Cap's Comics - Kanan the Last Padawan #2

Padawan Caleb Dume has found his place in the universe, a place in war.  He has good friends in the Clone Troopers he serves with.  He has an attentive and wise master in Depa Billaba.  And of course when everything is going right it goes wrong!  The Clones turn on Dume and his Master after the transmission of Order 66, kill the Jedi.  Caleb, the future Kanan Jarrus, is forced to fight his way to freedom and die.  Once on the run, Caleb discovers that the Jedi may have not have equipped him to survive alone in the universe.  And he hopes to reunite himself with the Jedi Order so he is no longer alone, hungry and tired!  But he might be forced to learn new skills and new morals to survive. 

I know that Kanan: The Last Padawan as a title is really the latecomer in the Star Wars line, not being part of the original release.  Also, it is the first that relies on a non-Original trilogy character.    But it might just be the best.  In issue number one, Greg Weisman went deep and philosophical  This issue while more action-packed really goes deep in exploring the Jedi way of life.  Caleb has never been alone.  He went straight from his parents' home to the Jedi Temple.  Someone has always watched over him and provided for him.  While the Jedi may have taught him martial skills, lightsaber play and meditation, the young man is really not trained to live within the universe.  In "Chapter Two: Flight" he is forced to struggle with basic questions of survival and one really does feel for the young man, even if he is really just animated/drawn.

Kanan: The Last Padawan #2 for me was even more successful than the first issue.  And the Between Kid approved the purchase of next month's issue.  So I personally am hoping that the quality art, by Pepe Larraz, and writing can be maintained and this series has a long run. 

Cap's Comics - Kanan the Last Padawan

The crew of the Ghost is assigned a simple milk run retrieving supplies for refuges on Lothal.  But the trip takes the crew to Kaller, a planet connected to Kanan's past as Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume.  Writer Greg Weisman and artist Pepe Larraz then take readers back to the days before Order 66 when young Caleb and his Jedi Master Depa Billaba fought to free the Kallerans from oppressive Separatist rule. Between action scenes, Padawan and Master discuss the nature of questions, dissent, attachment and the role of Jedi in the military.  The issue ends as the infamous Order 66, which decimated the Jedi, is given to the Clone Troopers.

Kanan: The Last Padawan was not what I expected.  With a lead character from what is primarily a children's animated program, and with him as a kid, I expected something that was all-ages.  Instead this title really is full of content that is somewhat above the average kid, discussions of attachment and the military obligation.  There was also a lot more talking than I expected.  I probably would not jump up and offer this as an all-ages comic.  Now, I did read it to the Between Kid and the story kept the kiddo's interest.  There are fighty fighty moments to keep the younger reader engaged.  But honestly, I thought much of it above the Between Kid.  I guess I should not have been surprises since the first Kanan story, Star Wars: A New Dawn, was very much a story written for adults.

Weisman provides a strong and deeper than expected story.  With Weisman serving as one of the co-executive producers of season one of Star Wars: Rebels I did expect the comic to share a similar feel with the animated series.  Instead it really feels like what it is, a prequel story.  I do like the fact that he plays up the fact that Caleb Dume is known for his questions, a personality quirk we see also see in Star Wars: A New Dawn.  This story very much in line with that early prose novel.  The art by Larraz feels like Star Wars (which to me is a very high compliment).

Before there was Kanan Jarrus, there was Caleb Dume.  Kanan: The Last Padawan is setting up how the young Jedi student became the rebel we know from DisneyXD.  I have been looking forward to this story.  Though I will admit that I find myself surprised with the first issue as it provided philosophy and character development.  And despite the heady topics in the comic's pages, in Betweenland at least one youngster (and adult) await the next issue.      

 

 

Between Books - Star Wars: A New Dawn

Disney has made it clear that with the purchase of LucasFilm we have a whole new Star Wars. The old Expanded Universe now has Legend status. All new books are considered to be canon for LucasFilm storytellers. Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller is on the vanguard of that new canon while also introducing fans to Kanan and Hera, two heroes from Star Wars: Rebels.

Kanan Jarrus has a secret. He is in fact a former Jedi on the run from the Empire after the purge of the Jedi order. He has hidden himself for years wandering the galaxy staying away from the attention of the Empire and their Jedi hunters. Kanan prepares to leave his job hauling explosives to mine the strategically important thorilide, used to stabilize a key component of Imperial warships, and slip yet again into another new life. His plans to slip away are interrupted by the arrival of two newcomers. Count Vidian, an Imperial industrial magnate and advisor to the Emperor, has been sent to improve operations of Gorse the refinery world, and Cyndathe mineral rich world. Vidian’s operations directly impact the lives of the few beings that Kanan cares about. Vidian arrives at the same time as Hera, a attractive Twi’lek seeking information about the Empire’s operations and any dissent that they may cause. Hera and Kanan become unlikely partners as the two attempt to thwart Vidian’s plans for Cynda and the horrible impact on Gorse.

