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Topic:
What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Manisphere
Registered:
Aug '07
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Date Posted:
10/29/07 1:31pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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 Believe me, I'm not thrilled with post after post of me here but I have a real question:
Clone Wars Adventures? I wasn't crazy about the cartoon (No dialogue in Season 1. Drove me nuts!) but very much loved and own all of the Clone Wars TPBs as well as many other "arc" type comics. Are these good stories? Can I get some idea of what I'd be buying and if it's for fans of so-called "deeper" writing in comics? It was seeing Vos on Adventures 9 that sparked my interest. 
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Barriss_Coffee
Registered:
Jun '03
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Date Posted:
10/29/07 3:47pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Manisphere posted:
Believe me, I'm not thrilled with post after post of me here but I have a real question:
Clone Wars Adventures? I wasn't crazy about the cartoon (No dialogue in Season 1. Drove me nuts!) but very much loved and own all of the Clone Wars TPBs as well as many other "arc" type comics. Are these good stories? Can I get some idea of what I'd be buying and if it's for fans of so-called "deeper" writing in comics? It was seeing Vos on Adventures 9 that sparked my interest.
They're really hit or miss, seeing is each one consists of about 4 short stories on average, centering on different characters (which is great if you're a fan of random Jedi, since many have stories dedicated to them). Some of the stories have "deeper" morals to them (some even try to show the Separatists in a good light, which I think is commendable), but many are just... so-so. And some are a little trippy.
I can't remember off the top of my head which volumes were the best, except that Volume 5 had 4 great stories, including one that was a humorous Marvel reference. I hear the new Volume 9 is good as well.
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
10/29/07 6:22pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Manisphere posted:
Believe me, I'm not thrilled with post after post of me here but I have a real question:
Clone Wars Adventures? I wasn't crazy about the cartoon (No dialogue in Season 1. Drove me nuts!) but very much loved and own all of the Clone Wars TPBs as well as many other "arc" type comics. Are these good stories? Can I get some idea of what I'd be buying and if it's for fans of so-called "deeper" writing in comics? It was seeing Vos on Adventures 9 that sparked my interest.
I've read the first three, and they're meh. They're not bad, but they're rarely "deeper" as you say. They're largely fun-but-utterly-disposable stories with not much to them. For a completist like me, they're worth the cheap price, but you might be more interested in allocating your money somewhere else, or doing what I do and using the cheap little buggers to fill out online orders to the point where I get free shipping.
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Excellence
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
10/29/07 10:00pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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This is the thread to ask such questions, Manisphere. If you're new to all this, this is what it's for.
They're just stupid corny stories arted like their cartoon namesake, absolutley nothing serious about them, and not meant to be. Which is why I was more than a little Biffed when my brother gave me 3 for my birthday. I had a reason for not wasting money on this Tannen. 
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The2ndRest-in-Peace
Registered:
Oct '02
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Date Posted:
10/31/07 11:32am
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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The first 2 Clone Wars Adventures were a bit too light to relaly reccomend. With Vol 3 they started to show some improvement, but from 4 onwards there was added level of depth that made them a lot more entertaining. Still simple in structure and such as they're still aimed at kids, but Vol 4 and beyond has a lot more that adults might enjoy too.
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Excellence
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
11/1/07 6:36am
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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2ndQuest, are you quoting Viggie from Ghostbusters 2?
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The2ndRest-in-Peace
Registered:
Oct '02
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Date Posted:
11/1/07 1:26pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Viggie? He is Viggo! You are like the buzzing of flies to him!
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Don't Feed the Plant!
On a mountain of skulls, in the castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood!
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Now is the season of evil!
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Dizzarth
Registered:
Nov '06
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Date Posted:
11/3/07 11:12pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Can someone offer me some advice?
I am reading through the novels according to the EU timeline. I just finished the "ambush at corellia" trilogy and up next is the Thrawn Duology. I have already read the original Thrawn Trilogy. My question is: Should I read Outbound Flight first? Should I read it after? Should I not read it at all?
Any advice?
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Manisphere
Registered:
Aug '07
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Date Posted:
11/4/07 6:31am
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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I wouldn't read it until I read Survivor's Quest (Luke and Mara's investigation of the Outbound Flight in Chiss space just prior to the Vong attack). Outbound as I remember has pretty much nothing to do with The Thrawn Duology. Survivor's quest and Outbound flight are books that can be enjoyed at any time (and they are both worth reading). The only suggestion I would give is to read The Thrawn Trilogy before Outbound Flight and you have done that. Other than that you are good to go in any direction you want. And don't forget to read the Duology before you hit anything in the NJO. 
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The2ndQuest
Title: :
-LACWAC
-Lit Mod of Death
-Games
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
11/4/07 10:44am
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Actually if you were to read Outbound Flight first, you'd get the backstory/early days for a character who was originally introduced in the HOT Duology, but other than that (which isn't much of a factor since, as I said, he was introduced in HOT so you're not missing anything vital from OBF since it wasn't written yet), I'd say read HOT first, then SQ, then OBF "(since the latter two are sort of a reverse-chronology duolgoy in of themselves).
