Spiderverse!

Hello friends! In preparation for the release of Spiderman: Brand New Day (July 30), I went back and rewatched the first three films to refresh my memory of where Peter Parker was and how he got there. I then decided to go all the way and rewatch the Tobey Maguire films, and watch (for the first time) the Andrew Garfield films. My world has been filled with comic book craziness for the last few weeks, and I thought I’d do a post comparing the three sets of Spidermen. And look, I HATE spiders (I squirm when they show actual spiders, lol), but I LOVE these guys! Let’s go chronologically:

Spiderman, Spiderman 2, and Spiderman 3, 2002-2007

Tobey Maguire is the quintessential original Spiderman in modern Marvel adaptations. And he couldn’t be more perfect. He’s equal parts adorable and awkward, dorky and brave, good and imperfect. He’s definitely the most “Aw, shucks!” Peter, who’s in love with the girl next door who doesn’t know he’s alive (at first). Mary Jane is the beautiful dreamer who becomes an actress/singer; his best friend Harry Osborne is the rich son of Norman Osborne, who becomes the Green Goblin. Willem Defoe knew the assignment and brought a psychotic edge to the villain, which is fun to watch.

This trilogy sets up the classic Spiderman motifs: the origin of his powers, learning to use them (and how to use them responsibly), his relationship with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Ben’s death and Peter’s guilt for his part in it, trying to win MJ’s love (and then losing it), his complicated relationship with Harry. Putting the suit away for a while, the public’s finicky view of him (hero or villain?) all the while navigating new adulthood, making a living, going to college, fighting bad guys, and trying to (unsuccessfully) balance everything. It’s a lot, lol, and this poor kid goes through it.

The three films offer a classic character arc for Peter, with a beginning, middle and end that is satisfying to watch. It’s funny, heartbreaking, thrilling, and just plain fun.

Villains fought: The Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Venom (and Harry’s Goblin Jr. for a time).

The Amazing Spiderman, The Amazing Spiderman 2, 2012, 2014

I think this duology is underrated and not appreciated for the wonderful job Andrew Garfield does with his more damaged Peter Parker. This series delves into what actually happened with his parents, in particular, his father Richard Parker, who was a brilliant scientist (of course) and was killed for his work on the very experiment that caused Peter to get his spidey-skills. But he didn’t know that for a long time, and was anguished about his parents’ departure and death. It generated a lot of anger. But despite this, he’s still the kind, vulnerable Peter we know, a young man given extraordinary powers and trying to figure out what to do with it; at the same time navigating through high school, bullies, and first love.

This series chose Gwen Stacy as his love interest, which (according to my googling, lol) was Peter’s first love in the earlier runs of Marvel Spiderman (called, naturally, The Amazing Spiderman). I found their relationship to be sweet, fun, and a bit more sexy than the other Peter/MJ relationships (though still PG rated, come on, kids are watching, lol). I love that Gwen is a smarty-pants in her own right and got into Oxford, though tragically, she never makes it there. And this is where this series differs from the others: while the other Peters lose some variation of their Uncle Ben or Aunt May, this one loses his love interest, and it’s devastating, and naturally he feels responsible.

All the Peters have to deal with loss and responsibility, but this one just seems especially sad to me. With the angst about his parents and the loss of Gwen, I see Andrew as the Wounded Spidey, from the very beginning. On a side note, I found Andrew Garfield reminded me a lot of a young Hayden Christensen. His looks, his acting, his voice, everything about him reminded me of a tortured Anakin, lol.

Villains fought: The Lizard, Electro, The Green Goblin

Spiderman: Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home, 2017-2021 (And various Avenger movies).

Ah, Gen Z Spidey! Marvel’s Multiverse Peter starts out a bit younger than the others at a tender fifteen years old. It doesn’t bother with an origin story, we’ve seen it before, and I think it was a good choice, though I do wonder where the heck he ran into a radioactive spider, lol. Even so, from the beginning this Peter is woven into the Avengers story, as he is discovered by Tony Stark. I love the mentoring role Tony plays in Peter’s life, and it’s fair to say it evolved into a sort of father/son relationship; Tony was the father figure he never had (he doesn’t even have an Uncle Ben in this iteration), and Peter definitely made Tony a better person.

He starts out with a crush on Liz, the daughter of his first villain, Vulture, but she quickly moves away once her dad goes to prison. He then gravitates to his friend MJ (Michelle Jones here, not Mary Jane). This MJ is smart, sarcastic, a little dark, and emotionally guarded at first, but their romance is sweet in the way only high school first loves can be. The fact that we all know Tom Holland and Zendaya are a couple in real life only makes it more endearing.

Peter’s best friend is Ned, not Harry Osborne as in the other films, and I love him, too. It’s fun that he has Dr. Strange-like powers, and even though he promises Peter he’ll never turn into a villain and try to kill him…I wonder. Now that nobody knows who Spiderman is, who’s to say what’s going to happen? I’m going to get into speculations for Brand New Day in a couple of paragraphs, so hold that thought.

This Peter is quite young and vulnerable (but still with plenty of teenage snark), and thrown into a complicated world he’s not quite ready for–kind of like Gen Z these days. And boy, does he make some of us feel old–“Do you guys know this really old movie called Empire Strikes Back?” Omg.. But he’s thrown into a massive battle for the fate of, not only our world, but the entire universe, and…they lose. He blips, disintegrating into ash in Tony’s arms. His panic guts me everytime.

