Dark Horse should now be called "Star Wars Comics" (CC news)

[VT-16]

Apparantly, they're not content with having four (five?) simultaneous SW comic titles, so now they're adding a fifth and sixth.

Star Wars: Invasion - Basically, the Yuuzhan Vong War seen by refugees from some new planet.
Star Wars: The Old Republic - Threat of Peace - 30 year timeline between the "Great War" and the opening of the upcoming MMORPG, The Old Republic.

Oh, and the actor behind Fixer (cut from ANH) is writing a free Fixer-centric one-shot. (Fixer: From the Shadow of Twin Suns)

[Havok]

I've said before that Star Wars can have it's own whole company and line of comics. It has quasi-super hero types, bounty hunters, scoundrels. smugglers, military, rebels, police forces, pilots etc. Hundreds and thousands of planets and possible settings, multiple established time lines, all with basically the same tech.

[VT-16]

It's pretty much moving in that direction. Though I see now that at least one of these series is free as a web comic, starting this February. Guess it's mostly promotional for the game, but it'll serve to add to the info on what happens between the end of the Great War and the upcoming RPG.

I think the YVW comic will also have two free online issues and then segue into paper format. Don't know what to make of it, will SW eventually hit rock bottom and hit it hard if they keep pushing more and more story lines and products? Wasn't that what gave it a break in the mid-80s?

[Havok]

Well before the TTT there basically was no Star Wars universe. It came out in 1992 and started this whole fiasco.
There was no rock bottom of stories between 84 after Jedi came out and 91 before Heir hit, because there was just nothing there. It was a vacuum waiting to be filled.

As far as now... if it is just the same crap over and over again, which seems to be the case, yes, I think that SW will eventually hit rock bottom, especially if the live action series doesn't live up to the hype it is sure to get.

[Ghost Rider]

Basically Marvel tried and failed because they used the shittiest of writers, pencillers, and basically sat on their ass, until Dark Horse.

Now? It'll stop when literally the market stops. Lucas knows a cash cow when he sees one, and I don't see him stopping just yet.

[Darth Hoth]

I think we can already see the start of the downfall: The books have gotten abysmal over the last couple of series (remains to see if this might still change), the CGI film/series pilot seems to have done rather poorly, and the comics appear to be slowly degenerating as well (I picked up some of the KotOR comics, and they felt meh). I cannot but get the feeling that they are trying to push it as much as they can while it is still "alive".

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I wonder if there are any sales figures to look at. What with the movies slowly slipping into the history books, I wonder where else they would be heading.

[VT-16]

I was under the impression the TV series so far is a success. Any source to the contrary?

[Darth Hoth]

I meant the film, not the series as such.

[Tiriol]

I meant the film, not the series as such.

Has there been some figures published for the Clone Wars film? I was under the impression that it sold relatively well.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Well before the TTT there basically was no Star Wars universe. It came out in 1992 and started this whole fiasco.
There was no rock bottom of stories between 84 after Jedi came out and 91 before Heir hit, because there was just nothing there. It was a vacuum waiting to be filled.

While you are pretty much correct, I'd say the starting point was more like 1987, when West End Games released the first edition of the RPG, which really laid down the foundation (and even reference material) later incorporated into the Thrawn Trilogy and following novels.

[Coiler]

Has there been some figures published for the Clone Wars film? I was under the impression that it sold relatively well.

While I can't remember the exact figures for the Clone Wars film, I remember that on the week it was released, Rottentomatoes ranked it third in box office earnings for that week, behind Tropic Thunder and another film I can't remember.

It's not a good sign when a film of one of the most popular franchises ever doesn't even make it to the top of the box office in its opening week.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Clone Wars made $68,282,844 total worldwide; $35,161,554 in the US, and $33,121,290 internationally.

I don't suppose that's too bad for something that looked like it was originally made for television or DTV.

[Kurgan]

It was panned by critics (18% on RT, and I agree it was pretty "ho-hum" even with such low expectations), but that's not bad for an 8.5 million estimated budget (wonder how much of that is split from or included in the TV show budget?).


Oddly enough I've felt that although the episodes I've seen aren't nearly as pretty as the movie was in theaters, they're actually much more interesting and exciting than the big screen version. It has a rather different feel than the earlier series (which is good or bad, depending on who you are). It's still not very good though, and not the sort of thing to prop up the franchise by any means. I shudder to think anyone would use it for "calcs" in Vs. debates.

[Tiriol]

It was panned by critics (18% on RT, and I agree it was pretty "ho-hum" even with such low expectations), but that's not bad for an 8.5 million estimated budget (wonder how much of that is split from or included in the TV show budget?).

