NGP Review : Lords Of The Sith

NGP Review : Lords Of The Sith

Coming off of my first (personally) disappointing Star Wars canon novel,  Heir to the Jedi, my expectations were set pretty low as I entered author Paul S. Kemp's successor, Lords Of The Sith. Taking place eight years after the events of the Clone Wars, and before the events of both Tarkin and A New Dawn, the story follows a small pocket of resistance fighters known as the Free Ryloth movement, led by none other than Rebel pilot Hera Syndulla’s father, Cham Syndulla (a familiar face to fans of the Clone Wars TV Series) as they take a daring chance at striking a fatal blow against the Empire.

Cham Syndulla

A surprisingly unexpected high speed thriller, Lords Of The Sith jumps out the gate with a bang and all of my misconceptions were quickly dispelled within the opening act. Primarily set on Ryloth, a planet crucial to the Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as "spice", Cham Syndulla and his small band of Rebel insurgents learn that Emperor Palpatine and his 'associate', Darth Vader, plan to accompany the planet's Galactic senator, Orn Free Taa, to the system aboard the Star Destroyer Perilous.

Orn Free Taa

Knowing that taking out both Palpatine and Vader simultaneously would strike a crippling blow to the Empire, Syndulla makes the decision to focus (and exhaust) his resources on the element of surprise by placing hundreds of mines just outside of the hyperspace lane. Among the mines, two dozen shield bleeders were also hidden within the confines of the trap, which upon contacting the Perlious’ shields, wouldn’t explode, but rather latch onto the energy signature setting up a counter grid that would weaken the Star Destroyer for the second attack wave.

Not a terrorist. But a freedom fighter.

Successful in their ambush, the Rebel attack continued with the launch of re-purposed Separatist Vulture Droids carrying Buzz Droids equip with suicide bombs set to destroy the Perilous from the inside out. As the Star Destroyer crumbles, Palpatine and Vader, constrained to rely not only on The Force but one another for survival, make their narrow escape to the Ryloth surface below intent on revenge …

Vulture Droid

Although knowing that the survival of Vader and Palpatine is a given, Kemp does a tremendous job keeping the reader on their toes as he explores not only the previously unseen master/apprentice relationship between the two Sith lords but also the lengths at which Palpatine is willing to go in order to prevent the galaxy from learning his true identity.  Lords Of The Sith is by far my favorite Star Wars canon novel to date, and comes highly recommended especially for those new to branching out to the novels medium. Lords Of The Sith serves up a great high speed, action packed story that serves as a perfect jumping on point and does an exceptional job tying in elements of both the films and TV series to further explain and expand the Star Wars universe.

5/5

With only one additional published canon novel left to conquer, I will be taking a brief hiatus from the Star Wars universe to immerse myself in Ernest Cline's sophomore novel, Armada, before doubling back for the highly anticipated Quinlan Vos/Asajj Ventress centric Dark Disciple!

Questions or Comments? Sound off below, or find me on Twitter as @ArchangelEZE and for more exciting news and reviews, follow NGP on Facebook!

Until next time True Believers,

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NGP Review : Tarkin

NGP Review : Tarkin

I’ll be the first to admit that the second published novel under the new Star Wars canon had me skeptical. A story focused solely on Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin seemed a bit of a stretch for me, especially knowing how he would ultimately reach his incendiary demise aboard the first Death Star. However, Tarkin author James Luceno masterfully gives us a tale that truly shines a fascinating light on how Wilhuff Tarkin would become one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history.

Taking place five years after Star Wars : Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Tarkin begins in the Outer Rim, where we find the Governor, a newly appointed Moff, overseeing a base of operations where parts are being created and assembled for a massive mobile space station …

However, not all is peaceful in the Empire as the myriad species of former Separatist worlds (stripped of weaponry and resources with the death of Count Dooku and formation of the Galactic Empire) are bent on revenge for being left to fend for themselves under Palpatine’s rule and have initialed raids on Imperial depots such as the one under Tarkin’s command.    