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Excellence
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
11/6/07 4:31am
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
- Date Edited:
11/6/07 4:33am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Excellence
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Just bear in mind, the thrill of seeing an Outbound Dreadnought in SQ was walking through starship corridors and a cargo hold . . . like you haven't seen this before. My review addressed a serious load of issues that made it a pretty insulting read, the icing of the cake being 2 wizards taking an entire dozen pages for one droideka, for no reason other than to show "brow sweating dramatic tension" in the finale. As though they were incapable of slamming it into a wall, or tearing it apart with a thought or two.
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Jeff_Ferguson
Registered:
May '06
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Date Posted:
11/6/07 10:48am
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Hi all!
I need some trade paperback advice. I'll be looking to get a few old trades this Holiday season, and I've made up a list of a few that I'm interested in. I won't be getting everything on this list, so I need a bit of advice on the best of the bunch. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated --- you all rock! Anyway, what I'm thinking about includes:
Crimson Empire
Crimson Empire II
Jedi Vs. Sith
Chewbacca
The Last Siege, the Final Truth
The Defense of Kamino
Jango Fett: Open Seasons
Anything from the X-Wing series
As far as the Clone Wars trades go, I already own Volumes 5, 6, and 7, as well as 9 in individual issue form. Volume 8 (The Last Siege, the Final Truth) greatly interests me, as does anything from around the end of the Clone Wars. As for The Defense of Kamino, I figure I might as well start from the beginning and slowly read the first four volumes.
My question about the X-Wing comic series --- should I start from the beginning, with the Volume 1 Omnibus (collecting The Rebel Opposition, The Phantom Affair, and the recent Rogue Leader stories)?
Also, should I read the X-Wing novels before the comics? Having not read any of the novels is one of my biggest SW shames...  and I reallllly want to get around to getting a start on it, like, maybe next summer.
I've read that Isard's Revenge wraps up a lot of loose ends from the comics, but would I be able to read the first seven novels and the comics independently from one another?
Phew! I know that this is a lot of questions --- I love helping people out with questions about the novels, but I've only been reading SW comics for two years.
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
11/6/07 3:09pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Well, if you've got most of the Clone Wars run, I'd suggest finishing it off with the two CW trades in question. They're both quite good.
JvS is one of the EU's masterpieces. I can't recommend it strongly enough. People complain about the one wooden ship, or the fact that it had kids in it, but it's shockingly deep and dark. Too bad about SWDBPODANOTOR . . .
JF:OS is some of the only decent work from Blackman, IMO. It's not the greatest story here, but it's a fun little look at Jango's past. In terms of prioritizing it, I wouldn't put it over JvS, X-wing, or the CW volumes, but it's worth getting.
Chewbacca is a fun little look back at Chewie, and I'd recommend it, though I wouldn't put it at the top of the list.
CE is something I've looked over but never really read, but they're pretty forgettable. Yeah, Kir Kanos is badass, but he's also got a lazy eye just like every single other damn person in the comic. Ugh. Not the best art. I personally am Omni-waiting it, and I don't see much reason for anyone else not to do the same.
Now for the big question. X-wing. The books are worth reading NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW. I'm not sure of the exact chronology, but the comics came after the first novels, probably not until around the third book. It's only with the fourth one, The Bacta War, that they start to tie in and comics characters appear in the novels. However, as reading the comics doesn't really spoil the novels, I'd suggest just reading the comics first, though you won't really get too much of Tycho's backstory, for example, until you get the books.
The first comics aren't bad (well, The Rebel Opposition aside) and The Phantom Affair is excellent, but they're largely disconnected one-offs. Rogues go to planet, Rogues run into trouble on planet, Rogues fight their way off planet on the ground and in the air. This is especially apparent in Omni 2. However, Omni 3 fires on all cylinders, with better art, tighter stories, overarching plotlines with Isard and Pestage and galactic politics, and His Godship Baron Soontir Fel. However, overall, I'd say the comics are worth picking up before you get into the books, all of which are excellent.
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"Have you not yet learned, Executor, that everything I tell you is the truth?" - Vergere
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
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The2ndQuest
Title: :
-LACWAC
-Lit Mod of Death
-Games
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
11/6/07 4:17pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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Havac's pretty much covered it all- the comics and novels can be read independently of each other, but there are cameos in the comics you'll pick up if you've read the novels, but nothing major. Phantom Affair is excellent, the rest of Omni 1, not so much. Omni 2 contains the weaker stories of the series, thoguh Battleground Ttaooine is fun on the action side of things. Omni 3 is solid, though.
Though I also wouldn't say to prioritize it, the Chewbacca trade is a fun read- the Wedge story had me rolling on the floor.
Can't go wrong with either Clone Wars trade you've mentioned, but I'd reccomend waiting on reading Volume 8 until you've at least read Volume 4, since that wraps up story arcs that really began in 4 (and hinted at in 1).
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K'Kruhk, 140 ABY: "Why haven't I come forth earlier to share my Jedi knowledge with Skywalker?
Well, it's kinda a long story, see, I had this freaking sweet hat..."
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Manisphere
Registered:
Aug '07
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Date Posted:
11/6/07 4:42pm
Subject:
RE: What Books & Comics Should I Read? / Where Should I Start in the EU?
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As a non expert Vos enthusiast I want to say that Clone Wars 1,4,6 and 8 are great. I'd buy X-Wing and Clone Wars before I went further.
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