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Weekly Comic 100s: Event Leviathan, Family Tree, Power Rangers
*"Weekly Comic 100s" keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***
TITLE: Event Leviathan #6
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Alex Maleev, Josh Reed (Letterer)
So Leviathan turns out to be [name redacted for spoilers' sake]…
Who the @#$% is that?
I'm always annoyed when big mystery comics do this. They build the bad guy's identity up for weeks and weeks and weeks…and then it's somebody we have to go to Wikipedia to learn about. *head on table*
Event Leviathan was a fun, suspenseful read, with some fun ideas. All the secret organizations (A.R.G.U.S., Task Force X, etc) being shut down, detectives from across the DC Universe coming together. But they really needed to stick the landing here. They didn't.
TITLE: Superman #17
ARTISTS: Kevin Maguire, Paul Mounts (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Cover by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Alex Sinclair.
I'm always happy to find a Kevin Maguire book in my weekly stack. Though some of the sillier expressions we get here don't necessarily mesh with the foreboding tone the issue seems to be going for.
The issue is titled "The Truth: Prologue." They never specifically learn what said truth is. But I'm hoping it's not what it looks like. If it is, we may be headed toward a rehash of the New Krypton storyline they did about a decade ago. If that's the case, then I'm leaving Superman on the stands for awhile.
TITLE: Family Tree #1
AUTHOR: Jeff Lemire
ARTISTS: Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur (Inker), Ryan Cody (Colorist)
I imagine the pitch for this must have been simply, "Girl becomes tree." In the end, that's all you need, isn't it? Like "Weekly Comic 100s," it's straight and to the point.
But to their credit, Jeff Lemire, Phil Hester, and the Family Tree team got me to care about these characters. I consider that a pretty big achievement, as this premise could have come off comical. I'm not sure if it was enough to hook me for issue #2. But I'm definitely curious…
TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #25
AUTHORS: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by J Lou.
This "Necessary Evil" storyline between Go Go and the main MMPR book is essentially the BOOM! crew's take on why Jason, Zack, and Trini really left during season two, and what they were doing. It's obviously a better story than the show could tell us at that time.
I love the respect this book shows for the show. It takes place during the events of "White Light, Part I." At one point, it briefly depicts a scene from that episode, and makes a point of using the actual dialogue that's in the show. Those little details mean so much sometimes…
TITLE: Detective Comics #1015
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Doug Mahnke, Jose Luis, Christian Alamy (Co-Inker), Keith Champagne (Co-Inker), Mark Irwin (Co-Inker), Matt Santorelli (Co-Inker), David Baron (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer). Cover by Paul Pantalena and Arif Prianto
I'm a huge Peter Tomasi fan. But he and Doug Mahnke have had far better outings.
This "Nora Fries becomes evil" story has been done before. All in all, this may be a better story when it comes to the Mr. Freeze/Nora dynamic. But Batman spends most of this issue in the cave with Alfred and Lucius Fox standing in front of computers talking comic book science. Not exactly thrilling reading.
Later, we get a Batman trope that I absolutely loathe: The Dark Knight in some kind of armored/robot suit. Better luck next time, gentlemen.
TITLE: Star Wars #74
AUTHOR: Greg Pak
ARTISTS: Phil Noto, Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
This issue has Stormtroopers riding dinosaurs. That alone might be worth the cover price.
You'd think a Vader vs. Chewbacca fight wouldn't actually last that long. (Remember the first level in The Force Unleashed?) But this issue actually does a great job selling it. It's only two pages, mind you. But the right guy wins, and it's a great character moment for Chewie.
Someone else who gets a character moment? C-3PO. And you can argue his is actually the better of the two. No joke.
TITLE: Collapser #5
AUTHORS: Mikey Way, Shaun Simon
ARTISTS: Ilias Kyriazis, Cris Peter (Colorist), Simon Bowland (Letterer)
Firstly, love the hat-tip to Superman #1.
I was contemplating dropping Collapser, as it seemed to be getting away from the main character's ongoing struggle with anxiety. But in this issue, it re-asserts itself in a big way. So once again, Collapser has my full attention.
One element that's been consistent, however, is Ilias Kyriazis' art. This stuff is gloriously trippy and bizarre. I'm always anxious to see what he's going to pull out of the hat next.
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George Lucas on Star Wars: Anakin and C-3PO
02/19/2019 06/12/2022 Rob Siebert 2 Comments
***Think what you will about George Lucas, but in terms of Star Wars, it can all be traced back to him. That's why I always find it so interesting to listen to him talk about it. His creative process, the reason certain decisions were made, and how these movies became the pop cultural staples they are. This space is dedicated to just that. This is "George Lucas on Star Wars."***
The Scene: Anakin introduces Padme to C-3PO, the protocol droid he's building to help his mother. Moments later, Threepio meets R2-D2 for the first time.
George Lucas Says (Via the Phantom Menace Commentary Track): "Not only is Darth Vader Luke and Leia's father, but he's also Threepio's father. I thought that was kind of amusing irony in all of this. And I couldn't resist it. It gives us the opportunity for Threepio to meet Artoo for the first time, and start what will ultimately become a very long and arduous friendship of sorts."
I Say: Like a lot of people, my initial reaction to the revelation that Anakin built C-3PO was: "Bullsh*t." Even in a world with laser swords and slug people, it was far-fetched.
But…when you hear George explain it like this, it actually makes sense. So much of Threepio's character is based on him trying to relate to human beings. ("Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior!") So there's fantastic comedic irony in the idea that like our main hero Luke Skywalker, Threepio is also Darth Vader's son. It even casts an interesting new light on the "He's more machine now than man" line from Return of the Jedi.