Convinced that the completion of the Empire’s ultimate weapon will ultimately crush these lingering pockets of Rebellion, Palpatine pairs his Sith enforcer, Darth Vader, alongside the tactical genius of Tarkin to investigate and extinguish these rising threats.

As a whole, I was really impressed with the expansion Tarkin was able to provide to the New Expanded Universe Canon. Throughout the course of A New Hope, it’s clear that the tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency of Grand Moff Tarkin is a force to be reckoned with within the Galactic Empire. However, we are never given the opportunity to explore how or why Tarkin is the way he is. Filling in this piece of the puzzle alongside yet another unexplored time period in the Star Wars mythos made for an exciting read.

Unlike the building blocks of the Rebellion perspective provided through A New Dawn, Tarkin shows us the story from the villain's point of view at a point in history where the Rebellion has become a growing threat to the Empire as opposed to the nuisance it once was. At times, I even found myself rooting for Tarkin and Vader in their attempts to uncover and obliterate the cunning Rebels though numerous space battles and conspiracies.

Tarkin is another fantastic addition, and comes highly recommended.

4/5

With two strong novels out the gate, I’m excited to see what the next installment holds as I begin Kevin Hearne’s Luke Skywalker centric Heir to the Jedi. Keep an eye on NGP for the next installment, and feel free to post your thoughts and spark a conversation!

Questions or Comments? Sound off below, or find me on Twitter as @ArchangelEZE and for more exciting news and reviews, follow NGP on Facebook!  

Until next time True Believers,

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The Weekly Pull : Darth Vader

The Weekly Pull : Darth Vader

Star Wars makes it’s return to The Weekly Pull this week as the galaxy’s most iconic villain received his first ongoing series (ever!) under the Marvel banner!  Last month, Jason Aaron and John Cassaday kicked off the Marvel Star Wars line to the tune of over one million copies sold and universal acclaim, sparking new life into the franchise throughout the comic medium.

Taking place immediately following the events of Star Wars : Episode IV - A New Hope (and in tandem with Aaron and Cassaday’s title), Star Wars: Darth Vader follows the Sith Lord through the events which occur after the destruction of the Death Star, where Vader was last seen losing control of his TIE fighter, pummeling into deep space. No longer controlling the Senate under the force of the Death Star, and their greatest weapon against the Rebel Alliance gone, Vader must confront his failure to the Emperor head on as the isolated survivor of the greatest military disaster under Palpatine's Imperial reign.   

Quite frankly, this story has me giddy, and it shocks me that we haven’t had a take on these particular events in the past thirty-eight years (canon or not). In addition, we are also re-introduced to familiar characters such as Jabba the Hutt, Tusken Raiders and a certain Bounty Hunter as we learn how their roles originate and tie together prior to the events of Empire and Jedi.   

Writer Kieron Gillen does a fantastic job channeling the character of Darth Vader to the page, and it's a difficult task considering that we all know the characters end game. The cinematic henchman relationship we have grown accustomed to between Vader and Palpatine is further explored and expanded here as well within Gillen's writing as the thoughts and actions of a broken man are seen from a new perspective as we, the reader, are introduced to wheels within wheels of the core story. Artist Salvador Larocca also brings his A game to series, and masterfully handles the task of depicting Vader's emotions, who's iconic helmet masks the majority of his emotional state.

If these two opening acts of Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader are any indication of how Star Wars : Episode VII - The Force Awakens will perform under Disney and Marvel's reign,  we're in for a treat. If you're a Star Wars fan of any degree, make a plan to visit your local comic shop and grab a copy before it's too late. The Force is strong in this one.

5/5 Toast Rating

Do you have a comic, graphic novel, comic event or storyline you’re itching to read or learn more about? Sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!

