Lit Coop's MARVELous Voyage

S-canon is fully canon.

 

Quick check of Chee, Oct 2006:
Q: What is the current canon ranking of the Marvel comics?
A: S-canon, with stuff that has been referenced as C-canon.

Someone on Wookie pointed out that most of the Marvel comics run has been referenced at one point or another and thus is mostly C-canon at this point - so I guess the point is somewhat moot anyways...

 

I really, really, really need to get around to checking out the Marvel comics. I've read a few of them but haven't actually gotten into them.

Ever since a high school vocab lesson, I can't help but mention the fact that when someone says there is a "moot point", by definition they are actually stating that the point is debatable and that we should discuss it. Just saying.....

 

From wiktionary:
Moot -
1. (UK, or US dated) Subject to discussion (originally at a moot); arguable, debatable, unsolved or impossible to solve.
2. (North America) Having no practical impact or relevance

I guess it's a regional thing - I've always used it with the second meaning as intent.

 

And here's an interesting question - does inclusion in the CSWE count as a outside reference?

 

Oh yeah, I always use it with the second meaning as well. We just found it funny in our English class in high school that the "official" definition we had to learn was the first one, and now I always think of it.

So in terms of canon, then, is that bunny guy canon? I don't know his name since I haven't read the comics, but I've seen pictures and I'm pretty sure he was from the Marvel comics.

 

All Marvel, except one issue?Hoth Stuff?and anomalous details like "Jabba the Hut" is canon. S-canon isn't any kind of lesser canon, it's simply a category for older sources.

 

I see it as having the same relationship with C-Canon that C-Canon has with the movies - it's canon, but if the other thing blatantly contradicts it, it loses.

 

Even "Hoth Stuff" can be considered canon--a throwaway line in Planet Hoppers suggests that it was one of Wedge's practical jokes.

TC

 

Clearly, a "Hut" is different from a "Hutt." What a Hut is just has yet to be revealed.

 

Not at all - a Hut is one of these.

 

I read it, it's a great, very Marvel-esque series. They said the slugs were the "last remnant of a species that predates history" and that they were able to control basic biological functions (growth rate, appetite) and graft hyperdrives to them. Not install an airlock in the gut.

I wasn't saying it was the Falcon's doing, I was just saying that it doesn't seem to be too far fetched for a ship (in this case Jack's Star Destroyer) to project some kind of field that would keep the area around it pressurized, given that's what appears to be happening within the slug in ESB(and I'm assuming that the ISD could project a much bigger one). That's just my take on it, but we're getting off topic. Continue being marvelous.

 

Since Lumiya reappeared in LOTF,Fenn Shysa in Mindor & the Nagai in the Legacy comics. I think it would be neat if the Nagai and the Tofs reappear in future Big 3 standalone novels or maybe in FOTJ.

 

I thought they also made joking reference to it in the X-wing series...

 

From now on I'm officially ignoring any post you make that contains any version whatsoever of that phrase.

Almost had the next six done tonight, but I really need to go to bed early for once, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.

 

I had an idea about that, to explain Luke's mysterious comments about Wedge being his boyhood friend on Tatooine. In the short story "Of Possible Futures", there's a mysterious Darklighter who evacuates Bright Hope and returns to Hoth. I say that's Wedge Darklighter, a relative of Biggs and companion of Luke's on Tatooine, and Hoth Stuff is the story of his rescue.

"But why is he called Wedge Antilles?"

Shut up, that's why!

 

Issue 19:

[image=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/2/2f/Mswc19cover.jpg]

Hey! The Wheel didn't have a huge red skull on it last time!!

Pink blast door. Classy all the way, Greyshade.

Can someone explain "thermo-capsulary dehousing assister" to me? That seems to be the standard description for Artoo's function at this point, and I'm having trouble BSing it back into "astromech".

Ha! Unless I missed one, this looks like the first instance of "the Force" not being in quotes. I guess it was just a Roy Thomas thing.

Greyshade's Wheel security goons look very out-of-place with their space helmets. Maybe they've been having a lot of trouble with atmo leaks.

Oh, look! Another of those extremely rare Talz.