But that's all subtext. To the average moviegoer, this Anakin connection is just a contrivance to shoehorn Threepio into the movie. And for no real reason, as there's not much for him to do other than be introduced to Artoo. So while I very much like what George was going for with this, I don't know that it was worth it in the end.
Toy Photography: C-3PO in the Snow
11/30/2018 Rob Siebert Leave a comment
This is what happens when you have writer's block on your day off. You wind up trying your hand at toy photography. Whaddaya think? Not bad for a first-timer, right?
To an extent, I'm trying to mimic the shot from The Empire Strikes Back where Luke is lost in the snowstorm and the camera pulls back. As the landscape expands, we see just how alone he truly is. This shot doesn't have the same effect, obviously. But there's a certain cuteness to it that I enjoy.
Oddly enough, I originally just plopped Threepio into the snow and took the shot. But of course, the best action figure photos are the ones that allow you to forget you're looking at little plastic toys. So I made some little footprints next to him so he didn't simply look like a toy someone left outside. Now he's impacting his environment. It actually turned out to be my favorite part of the image.
Toy Chest Theater: Raph, Leo, and a Hell of a Crowd!
The TMNT are back in this second edition of "Toy Chest Theater." I didn't necessarily want to do a double dose of Turtle Power. But after seeing this beauty from Jax Navarro at Plastic Action, how could I resist?
I'm a sucker for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie. Almost 30 years later, it's still my favorite take on the concept. So any toy photographer that can find something creative to do with those NECA figures gets points with me automatically.
But what puts this one over the top is that it's so beautifully random. The Ninja Turtles playing street ball? Pretty damn cool. But the Ninja Turtles playing street ball in front of such a…wide assortment of characters? Awesomeness, personified in plastic!
What's more, the way some of the background figures are posed is not only very natural, but very in-character. The best example? Han Solo leaning against the wall with his forearm on C-3PO's shoulder. Even the way Threepio's body is leaned looks perfect. Harley looks great too. The combination of her behind Thor is odd, but somehow pleasing.
Also, the detail on the background is incredible. It actually looks like a real place. There's something about that red lighting. It actually serves as a camouflage of sorts for Spider-Man, Red Skull, Superman, and the other characters Navarro has up on that ledge. I actually missed most of them at first look.
For plenty more from Plastic Action, check Jax Navarro out on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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Talking Star Wars: Looking Back at The Force Awakens
Mrs. Primary Ignition and I are going to see The Last Jedi tonight. So naturally, last night we sat down to watch The Force Awakens. It was her idea, actually. Ladies, if you're husband is a geek, ask him if he's up for sitting down with some chili and a Star Wars movie. See what happens.
Obviously I've seen it a number of times already. In addition to officially reviewing it two years ago, I've discussed numerous elements here and there. The Force Awakens rightfully got a lot of flack for mimicking the original film. But I still love it. I can't help it. There's just something about Star Wars that brings out the inner child in so many of us. The Force Awakens did that in a way the prequels didn't.
Moreso, The Force Awakens was a hell of an accomplishment. It breathed so much new life into the franchise, by introducing new faces and telling new stories. It restored some of the magic of the original trilogy by incorporating more practical effects, and not leaning so heavily on CGI. We had yet another epic score from the incomparable John Williams. In the end, it set the bar pretty damn high for Disney's foray into the Star Wars universe.
What follows are a some notes I jotted down during the movie. This was my last stop on the road to The Last Jedi. Sometimes in order to appreciate where we're going, you must first remember where you've been…
Mere minutes into the movie, Mrs. Primary Ignition asks: "Who built BB-8?" A fair question, I suppose. It's sometimes tough to wrap your head around the idea that these robots, who play such pivotal roles in these movies, were mass produced in a factory somewhere. Unless you're C-3PO, of course.
What The Force Awakens suffers from more than anything is a lack of exposition. When we were last in this universe, the Empire was being dealt a fatal blow. The implication was that they were gone for good. Then in the opening title crawl we're told the First Order has "risen from the ashes of the Empire." So where did they come from, and when? How did they acquire all their resources? Has there been relative peace in the three decades since Return of the Jedi? I understand certain things had to be kept a mystery. But little tidbits here and there to fill in the gaps would have been helpful.
Captain Phasma has a great look. Her armor is a nice extension of the stormtrooper get-up, and works as a symbol of the unwavering strength of the First Order. It's also perfect to base toys off of. That always helps.
On a similar note, I've never liked the blasters the First Order troopers use. The mix of white and black makes them look like toy guns.
You can pinpoint the moment the audience is supposed to understand Rey is a good guy. When she's sitting there cleaning off the parts she found in the old Star Destroyer, she looks at a frail old lady across from her doing some cleaning of her own. We see sympathy and compassion on her face. Thus, we make a positive connection with her. Remember, t this point in the film Rey hasn't spoken yet. So it's a nice subtle move.
The Empire's last stand took place on Jakku. That's why we see the crashed Star Destroyer, the downed AT-AT that Rey lives in, etc. But no one else us this. Again, lack of exposition. It doesn't make or break the film either way, but it would have helped.
There are a lot of little details that are meant to make your brain associate The Force Awakens with the original trilogy. The noise the mouse droids make. The placement of the gas masks on the Millennium Falcon. The belch noise from the rathtar monster. That's to say nothing of the more overt stuff, like the chess board and remote on the Falcon.
The Mos Eisley Cantina has to be one of the most imitated settings in cinematic history. Even within in the Star Wars universe, creators can't help but put their spin on the idea. We obviously get that here with Maz Kanata's cantina. It was fine. But it was pretty obvious what they were doing.
Should Kylo Ren/Ben Solo have had a pale, worn face that hadn't seen light in awhile? When he takes his helmet off, he just looks like a normal guy. But I picture him never wanting to be seen without it, much like Darth Vader.
