes and five fingers who lived mostly on land. Finally the Quara were mammal like and their arms resembled wolf men (such as the Shistavanen). All Aqualish have bulbous tusks that protrude from their faces.

Ponda Baba (who lost an arm to Kenobi in the Mos Eisley Cantina) is the most famous Aqualish among fans. A gang of Aqualish appear in the cold open of Chapter 12 of the Mandalorian and are taken out by Cara Dune.

Togruta

The Togruta species hailed from the planet Shili where they were hunted by giant beasts such as the Akul. Shili was a planet of colorful grasslands, and the Torguta evolved features to blend in with their surroundings. Among these features were colorful skin tones, white facial pigments and stripes. Togruta features also included heads-tails similar to those of Twi’leks. Another adaptation that Torgruta sported were hollow-horns called Montrals which could echolocate, giving the species a heightened sense of their surroundings (similar to the functionality of Gotal horns).

Though Shaak Ti was the first Togruta to appear in the Star Wars franchise, the most famous is undoubtably Ahsoka Tano who became a fan favorite in the animated series "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels". Ahsoka was voiced by Ashley Eckstein in animated shows but was portrayed in live action by Rosario Dawson in Chapter 13 of the Mandalorian.

Weequay

Weequay can be identified by their leathery skin, well suited for desert climates. Many males also sport long braids. Most Weequay are often quiet beings, as they primarily communicate through pheromones, however the pirate Hondo Ohnaka is known to be quite chatty.

The Weequay species was named by George Lucas himself, who paid homage to the "Moby Dick" character Queequeg. Though several Weequay appeared in “Return of the Jedi” as skiff guards, none were ever named. The first onscreen Weequay with a name is possibly Sora Bulq, a Jedi Master from “Attack of the Clones”.

W. Earl Brown portrays a Weequay bartender in Chapter 9 of the Mandalorian.

Gamorrean

Gamorreans are not known for their intelligence. In fact their feeble-minds make them particularly loyal to whomever they serve. Gamoreans prefer melee weapons to blasters, as they consider it honorable to defeat their enemies in close combat. The male boars, in particular, were known have poor hygiene habits.

The appearance of Gamorrans in Season 2 of The Mandalorian was first teased in a December 2019 tweet from Jon Favreau. Two Gamorreans appear in a fighting area in Chapter 9 of The Mandalorian. More Gammorreans appear in Jabba's Palace after the closing credits of Chapter 16.

Aliens of the Mandalorian Season 1

Creatures of the Mandalorian Season 1