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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Comics Star Wars #50-55: Hope Dies (6/6 Released)

Discussion in 'Literature' started by AdmiralNick22 , Apr 18, 2018.

  1. AdmiralNick22

    AdmiralNick22 Retired Fleet Admiral star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2003
    WOW! This issue was wonderful. Predictable, yes, but still very well written and the art is improving considerably. Details below!

    • The fleet is finished! We see a total of 24 Mon Cala cruisers at one point. :D
    • For my fellow Fleet Junkies, we see at least one Home One-type, five cruisers like the MC75, multiple cruisers of the winged MC80 variety, and five cruisers that appear to be those wide winged variety that we saw in the Mon Cala merchant fleet.
    • General Willard is mentioned and shown. However... I've got a bad feeling about this...
    • Queen Trios has supplied the hyperdrives and communications tech for the new cruisers. Uh oh...
    • General Dodonna appears to be senior Rebel commander. This isn't confirmed per say, but it actually kinda fits.
    • The fleet is to be dispersed into four groups: Alpha (Ackbar), Beta (Evram Lajaie), Gamma (Hera Syndulla), and Delta (Willard)
    • No surprise- It's a trap! The Executor and Death Squadron arrive.
    • The tech provided by Trios is faulty! The fleet cannot jump to hyperspace, communicate with Mako Ta Base, or open launch bays.
    • Vader wants to toy with the Rebels and inflict maximum fear. He doesn't open fire on the entire fleet or base.
    • His target? The cruiser commanded by poor General Willard... RIP.
    • Will the fleet escape? Will the Rebellion survive? Find out next time! :p

    --Adm. Nick
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2018
  2. SilentGuy66

    SilentGuy66 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2014
    Loved the return on
    Vader's castle
    in the backup story
     
  3. iPodwithnomusic

    iPodwithnomusic Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 23, 2012
    8/10
    A pretty good story, but it felt like the main plot didn't advance that much from the end of the last issue. I am excited to see how the story continues in the next one. The backup story was amazing, making great use of one of Leia's best moments in A New Hope and tying together all of Gillen's issues so far. Larroca's art in the main story was a little distracting as usual, but Camuncoli's art in the backup was great. I'm glad Hera had a line in this issue, she is such a great character I like seeing her as a prominent member of the rebellion.
     
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  4. Vthuil

    Vthuil Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 3, 2013
    My god!!

    (Also, kinda hilarious that General Willard shows up post-ANH for like the first time ever... only to get killed off that same issue.)

    Can't say I really loved the art, but it's generally an improvement from the worst grotesqueness of previous issues. Hopefully a sign that Marvel has taken criticism into account.
     
  5. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    This is sounding good guys.

    Has anyone succeeded in obtaining the Charest variant without financially crippling their self?

    EDIT: Actually, sounds like Marvel have been smart enough to realise its better not to make that variant rare, I was certain they'd go to the dark side.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2018
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  6. AdmiralNick22

    AdmiralNick22 Retired Fleet Admiral star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2003
    So... I've been thinking. This issue has to have an added "gut punch", as we know the following things:
    1. The Big Three escape
    2. Mon Mothma escapes
    3. Draven escapes (per The Rebel Files)
    4. Ackbar & Hera escape
    5. A good chunk of the fleet escapes (per ROTJ)
    After what happened at the end of the issue, I've come to the sad realization:

    General Dodonna is going to die. His death would have meaning, plus we haven't seen him in any post-ANH/TESB books or comics...

    Thoughts? [face_nail_biting]

    --Adm. Nick
     
  7. JediKnight75

    JediKnight75 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 15, 2011
    I was thinking the same thing yesterday. I hope it's not true, but it does seem likely to me
     
  8. The Positive Fan

    The Positive Fan Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2015
    Not just Dodonna, but Lajaie probably has a target on his back as well. With Willard taken out in the first issue of the arc this might well be the end of the Gray Cadre :-( They've gotta clear the decks for Rieekan and Madine somehow, I suppose.
     
  9. AdmiralNick22

    AdmiralNick22 Retired Fleet Admiral star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2003
    Yeah, my thoughts as well. Ackbar and Hera obviously survive, so we already know which fleet elements are more or less safe.

    --Adm. Nick
     
  10. Commander_Andersen

    Commander_Andersen Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2004
    I think you're right, after my first "bad feeling about this" turned out to be true.
     