Villains fought: Vulture, Mysterio, Thanos

But once he’s back, everyone knows his identity and its causing problems for his friends getting into MIT, their dream school. He gets involved with Dr. Strange’s magic, and it causes all manner of trouble and multiversal monsters. BUT–he gets to meet the other two Peters, and this is absolute magic.

When he meets them, Tom Peter has just lost his Aunt May (May keeps getting younger in these films), and he feels responsible, as they always do, but they try to comfort him. Tobey Peter is older and wiser, having gone through his shit and finding some sort of peace with that. Andrew Peter is still young, but older than Tom Peter and is still dealing with the consequences of his shit. Tom Peter is smack right in the middle of his shit. They’re the same person, but all together they’re like brothers, and Tom Peter is the little brother they’re helping out.

They fight the villains (and CURE them rather than kill them) before sending them back and burying their demons in the process. They battle Tobey Peter’s Green Goblin and Doc Ock, and Andrew Peter’s The Lizard and Electro. It was just wonderful to see all the Peters together. They say their goodbyes and then Tom Peter has to say goodbye to his friends–because of Dr. Strange’s spell. Multiverse monsters are coming through and it has to be done, but they promise to find each other afterward.

But will they? Here are my speculations, guesses, and questions for Brand New Day:

We see Eman Esfandi (our very own Ezra Bridger from Ahsoka) playing a new love interest for MJ. Will he become another villain for Spidey to fight, or just a distraction? Or a catalyst for him to take action?
As I mentioned earlier, Ned (and everyone else) has no idea who Peter is or that he’s Spiderman. Will Ned somehow become a villain and try to kill Spidey for whatever reason? It would be a mirror of the other Peters, whose best friends become enemies. I’d actually hate to see it, but the fact that Ned actually SAID it in the last movie seems to be some kind of foreshadowing.
This is just an observation, but it seems that Peter’s powers are in flux, changing and getting stronger. It seems he’ll be able to release the webs straight from his wrists, just like Tobey Peter. It’s cool. And a little gross, lol.
I don’t know who the known villains are in this one–Scorpion and The Savage Hulk (???), as well as some invisible threat no one knows yet. There’s also Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, who seems to be a friend and/or ally to Peter. I’ve never watched the Punisher, so I don’t know much about him.
There’s a lot of speculation about who Sadie Sink’s character is going to be. Some say she’s a young Jean Gray (and could be that invisible threat?), but I’d love her to be Gwen Stacy. Probably not going to happen, but I’d love there to be a romantic rival for MJ, just to make things interesting. Or maybe she’s Ghost-Spider or Spider-Gwen? I’ve been googling the character, and I’m so confused, lol.
Will Spiderman be in Doomsday? I think reports say no–at least, Tom Spidey. I’ve heard that Tobey Spidey might be a multiverse appearance in that one, which if so, will be cool.

As someone who doesn’t know Marvel as well as she knows Star Wars, these movies are continually fun and surprising for me, because it’s all new and I have no idea what may be coming. Suffice to say, I can’t wait for Brand New Day, and will give my thoughts on it when it comes out!

One Of My Favorite Posts

Hello friends, here’s a blast from the past that I had a lot of fun writing and thought I’d share again. Enjoy!

A Jedi’s connection with animals

Mon Mothma Fan Art

Hello friends! I’ve been working on a piece of fan fiction featuring Mon Mothma, so I thought I’d poke around and find some fan art of the Chandrilan Senator, Rebel leader, and New Republic Chancellor. Enjoy!

This one is part of the official artwork of Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2025. I love the style–called ukiyo-e, a traditional Japanese art style that flourished in the 17th to 19th centuries. Here Mon holds an official scroll while the Death Star looms in the background. The look on her face says “Do your worst…I’m still here.”

Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 official artwork by Japanese artist Takumi

Here’s the famous wedding crash-out dance in Andor, in which Mon feels her life spinnng out of control. This one scene conveys so much emotion without words, and this piece captures that perfectly. The tear running down her face is a nice touch.

I love the grace and elegance of this piece. Mon wanders the halls of her palatial apartments in Coruscant, but it means nothing without freedom. She exists in a gilded cage.

This one captures the glamor of Senator Mothma, before she must leave all the glitter behind and become a war leader.

I like how this one captures the duplicity Mon must maintain while in Coruscant, to keep up the mask of conformity while secretly funding and guiding the nascent Rebellion. As she reminds her friend Tay Colma while at a society party, “Smile,” while talking treason.

This one captures the uncertainty, doubt, and fear of actually going up against a powerful Empire. But once committed, she doesn’t back down.

I’m still working on the fan fiction story, but I’ve got a few others I’ll post here in the coming weeks. In the meantime, enjoy these awesome works of Star Wars fan art!

Star Wars Canon Contemplation: Inferno Squad and Alphabet Squadron

Hello friends, so after tearing through the Legends trilogy of Darth Bane, I decided to read some canon books. I’ve been avoiding the “pilot” stories because I don’t really care for those–I thought. But there are only a handful of canon novels left that I haven’t read, lol, so I had to broaden my view. I decided to start with Battlefront II: Inferno Squad. Of course, I haven’t played the game, but I’m always willing to give video game books a try if it’s good storytelling.

SPOILERS!!!!