There's a great little moment with Leia that was cut from the movie. Now that Carrie Fisher is gone, I really wish they'd kept it in. Leia is talking to someone about contacting the Senate and insisting action be taking against the First Order.
"Not all the senators think I'm insane. Or maybe they do. I don't care."
That line, and the way she delivers it, are so great. Considering how open Carrie Fisher was about her own mental illness, I bet she loved that line. I don't think the line between Carrie and Leia was ever thinner than during those three sentences.
My favorite exchange in the movie happens between Han and Finn while they're trying to infiltrate the Starkiller Base.
"Solo, we'll figure it out. We'll use the Force!"
"That's not how the Force works!"
Han's death scene is still hard to watch. Even when you know it's coming, it doesn't help. That horrified roar from Chewie might be the worst part of it all.
There's a fan theory that Han actually pointed the lightsaber at himself, allowing Ben to turn it on and kill him. The idea being that he knew Snoke would kill Ben if he failed to carry out the deed. It doesn't make the most sense. But stranger things have happened.
I love the fight between Kylo Ren and Rey. There's very little fancy fight choreography, and neither look like extremely polished fighters. They're just wailing on each other. It's also a different environment than we've ever seen a lightsaber fight, which is accentuated when Rey uses the snow to extinguish Ren's weapon.
The music callback from A New Hope when Rey catches the lightsaber is a touching moment. We heard it when Luke accepted his call to adventure, and now Rey is accepting hers. A hero is born.
On paper, you'd think the ending to this movie would be infuriating. We finally find Luke Skywalker, and then the movie ends. But it works.
Despite only appearing on camera for a matter of seconds, Mark Hamill did not have an easy job. He had so much to covey in so little time. This is the first time we've seen the character in so many years, and so much has happened. So the audience is just staring at him, taking in all the details.
I've heard that Hamill steals the show in The Last Jedi. I hope that's the case. It's time for mainstream moviegoers to see what we in the geek community have known for a long time: This man is a gem.
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Blatant Insubordination: "What's Star Wars About?"
"What's Star Wars about?"
A young lady asked me this at work the other day without a hint of snark. She's an outdoorsy girl without much use for movies. But still, it's easy to just assume everybody knows what Star Wars is. You'd think people would inevitably see the original simply by virtue of being alive.
But I think that's a geek bias seeping through. After I got this question I put the above meme (Get it?) on my Facebook. One of the comments I got read: "I've never seen a Star Wars movie. Thought about getting the DVD and starting from the beginning, but I'm not sure where it starts."
I don't push Star Wars, or anything else I love, on other people. But if people are curious about this kind of thing, I'm happy to offer my opinions. And this idea of explaining what Star Wars is about intrigues me. How do you offer a simple explanation of something that's come to encompass so much?
For whatever reason, when I got this question I thought of Kyle Gnepper over at Unshaven Comics. I've seen Kyle and the Unshaven crew a bunch of times at Chicago area comic conventions over the years. When he's hyping a new comic series, he's always got a one-sentence pitch to hook you in. Something to catch your interest and intrigue you. I won't try to directly quote him for fear of butchering his words. But for instance, he might hype Unshaven's The Samurnauts by saying: "It's about a group of samurai astronauts led by an immortal Kung Fu warrior monkey."
At that point you've got to at least look, right?
So what would a similar pitch be for Star Wars? And by Star Wars, I mean the original 1977 film. The young lady I spoke to was shocked to hear there were seven movies in all, with more on the way. But Episode IV: A New Hope is how the world at large was introduced to this strange universe, and it obviously served as the basis for everything else. That's where newbs should start.
I figure simplicity and conciseness is important when you begin to explain something like this. Don't start by trying to explain who Darth Vader is, or what a Jedi is, or how the Skywalkers are all related to each other. You'll lose them if you try to explain all that stuff.
Here's the "Gnepperfied" Star Wars synopsis that I came up with: "It's about a galactic dictatorship with a weapon that can destroy a planet, and the rebel heroes fighting against them."
Some might argue it's too simple or generic. But that's the point, isn't it? You lure them in with the broad strokes, and then explore the intricacies as you get closer. Once you're past the simple explanations, you can get into how the Empire works, who the iconic characters are, etc.
On the subject of those iconic characters, I've recently started wearing character socks to work. Star Wars, superheroes, etc. Because, you know, that's what cool people do. One such pair features little images of C-3PO. This girl in question sees the socks, her eyes pop and she asks: "Are those Minions on your socks?"
We can only do so much.
Click here for more Blatant Insubordination.
Image 2 from usatoday.com. Image 3 from digitalspy.com.
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A Star Wars: C-3PO #1 Review – Ghosts in the Machine
04/16/2016 07/23/2022 Rob Siebert 1 Comment
TITLE: Star Wars: C-3PO #1
AUTHOR: James Robinson
PENCILLER: Tony Harris
***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead.***
Like many a moviegoer, I enjoyed the hell out of The Force Awakens. But one of the more bizarre choices made in that film was C-3PO inexplicably having a red arm. It was never even explained, despite Threepio pointing it out mere seconds after he first appears on camera. Because they didn't tell us how he got it, it became a distraction. What's more, this issue, which finally tells us how he got the arm, was supposed to come out in December. After numerous delays, it's finally hit comic shops four months after it was originally solicited.
On the plus side, it's a pretty cool story. I'm not sure I buy one of the central concepts James Robinson presents. But the core idea is definitely worthy of the iconic character on the page.
