The best Anakin from AOTC
722706
This is Anakin Skywalker from the Black Series, as seen towards the end of Attack of the Clones.

This figure has:
- ball-jointed head,
- ball-hinged shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles, and
- swivel waist and wrists.

This version of Anakin from the AOTC is the Anakin I was looking for to complete my collection of super articulated Anakin/Vader.  The articulation is superb, but it has a great sculpt and paint job to match.  Specially on the clothes, the texture is spot on.  He looks a bit too scared on the picture, but the figure looks much better in person.  An added value to this figure is that the right hand can be replaced with a robotic version, like in the movie.

This figure also include a lighted blue lightsaber.

Overall, this figure offers good likeness and great articulation.

Note: There is an Anakin from the AOTC in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-The-Evolution-to-Darth-Vader-Pack/dp/B00CM5D896/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars The Evolution to Darth Vader Pack</a>, but it isn't this figure.  However, this pack has better repacked versions than the original Evolution set, (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-Episode-III-Revenge-of-the-Sith-Evolutions-Anakin-Skywalker-to-Darth-Vader-Action-Figure-Multi-Pack/dp/B001RE7PTC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Evolutions: Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader Action Figure Multi-Pack</a>.
2227068
What's cool about Obi-Wan Kenobi is that he's so cool.  He's the "Negotiator."  He's always in control and except for his bickering with Anakin never displays his frustration, annoyance, or anger.  In fact the only time he loses it is when Yoda asks him in "Revenge of the Sith" to go after Darth Vader and again when he finally confronts his former Padawan, whom he doesn't have the courage to strike dead as he lies broiling in lava.

So it's a bit odd to see him in this story completely obsessed over Asajj Ventress, the lately deceased bald-headed villainess and student of dark Jedi arts from earlier Dark Horse Star Wars comics and the Clone Wars cartoons.  For reasons never made clear, Obi-wan has a bee in his bonnet and her name is Ventress.  He's convinced she's alive somewhere and waiting to pounce, so he goes and beats up a Black Sun don (the Black Sun being the mafia in the Star Wars universe), who says "right, you're obviously a better man than me, come have a drink and I'll tell you everything I know about the Confederacy."

Once you get past those two very improbable bits of the story, things get better, and that's do mostly to the fine work of artist Brian Ching, who illustrates some exciting action sequences that owe a great deal in framing and in detail to "The Revenge of the Sith."  "Brothers" occurs just prior to the events of the film and was being written and drawn prior to its release.  Ching obviously had access to the movie or the developmental artwork because this story features quite a bit of hardware from the film, from the ships to Grievous' Magna Guards.  Much of the framing of the action sequences also appear similar in style to Lucas' work in RotS.

But after all the fighting's done, scripter Haden Blackman has to bring the story to conclusion, at which point the characters and events again become rather contrived.  [SPOILERS]  What we're presented is the Luke/Vader sequence at the end of "Return of the Jedi," with Obi-wan comforting a dying Ventress, searching for a glimmer of the "good" hidden below layers of evil.  Any possible sympathy Blackman manages to evoke for the dying Ventress is thrown back in the reader's face two pages later when we find her contrition - and her death - were feigned and that thanks to Sith meditation techniques she is alive and now on the run from the Jedi _and_ the Confederacy, setting up what I'm guessing might be a possible return in the animated Clone Wars series now in production.  [END SPOILERS]

Overall, "When They Were Brothers" is not a complete letdown, but it certainly doesn't live up to its hype as a "must read" story leading into "Revenge of the Sith."

The book finishes out with a 22-page story originally published for Free Comic Book Day, an annual marketing campaign by comic book publishers and retailers in the US.  Nothing of any significance happens here, just Obi-Wan and Anakin crash landing on a Confederacy controlled planet, riding around on speeder bikes, and hacking and slashing their way through a battalion of droids.  Good for what it's worth, but entirely forgettable.
4349947
It sure has been a long wait, but Jetfire is totally worth it.  He is huge, with the return of the Leader Class figures that we haven't seen since the Animated Series was on years ago.  I was amazed at his size after seeing the initial shots of him by himself.  There was no indication that he would be THAT big.  He is about twice the size of the Deluxe Class figures, and that is a really good thing.

His transformation is really well executed, and he looks great in both robot mode and in his F-14 Tomcat.  Definitely a nice nod to the original Macross design that they used for the original.