So not only is this one a pilot story and a video game story, but it also has Imperial characters as the protagonists. Those are a lot of strikes for me, lol. I can’t completely root for Imperials to succeed, but I will concede that it’s interesting to get their point of view once in a while. Plus, this one’s written by Christie Golden, and I loved her Star Wars novel Dark Disciple, so off I went.

And you know what? It was a great read! I was pulled in from the very beginning as Iden Versio, a star Imperial TIE pilot, goes deep undercover with her comrades (called Inferno Squad) in the remnants of Saw Guerrera’s Partisans after his death, who call themselves The Dreamers (Save the Dream!). Their job is to find out who is leaking information to them and to eliminate the threat. Iden has to publicly “defect” from and denounce the Empire, citing the destruction of Alderaan as the inciting incident that turned her. This is painful for her, as she doesn’t believe that at all (which is why it’s so hard for me to root for Imperials, who see the destruction of an entire planet full of civilians a military necessity, while the destruction of the Death Star is a “terrorist” act, ugh.)

Anyway, she’s recruited by the Dreamers, while her comrades are playing parts that caused them to become members as well. They have to take part in a few missions where their fellow Imperials are killed, but they maintain their act. They get to know the members of the group, and while some aren’t that likeable (such as their leader Staven), most of them are just people who hate the Empire and want to see justice done. The group is led by Staven, but they have a “Mentor,” who advises and guides them, and is actually the person who is giving them the Imperial intel for their missions. Turns out this is Lux Bonterri, the son of Mina Bonterri from the Clone Wars, who was an Onderonian Senator for the Separatists. I vaguely remember Lux from a few Clone Wars episodes–I remember he kind of had a thing for Ahsoka?–but the rest of his history I’m not familiar with.

Anyway, Inferno Squad figures this out and routes the Dreamers, but not without some personal cost. They lose a member of their squad and have to commit acts against the Empire. And most of them also become, if not friends with, then friendly with some members of the Dreamers, giving them a different perspective of the war.

I think it was clever to have Inferno Squad go up against the remnants of Saw’s Partisans, because they were considered extremists and not an official part of the Alliance. I’m not a fan of Saw’s methods, so I didn’t particularly care what happened to them, even though I did like most of their members. And I wasn’t that sad when one of Inferno Squad’s members died because–well, Imperial. I felt oddly detached from all of the characters, lol. Despite this, it was a good, fast, entertaining read. Iden’s struggle to please her cold, perfectionist Admiral father made her a bit more sympathetic for me, and learning that she later defected to the Alliance after Operation Cinder redeemed her a bit in my eyes.

3.5 out of 5 lightsabers

Let’s switch sides and go with a Rebel/New Republic pilot story. Although this one, Alphabet Squadron, features an Imperial defector named Yrica Quell. Quell leaves the Empire after Operation Cinder, supposedly in protest against its extreme cruelty. She spends some time at Traitor’s Remorse, a camp for Imperial Defectors, where she’s assigned a “therapy droid”–actually, an old reprogrammed Imperial torture droid called IT-O. But then Caern Adan, from New Republic Intelligence, recruits her to lead a squadron to find the Imperial TIE squadron Shadow Wing, which happens to be Yrica’s old squadron.

Together with an alphabet soup of ships and their pilots–Wyl Lark with his A-Wing, Chass na Chadic with her B-Wing, Nath Tensent with his Y-Wing, and Kairos with her U-Wing–Yrica must lead the squad in search of Shadow Wing. But Yrica must prove her loyalty and ability to lead, and it seems she’s got some secrets. Every member of Alphabet Squadron is damaged in some way and it takes some time–most of the book, in fact–for the squadron to form any semblence of a team. I found myself losing patience with all of them, especially Yrica, at some point or another, but it just means the author (Alexander Freed) did a great job writing them as flawed human beings who have been through a devastating war.

I tried reading this book some time ago on my Kindle, but after a few chapters I just couldn’t get into it. More than likely, I was distracted by other books, but this is a slow burn and a fairly dense read. I was determined to get through it, and once I slowed down and took it all in, I found that it’s a great book. For a “pilot book” it’s got a lot going on as far as characterization. While Inferno Squad was a fast, intense read about an Imperial pretending to be a defector, this one deals with an actual Imperial defector, who has to reconcile so many conflicting feelings and ideas about who she’s loyal to now. She desperately wants to prove herself so she can fly again, but her superiors don’t fully trust her yet, and her teammates don’t understand her. Yrica doesn’t make it easy for them, either, as she still thinks like an Imperial much of the time.

It was fun to see Hera Syndulla in the story, as Alphabet Squadron comes to be aboard her ship, the Lodestar. She leads an attack, along with Alphabet Squadron, on a planet called Pandem Nai, in the hopes of routing some Imperial Remnants, as well as destroying Shadow Wing. They manage to do the former, but not the latter–Shadow Wing gets away.

So I’ll be plodding my way through the next two books–Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price–to see how this team can actually come together and defeat Shadow Wing once and for all. Stay tuned.

3 out of 5 lightsabers

My Star Wars AOC Fan Fiction–Satine

Hello friends, here’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while–share my fanfiction here on the blog. I’ve linked to my stories on Archive Of Our Own before, but I wanted to put some of it straight here on the blog. I’ve written a few shorter pieces that will work here. These short stories have a common thread which is, admittedly, a bit morbid–I wanted to get into the head of several women Star Wars characters in their last moments. What are they thinking? Are they afraid? Hopeful? Are they full of regrets? I thought it might be interesting.

