Category Archives: Reviews

Hot Toys Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise Version) Review

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NOW SHIPPING – Link to Order

Exclusively available through Sideshow.com. Limited availability in select international territories. The highly-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Harrison Ford as Han Solo disguised as a Stormtrooper in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. It features a newly developed head sculpt, finely tailored Stormtrooper armor, an interchangeable Stormtrooper helmet with a mechanically detailed interior, blaster rifle, a set of binders, figure stand, and a specially designed Death Star wall panel diorama backdrop with LED light-up function!

The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron – No Spoiler Review

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Review via Yodasnews Contributor Jacob Burdis:

The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron No Spoiler Review
 
 

The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron No Spoiler Review

Wow. Episode VIII was not what I, nor most other stars wars fans, expected. If you are anything like me, you were hoping for answers and understanding, but left with far more questions than answers. Of course the Star Wars Authoring Conglomerate knew how we would be feeling, so they had already begun their painfully slow release of literature to mop up and start to tie off some of the loose ends left frustratingly exposed.

Cobalt Squadron is a short novella describing the backstory of both Rose and Paige Tico and the heavy bomber squadrons of the Resistance Fleet. The novella starts just a short time before and concurrent to the events in “The Force Awakens” and ends immediately preceding the beginning of “The Last Jedi.” Cobalt Squadron is one of several heavy bomber squadrons assigned to deliver both heavy payloads of ordnance over enemy targets or sizeable supply drops to allies and others in need. Paige and Rose are inseparable, and make an amazing team on the crew of the Cobalt bomber Hammer, flying dangerous missions into First Order territory and surviving skirmishes with TIE fighters.

As Rose is basically the only new character in The Last Jedi, it is very fulfilling to learn more about her backstory. Paige and Rose came from a world ravished by the First Order war machine, and bring a righteous passion to their mission assignments to help other worlds in need. Seeing how inseparable the sisters are makes it all the more poignant to watch Paige sacrifice herself to rid the galaxy of a First Order Dreadnaught and buy some time for the fleeing, fleeting fleet.

I will be honest, I initially was not a fan of the new heavy bombers. We haven’t really seen anything like them in the Star Wars Universe. It felt like even though the technology should have been progressing forward, this was a significant leap back in warfare machines. The throwback to the WW2 bombers of the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress was a bit weird and misplaced (the bomber was even referred to as a “StarFortress”). Why “drop” the bombs instead of launching them? Why fly “above” the target as if there were an “up” or “down “in a space battle? But I digress…

After reading Cobalt Squadron, I appreciate more the role of this ship as primarily an air to ground weapon in planetside operations. I can also appreciate the desperation of the Resistance fleet to scramble and use anything and everything they could do delay the First Order long enough to escape. I can also appreciate the bravery of the bomber crews, knowing they were not well equipped for the task at hand, but proceeding anyway.

In short, this novella did a great job helping me come to terms with my initial reactions to the bombers. It is a great read, with good character development, plenty of action, and that good ol’ fashioned Star Wars underdog feel. I recommend this read for all Star Wars fans!

 

Click Here or the image below to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House for providing the review sample.

No Spoilers Book Review: Canto Bight

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Review via Yodasnews Contributor Jacob Burdis:

Canto Bight — No Spoilers Review

Canto Bight is the latest in the “Journey to the Last Jedi” series to build excitement and anticipation of the newest Star Wars episode. We’ve seen and heard much about the new casino city of Canto Bight, and know it will play a role in the upcoming film, so it is exciting to get a sneak preview of what this city is like and what may be awaiting Finn and Rose as they venture to the Star Wars version of Las Vegas.

The book consists of four, moderately intertwined short stories. Each follows a non-essential character’s adventure in the exciting, opulent, and often dangerous city. The time frame is set sometime during the open conflict between the First Order and the Resistance, though it isn’t clear precisely when the events take place relative to “The Force Awakens” or “The Last Jedi.” We learn that news of the galaxy as a whole doesn’t quite make it all the way to the gamblers, hustlers, and those trying to survive amidst the rich and the famous. Stated differently, beings go to the bubble of Canto Bight precisely to get away from the news of the galaxy at large.

As always, I have high expectations and hopes that the novels coming out in preparation for the new films will in some way prepare me for a more grand experience and deeper understanding of the Star Wars universe as a whole. In short, I was let down. With the exception of a few lip service mentions of the First Order and the Resistance, there was little in this book that identified it with Star Wars at all. If the purpose of the book was to “familiarize” the reader with the illustrious world of Cantonica, then I guess it served its purpose. If a picture tells a thousand words, then a movie may tell a million. It is already clear from the previews that Canto Bight is a gambling, casino world. I can already imagine the type of danger, conning, and hustling that would exist in a world like that. The book didn’t really add much for me that the previews didn’t already show in just a few short seconds.