Set shortly before The Force Awakens, our story finds C-3PO stranded in the wild with a group of droids. One of them, a First Order protocol droid named OMRI, is their prisoner. OMRI contains information vital to the rescue of Admiral Ackbar, who has been captured and may soon be executed. But Threepio, OMRI, and their companions are more than vulnerable to the elements. It's not just Ackbar's life that's at stake in all of this.
Fans of Robinson and Harris' acclaimed Starman series are obviously in for a treat here, as the band is back together. Visually, this issue is unlike anything Marvel has put out since re-aquiring the Star Wars license. Everything here is much darker, with a lot of heavy inks. On the upside, this issue definitely stands out. Threepio and his robots comrades look great. On the downside, Harris' style doesn't lend itself to the richly detailed environments one often sees in a Star Wars comic. Granted, this world looks pretty barren. But I'd still like to be able to see where the robots are.
The theme of the issue revolves around the place droids occupy at the bottom of the galaxy's pecking order. One of the reasons C-3PO and R2-D2 are such prominent characters in A New Hope is so the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire could be seen from that unusual perspective. The galaxy's underclass, so to speak. The move was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's work in The Hidden Fortress.
This issue suggests that protocol droids, like Threepio and OMRI, have an extra degree of sentience compared to other robots. As such they can question things, such as the actions of their human masters. Though his memory was erased at the end of Revenge of the Sith, Threepio can vaguely remember some of the events of the prequels (see the image above). Such memories are described by OMRI as "a phantom limb inside my memory banks."
The idea of droids having sentience, personalities, and even referring to having a "life" isn't new. But the notion of robots being able to remember things prior to a memory wipe is, at least to yours truly. Granted, this is all sci-fi logic. But there's something I find hard to process about Threepio still having traces of his old memories. If you wipe a computer's memory, there aren't select files left over, are there? Unless you have them backed up somewhere…but that's not what they said!
Perhaps I'm reading too deeply into this…
Oh, and Threepio loses his arm to an underwater tentacle creature of sorts. Don't worry though, he's not too broken up about it: "This isn't the first time I've lost that old thing."
The red arm we see in the movie belongs to OMRI. He sacrifices himself to acid rain (which reveals red a red coat of primer) to save Threepio. While the two droids are on opposite sides, OMRI opts to choose his own destiny. It's very much a fitting end to a story about robot existentialism. Still, it seems like Threepio and OMRI became friends awfully fast. Especially considering the whole prisoner dynamic.
Some of Threepio's dialogue is also a little irritating, as he has to repeat (i.e. translate for the reader) what some of the other droids say. Lots of stuff in the vein of: "Yes Peewee-Ninety-Nine, I know you're a military-grade class four security droid. You were quite vocal on the matter earlier." But it's very much in character for ol' Goldenrod. So I can't fault Robinson for that.
While not flawless by any means, Star Wars: C-3PO #1 is unique. Compared to everything else we've been getting from Marvel, it looks and feels very different. Plus, as it answers a pressing question from The Force Awakens, it's also proven worthy of mainstream press. I can't say I loved it, but if you're a Star Wars fan it's worth picking up.
Images from author's collection.
A Darth Vader #14 Review – Familiar Faces
TITLE: Darth Vader #14
AUTHOR: Kieron Gillen
PENCILLER: Salvador Larroca. Cover by Mark Brooks.
This is the first issue of Darth Vader where Salvador Larroca's art has disappointed me. That's really saying something, as his art has been tremendous up to this point, and a huge factor in getting me to come back month after month.
Continuing the big Vader Down crossover, this issue finds the Dark Lord face-to-face with Princess Leia, as Rebel forces continue to hunt the stranded Sith. But they aren't the only ones hunting. Vader's obsession with finding Luke Skywalker has driven him to face the Rebels head on. And he's winning.
When an artist is working on a Star Wars book, it's stands to reason that they'll study the movies, and perhaps even work off of stills or screen caps to depict the characters. That's likely how Larroca has been able to get the Darth Vader mask down so well. As we see in this issue, he also draws a hell of a C-3PO. But when it comes to drawing Luke, Han, and Leia, it's evident Larroca is working off of specific moments from the movies, and it takes you out of the book. He changes certain things to he's not blatantly pulling things from them, but they're similar enough that you notice. I don't so much oppose this practice. I just wish Larroca had made it a little less obvious. I pulled some images to illustrate. This first one took me out of the issue entirely.
I have an issue with the way Luke's hands are positioned on Mark Brooks' cover. Typically, when someone is holding a lightsaber, their hands are together so they can have a strong hold, but also so their wrists can have an optimal range of motion. As much of a nit pick as this may be, I don't like how Luke's hands are spread apart. We're so used to seeing them together that it makes the image look awkward.
Vader Down is having its share of fun being a crossover. We've already seen Han Solo match wits with Doctor Aphra, which was really entertaining. This issue sees Triple-Zero cross paths with C-3PO, in a meeting that pretty much goes how you'd imagine. Our old friend Krrsantan even pops in. That gives us an amusing moment where Han thinks the bounty hunter is looking to collect Jabba the Hutt's bounty on him. But as we know from earlier issues, he's actually after Luke. Based on the cover for Star Wars #14 (the next installment in Vader Down), this Krrsantan's involvement could lead to a pretty cool fight.
Not surprisingly, the star of the issue is Leia. When confronted by Darth Vader, a helpless and undoubtedly terrified Leia stands her moral ground. In the highlight of the issue (shown left), she tells Vader that he'll pay for what he's done, and that he can kill her, but not what she stands for. It's a terrific character moment, as we've come to expect from Kieron Gillen. Later, we learn just how far Leia is willing to go to eliminate Darth Vader. It's such an extreme that Luke and Han actually try to stop her, even if that means Vader survives.
