Moving Target (Book Review)

Moving Target is one of the trilogy of Adventure books that is part of the Journey to the Force Awakens publishing event. It was released on Force Friday (9/4/2015). Each of the Adventure books features one protagonist from the Original Trilogy. This book features Princess Leia.

You can find plenty of book reviews, so I will keep mine short and sweet. This is yet another excellent book in this series.  I highly recommended all these books to any Star Wars fan. The major plot line of a small team of rebels going on a mission against the Empire really feels like what Rogue One could shape up to be. If so, I think that movie will be excellent - even without any Jedi! This books seems to wipe away the EU Legacy novel Shadows of the Empire. I am perfectly fine with that!

Comparing this to the other two books of this Adventures trilogy that I have already read, Weapon of the Jedi and Smuggler's Run, I am glad I save this book for last. You can see the trajectory of the new character, Ematt, even though he makes just brief appearances in the Prologue/Epilogue and the main story.

This book has the most tantalizing hints to what may be in The Force Awakens. I speculate that Mon Mothma has disbanded the military after the Empire was defeated. The Resistance is a special task force created solely as a check against the growing threat of the First Order. I suspect the job of this task force is containment and I expect them to fail, which leads to Episodes VIII and IX.

What I really want to capture here in this blog are the major elements of the story for future reference. Part of the marketing of these books is that hints about The Force Awakens have been planted in the story. So here it goes!

Prologue:

• Leia: "We are on the brink of war again - one we may not survive"
  
• "You are the leader of the Resistance, a critical check on the designs of the First Order. You are a symbol of the Resistance and an inspiration to all soldiers...." [Perhaps no organized military. This is a task force to counteract this growing threat]

New Depths for Legacy Characters:

• Leia - has tingling feeling she has learned to trust - it means action
• Nien Nunb - helped Leia save the remaining Alderaanians, former smuggler. Team pilot.
• General Madine - strategist chief (heads up commandos)
• Mon Mothma - Alliance Chancelor from Chandrila
• Admiral Ackbar - Leader of the fleet. mentioned only.

New Depths for Legacy Story:

• Threepio belongs to Luke, which he loans to Leia
  
• After Hoth, Mon Mothma decided to break up the Alliance into several smaller task forces.
  
• Having to fight against Imperial propaganda
  
• The Empire plans to destroy Chandrila and Mon Cal with Death Star II. Willing to destroy a people based on the opinions of a few.

New Characters:

• PZ-4CO - female droid, writing memoir for Leia, "Peazy"
• Major Ematt (first appeared as Lt Ematt in Smuggler's Run). A man Leia has fought alongside for so many years.
• Kidi Aleria - Cerean race. Team communications.
• Major Lokmarcha - Dressellian race. Team commando
• Antrot - Abednedo race. Team tinkerer and demoltions expert
• Captain Khoine - Imperial in charge of Corva Sector.
• ___Yom
• x Pirates
• Lt. Ematt - brief appearance
• Admiral Naatz - (mentioned only)
• Admiral Vassa - green skinned Duros (mentioned only)
• General Veertag - (mentioned only)
• General Tantor - (mentioned only)
• General Cracken - intelligence chief (mentioned only)

New Locations:

• Zastiga - on the edge of the Outer Rim. Secret meeting of top level Alliance
  
• Sullust - Homeworld for Nien Nunb. Secret S thread boosters exist to create a hyperspace route to the Galactic edge, including Endor. This "Sanctuary Pipeline" is an important military secret of the Empire.
  
• Corva Sector - On the opposite side of the galaxy from Endor. Made up of several systems including Basteel, Sesid, Jaresh, and Galaan.
  
• Galaan - Mostly unformed system with a yellow moon.
  
• Basteel - Mountainous. Covered in caves.
  
• Sesid - Water world. Resort and pharmaceuticals.
  
• Jaresh - Wooded/plains? Founded by religious enclave.
  
• Shieldmaiden - Star destroyer of Capt. Khoine

Plot Notes

• The theme of duty, without emotion
  
• Scatter protocol mentioned again (as in Weapon of the Jedi)
  
• The theme of rebels sacrificing their lives to protect Leia
  
• The theme of old codes and new codes (mentioned in ROTJ as the Rebels try to sneak onto Endor). Intentionally using codes that are suspect to have been broken.
  
• Book is set a few weeks after the Bothans acquire the Death Star II information
  
• Operation Yellow Moon (named after the Galaan system)
  
• Torture droid programmed to continue without listening to confession. Keeps going until told to stop.
  
• Mellcrawler - space yacht used for mission
  
• Rebels steal shuttle Tydirium from Shieldmaiden before it self-destructs! (One would think that this would have tipped off the Empire that this shuttle shows up. But perhaps tied up in bureaucratic inefficiency. Also, the Emperor *wants* them to land, so that would have been smoothed over anyway.)
  
• Conclusion: Yes, duty but also love for others (Mon Mothma suggests as well - can't live just for duty). Must be balanced.
  
• Unanswered question: Peezy memoir of Leia's childhood on Alderaan.

Epilogue:

• Poe Dameron - needs to learn balance between duty and love for others. Old enough to hear Leia but no enough to listen. Best pilot in the Resistance
  
• News of Jakku? Major Ematt says yes.
  
• General Leia is in center of actions and she likes that.

Smuggler's Run (Book Review)

Smuggler's Run is one of the trilogy of Adventure books that is part of the Journey to the Force Awakens publishing event. It was released on Force Friday (9/4/2015). Each of the Adventure books features one protagonist from the Original Trilogy. This book features Han Solo and Chewbacca, although the Millennium Falcon itself has a prominent role as well.

You can find plenty of book reviews, so I will keep mine short and sweet. This was a lot of fun! Rucka's characterization of Han and Chewie were right on the money.

Comparing this to the first book I read in this series, the Weapon of the Jedi, the content is a bit heavier. There is one scene in particular where some rebels commit suicide or assisted suicide rather than be captured by the Empire and forced to divulge sensitive information. Aside from this one scene, the book is otherwise in the younger end of the YA spectrum.

What I really want to capture here in this blog are the major elements of the story for future reference. Part of the marketing of these books is that hints about The Force Awakens have been planted in the story. So here it goes:

Prologue:

• Han tells the story to a group of gangsters

New Depths for Legacy Characters:

We know that a Han Solo spin-off film is in the works. There are a few tantalizing details at the beginning of the books. It leaves the door open for Han having been an Imperial before meeting Chewbacca, which I think would make for a great story.

• After the Battle of Yavin, only 2 X-Wings and 1 Y-Wing left
• Chewie was 180 during the Clone Wars
• Chewie refers to Han as the Corellian
• Han calls his selfishness "enlightened self-interest"
• After Han and Chewie met they fled to the Outer Rim
• Reward for rescuing princess and fee promised by Obi Wan more than enough to pay off Jabba
• Yavin IV a temple to gods long by people long dead or forgotten
• Han: "Got an old friend who's fond of saying that truth is greatly dependent on your point of view."

New Depths of the Falcon:

• YT-1300 is a common space ship
• Engines are overpowered for its size, even without modifications
• Sensitive controls require both a pilot and co-pilot to fly her
• The Falcon is a "gas guzzler" - half of the credits they earned went into the ship
• Multiple computers, developed their own dialect and sometimes feuded with each other
• Gravity emulators cut out during sharp maneuvers so must strap in
• FAST

New Characters:

• Lt. Ematt - leader of the Shrikes: rebel base location hunters
• Shrike is a bird of prey
• Shrikes commit suicide rather fall into hands of Empire. Only Ematt escapes.
• Shrikes ambushed at Tanaab by the ISB. ISB following Emperor's orders to sieze all rebel sympathizers. ISB had been quietly tailing the Shrikes. Rebels and sympathizers are to be shot on sight.
• Comander Alecia Beck (Imperial Security Bureau)
• Commander Hove of the Star Destroyer Vehement
• TK-828 "Torrent" is one of the last remaining clones. Very efficient.
• Delia Leighton - Captain of Miss Fortune, a starship-based cantina. Miss Fortune used to be called Durese by the original Duros owner (Serendipity). Redhead. Used to wait tables at a cantina on Lothal.
• Curtis - Delia's co-pilot and bouncer

New Locations:

• Cyrkon - 6 planets, on the edge of Hutt space

Plot Notes & Other Things:

• Imperials are anti-alien and pre-dominantly male
• Tractor beam described as a wave. Not instantaneous.
• The moon is referred to as "Yavin 4" instead of "Yavin IV"

Epilogue:

• The gang never heard of Cyrkon. Perhaps all made up?
• Gang may belong to the Irving Boys, Guavians, Ducain. - they want the Falcon.
• Han: "You tell Ducain, you tell the Irving Boys, you tell all of them this: we're not afraid of them."
• The unanswered question - What happened to Beck?