Perhaps I am being a bit harsh. It is possible that there may be some more relevant, meaningful connections that become apparent as I watch “The Last Jedi”, though I suspect it might only be seeing a glimpse of one of the protagonists from the book and saying, “Hey, I know that guy.” Also, there was mention of arms dealing to both the First Order and the Resistance from crime lords stationed in Canto Bight. I suspect that this may provide some background context.

In summary, if you have nothing better to do as you sit and wait for the next stage in the Star Wars Saga this weekend, then pick up a copy of Canto Bight and give it a read. Just don’t expect more than a few fun short stories that will probably not have much connection to the movie other than colocation with the Star Wars “city of sin.”

Click Here or the image below to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House for providing the review sample.

 

No Spoiler Book Review: The Legends of Luke Skywalker

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Review via Yodasnews Contributor Jacob Burdis:

The Legends of Luke Skywalker No Spoiler Review

The Legends of Luke Skywalker is one of several stories in the “Journey to the Last Jedi” series coming out to build excitement and prepare fans for the upcoming films. Both the teaser and full trailer dropped some pretty big bombs with Luke telling Rey “It’s time for the Jedi to end” and then Rey telling Kylo Ren “I need someone to show me my place in all this” as Kylo Ren extends his hand out to her. While the trailers are definitely creating more questions than answers, the “Journey to the Last Jedi” series is providing a few hints.

The format of The Legends of Luke Skywalker is very unique. The main story is set on a transport on its way to Canto Bight to make a delivery of fathiers. Among the crew are several young deckhands who act as the group of protagonists in this story. During their voyage, they are treated with multiple tales about the legendary Luke Skywalker from other members of the crew. Interspersed between the various tales, they experience an adventure of their own during the journey.

I’ll be honest, the first tale almost caused me to put the book down and walk away. It was so ridiculous that I felt like I was wasting my time reading it. I was worried that all the tales would be like this one. But I pressed on, and was greatly rewarded. A couple of the stories described instances in Luke’s life that added a rich backstory that hinted at what could possibly have driven Luke to decide it was time for the Jedi to end. I hypothesized after the first teaser of “The Last Jedi” that we as fans were finally going to see what “balance in the force” actually looks like (read my analysis of the Last Jedi Teaser here). The legends described in this book added a significant amount of fuel to that fire, and have me so much more excited to see “The Last Jedi.”

Only after finishing the book did I come to appreciate how the tidbits of backstory were hidden among obviously false and exaggerated tales of Luke Skywalker. It’s as if author Ken Liu wanted to establish how far from the truth some legends could be before providing one that could be plausible, so that the reader is second guessing the plausible ones as well.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read with very satisfying hints about the upcoming movie “The Last Jedi.” I highly recommend for any level of Star Wars fan!

Click Here or the image below to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House for providing the review sample.

 

 

Star Wars Fijix Spinners from Uncle Milton

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Quick look at the Star Wars Fijix Spinners from Uncle Milton! Uncle Milton
Fijix Spinners are the perfect combination of a focus device and a fun fidget toy! Very easy to spin using two hands or take it up a level with the flick of your wrist to balance and keep it spinning in one hand. The high speed and long spin time will not only keep you focused but allow for tons of tricks. Each spin is a chance to beat your own spin time or challenge a friend! Highly collectible, each side of the spinner has different graphics of your favorite characters―R2-D2, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Stormtroopers. Put it in your pocket and make anytime, spin time! Ages 8+ $4.99 – Available at Target and Wal-Mart. Darth Vader and Stromtroopers soon to be available on Amazon.

Spoiler Free Review – Phasma: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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On September 1, 2017, Phasma: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, authored by Delilah S. Dawson was released. Since her debut in The Force Awakens, we didn’t find out much about her, but after you read this, you’ll know more than you ever wanted about her.  Phasma is basically an origin story, and what a fantastic and evil story it is.  You will learn of her connection to Episode VII and Episode VIII, but it won’t spoil anything for you.  You’ll find out about how she joined the First Order, how she got her shiny iconic armor and much more.

The book is a fast read (even at 378 pages) because you just want to keep going. To dig any deeper would ruin the book, but this is well worth the $17.71 that it is currently selling for at Amazon.com – Pick it up today, you won’t be disappointed!

Book Review: Star Wars 99 Stormtroopers Join The Empire

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What happens to the 99 Stormtroopers that join the Empire? This book walks you through their amusing journey.