Vader Down has been a fairly worthwhile crossover, with fresh character interactions, and a central story that holds it all together. Darth Vader #14 is hardly the story's best chapter. It has artistic flaws, and Vader himself doesn't do much. But it gave Leia an awesome character moment, and offers a bridge to what will hopefully be a strong next chapter. So while this is unquestionably one of Gillen and Larroca's less successful outings, in the context of the Vader Down story, it's still a worthwhile read.
For more Star Wars, check out our review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Issues images from author's collection. Screencaps from starwarsscreencaps.com.
A Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review – Spoiler-Free For Your Protection
TITLE: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
STARRING: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Oscar Issaac
DIRECTOR: J.J. Abrams
STUDIOS: Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm Ltd, Bad Robot Productions
RATED: PG-13
RUN-TIME: 135 min
This week, The Los Angeles Times ran article about John Williams composing the music for The Force Awakens. The famous film score composer said he felt "a renewed energy, and a vitality, and a freshness that did not estrange any of the characters or material from the texture and fabric of [George] Lucas' creation — but revivified it."
That's pretty much been the energy surrounding The Force Awakens as a whole. We've all felt it. This film represents a new dawn for the Star Wars franchise. And the box office figures indicate, we're ready to greet the day.
The plot for this movie has been delightfully shrouded in mystery from the get-go, and I see no reason to go into detail now. But here are the basics. Thirty years after Return of the Jedi, the First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire. Near the top of their ranks is Kylo Ren, a mysterious warrior following in the footsteps of Darth Vader. But new heroes will rise, such as Rey, a scavenger on the planet Jakku. At her side is Finn, a defected stormtrooper whose conscious led him away from the violent First Order. This duo will fight alongside none other than Han Solo and Chewbacca, heroes of the Galactic Civil War. All the while, the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, searches for the one hero missing amidst the conflict: Luke Skywalker.
As a life-long Star Wars fan, I can indeed confirm that The Force Awakens is good. But it's a different kind of Star Wars movie. Not drastically so, but Star Wars die-hards may notice. Certain portions have dimmer lighting, which leads to a darker vibe. There's also a little more blood than we're used to seeing from Star Wars. It's still a scarce amount in the grand scheme of things, but it's noticeable. I attribute this to the absence of George Lucas, who wasn't there to micromanage things in his own…ehem…unique way.
I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm a George Lucas fan. But if The Force Awakens proves anything, it's that Star Wars needed to get away from him. The man who wrote and directed the prequels could not have created a movie like this. This movie gives us new heroes we can invest in and care about. While it doesn't shy away from nostalgiac winks here and there, it doesn't need to be propped up by original trilogy elements the way the prequels did. It's a thrill ride very much worthy of the Star Wars legacy.
The original trilogy character we spend the most time with is Han Solo, who is as charming and witty as ever. Harrison Ford essentially gives us exactly what we wanted to see from that character. He's not necessarily the same daring rogue. But he's still Han Solo. We also see a good amount of Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa. It's especially cathartic to see her in the role again. It's such an iconic character, and she deserved that renewed spotlight. As for Mark Hamill's portrayal of Luke Skywalker…that would be a spoiler.
Most of the new characters we meet are intriguing. But for my money, none are more interesting than Kylo Ren. It's encouraging that he's not simply a Darth Vader clone. He's very much his own man, with his own demons. Some may argue that makes him less threatening than Vader, or other Star Wars villains. But without saying too much, there's a level of instability there that should make for an entertaining journey.
A fair complaint about The Force Awakens is that it's simply the original Star Wars film done over again. The similarities are undeniable. We have our hero on a desert planet who gets a call-to-action from a droid, and is quickly swept into a galactic war against a Nazi-like organization with a base that has the power to destroy planets. Sound familiar? At one point, they even do a side-by-side comparison of Starkiller Base and the Death Star. The inside of the base is also clearly modeled after the Death Star!
Given what we'd seen from our most recent Star Wars movies, I'd argue a throwback isn't the worst thing in the world. This movie gives people the Star Wars they want to see. Good and evil, the Rebellion and the Empire, Jedi and Sith. Some of the names have changed, but at their core, they're the same. As a bonus, we even get to see some of the faces we fell in love with from the original trilogy.
The Force Awakens is designed to jump-start the Star Wars franchise, getting us to remember what we loved about the originals while introducing new faces to carry the brand into the future. It accomplishes that goal, easily giving us the best installment in the series since Return of the Jedi. Lingering questions do remain, but I expect they'll be resolved in future films. It's fun to watch The Force Awakens, and if there's anything that's been missing from Star Wars in recent years, it's that sense of fun and adventure. J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and everybody else involved with this movie deserve credit for living up to the hype, and restoring something that was lost.
So rejoice Jedi, wookies, droids, and even you damn gungans! Star Wars is fun again!
Images from rottentomatoes.com.
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A Star Wars, Vol. 2 Review – Mrs. Han Solo???
TITLE: Star Wars, Vol. 2: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon
PENCILLERS: Stuart Immonen, Simone Bianchi.
COLLECTS: Star Wars #7-12
For further reading, check out our reviews of issue 7 and issue 8.
Since getting the keys to Marvel's Star Wars ongoing series, Jason Aaron's writing has been fairly inconsistent in terms of quality. He'll be great for an issue or two, then suddenly give us an eye-roller. Still, Aaron has definitely put together a book that delivers on the trademark Star Wars action and adventure that we love. So despite the eye-rollers, we still come back for more.
After a glimpse into the journal of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker sets out for the smuggler's moon of Nar Shaddaa, hoping he'll find someone who can get him on Coruscant and into the Jedi Temple discreetly. Unfortunately, Luke becomes the prisoner of a Hutt who fancies himself a collector of all things Jedi. Meanwhile, Sana Solo, the alleged wife of Han Solo, intends to collect the bounty on Princess Leia's head. But first, they must survive a bombardment from the Empire. Plus, who's going to rescue Luke?