So the pilot movie brought in almost eight times it cost? That's not bad, considering that it was never meant to be more than a pilot movie for - let's face it - a kid's show. It COULD have been much better, though, considering the fame of the franchise, but then again, the initial expectations were probably a tad bit high and misplaced (this wasn't going to be a second Revenge of the Sith, that much was clear).

[JME2]

As a fan of the NJO, I'm really looking forward to Invasion; the return of the Yuuzhan Vong, baby...

[DrMckay]

That makes one of us. I read Vector Prime, got pissed off when they killed off Chewie, adn pretty much just read the Stackpole/Allston Editions.

Speaking of Allston, Why not a Wraith Squadron Comic series. They were great characters with good drama and story.

[JME2]

That makes one of us. I read Vector Prime, got pissed off when they killed off Chewie, adn pretty much just read the Stackpole/Allston Editions.

I'm not saying that the NJO is perfect; it has it's flaws and aspects that piss me off. But it's still my favorite era and considering the shit that was inflicted on the EU with LOTF, I welcome a return to the Vong...

[DrMckay]

I personally like the Post ROTJ Era when the NR is on semi-equal footing with the Empire in warfare. Lot of unexplored potential, especially from an infantry or Fleet perspective.

In my opinion, the Empire itself was a fabulous baddie, and underutilized (Only by Zahn, Stackpole, Allston, and a couple of others.)

The reset of the goddamn authors were so fixated on the WANKTACULAR SUPERWEAPON of the Week, or THE AWESOME NEW WARLORD/COMMANDER/old superweapon stuff, that they ignored the massive potential of the Empire completely.

I loved Hobbie's line in Isard's Revenge, when they are being birefed about a possible superweapon being constructed,completely skewering the superweapon of the week crap:

Hobbie: "How come we never have these superweapons that could eliminate a problem like that?"

Wedge: "Because, Hobbie, we rely on pluck, courage, and skill instead of capital expenditure."

Hobbie: "I guess, then, that the rumors of a raise are not true?"

[JME2]

Hobbie: "How come we never have these superweapons that could eliminate a problem like that?"

Wedge: "Because, Hobbie, we rely on pluck, courage, and skill instead of capital expenditure."

Hobbie: "I guess, then, that the rumors of a raise are not true?"

Ah, Aaron Allston -- probably my favorite EU author after Luceno.

[DrMckay]

actually, that was stackpole. he got lucky. Once.

[JME2]

actually, that was stackpole. he got lucky. Once.

Whoops; my bad...

[Darksider]

actually, that was stackpole. he got lucky. Once.

I really don't understand all the hate for stackpole. Sure, Alliston's books were better, but Stackpole wasn't that bad, certainly not as bad as KJA or Traviss.

I rather enjoyed all to Rogue Squadron books to be honest.

[JME2]

actually, that was stackpole. he got lucky. Once.

I really don't understand all the hate for stackpole. Sure, Alliston's books were better, but Stackpole wasn't that bad, certainly not as bad as KJA or Traviss.

I'm not overly familiar with Stackpole (only books of his I've read are the Dark Tide duology). Aren't the complaints directed towards the perceived perception of his wanking of his creation, Corran Horn?

[DrMckay]

Pretty much. Also, his characters have unrealistic, overcomplicated and long winded dialogue and can get a bit preachy, he doesn't build or explore his secondary characters well enough, so that when they die, it's "Oh, wait, who are they again?"

As opposed to Wraith Squadron, where all the character's motivations are given at least cursory examination (Castin, Grinder, Falynn, Elessar,Runt, Dia, etc)

Compare the death of Ton Phanan, in Iron Fist, which was one of the most heartwrenching moments of the EU for me, with the death of Lujayne Forge in Rogue Squadron. (This was a character who Stackpole actually tried to develop before having stormies kill her in her sleep.)

In my opinion, he's better than Anderson, Traviss, and their ilk, he writes a good Wedge, but He can't compare to Allston

Let's look at villains:

Stackpole gave us the evil of Isard, the one dimensional Loor, and the kinda cool Vorru.

Allston gave us the multidimensional warlord/businessman/actor Zinsj, his number 2 man Melvar, Dr. Edda Gast, Admiral Trigit, and the conflicted Lara/Gara/Kirney.

Also, he didn't turn Kell Tainer or Face Loran into a wanktacular Jedi master. (Early Corran Horn wasn't so bad....)

In short, Stackpole stacks up (Heh) poorly compared to Allston, (who he is most often compared to,) but is a better writer, tells a better story, and invents better characters than a goodly portion of the other authors.

Also, Allston gave us Starfighters of Adumar. For that alone, he deserves the best author award.