This first piece is from Satine Kryze, Duchess of Mandalore’s point of view. It’s the exact scene in the Clone Wars (Season 5, Episode 16) in which Maul kills her in front of Obi-Wan to exact his revenge. There is a story in the book Stories of Light and Dark that does the same thing, but from Obi-Wan’s point of view (it’s a great story), but I wanted to get Satine’s perspective.

Here’s the story:

I Have Loved You Always

All I ever wanted was peace.

Peace for Mandalore. For my people. To end our constant, destructive aggression. I accomplished this for a time. A blink in the eye of Mandalorian history. I am proud of that accomplishment.

But now, all has come to violence and ruin.

I am bound and kneeling beside the vile creature Maul as he sits on the throne–my throne!–with the traitor Almec on my right, and a terrifyingly gigantic yellow Dathomirian zabrak to my left. As Maul brings Obi-Wan to the throne room, I know all is lost. Mandalore. Peace. My life. Yes, he will kill me to hurt Obi-Wan. To make his enemy suffer, and fulfill his burning need for revenge. Whatever his aims are in Mandalore–and he has several–Obi-Wan’s pain is chief among them.

As Obi-Wan is brought before us, I vow this: I will not be the tool to bring about Obi-Wan’s downfall. For I know that Maul wants not only Obi-Wan’s pain, but the eradication of all that is good in him as well.

No matter what Obi-Wan is–a Jedi, a general, a hero, a warrior, a man, my love–yes, here at the end, I will call him my love–he is a being of Light. A jedi’s existence is meant to hold the Light within himself; it is the reason I gave him up so long ago. He only recently admitted that he would have given up the Order for me, if I had asked. But I didn’t ask. I knew then, as I suspect he did as well, that our love could not compete with his calling. We could have ruled Mandalore together, brought peace and prosperity–and perhaps Maul would not be here now. Instead, our children’s laughter would have filled these halls.

But he always would have been haunted by what he gave up. The Order is his family, his life. The Light within him–the Force–serves a higher purpose, and he would have felt that loss. I could not do that to him.

And I won’t do it now. I must warn him, exhort him not to fall for Maul’s machinations. It would give this creature of darkness the greatest satisfaction to see his Light extinguished. A vindication for his false superiority, for he envies Obi-Wan’s strength in the Light. I understand him. He thinks me weak; Death Watch thinks me weak; even Obi-Wan at one point thought my pacifism naive.

But they’re all wrong.

There he is now, in his stolen red Mandalorian armor–so handsome, even as he fights despair. Even now, my heart skips a beat when I see him. Ever since his mission with Master Qui-Gon so long ago, to protect me during the Mandalorian Civil War.

Stars, we were so young then! But we knew who we were, and we came to know each other. Peril boiled us down to essentials, and we liked what we saw. He was young and brave, so desirous to gain his Master’s approval and praise, but always questioning him. He was also often brash and arrogant. But I suppose I was, too. We bickered, we challenged each other, he saved me more than once–and dropped me while doing it!–but I forgave him, because I saw the Light in him. When the war was over and I returned to the seat of Mandalore, our parting was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do–and I’ve had many challenges over the years. But he would become a great Jedi Knight, and I–I would rule Mandalore and bring about a long-overdue peace. We each had a destiny to fulfill–without each other.

And now this demon of the dark has us both at his mercy. The creature is speaking now, taunting Obi-Wan, gleeful in his triumph. “You’re noble flaw is a weakness shared by you and the Duchess.” Suddenly I am lifted off the ground by an unseen force, an invisible hand wrapping around my throat. “You should have chosen the dark side, Master Jedi.”

“Obi-Wan,” I choke out, feet flailing, my fingers prying at the vise tightening around my neck.

Obi-Wan, kneeling between two guards, looks up at Maul, anger darkening his expression. No! No, stay calm, I want to shout, but I can’t find the breath.

“Your emotions betray you,” Maul says silkily. “Your fear, and yes, your anger. Let your anger deepen your hatred.”

“Don’t listen to him, Obi–” I somehow croak out, delving deep for the last of my strength.

“Quiet,” growls the yellow zabrak in warning.

And then Obi-Wan speaks: “You can kill me, but you will never destroy me. It takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it.”

My heart soars–he will not fall. My love, my Obi–he is strong.

“It is more powerful than you know,” Maul snarls.

“And those who oppose it are more powerful than you’ll ever be,” Obi-Wan retorts.

These words agitate Maul, and I feel the grip at my throat tightening. Obi-Wan must panic, as he reconsiders his tactics. “I know where you’re from,” he says in a calmer tone. “I’ve been to your village. I know the decision to join the dark side wasn’t yours. The Nightsisters made it for you.”

But he’s made a critical error; his attempt at compassion backfires and enrages Maul. “Silence! You think you know me? It was I who languished for years thinking nothing but you, nothing but this moment, and now the perfect tool for my vengeance is in front of us. I never planned on killing you. But I will make you share my pain, Kenobi.”

Everything happens very quickly then. I’m starting to see spots before my eyes, but the snap-hiss of a lightsaber cuts across the room, and I see Obi-Wan’s horror-stricken face as I rush through the air towards him, towards the darkly glittering blade before us. The Dark Saber.

Pain, heat, as it pierces my middle, and a strangled sound comes out of me, the vise gone from my neck; and then I fall to the cold stone floor. “Satine!” I dimly hear Obi-Wan call out.