Weapon of the Jedi (Book Review)

Weapon of the Jedi is one of the trilogy of Adventure books that is part of the Journey to the Force Awakens publishing event. It was released on Force Friday (9/4/2015). Each of the Adventure books features one protagonist from the Original Trilogy. This book features Luke Skywalker.

You can find plenty of book reviews, so I will keep mine short and sweet. This was a lot of fun! Fry did a great job capturing the character of Luke as still a kid trying to deal with the world just after his victory against the Death Star.

What I really want to capture here in this blog are the major elements of the story for future reference. Part of the marketing of these books is that hints about The Force Awakens have been planted in the story. So here it goes:

Prologue/Epilogue

The book is "bookended" by a conversation between Blue Squadron pilot Jessika Pava and Threepio. This takes place after Threepio gets his red arm, so it is well into story territory beyond ROTJ.

Prologue Notes:

• Threepio now knows "almost seven million forms of communication" as opposed to "six million"
• Jessika Pava is known as Blue Three
• According to Jessika: "...everybody knows Luke Skywalker. He defeated the Emperor, and they say he's the best star pilot in the galaxy" [nice homage to Obi-Wan's reference to Anakin]
• Jessika also indicates that Artoo-Detoo is famous for being the droid to accompany Luke in the trench run

References to Battle of Yavin :

• Red Squadron was made up of 12 X-Wings for the Battle of Yavin IV
• Only two X-Wings survived: Red 3 Wedge and Red 5 Luke
• The Red Squadron leader replacement was Commander Narra (male)

Locations:

• Red Squadron protecting a freighter evacuating underground leaders from planet Giju
• The Force calls Luke to come to planet Devaron, near Giju, to the Temple of Eedit
• The closest town to the temple is Tikaroo
• Sarco suspects there are vaults under the temple

Luke & the Force

• Luke does not know how to influence minds as Obi Wan did on Tatooine
• Ben has not talked to Luke since the Trench Run
• Luke has force vision of Jedi swimming and breathing underwater - Kit Fisto?
• Luke's first time hearing Ben's voice again after the Trench Run is when he is in the temple
• The Jedi are considered evil sorcerers by the indigenous people (encouraged by the Empire)
• Ben tells Luke that anger and fear lead to the dark side (before Yoda)
• Threepio and Artoo mention that they found recordings of lightsaber training/battles?
• Luke trains against two remotes...then three remotes
• Key training learned - Let Go.
• Luke uses lightsaber for first time against eight stormtroopers & Imp officer (aided by Sarco)

Plot Points

• pikhrons - large but passive herbivores hunted for their skin
• The Empire placed a sensor perimeter around the temple to guard against people entering it
• Luke is blinded and deafened in battle against Sarco

Sarco Plank

• Sarco weilds an electrostaff that he said was made to kill Jedi
• Sarco falls down pit, but Luke senses still alive
• Luke kicks electrostaff down the pit 

Random Musings

• Scattered/randomized jumps to keep from Imperial tails - but increases risk of encounter - which happens to Luke and forces him to abandon mission that Mon Mothma assigned him (led by the Force?)

Epilogue Notes

• Luke vows to return to the temple
• Threepio confirms he did - when Farnay grown woman (highly likely post-ROTJ)

Update on the Kiddos

It has been a while since I posted anything about my two kids. I've actually restrained myself quite a bit from bringing them into Star Wars. We did watch the first season of Star Wars Rebels together - my young daughter really latched on to Hera - not so much Sabine. Perhaps because she is more maternal and less violent, which matches her personality better.

But they haven't really seen much Star Wars since the first season ended many months ago. I was very surprised when both of them picked out Star Wars-themed costumes for Halloween this year. I figured by daughter in particular would choose My Little Pony since she is so into that franchise now. But she picked out a really cool Darth Vader dress and Hudson picked an awesome Kylo Ren costume. I got a retractable tri-bladed lightsaber from Target to match it.

We trick-or-treated at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney's Magic Kingdom. We saw plenty of Star Wars costumes, but no other Kylro Rens! I got a nice compliment from the cast member who helped people off the Little Mermaid dark ride - "You are raising them right!".

My daughter is really into the John Williams music. We listen to the Imperial March on a regular basis. Normally she is very talkative, but one day when I was driving her to school and we were going through the ESB soundtrack, she was very quiet. I looked and saw her looking out the window lost in her thoughts, with a slight smile on her face. I asked her what she was thinking and she said she was imaging a Star Wars parade with her in the lead, but joined by her brother, my wife and I, and several of her friends.

TFA Plot Speculation

Here is my speculation, based on the official trailer that debuted during Monday Night Football on October 19th. No spoilers here since this is just guess work on my behalf. I have striven to be spoiler-free outside of official information (novels, comic books, press releases, etc.).

My Guess on the Plot

Luke tried to get the Jedi Order going but every time he could track down a Force-sensitive (not many of them), he is intercepted by Knights of Ren who either recruit them or kill them. So he goes into hiding so he himself is not killed. Han and Leia have a baby who seems to have latent Force ability. To protect her from the Knights of Ren, they abandon her to the desert world of Jakku to keep her safe (passively watched over/developed by pirate ruler Maz Kanata). Suddenly there is a Force-event that causes an awakening in her. Leia sense her daughter is no longer safe and sends Han & Poe to recover her from Jakku and to find Luke to train her.

Why do I think Rey is Han and Leia's daughter? The fact that she is prominently featured in the trailer and music that plays for her is Leia's theme from the original Star Wars movie.

Meanwhile, Finn is also affected by the Force-event and is awakened. He is labeled a traitor to the First Order by the Knights of Ren, who sensed his Force ability and approached him to join their ranks, after he refuses to join them. He escapes in a TIE fighter only to crash land on Jakku, where he meets up with Rey.

Han & Chewie find Rey and Finn, daringly escape the attack by Captain Phasma in her TIE fighter, and journey to the castle of Maz Kanata to learn where to go next. Their meeting is interrupted by the attack of the First Order - Finn, Chewie and Han are almost captured when the castle falls.

The Death of Chewbacca?

We see Rey crying over what looks like to be a body - perhaps a furry one. If this is true, then it sure seems like Chewbacca dies in the film. I sure hope not. He was the only major legacy character to be killed off in the old EU, in the novel Vector Prime. IT feels like a rehash of that - which I am sure Lucasfilm would play up: "See we do like the old EU!" It also doesn't make sense from a franchise standpoint - why kill off someone who is not a face character? Wookies live for several centuries and since he is a "guy-in-a-suit" character, they can use other actors other than Peter Mayhew.

However, from a dramatic standpoint, I can see why JJ would choose to do it. He wants us to emotionally bond with Rey - especially the OT fans. What better method than the Old Yeller approach - having the lovable, protective, and loyal friend die? I've seen in the Star Wars sticker book Rey and Chewie in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon together. It fits. I hate it, but it fits.

The Death of Poe?

I expect Poe to die in this battle or when he is captured and tortured by Kylo Ren. I assume some clever editing in the trailer makes it look like he lives to fight the final battle on Starkiller Base on the yet-to-be-named ice world. It is his death that Leia mourns in her very brief appearance in the trailer. The Shattered Empire comic book series shows that she knew Poe's parents and presumably formed a close friendship with them over the 30 years.

We see Poe being tortured by Kylo Ren in the trailer, more than likely to extract information. But what if it is something else? What if Kylo is tapping into his emotions and converting him into a Knight of Ren? That would be very cool and it would help explain why only Kylo Ren has a lightsaber while all the other knights seem  to have move conventional weapons.

Kylo Ren is Rey's Brother?