All of the weapons and jetpack (anything chrome) comes off to make a natural looking F-14, or a bare minimum robot.  The guns on the arms are a nice little nod to connect Jetfire to the other jet Transformers.  And of course we will see this body used again as Thundercracker, so it is no surprise that we will see the arm mounted guns.  You can certainly take them off and attach them to his primary gun and make a really big gun.
2724760
The Luke Skywalker VC 87 may be the most anticipated Luke figure of all time. The good is that it shows Luke in the outfit he will wear to face Jabba the Hutt, and gives you tools to help "Build" his new lightsaber. This is a vast improvement over the Lukes from 2004-2009, the figure is the right height, and is not too short. The articulation is excellent and the accessories are great, it comes with the lightsaber hilt in a constructed form, lightsaber tool and the lightsaber itself, and a utility belt complete with pouches. The figure also comes with a cloak, that is not the correct color from the film-although I know it is from a deleted scene.

Now onto the problems-the head sculpt is all wrong. It doesn't really look like Luke, the Endor Captive Luke head is the best so far and if you want to do a head swap it fits very well, so you can do that. The legs at the hip are  ball jointed, so if you want to sit this figure down its hard to do. It would have been nice if there were swivel joints in the thighs to create a more natural seated position. Hasbro has done well with some ball joint legged figures (VC Darth Vader from ROTS is a good one) but it fails here. While I am not a fan of the sand stains on the boot; you can use gloss black acrylic paint to cover that if you want, but I like it the way it is.

Despite the bad, the good outweighs it. If you want to get a Luke from Jabba's Palace, this is good. If you have a cloak from the 2004 Jabba's Palace Luke, it makes for a more authentic ROTJ Luke. If you want to customize as I have suggested you may, but you will have a lot of fun with this toy-no matter how old a kid you really are.
3933823
The heroes of the Rebellion - Mon Mothma, Leia Organa, Ackbar, and others - have been out of power for several years now, and those who have taken over are inept, corrupt, self-aggrandizing, quarrelsome . . . the very things that launched Palpatine into power in Episode I.  Borsk Feyla's fear of the Jedi is borne of a sense that the New Republic is spiralling out of control, and, if history truly does tend to repeat itself, someone strong in the Force - particular one already revered as a hero as Luke Skywalker is - could easily turn the situation to his own advantage.  Surely that is where the New Jedi Order is taking us - to a conflict over the very nature of the New Republic itself.  The Yuuzhan Vong are but a catalyst, revealing the weaknesses of the New Republic after the Empire had finally been defeated in a way nothing else had.
  As for Jedi Eclipse itself, Luceno does a fine job with the amount of space he had.  The criticisms that have been posted about abridged treatment of plots, the absence of favorite characters (Lando happens to be one of my favorites, and he's been AWOL for three books now!) are all fair ones.  Luceno does, however, live up to the legacy left by Timothy Zahn (which, unfortunately, has not been the case with every book) and delivers a fast-paced, engrossing story true to the Star Wars universe.  Overall, this duology - despite some shortcomings - deserves to rank up there with the original Thrawn trilogy and the Rogue Squadron series - the best the expanded universe has had to offer so far.
2668897
My Favorites of the New Jedi Order are the first 3, Vector Prime, Onslaught Ruin, and this one, Traitor. The first 3 are great Star Wars novels, action packed with a darker theme to them. This book, Traitor, is the best Novel out of all of the New Jedi Order books so far. This is a Novel. By far it is the best written Star Wars book. And for a Star Wars book, it is very bleak and harsh.
 The book is about Jacen Solo. And it is not just a story about events that happen to him, but an in depth look into the psyche of his character as well as a journey that will define who he is and who he is to become. Vergere is his guide/teacher along the way. She is the bird-like old school Jedi from Rouge Planet. Vergere's intent, friend or foe, is never really made clear until almost the end. She is crueler to Jacen than any Yuuzhan Vong torture could be. But she is also more caring to him than any Yuuzhan Vong is capable. She teaches Jacen through deception, pain & desolation what the true meaning of the Force is. Through her cruel lessons and heartfelt help, Jacen learns what being a real Jedi is all about. But once he comes to grips with his newfound insight into the Force and the Yuuzhan Vong, what side will he choose to fight for: The Yuuzhan Vong, who have taught him to embrace pain and give in to their will. Or will he choose to be a Jedi and fight to repel the Vong from the galaxy?
  Through out the NJO series, Jacen has been subdued. In this book, contrary to his ideals, Jacen opens up a big can of Jedi whoopin[]. He proves that he can fight and fight well. The only other Jedi in this book is Ganner. Ganner has one of the best action sequences in this entire series. And Ganner literally becomes a legend to the Vong and the Jedi because of his prowess with a lightsaber.
 I enjoy this book so much because it is unlike all of the other NJO books. If you enjoy Star Wars, this is a MUST READ.
1410976
Of all the prequels, I think there's unanimous agreement that&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-Episode-III-Revenge-of-the-Sith/dp/B00005JLXH/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith</a>&nbsp;is the best of the bunch. Yet, even this finale faltered at times with choppy dialogue and unclear plot twists. Now, imagine you could reedit the movie and make perfect. That's what Matt Stover's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-Episode-III-Revenge-of-the-Sith/dp/0345428838/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith</a>&nbsp;is like. This novelization takes the movie as a base and makes it even more of an epic.

