REVENGE OF THE SITH COMIC/NOVELIZATION Discussion

[SuperJerk 0]

I picked up a copy of "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" graphic novel today.

 

There's no big surprises, since the plot was leaked months ago.

 

The way the plot is laid out makes Anakin's turn seem logical, and of course, the irony of the fact that the reason he turned (to prevent Padme's death), caused the very thing he was trying to prevent.

 

Given Obi-Wan's distaste for blasters, General Grievous's death seems rather odd...then again, I guess Obi-Wan pulling a blaster is the last thing you'd expect to happen.

 

I'm curious to see how Qui-Gon's conversation with Yoda will play out in the actual film, as here it was too brief and didn't really explain much. That's kind of the problem with comic adaptations, they're usually brief and some changes can be made to the film at the last minute that don't get included in the print adaptations.

 

No mention of who "Sifo-Dias" was, although my theory has always been that it was just another name used by Sidious, since he was orchestrating the entire Clone War and had the ability to easily impersonate a Jedi if he needed to. There's alot of explanation missing, although I'm sure most people should be smart enough to figure things out themselves (even if there's people out there who haven't figured out that Palpatine was Sidious all along).

 

Also, I have a hard time believing it took them from the end of this story until A NEW HOPE to get the Death Star built. Maybe they were already working on the second before the first one was destroyed.

 

In the graphic novel, Obi-Wan utters the line: "The Sith now rule the galaxy as they did before the Republic." Kind of makes me wish they'd make an Episode Zero, showing the original downfall of the Sith.

 

Knowing the definite story really increased my appreciation for the prequels as a whole, as the story really does fit together well.

 

And, best of all, I never saw Jar Jar once.

[starvenger 0]

And, best of all, I never saw Jar Jar once.

I'm sure that was an editorial decision. Comic book fans, I've heard, can be rather obsessive about things.

 

Who's the creative team, btw?

[SuperJerk 0]

Nobody I'd heard of.

 

The art has a nice quasi-painted look to it, but is essentially stiff and lifeless.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Think about the logistics and engineering involved in building the first anything that'd be as big as a Death Star. After you've got the first one down, building a second one isn't so hard. Look at how countries pump out nukes like packs of hot dogs once they figure out how to make them.

[starvenger 0]

Nobody I'd heard of.

 

The art has a nice quasi-painted look to it, but is essentially stiff and lifeless.

So it'll be pretty accurate with respect to the acting, then?

[SuperJerk 0]

Think about the logistics and engineering involved in building the first anything that'd be as big as a Death Star. After you've got the first one down, building a second one isn't so hard. Look at how countries pump out nukes like packs of hot dogs once they figure out how to make them.

I'd thought of that, but assuming they didn't start building the second until after the first was destroyed (which isn't an absolute), the difference between 20 years and 3 (or so) years makes this a little bit of a stretch.

 

Not impossible, because your point is logical, but a tiny stretch nonetheless.

 

Of course, it also makes PERFECT SENSE that they'd start building the Death Star right away, so the Emperor wouldn't need the Senate anymore to control the regional governments without the bureacracy.

 

Too bad Lord Vader's sorcerous ways didn't give him the ability to conjure up those missing data tapes, or clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fortr...**gasps for air**...

[LessonInMachismo 0]

Too bad Lord Vader's sorcerous ways didn't give him the ability to conjure up those missing data tapes, or clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fortr...**gasps for air**...

 

Enough of this! Vader...release him!

 

I picked up the novelization today at Wal-Mart for $17.96. The only reason I bought is because Matt Stover is the author. He did excellent jobs on Traitor and Shatterpoint, and I really liked his dark style, so I had planned on buying the novelization ever since I heard he was going to be the author. I'm hoping he will really go into Mace's head in the book, kind of as a continuance to Shatterpoint.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I've determined that the reason I don't like the EU is that Star Wars is so visually-intensive that books just don't grab you as much. Odd, because I normally take reading over watching stuff any day.

[Guest CronoT]

I'd thought of that, but assuming they didn't start building the second until after the first was destroyed (which isn't an absolute), the difference between 20 years and 3 (or so) years makes this a little bit of a stretch.

Grand Moff Tarkin was the one who was in charge of building the first Death Star. The first time the Death Star was built, it was an extreme black project, so it's no surprise that Emperor Palpatine took his time, and moved slowly to get it done. Look how long he took to get the Clone Wars started. He waited for ten years after he got elected Supreme Chancellor to get the ball really rolling, so it's no surprise that it took about 10-15 years to fully build the first Death Star. The Super Laser probably took 5 or more years to create by itself.

 

As stated previously in the thread, once you've built something the first time, building it again is only slightly harder than following the directions.

[Vyce 0]

I've determined that the reason I don't like the EU is that Star Wars is so visually-intensive that books just don't grab you as much. Odd, because I normally take reading over watching stuff any day.