The official poster does show parallel arrangement for the two characters. It also helps to answer the question why Kylo is fixated on Darth Vader rather than the Emperor. If it is his grandfather, it would be much more understandable that he would be fixated on him. This could be part of Leia's heartbreak that we may be glimpsing in the trailer.

We will see how close I am to these guesses - mostly taken from this trailer.

Swords in Mythology

Recently (August 27th to be exact), the folks over at Lucasfilm surprised us all by releasing a 15 second clip from The Force Awaknes on Instagram. This clip featured two new scenes. The first new scene showed Rey looking to the sky in fear with BB-8 behind her. The other scene, and the one that had the Internet buzzing, shows Finn wielding a lightsaber in opposition to Kylo Ren.

There has been an awakening... #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A video posted by Star Wars (@starwars) on Aug 27, 2015 at 10:00am PDT

It is obvious to us all now that the light saber Finn has is indeed the same one used by Anakin in ROTS and by Luke in ANH and ESB. All this got me thinking about the role of swords in mythology and how these themes might be carried into The Force Awakens.

What got me really thinking for this blog post is the question of what happened to the famous swords in myth. Are there examples where a sword is passed down through the generations? What happened to them?

This blog post will cover some of the famous swords of mythology and also give a brief summary of where the prominent lightsabers of the first six Star Wars films are located, as far as we know.

Mythic Swords

Excalibur

If you ask someone to name a sword from historical myth, it would be a safe bet that person would name King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, first! I won't take time to recount the stories of King Arthur here since you can find that anywhere. I do want to jump to the end of Arthur's like where he lies dying. He tells his knight, Sir Bedivere, to return the sword to the Lady of the Lake. Bedivere is too enamored with the sword to actually do it, so the first two times he returns to Arthur and lies to him, saying the sword sank into the lake. Arthur, very angry, demands that Bedivere do what he says. On this third attempt, Bedivere does indeed throw the sword into the lake. But the sword does not splash into the water. It is caught in the air by a feminine hands and then disappears under water.

In this case, the sword was meant for one person alone - King Arthur. Once his time was done, it was returned to the being who provided it.

Hrunting

This sword, translated to English as 'thrusting', was the weapon of Beowulf. It was given to him by Unferth, who was a servant to the Danish lord Hrothgar. The sword was known to have great power and claimed to have never failed anyone. However, when Beowulf descended to the bottom of the lake to fight Grendel's mother, the sword's powers failed him and he had to discard it. Why the sword failed has been a topic of scholarly debate for a long time.

Durendal

This is the sword of Charlemagne's paladin Roland. According to the legend, Song of Roland, Charlemagne receives the sword directly from an angel. The hilt is said to contain holy relics such as a tooth of Saint Peter and a piece of rainment from the Virgin Mary. The sword is said to be the sharpest of its kind in the world. Roland uses the weapon to hold off a one hundred thousand strong Muslim army long enough to ensure the safe retreat of Charlemagne's army.

In order to prevent it being captured by the enemy, Roland attempts to destroy it, which created the  breach in the Pyrenees mountains you see today. However, the sword proved to be indestructible so he hid it under his body along with the oliphant (the horn used to alert Charlemagne).

Dyrnwyn

This weapon, also known as the sword of Rhydderch Hael, is listed among the Thirteen Treasures of the British Isles that appears in Welsh texts of the 15th and 16th centuries. Dyrnwyn, which is Welsh for "White Hilt" was owned by Rhydderch, who was one of the Three Generous Men of Britain. When the sword is wielded by a worthy or noble-born man, it burns with fire. Rhydderch rarely hesitated in giving the sword to someone (his nickname Hael means "the Generous") but the recipients would always reject it once they learned of its powers.

Fragarach

The sword comes from Irish mythology. It was forged by the gods and was said that no one could tell a lie when Fragarach was held to that person's throat. Hence, it was also known as 'The Answerer'. The sword could summon the power of the wind, could cut through any shield or wall, and produce a piercing wound from which no man could recover.

Here is a case where this magical weapon is handed down to others. It was first wielded by Manannan mac Lir and then it was passed on to his foster son, Lugh. From Lugh, it was given to Cuchulainn and later it passed to Conn of the Hundred Battles.

Jedi Lightsabers: Where Are They Now?

Obi-Wan's 1st Lightsaber

This was last seen plummeting down the shaft at Theed on Naboo. We know, according to the canonical Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, that Darth Maul survived the drop and reappeared. So who's to say that lightsaber is lost forever?

Obi-Wan's 3rd Lightsaber

I am a little fuzzy about the replacement lightsaber Obi-Wan used after TPM. But, we know that his last lightsaber was left at the feet of Darth Vader in ANH. Would he have destroyed it?

Anakin's Last Lightsaber / Luke's 1st Lightsaber

The kid didn't really take care of his lightsabers, so we will just focus on the last one he had when he became Darth Vader. This is the one famously lost in Cloud City on Bespin. This is the one almost assuredly being wielded by Finn in the clip above.

Yoda's Lightsaber

The only lightsaber we know Yoda to have used was left in the Senate Chamber on Coruscant after his duel with Darth Sidious. What did the Emperor do with that Jedi weapon?

Qui-Gon's Lightsaber

What are the death rites of a Jedi? Was the weapon burned with him on the funeral pyre?

Darth Vader's Lightsaber

It was lost down the Death Star shaft when Luke returned his dad's favor by cutting off his hand in ROTJ. I'd say it is doubtful to have survived the explosion. But, never say never. Perhaps the relic is floating in space, waiting to be claimed by a new dark side disciple.

Mace Windu's Lightsaber

More than likely, Mace's weapon went plummeting down to the surface of Coruscant as the wielder did in ROTS. Did a local Coruscanti stumble across it and make a few bucks off it? Or did the Imperial police track it down and take care of anyone who had it?

Green Leader Comic

You need to take a look at this web comic created by Daniel Warren Johnson. There are no words. There are no colors. But it is still very powerful. Someone over at Marvel needs to give this guy a Star Wars book to draw!

http://www.space-mullet.com/2015/06/05/green-leader/

Skywalker Strikes

Here are my notes and observations of the first several issues of Marvel's relaunch of the Star Wars main title. The entails Book I of the series entitled, "Skywalker Strikes".

Jason Aaron - Writer
John Cassaday - Artist
Laura Martin - Colorist

001

HIGHLIGHTS - Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, and Artoo conduct a raid on the Imperial Weapons Factory Alpha on Cymoon I of the Corellian Industrial Cluster. The missions gets complicated when Luke discovers a group of slaves that were being used to run the factory. Luke cuts off the hand of the slave master as he was attacking him with a laser whip. It seems he was following Obi-Wan's precedent there. Chewbacca tried to take a sniper shot at Vader, but Vader reacts by destroying the platform Chewie was on. Threepio is hiding out in a junk pile with the Falcon when a bunch of alien scavengers show up. The issue ends with Luke poised to confront Vader and Obi-Wan's ghost voice telling him to run.

OPINION - I really liked this issue. It definitely felt like Star Wars and did not seem derivative. It is not surprising that this was the best selling comic book of the last twenty years!

002

HIGHLIGHTS - Vader is practically disgusted by the skill level of his opponent (Luke). Luke tells Vader that he killed Master Kenobi. Vader pulls Luke's lightsaber from his hands and demands Luke take him to the Rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star. Luke refuses and is about to be killed by Vader until two things happen: (1) Vader recognizes Luke's lightsaber, and (2) the foot of an Imperial Walker hijacked by Han comes crashing down through the ceiling. In the ensuing battle, many slaves are killed by Vader and Stormtroopers. Luke escapes being pinned down by using a speeder bike and Vader starts to think a little more of Luke and wonders what Obi-Wan had been up to. The battle turns in the Rebels favor when Han's AT-AT unleashes a fury of laser bolts at Vader and company. It is enough to disable Vader and make him drop Luke's (Anakin's) lightsaber. Luke spins back around and picks it up. But Vader isn't finished and regroups his forces.

OPINION - A great second issue. It continues the intensity from the first issue well. I think it is a little goofy of Han hijacking an AT-AT, but I've come around to accepting it.

