Characters You Can Take the Farmboy Off The Farm... (Luke Skywalker Characterization)

contrived seems harsh, but hey, we're not sitting at the plotting table. I have quite enjoyed Outcast and look forwad to Omen.

 

I enjoy the banter too, Luke and Ben become each other.


But I don't think the father & son issue was the reason for sending Luke into exile. I think the main reason was simply that this way they could get Luke away from the other characters, giving them more space to act independently and to make Luke himself more vulnerable, hence adding to the suspence. A main problem in the profics has always been that "Luke is too powerful". Not that I agree that should be a problem but it shows up again and again; in almost every storyline there is something that causes a hindrance to him, either he's wounded or he's lamed by self doubt/critizism. In that persepctive I think exile is pretty neat - at least it gives Luke the chance to act whole-heartedly in his own storyline.

 

I agree completely Kataja. In this story(I've only read Outcast), Luke seems free of the bonds of his title, its accompanying limitations, and is able to act freely as father and Jedi Master. He is confident, thoughtful, decisive, and wise. Funny too. The Ben/Luke banter is such a pleasant reprieve from the previous dour versions of Luke we've had for the last 12+ years.

 

On a new note, I just ordered 'The Life of Luke Skywalker' (the young reader biography), so I'll let everyone know how much it details his early life, after I read it.

 

Oh, I think that's one of the reasons for one of the times that I gave up on the EU. Sith? Doesn't anything stay dead? And the Emperor's clone? Been there, killed that. And now we know that Anakin was supposed to bring balance to the Force. I think Luke should be able to enjoy some of that balance instead of the galaxy careening from one disaster to the next.

Good Luke banter is a worthy reason for a book, but I don't know about a whole series. But I guess that means I should write my own Luke banter.

 

Looking forward to that! And of course to reading it myself. (just ordered it) From what I read on the Literature thread it sounds pretty awesome, answering many questions.

I must admit I've stranded in the other Scholastic books (Renegade). I thought they started out great but then started idling, the young reader approach suddenly starting to annoy me. But perhaps that's just me having a bad day...

Yes. I wonder if it also has to do with Luke coming to an age the same as the writers? A more dark suspicion is that the death of Mara also has to do with it. She was "watching Luke's back" and that way enpowering him further.

So, while I don't approve of the methods reaching this, I sense a brighter future for Luke's characterizations in the EU. He could very well have an interesting time ahead! Which of course is only hopeful for us who still read EU...

 

Okay, I've finished "A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker," and I ended up a bit disappointed. Very little new material in it. Without going into any detail that would be considered spoilers, it includes several old Marvel adventures, deleted scenes from A New Hope, a scene from the Radio Dramas, and some Dark Horse stories of when Luke was young. There's a little bit of filler that I don't remember reading before, but not much. It doesn't go any further than about a year after RotJ. It's more just to have a compilation of old stories, in prose form, all in one book.

 

Well, I suppose the book could be of interest to people like me who haven't seem much EU stuff, but it's a shame that they didn't put much more into it.

Did the book have much about Owen and Beru, or any other family they might have had. Are Shmi and Klieg mentioned at all?

 

Guess I'd better black-out this, since the book hasn't been out very long:

Luke's reminiscing starts when he's about 4, so yes, Owen & Beru are included. He eavesdrops on a conversation they have about Anakin at one point. Beru's sister & her husband come to visit, and Shmi is mentioned in conjunction with the graves that Owen takes the headstones off of. And later Luke learns how she dies.

In conjunction with my recent spell of reading books made for kids 40 years younger than me... ... I also just finished Book 4 of the Rebel Force series - "Firefight". There are parts of it that are a bit far-fetched, but it's an okay adventure with Luke, Han & Chewie. They go to Kamino.

 

I have to admit that I, too, succumbed to reading a book way beneath my age . This is the first time I've ever done that, and likely the last. I don't know what I thought I was hoping for. I really don't know anything from Marvel, so it was new to me for the most part, yet not terribly interesting. As a whole, the book was okay, but what age level is it really targeted to? I guess a nine year old would find it engrossing, but if the age range is supposed to be up to twelve, that's a no-go.