I look up through a cloud of pain, and he is there, holding me tenderly, as he never could before. To have his face be the last I ever see–such a blessing here at the end!

“Remember, my dear Obi-Wan,” I manage to say, reaching up to touch his face, “I have loved you always. And I always will.”

He begins to fade. Or rather, I begin to fade. For a brief moment, I recognize the deep irony of me, the pacifist Mandalorian, dying a violent death upon the Dark Saber. Perhaps my opponents will find it fitting and deeply satisfying. But I feel no pain now, only peace, the peace I have fought so long for. Let him be safe from the Dark, I pray–to the gods, to the Force, to the stars–my last thought, then–

Light.

So much Light.

A Revisit to a Great Star Wars Book

If you have a blog on WordPress, you’ve probably noticed it’s been showing old posts that you wrote on this day in the past. It’s kind of fun to go back and see what I was reading and writing about in Star Wars one year, two years, 5 years ago. I also had another, separate blog where I wrote about the Star Wars books I was reading called, appropriately enough, The Star Wars Reader. I briefly do those kinds of post on this blog now, combining everything Star Wars here. But I thought I’d reblog this one about Claudia Gray’s Leia: Princess of Alderaan, as I’m eagerly awaiting the new Leia/Rey novel (Legacy, by Madeleine Roux) coming out at the end of July. Enjoy!

Book Review: Leia, Princess of Alderaan

My Legends Reading Challenge: The Old Republic: Darth Bane–Path of Destruction

Spoilers Ahead!!!

Hello friends! You didn’t think I’d forgotten my Legends reading, did you? Nope, it just took me a bit to get this far. I had been reading Knight Errant by John Jackson Miller, and surprisingly, it was a terrible slog for me. I happen to like JJM’s other books–A New Dawn and Kenobi, specifically–and I was familiar with his rather plodding, and carefully and thoroughly-told tales. But this was on a different level. It was just so convoluted and out there and well, just plain boring, I had to put it down.

But this post isn’t about that book, it’s about Bane. I’ve heard many good things about this trilogy, breathless and excited praise, and I thought, yeah yeah, I’ll get there, calm down, lol. But as soon as I picked it up and started reading, I was enthralled. Bane’s rise from downtrodden cortosis miner, to Sith soldier, to star student at the Sith Academy on Korriban, to the most powerful Dark Lord of the Sith, is truly compelling and one of the most entertaining reads of the Old Republic books.

One of the reasons I worried about getting through the Old Republic section of the Legends books was that it was so heavily focused on the Sith. Normally, I don’t care to read books with the “bad” guys as the protagonists; I just have a hard time sympathizing with them as the main character (I did really like the Darth Malgus book Deceived, however). But as I was reading this book and watched Bane rise among the Sith and become disenchanted with the Brotherhood of Darkness and the new Sith ways, I found myself nodding along as he learned of the old Sith Masters and came up with the Rule of Two: “Hmm, yeah, he’s right, you know, they’re weak, they need to be destroyed.” LOL. I was actually rooting for him to become the strongest, most powerful Sith and exorcise any trace of guilt, pity, or compassion in himself to get there. And I blame the excellent writing of Drew Karpyshyn, who drew me into this world and into Bane’s life, and helped me understand where he came from and what he believed, and why (I also enjoyed Karpyshyn’s excellent Old Republic novel Annhilation).

The book focuses almost entirely on Bane, with only a few other, brief points of view, and I think this was an excellent decision on the part of the writer. I don’t mind multiple points of view, but if there’s too many, my attention will often become scattered. Once we enter Bane’s mind, we stay there for most of the book, and it’s an intense experience where the reader becomes enveloped in the fire of the dark side. Towards the middle to the end of the book, we see the Battle of Ruusan taking place between The Brotherhood of Darkness and the Jedi’s Army of Light, which becomes Bane’s chosen time and place to destroy the Brotherhood. The war has come to a terrible stalemate, and both sides are exhausted and near despair.

The Jedi in charge is named General Hoth (did he have a whole world named after him?), and the war has caused him to become desperate, angry, a little crazy, sliding toward the dark. It’s interesting to see the Jedi Order in this time period, what with the constant wars with the Sith over the centuries. We canon junkies think the Clone Wars caused a lot of harm to the Order, but these holy wars with the Sith were on a different level entirely.

Bane has had an insight that seems obvious when you think about it: the war between the dark and the light will not be won by armies; it will be won by the power of the Force. The Sith infighting over the millenia has only caused them to become weak, as seen by Lord Kaan’s forming of the Brotherhood: the Sith Lords have formed an alliance in order to defeat their enemy, with the idea that they are all equal; together they will be strong enough to defeat the Jedi. But alliance and working together as a whole is a Jedi trait. Bane has nothing but contempt for this; the very essence of the dark side is to be the strongest. The weak serve the strong. The Sith Lords have even dropped the title Darth from their names, as part of distancing themselves from the old ways. Bane brings the title back–he is Darth Bane, not simply a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Bane’s epiphany begins with his study of the ancient Sith texts in the archives during his spare time, when he’s not training with the other students. The Masters have no use for the old knowledge and see it as a waste of time, but Bane is fascinated. The Old Masters performed incredible, even impossible feats (I’m thinking of Darth Nihilus, who swallowed entire worlds [!!!]). Most of the new Masters believe it all to be myth and legend, but Bane isn’t so sure. He leaves the Academy to explore the old Sith tombs in the Valley of the Dead, but he’s disappointed to find nothing but dust and bones. But he’s not deterred. Instead of going to Ruusan with the other students to fight in the war, he goes to the planet Lehon and finds a Sith holocron with lessons on the dark side from none other than Revan himself. It’s here he comes up with his idea: the Rule of Two. There should be only one Master, to hold the power, and one apprentice, to crave it. When the Apprentice has learned all there is to know from the Master, they will challenge and kill the Master and take on their own apprentice, thus preserving the line. They will survive through secrecy, deception, and betrayal, the true Sith ways, and one day defeat the Jedi. It will take a thousand years, but it works, lol. At least for a while, as the Light always returns, and on and on. But I digress.