003

HIGHLIGHTS - Chewbacca comes to the aid of Threepio, who was blasted to bits in 002. Vader takes out the AT-AT by using his lightsaber at critical points of the AT-AT. Han, Leia, Artoo, and the surviving slaves escape the wreckage of the walker. Luke turns back to make sure the weapons station is destroyed even though Vader and the Imps are there. Vader hops into some cool single-seater gunship and is determined to kill Luke this time. Luke blasts the reactor, setting off a destructive meltdown. The explosion of the facility is all that saves Luke from being killed. Vader walks away from the destruction. Vader concludes that this boy was Obi-Wan's last great hope. But with no one left to train him but Vader himself, he decides to make the boy *his* weapon and not Obi-Wan's. Luke is filled with self-doubt knowing he is no match of Vader, that he is no Jedi, and that there is no one left to train him. But the issue ends with a silent four panel showing a box in Kenobi's hovel with the inscription "For Luke".

OPINION - I loved this issue. I enjoy how it is diving into the story of how Luke developed the skills we see in ESB without a teacher. What is in the box???

004

CONTINUITY - I believe Vader 001 takes place before this issue. The Emperor has sent Vader to negotiate supplies from Jabba the Hutt.

HIGHLIGHTS - Vader secures resources for the Empire from Jabba. Leia discusses strategy with Ackbar, Mothma, and Dodonna. The Rebels have bombed shipyards at Kuat and the supply base at Imdaar. But they have had to consume many resources by having a mobile base of operations. Leia talks about having her own team, which Mothma questions whether they are united. Luke goes off on his own to search for some way to become a Jedi. Meanwhile on Tatooine, a mysterious person is on the trail for Han Solo. Vader joins Jabba in watching the kill Banthas and asks for information about Kenobi. We get a tie-in with Vader 001 when he mentions the two bounty hunters he hired: Boba Fett to find the boy and Black Krrsantan to find the mysterious man the Emperor is working with. Luke decides to go to Tatooine and return to Obi-Wan's home to search for answers.

OPINION - I always wondered if in his transformation from Anakin to Vader if he had forgotten his former self, like Luke said. Apparently that does not mean the facts of the memories, since Vader slaughtered another village of Tusken Raiders. Perhaps his memories are filtered through the dark side, so his view will be more slanted to that way rather than thinking of Mos Espa, pod racing, or other more positive locales. Tatooine is sure getting a lot of visitors lately!

005

HIGHLIGHTS - Boba Fett mercilessly kills his way to find the location of the boy he was hired by Vader to find. Luke battles some Tusken Raiders who were going into Ben's hut, but apparently scared them away without hurting them. Han needs parts to repair the Falcon from the Cymoon I mission that happened in issues 001 - 003. But supplies are limited and Leia tells Han if he wants the parts he has to co-pilot a mission to scout locations for a new rebel base in a stolen Imperial shuttle. They meet up with two TIE-fighters and Han, in a boneheaded move, grabs the controls and makes a run for it, even though the security codes Leia fed the TIE-fighters worked. Han goes to a moon/planet he knows, the Monsua Nebula, with large electrical storms in the hope to evade the TIEs. The mysterious person has found Han and knows he likes to visit this place. Luke locates the "For Luke" box in the mess left by the Tuskens, but is suddenly blinded by a flash grenade thrown by Boba Fett.

OPINION - A good issue. I think Han acted too much like an oaf in this issue. I suppose they want to show his character growth in ROTJ when he tells Chewie to stay calm and fly casual. I also didn't like how they made Boba Fett out to be this all out killing machine. I mean we saw in 003 that people were hauling bodies out to the wild desert to avoid being questioned by Imperials or paying Jabba's murder tax. I think this issue was too much about fan service. Watch ROTJ again and tell me how you can reconcile the Boba Fett we see there versus in Star Wars 005...

006

HIGHLIGHTS - Boba Fett and Luke fight it out. Han shows Leia that the planetoid found in the Monsua Nebula is a good smuggler hide-out. We learn Chewie drinks wine...a lot of wine. Han is putting the moves of Leia, offering Corellian wine. In the battle with Boba, when Luke was about to be killed by his own lightsaber, someone (we assume Luke) Force-throws the "For Luke" box to knock out Boba. Boba reports back to Vader that the boy got away but he has a name, "Skywalker". The issue ends with Vader Force cracking the window he is looking out of.

OPINION - So Han is married?! Uh oh! What a scoundrel he is. We will have to buy the next issue to find out what happens. Nice cliff-hanger, Marvel! But for me...the best cliffhanger was seeing that inside the "For Luke" box is a book entitled "The Journals of Ben Kenobi". I can't wait to see what *that* is about!

NOTES ON FUTURE ISSUES

007 - (July 8th) This will be a one-shot on Kenobi and will feature Simone Bianchi as the artist.

008 - (July 29th) This will start a new story arc and will feature Stuart Immonen as the artist. To quote Jason Aaron's comments in Star Words at the conclusion of 006, "Who is Sana Solo? Where does Luke go next? And what is the secret of the Smuggler's Moon?"

Uprising: The First Step Beyond Jedi

Today Star Wars.com announced the upcoming release of the mobile phone game Star Wars: Uprising. This is the first official canonical story to take place after the events of Return of the Jedi. Here is the teaser snippet:

In the days following the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Emperor, the Anoat sector has been locked down by the Empire. 

With the Rebel Alliance on the other side of the Iron Blockade, it falls to the sector’s smugglers, freedom fighters, bounty hunters and gangsters to join forces and form an uprising.

Based on the trailer, it looks like the Imperial machine is still chugging along even without the Emperor and his Number One. They are going full blown containment here. Does this mean that the battle weary and depleted Rebel forces are hemmed in by the Empire? Has Admiral Ackbar fallen into another trap?

The Anoat Sector is made up of several systems. The three systems mentioned for this game so far is Hoth, Cloud City (Bespin), and a new location - Burnin Konn. This last location is a chromium mining facility (perhaps this is the source material for Captain Phasma's armor?). It is also teased that Cloud City did in fact end up with an Imperial Garrison, though that isn't really surprising.

In terms of characters, there is the new Trade Spine League for smugglers and bounty hunters. There is also the nobles faction which is a secret group trying to survive since the rise of the Empire.

There is a female assassin named Deathstick, who seems to be more protagonist than antagonist. Another character is Riley, who is a female thief and has a younger sister. Lastly, there is Commander Bragh who is the leader of the Purge Troopers that are pretty much bad news for the Rebels.

This looks really cool and I am very happy this is coming out for smart phones and tablets since I don't own a gaming console and don't have time for one either!

You can see all the details, watch the trailer, and pre-register to get in-game goodies here:

https://playstarwarsuprising.com/

UPDATE:

I wonder if this game will cause a snag in continuity. At the end of Return of the Jedi in the special edition (which is the official canonical version), after the destruction of Death Star II, we see a sequence of planets celebrating the fall of the Emperor. These worlds were Coruscant, Naboo, and Cloud City. Cloud City is located in Bespin, which is part of the Anoat Sector. So the game will have to explain why everyone on Cloud City was celebrating the death of the Emperor when that information was suppressed by Empire.

Ten Things About the Avengers

I am completely stealing this list of interesting notes from this site because (1) it is really interesting and I don't want to have to keep up with bookmarking this page and (2) no one reads this blog anyway. Here is a link to the author's new book.

So here it goes:

1. The Hulk is green not because of gamma irradiation or because his skin is essentially bruising when he rapidly transforms from Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk; rather it was due to printing limitations at the time. The Hulk was originally gray, but that color of ink proved too expensive to use on a regular basis, so Marvel opted for the far cheaper alternative of green.

2. The Avengers Mansion is the Avengers' base of operations in the comics, a beautiful estate once owned by Tony Stark's parents, nestled in the heart of Manhattan. A real estate company called Movoto ran the numbers and estimated that an unfurnished Avengers Mansion based on the reported location would cost you $113.2 million.

3. Odin's Ravens are more than just a non sequitur exclaimed by Ron Burgundy; they're an enduring part of both Norse mythology and the Thor canon. Odin famously had two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, which he used to send information back and forth between Asgard and Midgard (Earth). When Thor extracts Loki from the Quinjet toward the beginning of Avengers, two ravens can be seen flying overhead, which is a nice little Easter egg for mythological-inclined viewers.

4. The Wasp is one of the founding members of the Avengers in the comics, but she is nowhere to be seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Joss Whedon revealed in a Q&A at the Directors Guild of America that his original draft for "The Avengers" heavily featured the shrinking superhero, but he wound up having to cut her. The rumor on the street is that we may see her in flashback form in Ant-Man, but only time will tell.