First, Stover's writing style mixes "stream of consciousness" sections, with glimpses into the minds of characters. While potentially risky, Stover pulls this off well, showing the inner emotional turmoil at which the film can only hint. Anakin's motives for joining the Dark Side become a lot clearer as we Stover explores the depths of his confusion. And he manages to really capture certain character dynamics well with just a few choice phrases, such as calling Obi-Wan and Anakin a team.

Beyond that, Stover also expands the plot beyond what was covered in the 2.5 hours of the movie. Palpatine's discussions with Anakin are longer and more intense. I particularly thought Palpatine's depiction of the Jedi-Sith conflict as a dispute over "philosophical differences" was quite clever. In the book, he's so effective at blurring the line between good and evil that I almost felt like I was falling for the Dark Side! Meanwhile, we actually get to sit in on the deliberations of the Jedi Council and hear some of the shockingly candid disagreements amongst Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan.

Just as important sometimes is what Stover left out of the book. For example, Palpatine does not scream "Power, ultimate power" when he's zapping Mace Windu with lightning. Nor does Vader scream "Nooooo!" upon hearing about Padme's death. In fact, overall, the book and the characters' dialogue have a more dignified "age of heroes" feel. If only Stover had had a bit more influence over the final script.

Of course, the novel isn't a substitute for the movie, particularly for the action scenes. They're short and often not particularly exciting. I thought the first few pages of the space battle were the only slow part of the book, although they're a visual feast in the movie. It seems - wisely in my opinion - that Stover essentially left the epic action to the movie and focused on plot and dialogue.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-Episode-III-Revenge-of-the-Sith/dp/B00005JLXH/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith</a>&nbsp;is probably one of the most compelling Star Wars stories ever told. If for whatever reason - the acting, CG special effects, Jar Jar Binks - you were not enthralled with the story as told in the movie, you owe it to yourself to enjoy it as told through Stover's adaptation.
1200515
Well, I was advised after buying this one, that there was already a complete album with all the music from the film, but come on! They made us buy this selection before and I wouldn't buy the other after buying this one since I don't consider mine not so bad at all.
John Williams returns after all those years without Star Wars, and returns very well. Spite the major disppointement towards the mov, the score brings us back to the old memories, with a true gem-- "Duel of Fates" the most powerful music for a combat scene.
Other nice tracks-
A full rendition of a moving "Anakin's Theme" which some parts appear later.
Spite no one like Jar Jar, he has joyful and playful cue that appear in #4 and #7. This one also includes a magnificent march for the Pod race.
Good action tracks-#5,#12,#14(excellent cue for the droids) and #15(with the NOOO!)
The soundtrack has a lot of calm/mysterious tracks in the middle, thing that many tend to despise. Well I think they're very nice, and sometimes they have a spooky effect (10 and that beginning of #13)
Someone has already said an important thing, is that the score doesn't end with big notes at the end credits track, instead it drags to calm and peaceful notes. I found it quite original.
Overall, this soundtrack is a must, but if you haven't yet any from PHANTOM, buy instead the complete soundtrack. I have already heard it and it worths to pay a few more dollars.
3183852
This is the very best Star Wars book out there, in my very humble opinion. I have the audiobook and the voice actor was incredible, absolutely perfect for the role of Darth Plaguis. A lot of Star Wars books turn me off because of their simplistic and shallow stories, but this was a masterpiece. It brings the pieces together for the Phantom Menace and helps you understand just how well planned out the Sith's eradication of the Jedi was. If everyone were to read this book then I think the negative opinion of the prequel trilogy would be turned upside-down. I cannot say this enough: this book is a masterpiece.
1379474
Is this the ABSOLUTE BEST Allston book?
No.
Is this the best X-Wing novel?
No.