He destroys the Brotherhood through a Thought Bomb, an ancient, very dangerous Sith spell that usually destroys any Force user within its radius, Sith and Jedi alike. He tricks Lord Kaan into using it with the other Sith Lords, and they are killed, their spirits trapped in an agonizing netherworld, along with the Jedi General Hoth and his followers who sacrifice themselves to end the Brotherhood. Bane is now free to put his plan of the Rule of Two in motion. He meets a little girl named Zannah on the planet who he takes as an apprentice, and we’ll see their relationship in the next two books.

There’s a lot I haven’t mentioned here, including some characters like Githany, a fallen Jedi who shares an attraction with Bane and betrays him over and over (which he admires, lol); Sirak, a Zabrack Sith student that Bane challenges and loses to, and then later defeats; Sith Lords like Quorlis, Ka’sim, and Kopeck; Lord Farfalle, a dandy-like but noble Jedi who keeps General Hoth on track; and everything about Bane’s childhood at the abusive hands of his father, Hurst; his challenging life in the cortosis mines; and his brief service in the Sith army, all experiences that contributed to who he is and what he believes, as well as his strength and persistence. It was interesting to follow his journey, and I understand why he chose the dark side and the Sith rather than the light side and the Jedi: the Republic, who are allied with the Jedi, never did anything for him or his planet; and the dark side gives him a sense of control and power over himself and his life, which he didn’t have growing up on Apatros. It was an outlet for all of his rage, and I get that. But as Tech from the Bad Batch said to Crosshair: “Just because I understand you doesn’t mean I agree with you.” The dark is the dark, after all.

Anyway, these are my rambling and not very organized thoughts about Path of Destruction, which is probably my favorite Old Republic Legends book so far. I give it:

5 out of 5 Lightsabers!

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Thoughts on The Mandalorian and Grogu

I’m going to assume you saw the movie, but if you didn’t, there may be some spoilers ahead!!!

I saw The Mandalorian and Grogu on Sunday and I’m giving it a definite thumbs up.

It’s a super-fun popcorn movie that will entertain most in the family (it is PG-13 for space-related violence). And while I had a great time watching it in the theater, I do have some thoughts. I won’t summarize the whole movie, but I’ll make a list of things I loved about it, and a list of things that bugged me.

What I loved:

The action was incredible. The opening scene was intense and thrilling, and though there’s a lull mid-film, the movie was chock-full of action.
Grogu was as charming as ever. The puppetry is so amazing, you forget you’re watching a puppet. He and the Anzellans were all adorable and funny. And it’s great to see Grogu being even more independent, healing Din and taking care of him. He’s a good boy!
Zeb! He looked great and was in more scenes than I thought he’d be in.
Ludwig Goransson’s score, as always, was awesome. I loved Rotta’s techno theme, which is new but fit right in.
Speaking of Rotta, I think he’s my favorite new character in this movie. The fact that he has no interest in his father’s legacy and wants to be his own man makes his character interesting. He’s a formidable pit-fighter, but he’s also kind of sweet and thoughtful, and loves Grogu. The scene where he plays with Grogu on the beach just gave me joy, and I rooted for this guy throughout the whole movie. The most surprising thing about him was his voice–Jeremy Allen White does a great job. After Jabba’s baritone “huh-huh-huh” Huttese, and the Twins’ awkward Basic, it was refreshing to hear Rotta just speak like a regular joe trying to make his way in the galaxy. Loved it.
Lots of monsters, aliens, and droids throughout. I’ve seen people complain that there are barely any human actors in this, but considering people complained that Andor didn’t have enough aliens, this just baffles me. It was chock-full of Star Wars pulp and fun.
The Anzellan’s tiny ship. Of course it’s tiny, and it’s adorable, lol.
I like that Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder (the men in the suit when Din has his helmet on) get some top billing. Pedro is the face and the voice, but these guys do a lot of the heavy lifting, and it’s great to see them get credit where it’s due.

The little guys off to save Din and their Anzellan friend.