5. Stan Lee isn't the only member of Marvel's creative team to appear in cameo roles. In Thor, writer J. Michael Straczynski can be seen as the first man trying to lift Thor's hammer Mjölnir, and legendary Thor writer Walt Simonson appears in the banquet scene at the end, sitting between Volstagg and Lady Sif. Likewise, in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," writer Ed Brubaker can been seen as a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist.

6. Iron Man's armor has been worn by many people over the years, including Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, and Bethany Cabe. However, the most unexpected person to ever wear the iconic armor was Peter Parker's Aunt May, who appeared as the Invincible Golden Oldie in 1982's What If? #34. To be fair, she has been a herald of Galactus too, so it's not that ridiculous if you think about it.

7. The shawarma scene's origin can be traced back to Nicholas Brendon's audition for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After an excellent audition for the role of Xander, Brendon said, "Does anybody feel like shawarma? I feel like some shawarma!" Whedon recalled, "I was like, 'This guy speaks to me!' And that's when I knew there wasn't any other Xander." Clearly, the actor wasn't the only thing that had a lasting impact on Whedon.

8. Captain America may be called the "First Avenger" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he was not a founding member of the team in the comics. Cap was still in deep freeze when the Avengers originally formed, and he didn't join the group until issue #4.

9. Star Wars actually wound up saving Marvel Comics from financial ruin in the late 1970s. In order to promote their then-unknown sci-fi story, the Star Wars team gave Marvel Comics the rights to a six-issue comic adaptation of the movie for essentially the price of free. Since two of the issues had to come out before the film premiered, there are many scenes and characters in the comics that do not appear in the final film. Case in point, Jabba the Hutt is a weird, jaundiced, bipedal walrus man rather than the slimy slug we all love to hate.

10. Agent Coulson's Captain America playing cards aren't just a clever piece of emotional manipulation to be used at Nick Fury's Machiavellian whims; they also contain an Easter egg. One of the cards features Captain America mid-punch, an homage to the famous cover of 1940's Captain America #1, which featured Cap throwing a haymaker into the face of Adolf Hitler himself. No wonder Coulson likes him so much.

Revelations from Celebration Anaheim

Quick Editorial - I really hate the grammatical misuse of the word "reveal". I cringe whenever I hear or read, "...did hear about the big reveal at the show last night?" There is a word for this people, it is revelation. It's not that hard. Okay, enough of my grumpy old man talk.

While I may not be there in person, thanks to the miracle of social media, there is plenty for a virtual attendee to see and hear. Below are my highlights from the first full day of the convention, in no particular order.

TEASER TRAILER #2

What is there to say, really?

BB-8 MAKES AN APPEARANCE

This is incredible. BB-8 is not CGI, but a practical model! This was developed by the small toy robotics company Sphero. Bob Iger chipped in a few bucks to the company to help build BB-8!

BB-8 Appears On Stage


THE NEW BIG 3

I love these shots!

NEW TROOPER ARMOR

In the Celebration program, we get our first full look at the new stormtrooper armor. Sweet!

LANDO COMIC BOOK SERIES

Lando is getting his own comic book series - coming this July!

NEW FACTIONS

So I guess the Empire is not the "Empire" and the Rebel Alliance is not the "Rebels" or the "Alliance. I wonder what has been happening in the GFFA in the past 30 years since Return of the Jedi?!

Looks like the First Order is going for a Nazi look. Chilling!

BATTLEFRONT

I am not much a video game player anymore. The game will give us a first view of Sullust (based on the environment of Iceland no less!). 

But what I am most excited about is that there will be a playable level for the Battle of Jakku. So we will get to see how that crashed Star Destroyer in the second teaser trailer got there! Apparently the battle takes place one year after the Battle of Endor.  I'm looking forward to seeing You Tube videos of people playing that one.

Is that Anakin's lightsaber on top of Luke's?!

MORE PUBLISHING NEWS

Add Battlefront: Twilight Company to the list of publications hitting this fall. This will be written by Alexander Freed. 

Also coming this fall as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens series is the novel Shattered Empire by Greg Rucka.

Alan Dean Foster will be writing the novelization of The Force Awakens, which will be released digitally on the same day as the film and a hardcover coming the following month in January.

CAPTAIN REX RETURNS IN REBELS

I was hoping this would happen. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be this soon! I love the premise - a bunch of grumpy old men who still know how to take care of business. It reminds me of that great action movie RED. 

COOL REBELS CLIPS

Hando is back! 

Kanan and Vader face off.   

Whoa!!!

ROGUE ONE NEWS

The spinoff movies will be named "Anthology" movies. Rogue One takes place before Episode IV and will tell the story of the the Rebels stealing the Death Star plans. Awesome!

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINKS

The Force Awakens Panel Highlights

Entire Day 1 Stream

Entire Day 2 Stream

Entire Day 3 Stream

Entire Day 4 Stream

Celebration Anaheim Schedule

With the announcement that we will have live streaming on Star Wars.Com, (YES!), I put together a list of all the panels and highlighted the events that will be broadcast:

Here are the highlights (Central Time):

Thursday
Noon - Opening Ceremony
6 pm - Ian McDiarmid

Friday
12:30 - Battlefront
3:30 - Carrie Fisher
9 - Anthony Daniels

Saturday

1 - Rebels Season 2
3 - Smuggler's Bounty
9 -  Mark Hamill/James Arnold Taylor

Sunday
1 - Edwards & Trank
3:30 - Billy Dee Williams
5:30 - Closing


Here is the full list (Pacific Time):

CELEBRATION STAGE (James Arnold Taylor)

* * * Thursday * * *
10 - Opening
4 - Ian McDiarmid
6 - Feud of the Force

* * * Friday * * *
11:30 - Ray Park
1:30 - Carrie Fisher
3:30 - Cosplay Contest
7 - Anthony Daniels

* * * Saturday * * *
11 - Star Wars Rebels Season 2
1 - Smuggler's Bounty
6 - James Arnold Taylor & Mark Hamill

* * * Sunday * * *
11 - Edwards & Trank (Spinoff Films)
1:30 - Billy Dee Williams
3:30 - Closing

DIGITAL STAGE (David W. Collins)

* * * Thursday * * *
2 - Empire Strikes Back Original Music
3:30 - Untold Clone Wars
5 - Kazanjian Producer of ROTJ
6 - Episodes I and II in 3D

* * * Friday * * *
10:30 - Battlefront
12 - Bad Batch Clone Wars Story Arc
3 - Dennis Muren (VFX)
4:30 - LEGO:Droid Tales
6:30 - Episode III in 3D Premiere

* * * Saturday * * *
11 - John Knoll (ILM)
12:30 - Creative Dream Team
2 - Kevin Kiner
7 - Episodes V and VI

* * * Sunday * * *
11 - Shakespeare
12:30 - Star Wars Rebels (Filoni)
2 - Doug Chiang

BEHIND THE SCENES STAGE (Jimmy Mac & Jason Swank)

* * * Thursday * * *
11:30 - Collectors
1 - Costumes
2:30 - Disney Parks & Merchandise
4 - Costuming
5:30 - Hot Wheels

* * * Friday * * *
11:30 - Ralph McQuarrie
1 - Mos Eisley
2:30 - Star Wars in Navajo
5:30 - Rebel Women of the Clone Wars

* * * Saturday * * *
11:30 - Adapting Star Wars
1 - Marvel
2:30 - Del Rey
4 - Tribute to Aaron Allston
6 - Fan Film Awards

* * * Sunday * * *
11:30 - Novels
1 - Tattoos

Digital Release of the Star Wars Saga

Today, April 10, 2015, is the release day of the Star Wars Saga (Episodes I through VI as of now) on digital. It is about time! Still, I am having a little trouble rationalizing shelling out $80-90 for yet another version of the films. Of course, Lucasfilm has laid out some enticements in the form of new bonus content. I copied the following from the Geek.Com website because it really summarizes it well!

My one question is if I can download the standard definition format while still buying the HD version. At 2 GB per film under SD, I should be able to keep at least one of the films on my smartphone so I can view off the grid!