Mandallian Giant FTW!

Luckily, the guy who says "I've heard of Wookiees, but never seen one!" is himself an unusual alien, so that's fairly believable.

Hellooooo, Wheel Medical Station Nurse!

Issue 20:

Deathgame - Best. Title. Ever.

Lot of dishes getting smashed in this issue. Must be! All!! The DRAMA!!!

Any species retcons for Han's first opponent in the arena? I got nothing.

Master-Com's quite the sly droid...I-5 would approve.

Issue 21:

Second trade's intro is from Jason Hall - awesome.

The Wheel security guard's helmet looks like it's filled with TV static - I'm guessing it's supposed to be indicative of a mesh of some sort, but it'd be interesting if he actually had a curved screen on his head for some reason.

Does the Wheel rotate? I'd love for it to be a rare instance of non-repulsor-based artificial gravity - especially because that would mean the "floor" is the outermost edge, and you could walk in a perfectly straight line and go all the way around it. I'd probably be pushing it to say that the station pre-dates repulsors, but maybe it was designed to not need them as a cost-cutting measure.

Best blaster sound effect ever - "FEDAK!"

For a "retro" series, I have to give them this - they do a great job of making Leia a credible threat in her own right. Which largely makes up for the Jolli arc.

According to Luke's vision, he's apparently on his way to long, gorgeous golden locks.

Moral of the Interlude: Jaxxon + Starkiller Kid > Rebel Soldiers.

Continuing my theme of orientation retcons...Master-Com's totally got the hots for Threepio. I'm also enjoying his logic - very Asimovian.

The figure on the left of the screen just after Greyshade and Master-Com's conversation - I smell Bothan.

Han's muscles...no comment.

Issue 22:

I know the force of a fired bullet would propel you backward in zero-g...but a ray gun? Hm...

I can't find anything on the Wook about those paper airplane-looking ships they keep showing outside of the Wheel - anyone know what their story is? I kind of like the design; almost proto-A-Wing.

I need to get me some of that takes-effect-the-instant-the-target-figures-out-your-plan potion. Handy stuff.

"But despite the clothes he wears, Luke Skywalker hasn't truly been a farm-boy...since the battle of the Death Star!"

Which begs the question...why is he still wearing those clothes?

"Star-Destroyer class Imperial Battle Cruiser". Let's see you fleet junkies explain that one.

Interesting early take on an ISD bridge here. Any reason the Devastator might have a non-standard bridge? Or should I just ignore it like all the other art-based discrepancies?

You know, the fact that someone who'd dare address Vader as "Dear Boy" could manage to last more than five minutes as captain of the Devastator speaks untold volumes about Wermis' competence as an officer.

People just don't refer to Han as the Falcon's "skipper" often enough these days.

Well, Han's dead. If that's not a continuity error, I dunno what is.

Issue 23:

I'm torn between relief that Luke stopped before referring to Leia as "the girl I love", and annoyance at his whiny retort of "...just shut up!"

So how, precisely, are they able to "swim" around

 

I actually prefer Obi-Wan's Jedi outfit to having all the Jedi dress like Tatooine farmers. The former makes a lot more sense.

 

But Jedi have dressed like "Tatooine farmers" as far back as 1983.

 

And the concept of the Jedi has been influenced by the Samurai since as far back as before 1977.

 

It makes more sense if their standard role is something akin to James Bond; it looks too much like some kind of super spy/battle suit. They're supposed to be monks, who only use violence as an absolute last resort.

Of course, it's not too dissimilar to the outfit Luke wears in RotJ...

 

One more comment on fitting Rogue Leader amongst the early Marvels... The opening scene of Rogue Leader is one week after ROTJ, directly following Truce at Bakura. But the comic then jumps ahead another week, I believe. To make things fit, I'd propose that a few things happened that we didn't see, and a few Marvel issues happened in the week. Maybe Luke was held up and didn't join the Rogues on Corellia until later. Or come up with your own explanation. The point is, I don't think it's "fair" that one or two lines of narration in a brief comic book miniseries should dictate major changes to an established storyline.

