Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)

A science fiction classic, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is the tale of the Nautilus, an impressive submarine constructed and run by the mysterious Captain Nemo.  Mistaken for a sea monster, it is pursued by many vessels around the world.  One, the Abraham Lincoln, sinks after attacking her; three survivors are taken upon the Nautilus.  These three (a professor, his aid, and a lifelong seaman) are allowed to stay and enjoy themselves, as long as they appreciate that they can never leave- they will be forever imprisoned aboard the submersible.  This understood, they proceed to have any number of adventures in the deep, witnessing amazing landscapes, creatures, and ruins (shipwrecks- and more) as they travel over twenty thousand leagues beneath the waves.  As their time aboard lengthens, however, it becomes increasingly clear that Captain Nemo is a man with a troubled past, occasionally prone to actions the prisoners find reprehensible.  Can they escape this underwater marvel?

This book is good, not great.  Written in the mid-1800s, I can understand why it would appeal to audiences of the time- Verne's descriptions of the marvelous submarine (with technologies that wouldn't be realized for decades) and his cataloging of the varied flora and fauna of the depths must have been captivating to a people who could only speculate at the mysteries of the oceans.  For today's audience, I found these portions overdone and boring at times (pages of descriptions of different types of fish weren't uncommon).  Still, the adventure portions are good, the prose is well-done (love those Victorian writers), and Captain Nemo's background and intentions are kept sufficiently mysterious to provide suspense and thirst for more.  The ending was unsatisfying, though, leaving me feeling let down.  A sequel (The Mysterious Island) was produced some years later; I found it telling that I immediately read the wiki overview of that, and didn't have the desire to read another full-length adventure.

Rating: B

In the Shadow of Yavin & From the Ruins of Alderaan (Various)

Today's review is of the first two trade paperbacks of the new story arc, simply called Star Wars and set immediately after Episode IV.

In the Shadow of Yavin

The Rebels have destroyed the dreaded Death Star, but at great cost: their previously-secret base has been exposed, forcing them to flee and search for a new home.  As X-wing starfighters (piloted by notable characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia (!), and Wedge Antilles) scour various worlds, and Han Solo conducts a secret mission to Coruscant, the Empire consistently seems one step ahead.  Is there a spy in Rebel command?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B-

From the Ruins of Alderaan

The story started in the prior volume continues: Leia goes undercover and off-the-record to try and unearth the spy in their midst and find a new Rebel base; Han tries to get himself out of hot water on Coruscant, running into Boba Fett in so doing; Luke & Wedge get deliberately captured by a Star Destroyer in hopes of finding the traitor.

Rating (art): B+
Rating (story): C

Overall

As the newest and, sadly, last Star Wars story arc to be published by Dark Horse (the license goes to Marvel in January), both trade paperbacks are great in concept but lacking in execution.  The time period and theme are great- the stories attempt to fill in some gaps between movies, and in so doing give more background to Vader's pursuit of Skywalker, the seeking of a new base, and more.  Some plot elements are super-cool (like Leia returning to the remains of Alderaan, and what she encounters there).  The art is very good for the people (though the starfighters leave something to be desired).  I wanted to like this- I really did.  But, in the end, the same elements that plagued some stories in the Rogue Squadron story arc come up here- confusing or unbelievable plots, big plot holes, twists without relevance . . . in short, they dropped the ball.  Good concept, poor execution.  There are a few more paperbacks released in this arc, but I doubt I'll read them.

Rating (overall): B-

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Anne Berthelot)

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table attempts, in 150 pages, to introduce and summarize the legend's historical, political, religious, and literary backgrounds and development through the centuries.  Rich in illustration and including a section of excerpts from key texts, it has the opportunity to be a succinct yet comprehensive overview.  Unfortunately, it falls flat.  While the author certainly does cover a lot of ground, too much is omitted for a laymen to follow.  As I read, I found myself mentally filling in gaps or questioning generalities presented.  She makes some good observations, but in short, a lot of background knowledge is necessary to follow this, which nullifies its stated objective.

Rating: C

X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 3 (Various)

Today's review is of a Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 3, and collects the final story arcs from the Rogue Squadron comic series: In the Empire's Service, The Making of Baron Fel, Family Ties, Masquerade, and Mandatory Retirement.  Each is reviewed below.