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace

• Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back
• Discoveries From Inside: Models & Miniatures
• Legacy content includes “The Beginning”; The Podrace: Theatrical Edit; plus eight deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones

• Conversations: Sounds In Space
• Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed
• Legacy content includes “From Puppets To Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II”; State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II; and “Films Are Not Released, They Escape”; plus Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage and six deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE III: Revenge of the Sith

• Conversations: The Star Wars That Almost Was
• Discoveries From Inside: Hologram & Bloopers
• Legacy content includes documentaries “Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode III”; The Journey Part 1; and The Journey Part 2; plus six deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A New Hope (20^th Century Fox)

• Conversations: Creating A Universe
• Discoveries From Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber
• Legacy content includes “Anatomy Of A Dewback”; Star Wars Launch Trailer; plus eight deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE V: The Empire Strikes Back

• Conversations: The Lost Interviews
• Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled
• Legacy content includes “A Conversation With The Masters” (2010); “Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk”; “George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979”; and “George Lucas On The Force: 2010”; plus six deleted scenes.

STAR WARS EPISODE VI: Return of the Jedi

• Conversations: The Effects
• Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds Of Ben Burtt
• Legacy content includes “Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi”; “Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer”; Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer; “It Began TV Spot”; “Climactic Chapter TV Spot”; plus five deleted scenes.

Princess Leia 1 & 2 - Comic Review

THIS IS A SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW!

This series tells the story of Princess Leia starting from the Yavin IV medal ceremony that concludes Episode IV. Leia finds herself without anything to do and learns that the Empire has a 10 million credit bounty on her head.While the rest of the Rebellion is scrambling to evacuate Yavin IV, she encounters a female X-Wing pilot Evaan __. The two decide to go on a self-appointed mission to save the remained Alderaanians before the Empire hunts them down in an act of retribution.

The artwork is excellent and each panel is framed in an interesting way that makes it easy to follow. I just wish the writing was stronger. This comic book should be called Princess Leia: The Mockingjay. It is heavily derivative of that series. I just can't buy it that Leia would abandon the Rebellion to fulfill her own self-centered mission with a Thelma & Louise style adventure.

In the second issue we have a flashback scene of a young Leia skipping language class to do training in hand-to-hand combat, much to the chagrin of Bail Organa. This is to set-up her confrontation later in the issue with a besalisk (such as Dexter Jettster from Episode II) body guard whom she takes out without much trouble. So if issue #1 was her as the Mockingjay, issue #2 is her as Black Widow. I mean, she head-butts this creature without any harm to herself but knocks him unconscious. Yes, she may be tapping into the Force to help her but that is not Princess Leia.

We never see her in hand-to-hand combat *ever* in the films. It seems that this book is desperate to re-make Leia into the 21st Century feminist ideal. But her strength truly resides in her emotional control and leadership. While Luke is falling apart with the death of Ben, whom he hardly knew prior to the events of Episode IV, Leia is carrying on the fight despite the loss of her entire planet. She has a level of emotional maturity far beyond anyone else. Her strength is also in her selflessness and dedication. This is what makes her strong, not her being a secret agent/ninja/assassin.

The story flaw in the second issue is that, despite Lord Junn's betrayal to have Leia and other Aleraanians killed, she asks to take his pleasure ship instead. I just don't think she would be so naive to think he would not have some method to track her or find some way to get the Empire on her tail.

For me the best parts of this story are seeing what remains of the Alderaanians. Pareece and her sequestered singing group who perform on Naboo are very interesting characters. It ends with the surprise that the sister of Tace, one of the members of the singing group, is actually an Imperial agent. Dun-dun-DUN!

GOOD:

• Learning about the remnants of the people and culture of Alderaan
• Having flashbacks to Leia in her youth

BAD:

• A bad story premise that does not fit the character of Leia
• Unrealistic portrayal of Leia as an elite warrior
• Unbelievable story elements

I'd rate this series 2.0 / 5.0 so far.

The Trajectory of the Jedi

Here are some random ruminations:

ON KANAN AND THE FORCE

I have tried hard to avoid any and all spoilers - outside what is officially released by Lucasfilm - and I have been mostly successful. I have really been enjoying the Star Wars Rebels series and have been thinking more about how Kanan instructed Ezra to be *more* connected to others. That it is these connections that make us human. This is very much a reversal of what the Jedi were instructed to be in the Prequel Era. They were supposed to be detached and aloof from others.

Of course, this was before the Season 1 finale, Fire Across the Galaxy, where his attachment to Ezra almost caused his defeat at the hands of the Inquisitor. I'll be curious to see how his character develops in season two. This one concept art picture certainly is telling:

ON REBELS AND THE TIMELINE

I wonder if either Kanan or Ezra survive through the Original Trilogy Era. They could be conceivably be alive in The Force Awakens if the don't meet an untimely end. I've heard that Rebels takes place five years before Episode IV (0 BBY). So using Wookiepedia as a reference, here are the projected ages of the main characters:

Character - Age as of Rebels /  ROTJ (+9) / TFA (+30)

Kanan - 28 / 37 / 67
Hera - 24 / 32 / 62
Ezra - 14 / 23 / 53
Sabine - 16 / 25 / 55

As you can see, all the human crew of the Ghost should be alive and kickin' if they haven't been killed. I excluded Zeb because we don't know his age nor do we know the typical lifespan of his race.

Here are some other interesting tidbits from the Legacy EU timeline about what happens during the year of Rebels Season 1:

• Han Solo leaves (kicked out of ) the Imperial Academy 
• Han Solo saves Chewbacca from slavery and receives a life-debt pledge from him
• Lando wins the Millennium Falcon in a game of sabacc (Han Solo would win the Falcon from Lando three years later)

We don't know if any of these events will be canonized, but how sweet would it be to see Lando win the Falcon?

ON EPISODE VII

I'm also wondering about what Luke's trajectory is after Return of the Jedi. He is the only Jedi in the galaxy, so far as we know. He knows that the battles between Sith and Jedi have torn the galaxy apart in war after war. I wonder if he decided to go into hiding and to remove himself from society in the hopes of protecting it. Perhaps it is the breaking of his solitude that is the cause or result of the Force awakening. We shall see!

Hosting a Minecraft Birthday Party

My son, like practically everyone in his school, is a huge Minecraft fan. So naturally when I asked him what kind of theme he would like for his party, he did not hesitate saying the world of zombies, pick-axes, and lapis lazuli. Having successfully done a princess-themed party for my daughter last year, I thought I would try my hand at a Minecraft party (she is also a big Minecraft fan).

It is a whole lot cheaper to avoid buying all the Minecraft-licensed stuff and, fortunately, you can do a lot with only a little, as I describe below.

For invitations, I downloaded some Minecraft fonts and fired up Microsoft Word to create the invitations. Minecrafter V3 and Minecratia were the two I used.

For the cake, I went to my local Publix (which makes the best birthday cakes I've ever had), and had them make a layered chocolate and vanilla cake with white buttercream frosting and red squares of varying sizes on top. This is to make it look like the cake that appears in the game itself.

For an extra Minecraftian sugar kick, I went I to a candy store and bought goodies that looked like Minecraft objects. I used the placards from the party printables site I used for the Bingo game (see below). This was a big hit with the kids! Of course we had to have an adult serve out the candy - otherwise it would have been like a pack of wolverines fighting over a fresh kill!

Now for the best part - the activities!

We are having his party in a private room at a local pizza place, so the activities are going to have to need a small footprint and not be messy. Here is what I have come up with:

Minecraft Tile Puzzle Craft

It is tough coming up with an easy, low cost crafting activity - but I was inspired by a recent trip to a Lego event where you assembled a small 2" by 2" square and added it to a specific location on a larger board, which ultimately created a mosaic of a larger picture.

Legos are expensive, but thanks to the work of this site that has color-by-number Minecraft pictures, you can do your own with just a little work!

You will need the following materials:

• Hard copies of one or more color-by-number pictures
• White card stock
• Foam board (found under school supplies at your local retail store)
• Glue stick
• Box cutter / razor knife
• Colored Sharpies

First print out a few of the color by number pictures on white cardstock paper. Then use the glue stick to coat the back of it as completely as possible. Using cardstock prevents the paper from getting wrinkles and will be easier to color on. 

Glue the picture to the foam board and then cut the grid into squares using the box cutter. I've found 5x5 squares work best. Be sure to keep up with the key so you know what color goes with which number!