I found Star Wars: A New Dawn an easy read. The biggest struggle is the fact that except for the mentioned but not present Emperor all these characters are new. So I have no relationship with them. I will say that was fine since I wanted to use this Between Book as an introduction to Star Wars: Rebels. But some may find it difficult since they are new faces. For me I do feel more ready for Star Wars: Rebels since I understand the tension in the Kanan/Hera relationship, they both clearly like like each other. However, there is still plenty of tension as Hera is not looking for romance. And I got to watch them grow into a division of labor I expect we will see on the television; Hera gets ideas but Kanan implements them. The book was not my favorite Star Wars book, but I still find it worth the read. The story is small, it’s only life and death for one system! But it is also nice to not have the entire galaxy on the line for once!

I think a big win for Jackson Miller is that when I read I see Kanan as Freddie Prinz Jr. I do not yet picture the animated version but a live action hero. But I hear the voice actor’s voice and even see his face when Kanan talks.

No attachments was a Jedi maxim. Because of this, Jedi make great fugitives. The power of attachments and relationships is a big theme in this book. For Count Vidian a lack of attachments makes him vicious. But for Kanan developing attachments allows him to rechannel the heroic part of his personality. And despite the fact Kanan is a drifter, everyone notices he is a good man even if he does not see it. I look forward to seeing how this personality growth works out on the show since he will be mentoring another. Will he instantly be the good man, or will he start by being a little rough around the edges?

I think if you read Star Wars books, you need to pick up Star Wars: A New Dawn. If you are interested in the animated series, as I am, I would say it is a read you might want to jump into. But for Disney fans not interested in LucasFilm, you can probably pass. Now I am excited about Star Wars and how Disney will continue to roll out and built the new toy. And I would say Star Wars: A New Dawn has me hopeful about some new personalities in a growing universe.

Dreaming Disney - Piles of Star Wars' News

Yeah, Disney is going big on Star Wars!

This morning I saw two pieces of very Disney news.  First, Disney Parks are offering exclusive limited Disney Parks T-Shirts for Star Wars Rebels.

Star Wars Rebels does not have a tie into the parks yet.  And typically the exclusive tees are tied into classic attractions or park anniversaries.  So I was a little shocked to see a T-Shirt tied into an animated television property that has not even seen the light of day!

The other news was the release of the Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars poster through Hero Complex.  And I did love waking up to the reminder that this summer I get this treat.  I really enjoyed Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel and all of the included Easter Eggs, so this really is something I am looking forward to.

 

Maybe as this tweet from J.J. Abrams shows, they are too busy to buy a shirt or get pumped for two creative youngsters!

 





 

I guess this tweet and the fact that filming has officially started is a third of a pile of Star Wars' news!

Mousey Movie (TV) Preview - Star Wars Rebels Full Trailer

The first full trailer of Star Wars Rebels is live!

This seems to me to be a little more kid friendly than Star Wars The Clone Wars, which I loved.

We do get to see Kanan the Jedi Cowboy in action, and I do think this is a hero we are going to want to see more of.  It appears he is continuing the struggle against the Sith in the shadows.

There is a Mandalorian helmet!  And it is on one of our rebels!  And it's a female!  Is she a bounty hunter?  How did she get this helmet?  I want to know more!

Overall, I think that Star Wars Rebels is going to be a success.  And like the Marvel cartoons on Disney XD, it will help prepare us for the movies.  Perhaps the key to moving forward to the newest movie is to see Stormtrooper armor yet again!

Mousey Movie (TV) Preview - Stars Wars The Clone Wars Season 6

It was last May that I received a letter from LucasFilm stating I should look forward to the future even though Star Wars: The Clone Wars was coming to an end.  We now know the promised future project under Dave Filoni is Star Wars: Rebels. 

But shockingly, that is not the end of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars story.  With Disney's growing relationship with Netflix, on March 7, 2014 (today), a final 13 episode final season will be shown on Netflix!

Here is the trailer:

What did you think?

These 13 episodes are more than a few pick-ups, this is really a half season of content.  And I love seeing arcs we were hinted about making an airing.  

Personally, I loved this series and I think it is great that it has a streaming home on Netflix.  It makes me feel less pressured to buy all the seasons (I only own one).

I am excited to see them dig deeper into the Force, and the Yoda arc looks fantastic to me.

And I love seeing them exploring Order 66 and the Clones in greater depth.

The biggest question is how many episodes can I get in this weekend?

Mousey Movie (TV) Preview - Star Wars Rebels

When Disney bough LucasFilm there was a lot of speculation that Star Wars: The Clone Wars would be moved to Disney XD.

Instead it was cancelled.

But hope for Star Wars fans is not lost.  Disney has announced that in 2014 a new animated Star Wars show will make it to Disney XD, Star Wars Rebels.

This new show will be set closer to the Original Trilogy, and closer to the characters that will be used in Episode VII.  And it will play on a period of Star Wars history that more older fans will be familiar with.  And you never know, maybe even Darth Vader could show up.

Dave Filoni, in this video from New York Comic Con, talks about what is happening behind the scenes (lots of Star Wars: The Clone Wars staff are still in Disney employ) and outlines the new villain. 

 

I think it is The Inquisitor that will catch most fans attention, a new Star Wars villain is a pretty big deal (especially for toys)!

I will say he does seem close to the Darth Maul model, with his double bladed lightsaber.  And it does some interesting that someone who is not a Sith or a Jedi (we think) will be wandering around with this weapon.

I am sure that there will be plenty more news in the next year.  Until then you may want to keep an eye out at http://www.sienarfleetsystems.com/.  The Empire does need quality Tie Fighters!