I'm quite fond of the EU.

 

And as such, the prequels have been exceptionally depressing to me. Because not only are they mediocre at BEST, but Lucas has used them to retcon a ton of really, really cool shit done in the EU.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I've determined that the reason I don't like the EU is that Star Wars is so visually-intensive that books just don't grab you as much. Odd, because I normally take reading over watching stuff any day.

I'm quite fond of the EU.

 

And as such, the prequels have been exceptionally depressing to me. Because not only are they mediocre at BEST, but Lucas has used them to retcon a ton of really, really cool shit done in the EU.

The EU is just like the movies...you gotta take the bad with the good.

 

The Good:

 

X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston. Military action at its best.

 

The first half of the New Jedi Order series. Really good stuff in there, but the series went downhill, mainly due to shitty writing and possibly shitty editorial decisions. The last good book was Traitor by Matt Stover, which changed the way I think about things.

 

Cloak of Deception and Shatterpoint, by James Luceno and Matt Stover, respectively. The only prequel novels that I like. CoD is both an action and political thriller. Shatterpoint is a spiritual experience. Read it.

 

The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn. The books that jumpstarted EU. They FEEL like the movies more than the prequels do. His follow up Hand of Thrawn duology is good, too.

 

Classic and newer Han Solo trilogies. I enjoyed both series by Brian Daley and AC Crispin.

 

Star Wars Tales quarterly comic...it's got something for everyone.

 

Star Wars: Republic and Star Wars: Empire. These two comic series have some really good stories.

 

Tales of the Jedi comics...some are really good.

 

The Bad:

 

Dark Empire I & II and Empire's End comic series. Terrible.

 

A lot of novels. Namely, ones by Hambly or McIntyre. The rest, if not listed in The Good are mediocre at best, terrible at the worst.

 

Pretty much every SW game out there.

 

Jedi vs. Sith comics. Many other comics.

 

The Ugly:

 

The Star Wars Holiday Special.

[starvenger 0]

A lot of novels. Namely, ones by Hambly or McIntyre. The rest, if not listed in The Good are mediocre at best, terrible at the worst.

I've made mention of this before, where Bantam was really just throwing Star Wars novels out there for the sake of having Star Wars novels. "The Crystal Star" is a prime example of that, where McIntyre seemingly shoehorned the EU into an existing story.

 

Del Rey has better focus, but I don't think that they'll be trying for an 18-part series again. That was just insane, and I'll say that Star by Star was probably the best book of the lot. Kudos, however, for tying things into the prequels.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

A lot of novels.  Namely, ones by Hambly or McIntyre.  The rest, if not listed in The Good are mediocre at best, terrible at the worst.

I've made mention of this before, where Bantam was really just throwing Star Wars novels out there for the sake of having Star Wars novels. "The Crystal Star" is a prime example of that, where McIntyre seemingly shoehorned the EU into an existing story.

 

Del Rey has better focus, but I don't think that they'll be trying for an 18-part series again. That was just insane, and I'll say that Star by Star was probably the best book of the lot. Kudos, however, for tying things into the prequels.

I think Star By Star was good, but I also think it's highly overrated. I liked the duologies by Stackpole and Allston the most, along with Traitor. Don't ge me wrong, Star By Star was good...I met Troy Denning at Celebration II and he was a really nice guy. But the book really dragged at some points. What actually happened in the book was important, though. It was a turning point in the series.

 

And don't forget that the NJO was originally supposed to be a 24-book series.

[SuperJerk 0]

I picked up the novelization today at Wal-Mart for $17.96.  The only reason I bought is because Matt Stover is the author.  He did excellent jobs on Traitor and Shatterpoint, and I really liked his dark style, so I had planned on buying the novelization ever since I heard he was going to be the author.  I'm hoping he will really go into Mace's head in the book, kind of as a continuance to Shatterpoint.

Oh, he does!

 

The second part of the book is very Mace-heavy.

 

Mace is fired up and ready to depose Palpatine BEFORE they even find out he's a Sith Lord.

 

 

 

Kotzenjunge's Pope sig kicked my ass and took my lunch money.

 

 

 

 

 

Also: Still no sign of Jar Jar.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I picked up the novelization today at Wal-Mart for $17.96.  The only reason I bought is because Matt Stover is the author.  He did excellent jobs on Traitor and Shatterpoint, and I really liked his dark style, so I had planned on buying the novelization ever since I heard he was going to be the author.  I'm hoping he will really go into Mace's head in the book, kind of as a continuance to Shatterpoint.

Oh, he does!

 

The second part of the book is very Mace-heavy.

 

Mace is fired up and ready to depose Palpatine BEFORE they even find out he's a Sith Lord.

 

 

 

Kotzenjunge's kicked my ass and took my lunch money.

 

 

 

 

 

Also: Still no sign of Jar Jar.