In the Empire's Service
Nine months after the Battle of Endor, the Rogues take on some new members (to ireplace those lost last time) and are sent to help capture Brentaal IV, a world being run by an incompetent local Imperial leader.  Sate Pestage (currently acting Emperor after Palpatine's death) and his top admiral, Ysanne Isard, use the situation to manipulate other Imperial factions vying for power and send Baron Soontir Fel, the feared ace Imperial TIE Fighter pilot, to the planet in an attempt to save it.  The Rebels are victorious and capture Fel in what seems to be a large blow to the Empire.  But is there more to the story?

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): B+

The Making of Baron Fel
In this short story arc ten months after Endor, the recently-captured Soontir Fel shocks Wedge Antilles by revealing that he is married to Wedge's sister, who has fled per Fel's orders to safety.  Soontir proceeds to provide Antilles with this tale, starting from childhood through to present day.  He concludes by agreeing to join the Alliance if they help him find his wife.

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-

Family Ties
Another short story set ten months after Endor.  This time, a few Rogues are sent to Corellia to look for Fel's wife.  They find instead that her nephew has been kidnapped in an attempt to get to her.  Can the Rogues help Corran Horn (who features heavily in other novels) and Corellian Security crack the case?

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): C+

Masquerade
Eleven months after Endor, the Rogues are sent to Axilla to find Princess Leia after she is kidnapped from a diplomatic event on Eiattu.  New Rogue Baron Fel features, as does Rebel agent Winter, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.  Meanwhile, Imperial leader Sate Pestage senses treason from Ysanne Isard, and takes steps to ensure his safety that could have long-reaching consequences for the galaxy.

Rating (art): C-
Rating (story): C-

Mandatory Retirement
One year after Endor, Sate Pestage is believed to have committed treason and gone over to the Rebellion.  As Ysanne Isard seeks to find him and consolidate her power with the Imperial Council, the Rogues are sent to Ciutric to retrieve Pestage and bring him in.  One Rogue pays the ultimate price . . . can the rest of the team overcome the loss and accomplish the mission?

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-

Overall
The third and final volume in the Rogue Squadron saga is the best.  The stories and characters (Soontir Fel, an honorable Imperial, is a personal favorite) are better this time around, and the relevance of the tales to the greater Star Wars canon is much higher.  It's no longer just random stories about pilots; you see the greater struggle for ascension to the Imperial throne and its implications.  Some stories (like Masquerade) are still poor, but overall, this is better.  A nice way to conclude the series, which would have been nicer if they had tied up the side tale about Fel's wife.

Rating: B

X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 2 (Various)

Today's review is of a Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 2, and collects three story arcs from the Rogue Squadron comic series: Battleground: Tatooine, Warrior Princess, and Requiem for A Rogue.  Each is reviewed below.

Battleground: Tatooine
Six months after the Battle of Endor, members of Rogue Squadron go on a mission to Tatooine to help a Rebel agent (Winter, who appeared in The Rebel Opposition and other Star Wars novels) get information as warlords vie for control of the planet after Jabba the Hutt's demise.  Winter's attempts to retrieve an important data disk (containing information on Imperial weapons caches in the area) from Biggs Darklighter's father go awry when another agent gets the information first.  As the Rogues pursue the data, they (eventually) come across a hidden Imperial base on the planet.  Can they overcome against overwhelming odds?  Probably . . . afterwards, Elscol decides to leave the Rogues and pursue freedom fighting elsewhere (presumably, her native world).

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): C-

Warrior Princess
Seven months after Endor, the Rogues (with new additions Ibtisam, Nrin, Herian, and Feylis) are sent to planet Eiattu to return a long-lost princess (Plourr Ilo, hard-hitting and -talking Rogue squadron member since the start of the series).  There, Plourr is asked to end the Civil War between the nobles ("Prims") and resistance ("PLB"), all while fighting off the Empire as well.  With traitors on all sides, can Plourr and the Rogues save the day?  Seems likely . . . afterwards, Plourr leaves Rogue Squadron to assume the throne of her world.