Until next time True Believers,

-ArchangelEZE

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The Weekly Pull : Star Wars

The Weekly Pull : Star Wars

After 24 years under the Dark Horse publishing banner, Star Wars finally returns home to Marvel. Although a seasoned Star Wars fan from a very early age, I didn’t begin following the comic series until January 2006, with the release of Knights of the Old Republic. From there, Rebellion, Legacy, Dark Times and Invasion all became staples on my pull list, expanding my knowledge of the Star Wars mythos from 3948 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) to 130 ABY. However, in the fall of 2010, all five ongoing series came to an end, and for a time, I once again became disconnected from the Star Wars comic medium.  

Although countless Star Wars ongoing titles, miniseries and one-shots have been published over the years, nothing has quite been able to regain my attention … until now. It’s no secret that Disney is a powerhouse when it comes to entertainment, and snatching up both Marvel and Lucasfilm is probably the most genius takeover of our generation. Star Wars trailers will release with Marvel movies and vice versa to create the perfect storm as one beloved franchise feeds the other, and it all begins here, with Jason Aaron and John Cassaday in Star Wars #1.

Taking place shortly after the events of Episode IV : A New Hope, and only a single issue in, this is one for the ages. In just a matter of days, Star Wars has already exceeded over one million copies sold in the direct market, making in the hottest selling title of the past 20 years. Numbers like that just don’t happen. But is the story good, you ask? It’s phenomenal.  

Keeping things spoiler free, Aaron nails the personalities and dialogue of each character to the point where you can hear the actors voice in your head reciting the lines as if it were playing out directly in front of you. The dialogue that takes place between Han and 3PO alone is a prime example :: 

  

Cassaday’s art is also incredibly accurate as he visually depicts these beloved characters just as beautifully as he did with the X-Men in Joss Whedon’s equally fantastic Astonishing X-Men run. I also found it incredibly clever to see Luke wearing the yellow ceremonial jacket, pinpointing the timeline of the story (be it cannon or not) without distracting from the plot ::

One of my favorite points in the entire book are the first four opening pages, which play out like the classic Star Wars cinematic film sequence we have grown to know and love. Marvel doesn’t miss a beat from the iconic text scroll to the mimed starship cinematography as the first glimpse of this new and exciting adventure enters the readers field of vision ::

If Marvel can keep this momentum, we’re all in for an extraordinary ride. If you’re a Star Wars fan of any age, I can’t recommend this one enough. These first 30 pages are worth every cent of your hard earned cash, and I can’t recommend it enough.

5/5 Toast Rating

Both Darth Vader and Princess Leia have their own series debuting in the months to come, so stay tuned for my thoughts and don't forget lot sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know your thoughts on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!

Until next time True Believers,

-ArchangelEZE

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Star Wars Rebels: First Impression

Today is my birthday and I am posting on a topic that I love, Star Wars!

I knew that Star Wars Rebels was going to be good before it started because it was from the creators of Star Wars The Clone Wars, but I didn’t know it was going to be freaking awesome! Just a warning if you haven’t seen the first episode/movie for Star Wars Rebels then there may be some SPOILERS in this post.

Here is the short plot summary for Star Wars Rebels and the characters provided from starwars.com :

“Set between the events of Star Wars Episodes III and IV, the Star Wars Rebels story unfolds during a dark time when the evil Galactic Empire is tightening its grip of power on the galaxy. Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet and are ruining the lives of its people. The motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost – cowboy Jedi Kanan, ace pilot Hera, street-smart teenager Ezra, the “muscle” Zeb, warrior firebrand Sabine, and grumpy old astromech droid Chopper – will face threatening new villains, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.”

I like that they are going deeper into the events between Episodes III and IV, but I would also like to see Starkiller from the blockbuster videogame series, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, show up in the series. Starkiller was a big part of the start of the Rebellion and would only be proper to fit him in.

Overall, I am truly excited for the rest of the season. I hope we get to see some more familiar faces (you do). If you haven’t watched it the second episode is available on the Watch Disney XD app with a few surprise guests. Also ABC will be airing ‘Spark of the Rebellion’ again with an extra scene featuring Darth Vader and voiced by none other than James Earl Jones! It will be aired on Sunday, October 26 at 7pm EST. I will be watching it again for that extra scene and because it was truly amazing. Disney is doing an excellent job so far with this series and is giving me a peace of mind that Episode VII will be great.