 

(For Tomorrow):

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday Dear Luke

Happy Birthday to You!



I'm watching ANH right now. And I MIGHT buy that "biography" because I never got to read any of the early comics. Might get a copy for my 8 year old nephew, too.

 

Aagghh. I completely forgot about Sept. 25 this year. How old is he now? 58, I believe. We're to the point that 'Luke' has overtaken his portrayer in age. Other than going to ComicCon, I haven't read about any doings that Mark has been up to lately.

 

I finished the biography the other day and I'm still wondering what to actually think of it. I enjoyed the Tatooine parts but those post ANH were kinda strange. What I really like about this book though, is that I feel it genuinely tries to be loyal to Luke as a character - always a thing that melts my fangirl heart But I have to underline that I didn't expect much of this book, I had heard of so many who were disappointed, and perhaps that's the reason I wasn't.

I've been reading the Rebel Force series too, but got stuck somewhere in Renegade when the young reader-approach that I first found pretty refreshing, started to get on my nerves. After the biography I pulled myself toegether and finished Renegade too. I think I'll buy Firefight as well, and read it someday when I'm very tired and need something light and easy.

I think the biography gives a pretty good pic of Luke as a child and youngster; he's the odd one but not suppressed, and we see Owen stern but not frightening. It also shows how important Biggs was to Luke. Together with what we get in Renegade and ANH and the comics, I think we start to get an idea of Luke's early life.

I agree that the Mavel re-tellings were a bit strange. The original stories are probably strange enough as they are and putting them into novel-form doesn't help. But at least the comic-stories are sort of veryfied now, aren't they, instead of floating in that strange canon, not-canon limbo that many Marvel stories seem to be? And that mind-witch concept is pretty wicked!

 

Mark has a few things coming up according to imdb.com. Whenever I want to know about what any actor is doing I usually go there, unless they have their own web page, which seems to be getting more common these days. I love the internet. I can now binge on pics, youtube interviews (there's a short one of Mark from ComiCon this year) and assorted factoids as much as I like from the comfort of my living room. Thirty years ago, if you wanted to fill up on your favorites like that, you would've had to start moonlighting as a stalker.

Y'know I haven't had much problem with Luke's characterization that I've run into in the EU books (except for I, Jedi). It's the stories that limit my interest.

 

I hope I'm laughing with Mark on this one rather than laughing at him, but this is too good a foot-in-mouth quote to pass up on from the SW News page on the forum.

He pauses for thought. "I'm not sure when George's animated series Clone Wars is set, but I think it's before Luke was born. Maybe when he was an infant." Perhaps, then, he could provide infant sounds? "Yeah, whimpering myself to sleep at night."'

Oh gee, Mark, maybe the Clone Wars cartoons are set during THE CLONE WARS??

Actually, I think he means he doesn't know when the animated series takes place with respect to Luke's lifetime. But the quote just doesn't come out that way.

I would love to hear Mark voice a character or two in the Clone Wars cartoon. Maybe a big nasty Hutt, or a sleezy droid bounty hunter? Something villainous with lots of good lines.

 

Hey, he's a busy guy. Doesn't have time to watch Clone Wars. Too bad all that busyness involves projects that I don't follow, like video games.

And in his defense, clones were still around when Luke was an infant. The 'Wars' were just over. Daddy Vader and his clone troopers were starting up their own war on Jedi in hiding.

 

I just wanted to pop by this thread as I think it's one of the most important on these boards!

Is anyone else enjoying Luke's characterizations in FotJ? It doesn't inspire me to fanfics, not yet anyway, but I really like it!

 

Haven't read FotJ, but there is a nice little Luke tidbit out of CV.

Apparently when they re-release the whole Saga next year, they will include the scene of Vader calling out to Luke through the Force just when he's finishing his lightsaber. Very dramatic.