When you have a drawing cut out, write down a sequential number order on the back side. If you are doing more than one picture, be sure to use different colored Sharpies! You can also color the side of the foam board for extra help in keeping the pieces together. 

The great thing about this activity is that you can have many kids working together to put the picture together without having to take turns or wait on a particular person. This is a great first activity so people that arrive late can still participate without holding up the party. It is also good for younger siblings who may be tagging along to the party.

Gravel Pit Explorer (a Jenga game variant)

This game is the one I am most looking forward to trying out, since this is my own idea. If you have ever played Minecraft, you know that you have to watch out for gravel blocks. Unlike all the other non-liquid blocks, they will always fall to the ground if whatever is beneath them is removed. This can be very dangerous if you are digging over your head!

The premise of the game is that each player wants to find and extract the most valuable ore without causing the surrounding gravel to collapse. To create the game, you need the following materials:

• 1 Jenga game
• Avery address labels 5160/8160 (30 per sheet, 1" x 2 5/8")
• This template
• Scissors

Making this variant is pretty easy. All you do is print off the template on the Avery address labels, cut out the squares (you may need to trim them up a bit) and stick them in the center of each Jenga block. Note that there are more stickers than blocks, so you can balance out how much you want of each type. Here is how I weighted the distribution:

16 Cobblestone
11 Coal
9 Iron
7 Redstone

5 Gold

3 Lapis Lazuli
2 Diamond
1 Emerald

You can either assign a point value to the ore types or you can play more loosely. What is neat about the game is that as it progresses, you will begin to see ore before having to move pieces. (You will want to mix up the blocks before each game and keep people from looking during set up!) Then the challenge becomes whether to go for it or take a chance in picking an unknown block.

The game ends when the Jenga tower falls. If you want, you can punish the one who causes the tower to fall by having him or her lose one of the most valuable ore claimed during the game.

Creeper Knock-Down

A classic game with a Minecraft theme. Knock down the creepers using a ball or another ranged weapon!

You will need the following materials:

• 6-12 green plastic cups
• Black Sharpie
• Toy bow & arrow (or a wiffle ball)

This is pretty simple. Just draw creeper faces on the cups! You are good to go. 

Pin the Pixelated Tail on the Pig

Another classic game - Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but with Minecraft style! Instead of a donkey, you will make a Minecraft pig. For added fun, instead of a blindfold, you can use the Minecraft masks you can buy at Target and tape up the eye holes so there is no peeking.

You will need the following materials:
Pink, white, and black construction paper (lots of pink)

• Poster board (if you don't want to hang it directly on the wall)
• Minecraft 3-D Mask (or a regular blindfold...but not as much fun!)
• Masking tape for the pig tail game pieces

Again, this is pretty self-explanatory. One tip though is to have each kid put his or her name on the tail so you can keep up with who wins!

Minecraft Bingo

This one is as simple as you can get, thanks to the great work of Jillian over at CatchMyParty.com. Just print off this template and get a couple bags of Skittles or M&Ms for board pieces. 

Just read off the numbers/pictures randomly. Stress to the kids that they can't eat their markers until they get a Bingo.  The kids can eat them after the game! 

I'm not big on having a highly competitive game at a birthday party so having the reward for getting a Bingo to be able to eat their pieces makes it fun because everyone wins and the ones that are done still sit quietly as they eat their candy. This worked really well at our party!

Well, that's all I've got. I hope this is helpful to you. The party was a big success and everyone had fun. All that and I saved quite a few bucks in the process!



RESOURCES

Here are links to the resources I will be using:

Minecraft Fonts
http://textcraft.net/download-fonts.php

Minecraft Bingo Game
http://catchmyparty.com/blog/free-printable-minecraft-bingo-game

Gravel Pit Explorer Tiles Template

Questions for Aftermath

The second Death Star has been destroyed. Rumors are flying that the Emperor and his enforcer, Darth Vader, are dead. A new government is forming to replace the Empire. But the galaxy is a big place, and the fallout of this cataclysm will affect different worlds in different ways. Does everyone accept the fall of Imperial rule? Has everyone even heard the life-altering news? What rushes in to fill the vacuum the Empire has left? And who will try to stop them? 

Thus is the premise of the next novel in the New Canon of Star Wars - Aftermath by Chuck Wendig. News broke on this over at starwars.com. The novel is part of the 20 book blitzkrieg called Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is a prelude to Episode VII film release.

I'm keenly interested in reading this novel when it is released in September. I hope this will wipe the Expanded Universe clean of the novel Truce at Bakura. I could only get fifty pages into that novel before I was so turned off by it that I gave up. I hope the Ssi-Ruuk and their entenchment technology winks out of existence like the crack in space-time in a Doctor Who episode!

However I wonder how much latitude they will be able to take with the concept that many did not know the significance of the Battle of Endor. The quote above asks if everyone has even heard of the fall of Imperial rule. Remember that with the special edition release of Return of the Jedi we had a montage of locations where crowds had gathered to celebrate the victory, namely Coruscant, Cloud City, and Naboo. So we know that word spread pretty far and wide. It will be interesting to see how Wendig and the Lucasfilm Story Group handles this part of the canon.

I am reminded about the debate among historians about how much support the rebels/patriots had during the American Revolution. A frequently cited letter written by John Adams suggested that there were plenty of people who remained loyal to the British Empire. Some say as many as a a third of the country were opposed to the revolution.

While we will never know the exact figures, this quote by Adams does ring true: "Divided we ever have been, and ever must be." If this statement echoes into the galaxy far, far away, I think we are in for many interesting stories!

The Fate of Howard Stark

I am watching the Winter Soldier of cable right now (channel surfing) and I just paused the movie on a newspaper clipping describing Howard Stark's death. This image is part of the montage when Cap and Black Widow discover the antique AI computer.

The newspaper is dated Friday, December 17, 1991 and has a quote from Obadiah Stane saying he didn't know what caused the crash. We also learn that Howard's wife's name is Maria. 

My Star Wars Bracket

I have never been a huge basketball fan, but I always enjoy filling out a bracket for the NCAA tournament. With Star Wars fandom building to a fevered pitch with the release of The Force Awakens this December, I am more actively watching who will be the This Is Madness tournament over at starwars.com!

But since I missed the deadline to submit a bracket on Wookieepedia (darn it!), I thought I would write it up here on my blog.

I missed out on the Play In round, but here were the match-ups:

REBELS
Wedge Antilles, Threepio, Admiral Ackbar, Sabine Wren - WINNER: Sabine

JEDI
Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus, Luke Skywalker, Ezra Bridger - WINNER: Ahsoka

EMPIRE / SEPARATISTS
Admiral Piett, General Veers, Nute Gunray, Agent Kallus - WINNER: Piett

BOUNTY HUNTERS
Cad Bane, IG-88, Asajj Ventress, 4-LOM - WINNER: Ventress

Here are my picks for the Rule of Thirty-Two and Sixteen Strikes Back brackets:

REBELS
1 Artoo v 4 Sabine - WINNER: Artoo   [Artoo 75%]
2 Leia v 3 Hera - WINNER: Leia   [Leia 72%]
R2-D2 v Leia - WINNER: R2-D2   [Artoo 57%]

I'm curious what kind of showing the Rebels characters will have. They are so new to the galaxy, I can't imagine them upsetting Artoo or Leia. I think Artoo will have the sentimental attachment of people to vote him through. REVIEW: I nailed this bracket at least. It is hard to beat a character that has been in every Star Wars movie...at least to date!

JEDI
1 Obi-Wan v 4 Ahsoka Tano - WINNER: Obi-Wan   [Obi-Wan60%]
2 Yoda v 3 Qui-Gon - WINNER: Yoda   [Yoda 69%]
Obi-Wan v Yoda - WINNER: Yoda   [Obi-Wan 52%]

This is the most interesting bracket. I think Yoda will trounce Qui-Gon, but Obi-Wan may struggle against Ahsoka. Still, I think it will still be a showdown with the past two winners and Yoda being the victor. REVIEW: Alas, Ahsoka...you were able to top Luke but Obi-Wan proved to be too strong. But you had the strongest showing of any non-film character. Well done! It is hard to beat one of the few characters who has been in every Star Wars movie and many Clone Wars episodes! Obi-Wan ekes out a win over Yoda! I knew it would be close, but I guessed wrong.