What are your thoughts on Rebels so far? Tell us in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook.

Side Comment:
If you haven't watched Star Wars The Clone Wars, you absolutely need to. That series is probably the best thing that came from LucasFilm since the Original Trilogy. All the seasons are available on Netflix including the unaired Season 6. Don't be a whiny Sith and just do it!

May the Force Be With You!

-  Da_Fettman

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Star Wars Original Trilogy: Unaltered on Blu-Ray

Star Wars Original Trilogy: Unaltered on Blu-Ray

For years, Star Wars fans have been waiting for the Original Trilogy to be re-released on blu-ray and we may not have to wait much longer! Earlier today on comicbook.com they wrote:

"For a long time Star Wars fans have been clamoring for Disney/Lucasfilm to re-release the original, unaltered cut of the first Star Wars trilogy, and Comicbook.com has now confirmed with two independent reliable sources that just such a plan is under way.

According to our sources, Disney has plans to release the original cut of the Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray. Our sources indicate that the project has been under way for quite some time, but it’s been challenging because of some damage to the original negatives they are utilizing. The goal is to release A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of Jedi in their complete, unaltered, original form without the redone special edition SFX.

Our sources did not have an exact date as to when the original cut of the Star Wars Trilogy would be released on Blu-ray, due to the challenges Disney has encountered in pulling everything together. However, our sources indicated the goal is to have it ready and released before Star Wars Episode VII is released in theaters."

I still own and occasionally watch my DVD set that contained the Special Ed. and the unaltered versions of the films. They aren't the best transfer quality so if they truly do take their time on this, fans won't be disappointed.

So if this is true (crossing our fingers), the next 15 months should be pretty exciting; Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD this fall, Star Wars: Battlefront (3) within the next year, the release of the unaltered Original Trilogy on Blu-Ray, and of course ending 2015 with Star Wars: Episode VII. Hopefully Disney will continue to give us exciting news!

As always we will continue to bring you the latest news in the Star Wars universe.

Until next time, May the Force Be With You!

- Da_Fettman

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The Best Star Wars Action Figure Line

The Best Star Wars Action Figure Line

The Star Wars 6” Black Series by Hasbro is the best Star Wars action figure line to date! Hasbro also has a 3.75” line but the 6” line is far superior in detail and accessories. The 3.75” line is basically repackage figures from previous lines unless it’s a new never before released figure like Darth Plagueis or Bastila Shan.

Being a collector, I have never wanted every figure in a line before, even the characters I don’t really care about. There is just so much detail in these figures, I don’t mind spending the $20+ price tag on them. So far there are 5 waves of the regular 6” figures, a couple different exclusives either from SDCC or retailers, and Hasbro has just released their first deluxe wave (retails around $40).

Wave 1 & 2 with the SDCC '13 exclusive Boba Fett w/Han in carbonite

SDCC '13 Boba Fett w/Han in carbonite and packaging

Here is Wave 5 (latest) along with my most recent in store find, the deluxe Scout Trooper on Speeder Bike. For the deluxe figures there is also the Han Solo / Greedo Showdown Cantina Set and the deluxe Jabba the Hutt figure. Toys'R'us also has an exclusive 3.75" Battle of Endor set that includes an AT-ST and 8 other figures.

Definitely have to get the Chewbacca!

There is also an exclusive coming to... wait for it... Walgreens of all places. This prototype Boba Fett is a must have for me to add to my Bobafettish collection.

This is just the latest for this toy line and I hope Hasbro continues with this line for a while. I will continue to bring the latest for this Star Wars toy line and other Star Wars news.

If you don't think this is the best Star War toy line or you have a favorite toy line, please tell us we would love to hear from you!

May the Force Be With You!

- Da_Fettman

***Update***

Just picked up the Cantina Showdown from Toys'R'Us, I didn't realize it was their exclusive.

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