This book has a really strong start, as Aaron and Simone Bianchi give us a glimpse of Obi-Wan Kenobi's maddening seclusion on Tatooine. Put plainly, it's the best issue the Star Wars team has put out thus far. I've talked extensively about issue #7 before, but it bears a little repetition. Simone Bianchi's art is haunting at times. Particularly memorable is a sequence in which Obi-Wan is meditating, and in his frustration, ends up lifting the bones of a long-dead creature out of the sand. There's also a lone panel in which he's sitting in his home alone in the dark, with nothing but agonizing time on his hands. I'm hoping we get more issues like this down the road.
We then get into the main story, which deals largely with Sana Solo, Han's alleged wife. Han spends much of the story in a state of fluster, saying things like: "Sana. Where did you…how…how did you…?" and ""Leia, don't listen to her. It was never like that…She's not my wife!" That gets old after awhile. But on the plus side, it is interesting to see Han get the tables turned on him like that.
The downside of a story like this is that the end is fairly obvious. From her reveal in issue #6, we knew the chances of her actually being Han's wife were pretty slim. Even if she was his wife, shenanigans were likely involved. So we knew that by the end of the story she'd be gone. As such, it's tough to fully get invested in her. But it is interesting when we finally hear her backstory. Her ship is also pretty cool. It looks like a cousin of sorts to the Millennium Falcon.
This book plays the lightsaber card pretty heavily. I've talked about the downside of what I call Frequent Lightsaber Activation (FLA) before, and it's present in this book. It's not entirely unjustified, because Luke does spend a lot of time in a combat scenario. But there's a scene where Luke goes into a cantina on Nar Shaddaa, and his lightsaber makes him a target. The story then starts to revolve around Luke protecting the weapon, then retrieving it, then being confronted by a Hutt with a bunch of lightsabers strung around his neck. Then at the end, we get a stunt involving our main characters and a bunch of lightsabers. It's all a bit much for my tastes. I don't doubt there's some sort of editorial mandate to play up Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, as it will appear in The Force Awakens. But there's something to be said for not overdoing it.
On the plus side, Aaron writes an excellent C-3PO. In Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon, Threepio travels with Chewbacca to Nar Shaddaa in an attempt to rescue Luke. But the duo go on a hunt for information before runing into Dengar, one of the bounty hunters seen in The Empire Strikes Back. Threepio's dialogue in issues #10 and #11 is fantastic. I loved the line, "Oh, why do I always have to be the hero?" Aaron's portrayal of Threepio is one thing he's been consistent with from the start. The fact that I'm a sucker for ol' goldenrod doesn't hurt either.
Stuart Immonen does fantastic work here. The passion he's putting into these pages is evident. He's got the faces and mannerisms of the characters down pretty well. Immonen, inker Wade Von Grawbadger, and colorist Justin Ponsor do an excellent job with Nar Shaddaa as a whole. The sky is a gorgeous (relatively speaking) mix of browns, yellows, greens, and even light oranges to portray the pollution. They also give us a really good Chewbacca. A lot of artists forget that Chewie's arms are relatively skinny. He wasn't this big, muscled up gorilla, so much as he was really tall. Kudos to this team for giving us a pretty fair representation of Peter Mayhew in that costume.
This crew also does most of the covers, and give us a fantastic one for issue #12.
Our artists have definitely proven their worth as far as the Star Wars universe is concerned. As for Aaron, this volume shows definite improvement. He'll be spending his next few issues on the Vader Down crossover. But he's managed to keep my interest, and I'll be sticking around to see what he does next.
For more from Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Justin Ponsor, check out Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 1: The World According to Peter Parker.


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Home/InFocus/Finance/Indian Industrial Growth on Improvement Curve
FinanceNews
Indian Industrial Growth on Improvement Curve
SMEStreet Desk Follow on Twitter Send an email December 2, 2014Last Updated: December 2, 2014
Finally there is some good news for the Indian manufacturing industry and country's economy. According to the official industrial growth data issued by Government, the growth of eight core industries accelerated by 6.3 percent in the month of October on the back of better coal and power production. This is a very positive year on year growth showcased.
The Ministry of commerce and industry, Government of India stated in it's official statement that the cumulative growth during the April-October period of the current fiscal was 4.3 percent.
The index of eight core industries with a combined weightage of 37.90 percent in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base year 2004-05 stood at 165.9 in the month under review.
Electricity generation, which has a 10.32 percent highest weightage in the IIP, grew 13.2 percent in October over the same period last year.
Cement production declined by one percent, while steel production was up 2.3 percent. The coal sector grew 16.2 percent during October, while the fuel's production in the April-October period this year grew at 8.5 percent over the corresponding period of previous year.
However, four out of the eight industries registered negative growth.
Crude oil output increased by one percent in the month under review, while natural gas production fell 4.2 percent, while fertilizers output was down a massive 7 percent. Fertilisers registered 1.1 percent growth during April-October of the current fiscal over the corresponding period of previous year.
Petroleum and refinery products grew 4.2 percent in October 2014 over October 2013.The IIP, the barometer for measuring industrial output, had increased by a marginal 1.9 percent in September.
Economy India INdian IIP Data Indian Infrastructure Indian Maufacturing Industry Growth
SMEStreet Desk
SMEStreet is fast growing platform dedicated to entrepreneurs from small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). Committed to facilitate Knowledge & Networking for Business Growth, SMEStreet offers value added content which shows the actual voice of Indian MSMEs.