SCOUNDRELS

1 Chewie v 4 Zeb - WINNER: Chewie   [Chewie 85%]
2 Han v 3 Lando - WINNER: Han   [Han 86%]
Han v Chewie - WINNER: Han   [Han 69%]

Another Rebels character going up against Star Wars royalty. No way Zeb can pull this upset. Han should pull past Lando, even if he is a slimy, no-good swindler. Han against Chewie?! I have to give it to Han. REVIEW: Han destroyed Lando. I think this bodes well for his chances throughout this tournament! No love for the new "kid" on the block - Zeb. But this was hardly an even match-up! Nailed this bracket too, but this wasn't really hard to pick.

REPUBLIC

1 Padme v 4 Jar Jar - WINNER: Padme   [Jar Jar 62%]
2 Rex v 3 Gregor - WINNER: Rex   [Rex 75%]
Padme v Rex  - WINNER:Rex   [Rex 52%]

Yeesh. My faith in fandom will be confirmed if Rex emerges victorious from this bracket! REVIEW: Jar Jar beats Padme?! Bwah-hah-hah! I love it! Star Wars fans are the best. Rex squeeks by Jar Jar to advance. Phew! That was close. My bracket Republic bracket is saved!

EMPIRE/SEPARATISTS

1 Tarkin v 4 Piett - WINNER: Tarkin   [Tarkin 81%]
2 Grievous v 3 Inquisitor - WINNER: Grievous   [Grievous 66%]
Tarkin v Grievous - WINNER: Tarkin   [Tarkin 59%]

Tarkin is just too skilled and ruthless for any of these to oppose him. REVIEW: I am a little bit surprised at the turn out for the Inquisitor. So far the strongest showing of a Rebels character in the tournament. Of course, match-ups are everything! Tarkin emerges victorious as expected.

BOUNTY HUNTERS

1 Boba Fett v Asajj Ventress - WINNER: Boba Fett   [Boba 66%]
2 Jango Fett v 3 Greedo - WINNER: Jango Fett   [Jango 83%]
Boba vs Jango  - WINNER: Boba   [Boba 53%]

I really want Asajj to win. I am just burned out on the whol Mandalore/Fett thing. But you have to recognize brand awareness and Boba has it. Jango should fry poor Greedo without a problem. Father versus "son"? I'll choose the son. REVIEW: *Yawn*. Predictable and not terribly interesting.

SITH

1 Darth Vader v 4 Count Dooku - WINNER: Vader   [Vader 88%]
2 Emperor Palpatine v 3 Darth Maul - WINNER: Maul   [Maul 51%]
Vader v Maul  - WINNER: Vader   [Vader 75%]

This bracket is actually a bit tricky! The Maul-Emperor match-up could be close. But, regardless, Vader will come out of the Sith bracket on top. REVIEW: Maul ekes out a win over his former master! I was not expecting it to be that close. Vader decapitates Dooku a second time....well first time as Vader...last time he was Anakin...although he was a little Vader...you get the picture. Vader to Maul: "You don't know the POWER of the Dark Side!"

UNDERWORLD

1 Jabba v 4 Bib Fortuna - WINNER: Jabba   [Jabba 56%]
2 Pre Vizsla v 3 Hondo Ohnaka - WINNER: Hondo   [Pre Vizsla 56%]
Jabba v Hondo - WINNER: Jabba   [Jabba 67%]

Jabba versus his underling? Pleease. Pre Vizsla versus Hondo is more interesting. I really don't like Pre Vizsla as a character very much whereas Hondo is a lot of fun. I hope he makes it into Rebels? Either way, Jabba owns the Underworld bracket. REVIEW: I'm actually surprised that Jabba beat Bib by only six percent. That is a strong showing for a sychophant! Pre Vizsla wins because he is a Mando...*groan*. Hondo is such a better character. Jabba made short work of him.

32 & 16 WRAP UP: I am in very good shape so far. I lost Yoda for Duel of the Eights, but all my other picks are still viable. Jar Jar over Padme was my biggest surprise. I wonder with him being subject to 15 years of fandom hatred that people are coming around to liking him. Mandos are still a powerful draw for fans but I don't think anyone can overcome Jabba in the Underworld bracket.

Now we move on to the Duel of the Eights:

Artoo v Yoda - WINNER: Artoo  [Obi-Wan 60%]

Goodness this is a hard one. I am going with who I *hope* will win, but Yoda is a previous champion. Maybe the fans will want a new winner this year? REVIEW: With Obi-Wan beating Yoda in the previous round, I missed out on this one. Obi-Wan beats Artoo?! Nooooooooo! He may not recall owning a droid, but he owned this match-up.

Han v Rex - WINNER: Han   [Han 52%]

I love Captain Rex, but Han makes even a hardened princess swoon. I'll bet he will do the same with the voters. REVIEW: Wow this was *much* closer than I expected. Not bad for a clone!

Tarkin v Boba - WINNER: Boba   [Boba 59%]

I want Tarkin to win, but I think the Boba-bunch will marshall the votes to push him through. REVIEW: Fett is cruising in his 'vette to the Fate of the Four.

Vader v Jabba - WINNER: Vader   [Vader 54%]

Yeah, I don't think this will be that close. REVIEW: Whoa. Jabba almost pulled off an upset!

Now for the Fate of the Four:

Artoo v Han - WINNER: Han   [Obi-Wan 50%]

Man this is getting really hard now! As much as I want Artoo to win it all, I think everyone is cheering for Han. We know he has a prominent role in The Force Awakens and Harrison Ford managed to be a real-life hero when he safely landed his stalled airplane on a golf course in the heavily populated area around the Santa Monica airport. Han will win this.  REVIEW: Man! You can't get any closer than this! I demand a recount!

Boba v Vader - WINNER: Vader   [Vader 6%]

Brand names can only take you so far. Vader will be unleashed and Boba will be bantha poo doo.  REVIEW: This went as I expected.

The Championship Match: 

Han v Vader

Wow what a championship this will be! I can see this going either way. But I'll side with the light side of the Force....

2015 CHAMPION

HAN SOLO!
   [DARTH VADER 57%]

REVIEW: We have a new champion! I am left to wonder what would happen if it was Han versus Vader. That would have been very interesting. I suspect the desire to not have a repeat winner weighed on the voters.

Rebels

Sabine over Wedge, Threepio, Ackbar
Sabine loses to Artoo (25% vote) 1st round

Hera loses to Leia (28% vote) 1st round

Zeb loses to Chewie (15% vote) 1st round

Inquisitor loses to Grievous (34%) 1st round

Kanan loses to Ahsoka play-in
Ezra loses to Ahsoka play-in
Kallus loses to Piett play-in


THIRTY TWO
34 - Inquisitor (Grevious)
28 - Hera (Leia)
25 - Sabine (Artoo) defeats Wedge, Threepio, Ackbar in Play-In
15 - Zeb (Chewie)
0 - Kanan (Ahsoka)
0 - Ezra (Ahsoka)
0 - Kallus (Piett)







Clone Wars

Ahsoka over Kanan, Luke, Ezra
Ahsoka loses to Obi-Wan (40% vote) 1st round

Rex over Gregor (75%)
Rex over Jar Jar (52%)
Rex loses to Han (48%) 3rd round (Duel of Eights)

Ventress over Cad Bane, IG-88, 4-LOM
Ventress loses to Boba Fett (34%) 1st round

Pre Vizsla over Hondo Ohnaka (56%)
Pre Vizsla loses to Jabba (33%) 2nd round

Hondo Ohnaka loses to Pre Vizsla (44%)

Gregor losts to Rex (25%) 1st round

Cad Bane loses to Ventress play in


DUEL OF EIGHTS
48 - Rex (Han), defeats Gregor (75%) and Jar Jar (52%)

SIXTEEN
33 - Pre Vizsla (Jabba), defeats Hondo Ohnaka (56%)

THIRTY TWO
44 - Hondo (Pre Vizsla)
40 - Ahsoka (Obi-Wan), defeats Kanan, Luke, Ezra in Play-In
34 - Ventress (Boba Fett), defeats Cad Bane, IG-88, 4-LOM in Play-In
25 - Gregor (Rex)
xx - Cad Bane (Ventress)