Star Wars 99 Stormtroopers Join The Empire was written by, Greg Stones, a lifelong Star Wars fan and author of six illustrated humor books. The book is available in hardback and is 96 pages with full color images throughout. This book has been called a “clever nod to Star Wars fandom”.

This humorous book, pokes fun at the troubles the Stormtroopers face in their ultimate demise. Each page describes the predicament of some stomtroopers and provides a colorful illustration of each. There are appearances in the book by many characters, including Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and K-2SO. The story counts down the troopers until only one remains.

This book is a quick but amusing read for any Star Wars fan.  As fans, we have all joked about Stormtroopers.  This book provides a unique and creative written and visual display of many of those jokes. It is a fun read and would make a great gift for a fellow fan (or yourself) that likes a good laugh.

Star Wars 99 Stormtroopers Join The Empire will be available on July 25, 2017. It can be pre-ordered at this link.

We would like to thank Chronicle Books for sending us this copy early to review.

Book Review: Star Wars Super Graphics A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

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You’ve seen Star Wars on the big screen, now experience it from a data perspective.  Star Wars Super Graphic gives readers a behind the scenes look at their favorite movie, through charts, graphs and other infographics.

Star Wars Super Graphics A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away was written by Tim Leong, the Creative Director at Entertainment Weekly magazine. The book is available in paperback, is 176 pages with full color images throughout. It has been called a “visual love letter to the vast Star Wars Universe.”

This book is full of facts and figures presented in a fun way. Each page contains information about Star Wars in a bar graph, pie chart, Venn diagram or other infographic. The book touches on lots of topics in the Star Wars universe, such as the number of words in the opening crawl of each movie, where to start reading and watching Star Wars, an intergalactic map of the stars, blaster colors, droid classifications and a whole lot more! The author provides the reader with colorful easy to interpret visuals of information that as a fan, you may already know or you may have never thought about.

Although there is not a lot of reading to do in this book, it is a fun read! It is a playful look at Star Wars with easy to digest visuals, interesting topics and is very informative. This book will quickly become your “go to” book for Star Wars information – next time you are debating who mentions “the force” more often, turn to page 40 for quick easy answers!

Star Wars Super Graphics A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away will debut at San Diego Comic-Con.  It can be pre-ordered at this link.

We would like to thank Chronicle Books for sending us this copy early to review.

 

Review: Imperial Probe Droid Sixth Scale Figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Now shipping from Sideshow Collectibles is the Imperial Probe Droid Sixth Scale Figure! Some collectors will remember the previous version with the Hoth Base from 2014. That  version has been long sold out, so if you missed it then, now is the time to grab it (sans the Hoth add on) before it sells out again!  I will dig in to all the details shortly, but this is a beast and a must have piece in your collection! From the articulation to the weathered deco and lights, this guy has it all, and it’s HUGE (as it should be).

First, we take a look at the box and how it comes packaged, this guy is not hard to assemble but, take it slow as there are tons of little working pieces on the articulated legs.  Each leg is labeled so just match up the numbers and you are good to go. There is a very easy to follow guide included!

This has sounds and lights, but you first need to remove two small strips before the batteries will be usable.  Below are close ups of each section where you need to remove these strips.  Also, you will see a small ON/OFF molded to the inside of the body, but there is NOT a switch there, the button to operate the light is on the exterior top. I spent a solid 10 minutes trying to figure out if my sample was missing a switch or broken before I realized it was not there. My guess is maybe that was the intent to have a switch in there, but it was later moved to the exterior.

Once you have all that done, you just snap it all back together and pose it as you wish.  There are a ton of possibilities, use you imagination. Next, we will take a look at the light up eye.  You get two different lights, the white/blue and the yellow/orange.  The first one is mega bright and lights up a dark room easily, while the yellow/orange is dimmer.  Both worked well, one click for white, another click for yellow, third click is off. 

It only has one sound, but it is an iconic one. Just press the button on the side and you’ll hear the  garbled transmission sound effects just as they were in the movie.  You can hear it below in a short clip we uploaded to Instagram when it arrived. 

 You can spin the head around 360 degrees, it stands at 17″ H (431.8mm) x 7.5″ W (190.5mm) x 7.5″ L (190.5m).  The Imperial Probe Droid Sixth Scale Figure by Sideshow Collectibles is a great piece, it has an awesome paint application, great weathering and articulation. There are also 2 extending antennas that you can extend as you wish or mix it up and keep one short and one long! The display options on this are diverse. 

 

We want to thank Sideshow Collectibles for providing this sample to us to review, you can click here to add him to your collection today