Okay, so having said all that, here’s a few things that bugged me:

The helmet rule is getting annoying, for several reasons. First, I want to see more of Pedro Pascal. Sorry, not sorry. Second, it seems they’re just making up the rules as they go along. The Twins remove Din’s helmet to shame him, “forever,” as they put it, but Din replies, “Not if you all die.” Okay, but did we know about that rule before? The Armorer never mentioned it. There’s just no consistency with it. And I’d really hoped during Season 3 that Din got over all the Mandalorian rules, but I guess he’s a man of faith and is stubborn about it. Third, it would just be nice if his son could look at his face now and then, you know? There’s no room for any kind of emotional intimacy that you get with human expressions, and I feel like Grogu deserves more. Especially after Grogu heals him and looks after him for days; he doesn’t even get a thank you, just a Mandalorian platitude. I get that Disney probably doesn’t want to pay Pedro Pascal for being in the entire movie, but come on, they can afford it. Stop being cheap, lol.
The way Din told Grogu, several times, to “heel.” I actually winced at that. Is he his son, or a pet? I think it was played for laughs, but it was just weird and not cool. Granted, Grogu doesn’t always listen to Din, and maybe he came up with that to show he means business. I still don’t like it, lol.
No one uses Din’s actual name throughout the entire movie. He’s just “Mando” to everyone. And that’s fine, I guess, but why are we reverting him back to early Season 1 Mando? He doesn’t really have a character arc in the movie. He doesn’t change in any substantial way. Maybe he doesn’t need to, but it would give the movie at least a little emotional depth. I know it’s about action and fun Star Wars weirdness, but it is a story, and every story needs a viable character arc. I guess Grogu is shown becoming more independent and capable, and even Rotta overcomes his challenging relatives. I suppose that will have to do.
I think Sigourney Weaver was rather wasted here. She got a few scenes that anyone could have done, really. I wish her part had been a bit more juicy.

Those are my main thoughts. I do think that Din and Grogu’s story would have been better served as a Season 4 on Disney+ rather than a movie. We could have slowed down and got those emotional moments and character growth that I’d like to see. I don’t know whether we’ll ever see a Season 4, but I hope so. Jon Favreau had it written, but had to set it aside to do the movie, so who knows. I also think this movie is a kind of bulwark, a “safe” movie to put out ahead of Starfighter next year.

So, despite it being a “safe” movie, and my list of grumblings, it definitely was a good time at the movies. If I had to rank it, I’d probably give it a 7 out of 10. I’ll probably go see it again just for some Grogu sweetness, lol.

What did you think of the movie? Good, bad, meh? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Gorgeous Star Wars Art Books

Hello friends!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I sell used books online (Pango Books) and use the credits from sales to turn around and buy more books (because that’s what book lovers do, lol). I buy all sorts of books, but I’m especially enjoying Star Wars “The Art Of” books, because I don’t normally buy these for myself. They’re gorgeous, but usually expensive brand new (think $40-$50 each). I just got a slew of them, so I thought I’d showcase them here because I’m very excited about them (nerd!).

The Art of The Rise of Skywalker. I’ve had Force Awakens and The Last Jedi Art books for a while now (I found them in a used book store), so I finally got this one to complete the collection.

The Eye of Webbish Bog, a really cool concept that didn’t end up being used in the movie. Kylo Ren meets up with this creature at the beginning of the movie, when he finds the Wayfinder on Mustafar. There’s a creature on top of a giant head and he says cryptic, prophetic sorts of things.

The Art of The Mandalorian Season 1. With The Mandalorian and Grogu opening today (May 22nd as I write this), I’m super-hyped for the movie. I rewatched all three seasons of the The Mandalorian in the past month or so, and have always loved the concept art showed during the credits at the end of each episode. These books show those works and more in these comprehensive art books.

Some concept art for the first season of The Mandalorian. Grogu peeking out of the cloak is so cute. And a baby backpack?! So neat to see these ideas that didn’t pan out for the show.

The Art of the Mandalorian Season 2. More gorgeous artwork from Season 2 of the show. I’m not sure if there’s a Season 3 art book, but you can be sure I’ll be on the lookout for anything (and from the movie!).

An adorable example of concept art of Grogu eating his soup on Trask.

The Art of the High Republic. I adore the High Republic books, and this art helped me envision all the characters along the way. I don’t mind using my imagination when it comes to seeing the characters in my mind, but it doesn’t hurt to actually see what the creators had in mind. There’s a Volume 2 that I’d like to get eventually.

An example page from The Art of the High Republic, showing an image of the Jedi (and Ember!).

Women of the Galaxy. This one isn’t really an “Art of” book, but there’s depictions from various artists of the women characters in Star Wars, even a couple I’ve never heard of (mostly from comics). There’s artwork of the character and a few paragraphs (a few pages for the main characters like Leia, Padme, and Rey) about that character. It’s only up to The Last Jedi, so I’d like to get the updated version I’ve seen with Ahsoka on the front.

An example page of Women of the Galaxy, showing Asajj Ventress.

I could spend hours leafing through and reading these books. There’s so many other “Art of” books I’d like to get: Solo, Rogue One, Andor, and the ones I mentioned above. I love any kind of Star Wars art; it may be time for another Fan Art post. Stay tuned!

Also stay tuned for my thoughts on The Mandalorian and Grogu (I plan to see it sometime in the next week), and also on Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, my latest Legends read (I’m loving it and ripping through it!).

Maul: Shadow Lord Thoughts

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Maul: Shadow Lord just finished up, and it’s as great as I figured it would be.

When it was first announced I thought, hmm, not what I really wanted, but considering how fantastic the animated series have been, I’ll probably like it. And I do, a lot. The animation just keeps getting better, the storytelling tighter, and the characterizations more complex and interesting. It’s darker and grittier than any other animated series so far, kind of like Andor but with lightsabers. The best of both worlds!