Coir Board Awarded at IITF
Mining Companies from Australia to Explore Business Synergies with India

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Have you watched that video of Liputan 6? I still can't believe that finally I made my debut with the team. Garuda UNY, the electric car team I join now has got published in several online journal and newspaper. I was happy for it. But in other side, I'm still confuse. What should I do now? Do I have to learn about the car, the ELECTRIC car, alone? By myself? Really?
I'm hoping someone with a kind and warm heart give some lessons to me about those automotive thingy I should know. I have to ask a person to teach me one by one, step by step, all those manuals so I can understand all well. Who wants to help me?
Allah must have a BIG surprise for me. I don't know yet what kind of surprise He'll give to me. It must be a very special one. I hope.
Here are some photos of the team when we joined the celebration of Dies Natalis UNY in Athletic Stadium with Mr. Rector.
The 3 some boys named Juni, Afri, and Arga (start from left). Well, maybe they were already exhausted at that time. I can guess by looking at their faces.
Mas Brillian with his car, Bogel Powe electric car.
Mr. Rector wants to ride it once more.
Here you are some handsome boys in my team. Who will you choose?
This genius boy is Bondan. He has a young spirit everyone should have. Proud of you, Bro!
It's my team. Not the full one because some members didn't attend the ceremony.
Oh, I really wanted to bring those ballons home.
It's a bad example in driving. You aren't allowed to sleep while you're driving!!
Those all the pics of Dies Natalis Opening Ceremony I have. Happy Monday for you lovely readers!


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Solihull Parish
Growing Disciples, Building Community, Transforming Lives
Rector's Welcome
Facilities & Hire
Oliver Bird Hall Hire
St Alphege
St Helen
St Alphege Choirs
St Alphege Organ
St Alphege Bellringers
Servers at St Alphege
Concerts & Events at St Alphege
Lunchtime Recitals at St Alphege
Children, Families & Youth
Children & Families – Sundays
Children & Families – Midweek
St Alphege Pre-School
St Alphege Schools
Weddings & Blessings
Christenings (Baptisms)
Just Explore
Prayer & Spirituality
Women's Theology Groups
Christian Men Together
Second Saturday Bible Study
Rector – Vacancy
The Revd Simon Marshall, Team Vicar of St Michael's (Currently lead member of Clergy for Solihull Parish).
Simon Marshall has been part of the team in the Solihull Parish since 2005 and is the Team Vicar of St Michael's Church and the Priest for the Junction. He is married to Sarah and they have three children.
Simon has a particular interest in the use of poetry and art in prayer and worship, and in the music of the Taizé Community. He is also keen to explore the links between 'simple living', minimalism and Christian discipleship.
Simon is a musician and song-writer and his main instruments are guitar and bass. He enjoys playing in a worship setting (when duties allow!) and also in the folk-rock band 'Eve & the Garden'.
Simon is a writer whose poems have been published in several journals. He is a co-leader of a 'Forest Church' group and, in that role, he has contributed to several books on the subject of Christianity and Pagan Spirituality and Nature Spirituality.
The Revd Sue Chandler, Team Associate Priest
Sue joined the parish as a children's worker and is a colleague of Linda Hicks, our Director of Children's and Families Ministry. She helps to run the Praise and Play Group, Messy Church, Junior Growth Group and to lead the First Communion group each year. She also leads the Open the Book Team. Sue finds working with children and sharing the good news of Jesus' love for them and their families, a great joy and privilege.
Having worked in the parish for several years, Sue began to experience a calling to ordained ministry, being ordained as a self-supporting deacon in 2009 and serving her time as a curate in the neighbouring parish of St. Margaret, Olton. Having been there as curate, and later as Assistant Priest, Sue began to feel that God was calling her to work as Associate Priest in Solihull Parish, whilst continuing in her role as children's worker. She was licensed in July 2020. In her spare time Sue enjoys reading, particularly detective novels, and watching 'whodunnits' on television. She claims that she can normally spot the culprit before the final credit's role! Most of all, she loves spending time with friends and family, particularly her children and grandchildren.
Revd Canon Andrew Hutchinson, Associate Priest
Since 1997 I have served as Chaplain of Solihull School both as pastoral and liturgical leader and full-time educator. The role has included teaching all ages from Primary through to GCSE and A Level in Religious Studies and Philosophy. It has also included a significant ministry in preparing people for Baptism and Confirmation; counselling, a listening ear, funeral and wedding ministries. In addition to the term-time commitment of daily assemblies, Sunday morning and evening worship in the school chapel, I have also conducted memorial services, remembrance ceremonies, end-of-year liturgies and the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
From the inception of my school ministry here, I have served as an honorary assistant priest in the Solihull Parish. I regularly preside and preach at the St Alphege Sung Eucharist and also officiate in the other team churches both on Sundays and weekdays. I continue to conduct a large number of Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals and home Communions.
I am Chaplain to the Walsingham Pilgrimage Group having led an annual weekend visit to the Shrine with some thirty parishioners. These events continue to be opportunities for Christian fellowship, spiritual development and much fun. I have also conducted a number of parish pilgrimages abroad including the Holy Land, Venice, Santiago de Compostela, Assisi and Rome.
Over the years, I have participated significantly in the parish Holy Week liturgies, and, as a musician, much appreciate the ways in which music can be employed as a vehicle for mission and ministry. I have continued to serve the parish through three interregnums and feel very blessed by God for His calling to this ministry. Liturgy and Worship hold a great interest for me leading to individual faith and discipleship of the baptised, together with exploration courses such as Alpha and Emmaus.
I am passionate about justice and equality, recognising the necessity of inclusivity and diversity in matters pertaining to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability and religion.
As an experienced priest, I feel particularly blessed in fulfilling an energetic role in the life, witness and ministry of Jesus Christ in the parish of Solihull and beyond.