Sounds good. My friend, who is almost done with the book, told me that there was no sign of Jar Jar on the gaydar. He is listed on IMDb, though. Maybe Anakin kills him in the movie and they didn't want to spoil it? Maybe one of those Neimodians in the trailer is actually Jar Jar, but they altered the shot for the trailer? The wonders of CG...

 

Man, I'm only forty pages in (not a slow reader, just no time to read) and Stover is kicking my ass. Stover rocks.

[SuperJerk 0]

I finished the book. Jar Jar made a brief appearance towards the end. Damn it.

 

 

Immediately after finishing the book, I began watching my STAR WARS dvd.

 

Really alters your perception of the movie once you know what really happened during Obi-Wan and Anakin's final confrontation, why the Emperor dissolving the Imperial Senate was such a big deal, and just what the hell Obi-Wan was really up to on Tatooine all those years.

 

Also according to the book, C3PO gets his memory wiped, but R2D2 doesn't...which explains why R2D2 seems three steps ahead of him in STAR WARS.

[Black Lushus 0]

that's weird, wouldn't R2 have mentioned something to C3PO about it all, in that case?

 

Also, my theory on the Death Star is that perhaps they didn't really need it until the Rebellion began and threw it together to keep systems from joining them...perhaps all along the Death Star was a backup plan in case things didn't workout the way Palpatine had planned...

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

that's weird, wouldn't R2 have mentioned something to C3PO about it all, in that case?

R2 could have been ordered/programmed to not mention it to him.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

that's weird, wouldn't R2 have mentioned something to C3PO about it all, in that case?

R2 could have been ordered/programmed to not mention it to him.

Plus, R2 is a little asshole. He probably liked being on the up and up and listening to 3PO sound so lost all the time.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Anakin's genius in programming Threepio to be like he is is so amazing.

[SuperJerk 0]

that's weird, wouldn't R2 have mentioned something to C3PO about it all, in that case?

No, because the reason C3POs memory gets whiped, according to the novel, is because 3PO is a blabber mouth and Bail Organa didn't think he could keep a secret. R2, being the smarter of the two, knew better than to tell C3PO anything because he can't keep a secret.

 

The real question is why neither Kenobi or Yoda seem to recognize R2D2.

[Black Lushus 0]

I'm sorry but that has to be the stupidest logic I have ever heard...what if someone swiped R2 and ran a check on his memory banks?

 

I would venture to guess that Yoda and Obi-Wan probably didn't want to overwhelm Luke with the past since he was at a very fragile, important stage in his Jedi training...he could teeter over to the darkside at any moment...

[starvenger 0]

The real question is why neither Kenobi or Yoda seem to recognize R2D2.

Because Lucas says that they don't. He had this planned all along you know.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

They could have made R2 red or some other color in the prequels. That way Obi-Wan wouldn't recognize him in blue...

 

Get ready for the prequel special editions...

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

R2 can't be the only blue astromech droid running around. He probably has the most personality, but that's hard to say since we haven't seen too many others.

[SuperJerk 0]

I'm sorry but that has to be the stupidest logic I have ever heard...

Hey, I'm not the one who wrote Episode 3.

[pochorenella 0]

R2 can't be the only blue astromech droid running around. He probably has the most personality, but that's hard to say since we haven't seen too many others.

IIRC, he wasn't. Remember in EpI when all those astrodroids were trying to fix Queen Amidala's ship as it made its getaway? I believe a couple of them that were destroyed were fairly identical to R2 but I'd have to check the movie again to be sure. Maybe somebody that remembers this scene more vividly can clear this up.

[SuperJerk 0]

R2 can't be the only blue astromech droid running around.  He probably has the most personality, but that's hard to say since we haven't seen too many others.

IIRC, he wasn't. Remember in EpI when all those astrodroids were trying to fix Queen Amidala's ship as it made its getaway? I believe a couple of them that were destroyed were fairly identical to R2 but I'd have to check the movie again to be sure.

*slaps himself in forehead*

 

Of course this is the answer.

 

 

But still, Uncle Owen should have at least done a double take when C-3PO introduced himself in STAR WARS. Sure, he didn't look the same (gold coverings), but he sounded the same and had the same name.

 

(Of course the real answer is that George Lucas didn't decided Anakin built C3PO until he was writing Episode 1.)

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

IIRC, Owen & 3PO didn't really interact all that much, so it's possible that Owen wouldn't recognize him (barring whatever happens in Ep. 3, though).

[LessonInMachismo 0]

IIRC, Owen & 3PO didn't really interact all that much, so it's possible that Owen wouldn't recognize him (barring whatever happens in Ep. 3, though).

I believe 3PO lived with the Lars for as long as Shmi was married to Cliegg, which is about 3-5 years...

 

And has anyone seen a pic of Owen and Beru from ROTS? Beru looks to have aged ten years...no more cuteness.