Is this a wonderful way to continue the saga while incorporating the NJO, LOTF, and FOTJ?
YES.
This is a wonderful story of the Wraiths. There is a healthy mix of new and old members, new and old abilities, laughter (and better here than in LOTF and FOTJ, because it felt forced with those characters) and tears.

The Wraiths are at it again, and Allston hits on his tropes. And he points it out. We have the outsider (Yuuzhan Vong, Scut), the Antilles (Myri), the seasoned leader (Bhindi), the mastermind (Face), the Force user (Jesmin Tainer), the actor (Turman), etc.
Piggy no longer goes by that nickname, but Voort. His change occurred when he had to kill Runt during the Yuuzhan Vong war. It's incredibly emotional to read. We see a lot from Voort's past and how it's affected his present.

It's fantastic that we get some closure from the YV war.
I also LOVE reading from Voort's perspective. I love his mathematical mind.
The tension between him and Scut, while reasonable, is annoying until it's resolved (and resolved well). They distrust each other and are snitty with each other. Still, Scut's abilities are awesome (Neoglith masquer sounds very cool), and his unique and blunt perspective is needed.

Face ensures Wraiths are sent to investigate Stavin Thaal. He really wants Thaal taken down. It's 3 years after Daala decommissioned the Wraiths, and the mission is under the radar.

-I like that Myri carried Thaymes out.
- I found it very weird that Thaal thinks that Tonin is in charge, even though the man is dead.

The ugly: The Bacta Triangle Scam.

The only thing I *really* didn't like was the name Kuratooine for yet another '-ooine' planet.
1268298
Okay, first of all let's all appreciate the blond beauty that is Armin Arlert, a character that gets a lot of flack from the AoT/SnK fans who all think he's a waste of character space. Armin is smart, proud of his beliefs, and understands the reality of their cruel world all too well. Unlike Eren who is idealistic to a fault, Armin is more of a realist and that's what makes him great.

Not to mention he is adorable as sin, and this nendoroid vastly displays all of his character facets.

There are a TON of poses to put him in, unlike the first Nen I bought a couple years back which is Teddie from Persona 4. As you can see he comes with three sets of arms and hands, a straight pair of legs, a bendy knee, and a kneeling position torso. On top of that he has a whole other head piece for the bandage look, and three face plates to work with.

So far I posed him in his saluting stance where he screams his advocation of Eren's usefulness, and right now he is in a flying fight stance.

Like many other reviewers have pointed out, it can be a bit tricky getting him into his ODM gear, and up into the air with out the swords falling, and his weight bending the arm of the stand. But once I got him positioned, and if I pick him up carefully he stays put. It just takes time, and patience.

I got Armin as a late birthday present from a friend, and so far he is the pride and joy of my figurine collection (followed closely by my nen petite of Edward Elric and my Jean Kirschtein mini figure).

In my opinion the only downside to this figure was the very vague instructions on how to assemble his ODM mid air poses, I had to have the help of my brother to figure it out...

But over all Armin is adorable, with a bunch of fun poses, and very well made.

I'm looking forward to saving up to buy Eren next, followed by Mikasa and Levi. If you love AoT and love Armin in particular, then he is worth the price for sure. Get him now before he gets harder and harder to get your hands on!
3849905
Out of all of the editions of the trilogy I've seen, this is the best yet.

The sound quality for "A New Hope" is a lot better than when I first watched it.  Back then, it just sounded like an old movie, but now, it sounds like it's just been made.  They've added bonus sceens, which I like, because it gives more meat to the story.  Vader's voice, is wonderfull, and they've redone sceens with the Emperor (my fave charactor).  All in all, this trilogy is well worth the 40 bucks I paid for it.  So just go on out and buy it.
237302
Star Wars Episode III isn't a perfect film.

Many fans of the "classic" trilogy have hated this new series of films. And, it's true--they're not as good as the older set. But Episode III is definitely the best of the new films. While Hayden Christensen's acting is still atrocious ("Mannequin Skywalker" hah!) and while he and Natalie Portman really have no chemistry and while George Lucas' dialogue is awful at times... well... there's some real heart to this film that none of that stuff can take away.

The basic story of Anakin's slow turn to the Dark Side of the Force is powerful. Ian McDirmid is wonderful as the seductive Chancellor Palpatine and Ewan McGregor is solid as a youthful Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Of course, most all hardcore Star Wars fans will have already seen this movie several times, but we should also realize that this film isn't anything to be ashamed of. Even though it doesn't have quite the same magic of the first three Star Wars films, it's still a good movie on its own merits and tells the story it needs to tell. The final silent sequence, setting the stage for A New Hope's beginning, is genius and emotional.