Like Andor, the first few episodes are a slow burn as it sets the stage and introduces the characters. We meet Brander Lawson, a cop who’s dealing with a few crime bosses in the city of Jannix. He’s a single dad who loves his son Riley, but work keeps getting in the way of him spending enough time with him. (I love that he constantly has a cup of caf in his hand–just your typical overworked police detective, lol). His partner is a droid named Two-Boots, who inexplicably wears, well, a pair of boots. Two-Boots is quite the by-the-book droid, which proves problematic later in the season. (Two-Boots also holds a caf cup much of the time, even though it’s empty, just to “share the moment” with Lawson). I already loved these guys at Episode 1.

We also meet a pair of Jedi-in-hiding, as this takes place not long after Order 66. Master Eecko Dio Daki (what a great name, lol) and his Padawan, Devon, are just trying to get by and stay hidden, but it’s clear Devon isn’t happy with the situation and itches to do something, anything rather than hide. She ends up in the city jail for stealing some food for herself and her Master.

Maul makes a dramatic entrance and sets himself up in the bowels of the city with his allies: Rook Cast, a former Death Watch Mandalorian and a few of her cohorts, and two Dathomirian Zabraks, Icarus and Scorn. There’s also Spybot, Maul’s pet probe droid, who’s kind of cute in a malicious sort of way. Maul has come to consolidate his power over the crime syndicates, as a way to accumulate power and therefore seek revenge on his enemies–namely Darth Sidious (though he never gives up on Kenobi, either). He’s also in search of an apprentice–and Devon fits that bill perfectly.

So that’s the set-up; I won’t go through the entire series but pinpoint the highlights. Though the show is about Maul and is named after him, he doesn’t really have a character arc. Maul is never going to change–he will always seek out his enemies for revenge, no matter what that form takes. Even his dying words (in Rebels) in Obi-Wan’s arms speak of vengeance. So Devon is the character that will go through an arc: her journey from Jedi Padawan to Maul’s apprentice.

The show does a great job of showing Devon’s turn toward the dark side. I wouldn’t say by the end of the season that she’s full-on dark side, but she’s definitely angry and willing to use her negative emotions to fight back, with Maul’s help. Maul convinces her slowly, over the course of the ten episodes, telling her to use what she has to fight back against the Empire that destroyed the Jedi Order and took away her future. Maul is the devil on one of her shoulders, and Daki is the angel on the other, urging patience and calm, and Devon clearly struggles with this. We all know the Light side is the harder road, and that is the challenge. Devon wants to follow her Master’s example and reject Maul, but it’s hard when Imperials and Inquisitors are constantly pursuing you and Maul is willing to help.

Speaking of Inquisitors, when Two-Boots calls in the Empire (blasted droid!) they send the First Brother (the one with the bird-like mask we saw in Tales of the Jedi and who Ahsoka defeated) and the Sixth Brother Marrok (who Ahsoka also defeated in her show). They work together to track down Maul and the Jedi, and it’s nice to actually see them at work, and also so formidable in battle. They were quickly and easily defeated by Ahsoka and we didn’t get to see them much in action. They’re truly scary here.

Meanwhile, Lawson struggles to do his job while trying to keep the Empire out of it and off the planet, and also to be there for Riley. He’s separated from his wife, who works for the Empire, which could be interesting next season (and yay! there’s going to be a Season Two). In trying to escape the Imperials he seemingly sacrifices himself, but I’m not buying it. This is Star Wars, where if there’s no body, there’s no death, lol. He staggers off into the mist, and even though he took a few blaster bolts, I think he’ll be fine. He better be! Also, he’s the only person who saw Maul push Master Daki towards Vader (more on him soon) while he slips away to Devon and the Inquisitors. So that needs to come out.

There was no question Master Daki was going to die, as Devon’s hero journey requires the death of the mentor. I figured he’d be gone by the first few episodes, but it wasn’t until the last episode that he gets killed, and not by Maul (though Maul didn’t help). So it was nice to have him around the whole season and play off Maul. It was his death, however, that sent Devon over the edge, not surprisingly.

“I will kill you!” Devon reacts to Daki’s death.

Vader’s appearance in the last two episodes were epic. I don’t necessarily need or want him to appear in every show, but here it felt right, as the Inquisitors were having some trouble catching their quarry. I think it’s significant that he didn’t say a word; he doesn’t have to. His actions speak for themselves, and makes it more terrifying. Maul doesn’t quite know who he is, but I think he has an idea.

I want to touch on Maul’s visions midseason. He’s escaped the Inquisitors and is alone and injured, trying to make his way back to his hideout. He falls into a puddle of water and sees his reflection, but sees himself as a boy before Sidious trains him. He’s with his brother Savage and they seem happy. But then Sidious takes him to train, and the Sith Lord abuses him with lightning. He sees Obi-Wan coming toward him to cut him in half. Just nightmares and grief. Maul doesn’t change by the end of his story, but here we do see him vulnerable. He also works with the Jedi, for his own purposes, of course, but he does respect the Jedi Order; they are worthy adversaries. The point is, we get to see different sides of Maul, he becomes a bit more three-dimensional, and he works better as a protagonist in the story. Maul isn’t exactly easy to root for, but we understand him a bit better and feel at least some sympathy.

Anyway, the show is fantastic: the animation is superb, the lightsaber duels incredible, and the characters engaging. It’s yet another animated show I didn’t know I wanted, lol.

If you’ve watched Maul: Shadow Lord, what did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!