And I also think that Marvel's #107 seems to occur a considerable amount of time after #106. In fact, the Wizards Dark Forces articles place Dash and Guri on a mission to the Tof's headquarters planet, which would indicate the events of #107 happen after Shadows of the Empire: Evolution. That series tends to be dated a few months after ROTJ.

 

As glad as I am that you guys are enjoying my input, half the reason I started this was to keep my myriad questions in one place, and I'm not getting many answers out of anyone. I know some of you are way more familiar with this material than I am - gimme a hand here.


Issue 25:

I can't believe it took almost twenty issues to get back to Yavin. Not sure, but I have a feeling that's a big help reconciling the material with the newspaper strips, which deal with Yavin, and the search for the next base, pretty extensively. I guess that makes Archie Goodwin this period's James Luceno.

Again with the unnecessary foot soldier space helmets. Reminds me of the old Lego Space sets.

Every time I hear someone in the OT era mention how old and worn Threepio and Artoo are, I can't help but think...man, what does that make them forty years from now??

Leia explains here that the Empire sticks to blockading Yavin at first because if any Rebels escaped an attack they'd spread word that the Death Star was destroyed, which is a much better reason than "Vader was waiting until he could attack personally in the Executor". Glad to see Goodwin really was giving that issue the requisite thought back then.

Tagge's "cyber-vision" raises a good question - isn't there anyone in this galaxy with a normal-looking cybernetic eye? I mean, we've almost got them on Earth, for cryin' out loud.

I've always liked the notion of non-Force users training with lightsabers - glad to see it pop up here.

I really need to research the Tagge family more once I'm through this part...I thought they'd been in their powerful position for centuries, but here Orman's saying that he built the fortune himself. Is he just full of it?

If you distance yourself from the brother sister issues and just focus on all the kissing Luke and Leia used to do...she really just comes off like a tease.

You can perhaps credit Tagge with the initiative of actually raiding Yavin, but does he really think sending a few TIEs down every once in a while is some brilliant strategy the Empire could never have come up with? Despite having enough ships to, y'know, blockade the system?

Their more or less realistic portrayal of Yavin's atmosphere here just makes me all the more confused about this "surface of Bespin" story I keep hearing about.

Issue 26:

Doom Mission - Second. Best. Title. Ever.

"Massassi" is another term I didn't think had been around this long - another one from the novelization?

I almost had an issue with Tagge following Luke out of Yavin's atmosphere, until the part about them trying to take him down with them. Nice job.

Issue 27:

Time for part two of the Valance saga.

Bounty hunter making random citizens carry the body of his victim - nice. I could see Fett doing that.

If Valance's so ashamed about being a cyborg, why the hell does he keep ripping his face off?? Side note - he reminds me of Michael Landen, for some reason.

Why would ships supposedly maintaining a blockade be hiding? Is it a secret blockade?

Junction has a nice feel to it - wish we saw more of it these days. Skinker's salvage yard reminds me a lot of Watto's.

I love how every time they switch to a character on a different planet, it's an INTERLUDE!

Leia getting frisky with Dodonna - unnecessary.

Leia making a big fuss about not being involved in missions is interesting in light of the active role she played in Empire and Rebellion. Hopefully these stories can all be fit before then, because that makes for a nice arc between the two.

An Imperial spy character - clearly, we have no choice but to make him look like Garindan.

Finally, some real lightsaber action from Luke!

Interesting precedent here - the narration says that the energy of Valance's deflected blaster shot is "greatly diminished". Blaster bolts being particle-based, I can actually see some logic behind that, but does is fit with all the other depictions of saber deflection?

Issue 28:

Crawling death - decidedly one of the worse kinds of death.

It's really getting

 

In Vader's Quest, he only learns the last name -- Skywalker. Here he gets the full name. So they both still work as two separate scenes, each being significant.

 

Well, no - here, he doesn't get anything. That's the problem. So either he comes back to Centares later and gets "Skywalker" per Vader's Quest, or the Vader's Quest scene somehow takes place between the last two scenes of #29. If there's a whole other scene somewhere where he gets the full name, I don't know where it is.