The best of the new series of Star Wars films and a good movie all around. Not a perfect film, but not a bad one, either.
4567504
Who doesnt love Star Wars? Ok Let me rephrase. Who doesnt love Star Wars that ISNT a Trekkie?

Well, I for one couldn't wait to crack open Aftermath by Chuck Wendig. First off, HHHHUUUUUUGGGGGGGEEEEE Wendig fan here. His Blackbirds series is phenomenal and is even being turned into a TV series by Starz. Plus, with the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie releasing in just a few months, this is the perfect time to start getting in the mood for Wookies, Jawas, Ewoks and all of the other crazy, lovable characters in the universe.

So, about the novel. Aftermath takes place after the destruction of the second Death Star. Darth Vader has been struck down by his son, Luke, and the Emperor has been defeated. All devastating blows against the Empire and major victories for the Rebel Alliance.

Wedge Antilles, who you may remember from Return of the Jedi, is out on a recon mission above the planet, Akiva. Off in the distance, Imperial Star Destroyers begin appearing and capture his ship. But why are they gathering? And above Akiva of all places?

Norra Wexley has returned to her native world in order to reunite with her son and with hopes to build a better future with him. A distress call from Antilles alerts Norra that the Empire is not going down without a fight and she soon realizes that all of her hopes will have to be put on hold.

The Imperial Elite are all converging on Akiva for a secret meeting, to determine how they are to counter the Rebel Alliance after the devastation they have handed down. Of course, they have no idea of the plot being put into place by Norra, her son and the unlikely characters they come across in order to stop the Empire from, once again, gaining power.

Aftermath is one of the best, if not the best audiobook I have listened to this year. Not just because I am a fan of Wendigs work, but because of the sheer talent Marc Thompson possesses. All of his character voices are spot on. Each one is different from the previous and his female narrations are perfect. Not only are the voices great, but the audiobook pumps in real sounds from the movies (laser fire, Cantina background noise, the screams of Tie Fighters in flight, etc.) All of this makes for a fantastic audiobook that you feel as though you watched instead of listened to. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Star Wars (ignore the trolls over on Amazon) and I cannot wait for the next 2 installments.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ALWAYS!

Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]
1756472
Dark Horse has emerged as one of the greatest publishers of Star Wars stories--through their epic comic books.  Kicking off the epic, The Defense of Kamino assembles a set of issues that range in topic from, of course, the Battle of Kamino to the Schism in the Jedi Order.  For ANYONE looking to get a detailed look inside the Clone Wars and the hearts of the Jedi behind them, Dark Horse's Clone Wars series is the perfect place to look.

In this volume, you'll find not only the gorgeous artwork of your favorite Jedi, but a deep and meaningful few stories.  There are six total (as of writing this) volumes of the "Clone Wars" series, and what a way to kick it off here.

From the father-son relationship Obi-Wan and Anakin share to Mace Windu's attempt to lead fellow Jedi back on the path of the light to a fresh and incredible character most would not have heard of before--Quinlan Vos--and his "Mission Impossible".

For Star Wars fans, it's all here in the comics.  I highly recommend reading the Clone Wars series of Dark Horse comic books.  You will love every page of this.
1939632
Arguably the best ship put out for X-WING's Scum an Villainy faction, it certainly has the best paint job for all the ships of the X-WING game. Awesome ship and awesome upgrade cards.
2483169
Who's K2-SO you might be wondering? Well I'm glad you asked! He's by far my favorite character from the new Star Wars Rogue One film! He's a droid that has plenty of wit and intellect which gives him a dry sense of humor that I think is just hilarious and I can't get enough of it! Since he's an important character from the movie he's become a famous celebrity so Lego decided to make a mini fig of him and it's practically identical to the way he looks which makes me very happy!

Then there's the ship itself: Ole Krennic's Imperial Shuttle which is a fun build and the end result has a strong resemblance to the shuttle in the movie. My main issues with this set include the fact that the main part of the ship looks too clunky but functions well. The 2 main wings don't really stand straight up in the air without messing with them a few times which is a bit disappointing. Other than that I don't really have a problem with this set. The other mini figs are all great, fun and very collectable. Definitely would recommend this set just not one of my favorite setoff all time and nothing really blew me away for the price. I really love that K2-SO droid though! :D