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David McK (3162 KP) rated Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 1 in Books

Jan 30, 2019

Generally speaking, I'm not really a comic-book guy kinda person.

However, I have read (and actually quite enjoyed) the Star Wars: X-Wing series of books, and was aware that these were also (pre Prequel trilogy) comics. However, I was unaware (until relatively recently) that the comics were not just visualizations of the novels, but were rather stories in their own right.

When I found this out, and when I came across the digital version of this Omnibus - which collects the first 3 stories in the X-Wing series [so Goodreads, should count as 3 towards my yearly challenge!] , I thought I would give it a try.

Of the 3 stories contained - Rogue Leader, the Rebel Opposition and The Phantom Affair - the second and third of these were co-written by Michael Stackpole, who also wrote the first X-Wing novels. Personally, while the story may be better in those two than in the first, I preferred the art of the first story, finding the panes easier to follow.

I haven't yet decided, but I may also pick up the next volume(s) in the series.

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David McK (3162 KP) rated Star Wars: Outbound Flight in Books

Jan 30, 2019

If I was asked which author is most associuated with kick-starting the whole Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU), I would have to choose Timothy Zahn, with his 'Heir to the Empire' trilogy. From that trilogy, two of his main protaganists would have to be the Jedi Master Joruus C'Baoth (a clone of the dead Jedi Jorus C'Baoth), and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

In this particular novel in that universe - set between the events of Episode I and Episode II - Zahn returns to those two particular characters, as well as to the fate of the eponymous 'Outbound Flight'. Slightly misleadingly, I felt, the main story does not detail how Thrawn joined the Empire (although there is a short story in the back of my edition that does just that), but instead fleshes out a previously hinted at backstory from his <i>Heir to the Empire</i> series. Set in an earlier peirod, I found it also interesting that it also foreshadows some of the event of the later <i>New Jedi Order</i> series of books - a series that, if I'm honest, I never really took to, preferring instead to primarily remain in or around the Rebellion era.

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Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall

Dave Thompson

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Book

To some, he is the face behind classic Pink Floyd. To others, he is the temperament behind some of...

Guinness World Records Gamer's: 2017

Guinness World Records and A. Ali

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Book

It's time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition! With...

John Carter: The End

Brian Wood, Alex Cox and Hayden Sherman

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Book

Centuries have passed and time has taken its toll on Mars. Conflict burns across the landscape. A...

Colin Trevorrow recommended Pete's Dragon (1977) in Movies (curated)

Pete's Dragon (1977)

1977 | Animation, Classics, Fantasy

7.1

(67 Ratings)

Movie Favorite

"You get 12 years of childhood, give or take. These days, maybe less. The movies I loved during that time have been well documented in other conversations, and they’re all the same as yours. Back To The Future remains the best movie I ever saw. Star Wars, ET, Indiana Jones, Die Hard, like everyone else. But Pete’s Dragon, though it may not entirely hold up to scrutiny now, was the movie that taught me how to be. I saw Elliott as a model for how to treat other people. He was generous and warm, but mostly seemed driven by the needs of whoever required him most. I’ve always been someone with a small circle of friends. Each stretch of my life has been defined by one person who was just my person. We became inseparable for a certain number of years, and that time was our season, just the two of us making our way through life. This was before my wife took the mantle, never to be relinquished. I had a similar dynamic with all of them — I wanted us to have so much fun, they’d consider their lives a little better for having been friends. Like Elliott."

Source

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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) in Movies

Sep 27, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)

The perfect sequel

Just like it's predecessor, The Empire Strikes Back is a hugely important sci-fi classic. The first two Star Wars films changed the face of cinema forever!

Everything that makes A New Hope so enjoyable is present and correct in TESB, but bigger and better in everyway.
All of the main characters are charming - it's easy to see why they have such a cult following.
The second time around, were given much more back story to already established characters (including the infamous mother of all twists), and we're introduced to new characters, such as Lando, Yoda, and Boba Fett, who all quickly became fan favourites.

We're also introduced to new locations, showing off gorgeous cinematography at every opportunity - places like Bespin, and Hoth (where one of my favourite set pieces of the whole saga takes place).
John Williams score is once again flawless, easily one of the best movie scores of all time.

The movie also ends on a huge cliffhanger, and no matter how many times I see TESB, I'm always ready to move on to the next chapter immediately.
It's a timeless classic.