Linda Hicks, Director of Children's and Families Ministry
Having initially worked as a Children's ministry volunteer, Linda had a change of direction following the birth of her children and, instead of returning to a career as a Solicitor, joined the Solihull Parish as a part time Children's worker and now works full time as the Director of Children's and Families ministry. The role is hugely varied and exciting and includes overseeing weekly sessions of Praise and Play for parents and under 5s, monthly Messy church (it's church but it's messy!) and weekly Oasis sessions where parents meet for friendship and support.
Linda oversees the various forms of Sunday church for children and families around the Parish, regularly leads assemblies in schools and organises seasonal activities like Journey to the Stable and the Easter Journey. Linda also runs the annual First Communion course and the Junior Growth groups that follow on afterwards and regards it as a joy and privilege to be able to share the love of Jesus with the children of Solihull. Linda became a Reader in 2018. In any spare time, Linda enjoys spending time with her family, reading and discussing books with her book group and enjoying the outdoors.
Suzette Maguire – Church Army, Pioneer Minister
Suzette arrived in the parish as our Pioneer minister in November 2019, having been admitted into the office of evangelist within the Church of England and commissioned as a Church Army officer in July 2001. This is Suzette's fifth ministerial post and her third Pioneer post.
Before she became a lay minister Suzette worked for the NHS and as an NNEB trained nursery nurse.
Suzette is married to David, also a Church Army officer, and she has two grown-up step-children, six grandchildren and six Godchildren. Suzette came to faith through being a Godparent. She is also a trained and experienced spiritual director who is passionate about people developing their own relationship with our loving God.
As well as spending time with her family and friends, Suzette loves good coffee, waking up without the alarm clock, reading, writing, long distance walking, seventies music, folk music, and hamsters – she has three rescue-hamsters at present.
The Revd Helen Greenham – Not currently in active Ministry
Christopher Thomas – Director of Music
Christopher Martin Thomas studied at Bristol University, Berliner Kirchenmusikschule, Cambridge University and Kings College London. Currently Music Director at St John the Baptist, Keynsham, and vocal coach at St John's Junior School, Christopher held similar church appointments at Waltham Abbey, St John's Hyde Park, St Mary's Wimbledon and Holy Trinity Geneva. Christopher is also active as a composer and lecturer.
He will be taking up the post at St Alphege in November 2021.
Joe Minall – Parish Youth Worker
Joe is the Parish Youth Worker, meaning he works with the young people from year 6 to those in college. Outside of this he enjoys climbing, spending time on mountains, camping and running. He really enjoys working with the youth, and most of the sessions involve ridiculous games, lots of laughter and a chance to deepen their relationship and knowledge in faith.
Ann Colloby Senior Administrator & PA – Parish Office
Ann finds her role in the Parish Office incredibly fast paced, ever changing but also hugely rewarding. Supporting people sometimes at the lowest point of their lives, sometimes the most joyful . Initially beginning work in Solihull, her career journey has now led her back to Solihull Town Centre once more. Ann's first post was a 12 month internship with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council working for 3 months at a time within key Departments such as Housing, Social Services and Public Relations. After qualifying as a Management Services Officer she had an opportunity to specialise in the field of Telecommunications, a role she enjoyed for many years. After a career break when she had her son, she then entered the charity sector working as an Administrator and Marketing Officer for the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Her faith, family, the natural environment, social justice, the Arts, volunteering and lifelong learning are all incredibly important to her. During 2019 Ann completed two online qualifications, 'Working within the Charity Sector' and a Freelance Writing course.
Beryl Moppett MBE – Reader
Beryl was admitted as a Reader in the Birmingham diocese in January 1995 and has for the most part exercised this ministry at St Helen's apart for three years when she helped at St Peter and St Paul Kingsbury.
She has a Mathematics degree and began her working life by carrying out industrial research for British Gas in the course of which she re- located from London to Solihull. In the mid 80's Beryl changed career and taught mathematics for eighteen years at Handsworth Wood Girl's School then staying on to work as a part-time librarian until 2011.
For many years Beryl has led the Town Centre Chaplaincy team which now visits the majority of the shops in the town centre on a regular basis. She also represents the Anglican church on the Solihull Faiths Forum.
Beryl has great concern over the future of our planet and coordinate the Birmingham Anglican Climate Action group which was very proactive in helping the Birmingham diocese gain the Eco diocese bronze award in November 2018. She is a member of Birmingham Diocesan Synod, and has two sons and three granddaughters.
In June 2017 Beryl was awarded an MBE for work in the community.
Paul Evans – Verger
Paul is part-time verger at St Alphege Church. His role includes preparing the church for services and also a pastoral element in welcoming and encouraging those that use the church.
Paul has many years of experience working in caring environments which is useful in the nurturing aspect of his current role. It is imperative in the role to present a friendly face to visitors and worshippers to encourage their faith to grow. Paul works as part of the team to encourage people to grow in faith, and also works closely with our many volunteers, without whom the church could not operate.
Viv Dobson – Parish Safeguarding Coordinator
Viv has been working on safeguarding in the Parish since 2016.
She has been worshipping in the Parish for over 30 years and has worked closely with the choir, Sunday schools and the Junction and youth during this time.
She can be contacted directly on all safeguarding matters at vhdobson@gmail.com or 07960 783636.
Chris Carrington – Reader
Chris has been a Reader in Solihull for 20 years ministering at St Helen's Church.
He is married to Jenny and they have 3 grown up children.
Chris is passionate about Christian Discipleship and Homegroups.
He also helps to lead a Parish Men's Group.
Chris retired two years ago and enjoys walking, gardening, music, reading and good food!
Churchbuilder
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Solihull, a charity registered in England and Wales, registration number 1131647.