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): C+

Requiem for A Rogue
Eight months after Endor, the Rogues are tasked to find a missing spaceliner of Bothan tourists.  Their search takes them to the Malrev system, where they find the (grounded) ship- and an ancient temple full of Sith evil.  Can the Rogues overcome and save the passengers- even if some aren't who they seem?  Two Rogues pass away in this one, and Plourr comes back to help at the end.

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): C

Overall
As with volume 1 of Rogue Squadron, I wasn't overly pleased.  The stories were at times confusing, the pace still too fast, and the plots again had elements of the cheesy or ridiculous.  This collection was a little better, but only marginally so.  So far in the overall story, I don't understand why a series on Rogue squadron pilots would focus so heavily on ground-based, seemingly-random or unnecessary adventures.  There are better Star Wars tales out there.

Rating (overall): C

X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 1 (Various)

In comic books, stories are often told over several issues (called story arcs).  The general trend is to have one story arc consist of 5-6 individual issues, but then have an overall story that encompasses several story arcs.  After the individual issues are released, story arcs are often re-published in one volume as a trade paperback.  Sometimes, several trade paperbacks are re-published in one volume called an omnibus.  One or more omnibuses can contain the overall story.

Today's review is of a Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 1, and collects three story arcs from the Rogue Squadron comic series: Rogue Leader, The Rebel Opposition, and The Phantom Affair.  Each is reviewed below.

Rogue Leader
Set shortly after the Battle of Endor in the Return of the Jedi, members of Rogue Squadron (a collection of X-wing fighter pilots, to include Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles) go on a mission to Corellia to collect information in the Rebellion's effort to snuff out remaining segments of the Empire.  There, they get more than they bargained for.

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): B-

The Rebel Opposition
One month after Endor, the Rogues (captained by Wedge, as Luke has moved on to other adventures) are unexpectedly attacked while escorting a convoy to Mrlsst, and put down on the planet Cilpar.  There they meet up with a weary and leary group of Rebels fighting Imperial remnants in the area.  With the Empire consistently a step ahead, both groups suspect a traitor is in the midst of the other.  And the end, one of the Rebels (Elscol) joins up with Rogue Squadron.

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): D

The Phantom Affair
Two months after Endor, the Rogues finally get to Mrlsst, where they bargain with the Empire for a cloaking device the locals claim to have invented.  While Wedge is negotiating with an Imperial who had a hand in his parents' deaths, data on the cloaking device is stolen- apparently by a Rogue.  Can they clear their name in time?

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): D

Overall
I love the space combat element of Star Wars, and enjoyed Michael Stackpole's X-wing series of novels.  He wrote these, too, but I wasn't nearly as pleased.  The stories were confusing, the pace too fast, and the plots had elements of the cheesy or ridiculous (my favorite is when a Rogue impersonates an Imperial, and they let him into base- and give him a TIE fighter to fly- without asking questions or for identification).  There are better Star Wars tales out there.

Rating (overall): C-

The Wolverine

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character has been a fan favorite for over a decade now, and has appeared in no fewer than seven movies (X-men, X2, X-men: the Last Stand, X-men: First Class, X-men: Days of Future Past, X-men Origins: Wolverine, and now The Wolverine).  The Wolverine is his second stand-alone (in other words, non-X-men) movie.  Here, Wolverine travels to Japan to visit a dying soldier he saved during WWII.  While there, the soldier reveals that he yearns for Logan's immortality, and wants to take it from him.  Wolverine refuses, and the soldier dies shortly thereafter.  Logan's about to leave, but finds the soldier's family embroiled in organized crime and deception and decides to help the soldier's granddaughter.  As he seeks to protect her, he gets involved in something far more serious than he realized.

"That's two hours of my life I'll never get back."  So said my wife, after watching this with me, and I regrettably concurred with her bleak assessment.  I'm trying to find something positive about this movie and I'm coming up with nothing.  The plot was confusing, inconsistent, and poorly developed, with characters switching sides with no warning or logic and odd things happening rather frequently.  The surprises of the movie are easy to see coming, and there appears to be no overall point (i.e. this flick doesn't move the overall X-men story arc forward at all).  Not recommended.

Rating: D