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  11. TiniTinyTony

    TiniTinyTony JCC Super Bowl Pick 'Em Winner star 7 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2003
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2018
  12. Tuskin38

    Tuskin38 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 15, 2010
    Matt Martin confirmed that was Hera, apparently some people were confused because her Lekku patterns were wrong)

     
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  13. iPodwithnomusic

    iPodwithnomusic Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 23, 2012
    Matt Martin does make a very good point in that post. I read a lot of other Marvel comics and from one artist to another characters can look completely different. Especially before their movies became popular, there wasn't really any "official" image of what the character should look like. Despite that, 99% of the time I still know who the characters are supposed to be right away. I don't know why anyone would think that Twi'lek isn't Hera, they look like Hera and they appeared in a role and time period where we would expect it to be Hera, so it's Hera. :hera:
     
  14. SilentGuy66

    SilentGuy66 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2014
    Seeing as this is a miletstone issue, you'd think they'd have done something really big like kill off Sana or something...
     
  15. FiveFireRings

    FiveFireRings Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2017
    I would not be too saddened if Nick's suspicion is correct (as it probably will be) because:

    Dodonna's sacrifice in the Goodwin/Williamson newspaper strips was fantastic and powerful, and the arc in those strips was the only part of Legends that I for years came close to considering "canon"... I wasn't fond of the later EU retconning it his death. So... it was sad for me the "first time", it'll be sad for me this time, but it'll also feel like something has been set back into place with regards to Dodonna.
     
  16. Jozgar

    Jozgar Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 20, 2015
    Eyyyhhh. Really don’t like this Bond-villain stupidity being the reason the heroes don’t all die. Is Vader really so obsessed with “fear” that he won’t just destroy the Rebel Fleet instantly when there’s nothing stopping him?
     
  17. AdmiralNick22

    AdmiralNick22 Retired Fleet Admiral star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2003
    Yeah, this could provide similar "emotional heft". I agree, that Goodwin/Williamson strip was epic.

    Well, to be fair, this is not that different from what Palpatine does at Endor. Instead of just opening fire with the Death Star and slamming the Imperial Navy into the Alliance fleet, he chose to toy with the Rebels. Don't forget Piett's line - "We only need to keep them from escaping."

    So there is a canon precedent.

    --Adm. Nick
     
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  18. Vialco

    Vialco Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2007
    I really liked this issue. It's the first issue of the mainstream Star Wars comic I've bought in months, but it was well worth it just for the Vader scenes. This issue is almost a sequel to the 2015 Vader series. All we're missing is Dr. Aphra and her droids.

    Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
     
  19. Jozgar

    Jozgar Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 20, 2015
    I know, but TBH I don’t like it in ROTJ either. It just feels like cheap storytelling to me.
     
  20. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    It's the villain in 'cat' mode - the heroes have no chance, thus play time. Or, to invoke Discworld:

    "Something Vimes had learned as a young guard drifted up from memory. If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know you're going to die. So they'll talk. They'll gloat.

    They'll watch you squirm. They'll put off the moment of murder like another man will put off a good cigar.

    So hope like hell your captor is an evil man. A good man will kill you with hardly a word.”
     
  21. Vialco

    Vialco Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2007
    This is also why evil loses so often. Pettiness and cruelty can override common sense and practicality.

    Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
     
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  22. Darth_Pevra

    Darth_Pevra Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 21, 2008
    Man, characters like Trios, Thanoth or Tolvan (what's with all the T's ;)) really bring a certain depth to the imperial side of things. The Empire is supposed to be evil, but some great characters make the story much more interesting.

    No, maximum fear is the entire point of the thing. Think Tarkin doctrine, think Sith philosophy. Fear is a weapon. The day the people are cowed into submission is the day the Rebellion loses. As long as people have hope, destroying ships and fleets will only be of temporary benefit to the Empire.

    The Empire wants to become North Korea, basically. To have total, utter control without having to contend with uprisings.

    But yeah, there's some sadism to it as well as Vader enjoys the fear his actions bring.
     
  23. Vialco

    Vialco Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2007
    Queen Trios seems to have had her golden prosthetic hand replaced with one that a proper synthflesh coating. You can't tell that one of her hands is mechanical at all.

    [​IMG]

    Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
     
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  24. Sigismund

    Sigismund Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 16, 2018
    yeah i'll never understand that, because you know what also tends to crush hope and instills fear?
    killing a whole bunch of people and destroying the whole fleet, if I'm a wannabe rebel thinking of joining up nothing would make me think twice more than learning that the rebellion just lost almost it's whole fleet and everyone got murdered

    "vader attacked but we mostly managed to escape because we are so smart" is a propaganda victory for the rebellion, it makes the Empire look weak and unable to destroy a small fleet despite ambushing them, imo ofcourse
     
  25. AdmiralNick22

    AdmiralNick22 Retired Fleet Admiral star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2003
    Star Wars is space opera, first and foremost. Villains have to be dramatic and do stuff like this- it's literally in the very fabric of the franchise. Lucas grew up on Flash Gordon and stuff like that. The more you understand his inspirations, the better stuff like Vader's decision to toy with the Alliance at Mako Ta or the Emperor's plan at Endor make sense.

    If you want sane military tactics and thoroughly thought out battle plans, this isn't the franchise for you. ;)[face_peace]

    --Adm. Nick