New Canon Discussion (Books, TV, Comics, and more)

[Admiral Deathrain 5,232]

I was very happy that Thrawn had Vanto as a more fleshed out Pallaeon replacement. The character by himself really doesn't work well, he needs the grounded in plausibility bystander to not be irkingly unbelievable. His character arc also was pretty compelling.

[Tailsgod 641]

Okay so with Last Jedi Around the corner I'm going to list out all the new Cannon books that I have read in order of best to worst (In my oppinion)

 

1. Bloodline: This is without a doubt the best book in the new canon thus far. It introduces new interesting characters, gives us time with some beloved old ones and tells a kickass story that helps shed light on the first order and how it was formed as well as the resistance and the new republic. I love this book. It adds a lot of new and interesting things to the universe and it seals Claudia Gray as the best new star wars author.
2. From A Certain point of View: This book was some of the most fun I've had in Star Wars. It was great and really gave the universe life and fun. It was also amazing because of how much it **** on Luke the entire time. A bunch of great stories (with only one or two duds) this book was amazing. Special callout to the Aunt Beru chapter which is the best
3. Lost Stars: This was the second book I read in the new canon and it has remained one of my favorites. This is probably also the one I've reread the most because of how interesting the characters are and how good the story is. Especially the climatic end that is advertised on the books cover. I love Lost Stars so much. It also perfectly captures the tatters that the empire is in post-deathstar in possibly my second favorite book moment in the new canon.
4. Ahsoka: This was a really good book and it was nice to have Ahsoka back in the lead again. There's not much to say about this book beyond its just utter competence. It has great characters, good dialogue, and a great peak into how the rebellion was formed.
5. Inferno Squad: EA really wasted the characters of this book. All of them were complex and really well rounded individuals. The story really helps bridge the old and new and the madness that followed the first death star blowing up is well realized and just amazing to read. This book's strength is its characters which unfortunately get a much more rushed treatment in the video game.
6. Leia: Princess of Alderaan: Again Claudia Gray gives us good characters, interesting stories, and some truly heartbreaking moments. Not much else to say beyond the fact that I love all the characters in this book and while I knew that certain things COULDN'T happen there were certainly parts of this book that had me on the edge of my seat and nervous.
7. Phasma: One of the odder Star Wars novels this book does a lot to reveal the origin of the first order's shiniest trooper. I won't spoil much but my brother likened it to something similar to a Labyrinth and I see several characters in this book who could be played by David Bowie. The frame narrative is even better and gives us two really cool new characters to see develop further.
8. Thrawn: This was a good book to read and really helps seal my feelings that Thrawn is a monster that needs to be stopped. Good book and great characters. It also gives us an interesting look at the bureaucracy behind the empire and I love it.
9. Empires End (Aftermath 3): Most of Aftermath was a dud. The first book is the worst and the second book did a lot of work to improve it but still dragged its feet until the end. This book was also pretty meh but like Rogue One its third act more than made up for it. I won't spoil too much but the Battle of Jakku was flippin' amazing.
10. A New Dawn: This was actually my first new cannon book and it was pretty solid overall. Hera and Kanaan are without a doubt the most interesting characters in Rebels and this book is all about them and their relationship. It also introduces probably the most interesting character in the new canon, Rey Sloane. 
11. Catalyst: Krennic's a bastard and I love it. This book is awesome with how it sets up rogue one and the characters are so well developed and fun to follow. Its also heart breaking knowing where it all leads.
12. Life Debt (Aftermath 2): Does a lot to expand on the characters, especially Sloane. There was a lot to like in this book. It still struggles with the weight of the first one and Snap is still an annoying character in this book. The strength of the second two aftermath books are the characters and Sloane is without a doubt the best new character in the books. 
13. Dark Disciple: Asajj Ventress was a great character and this book does a lot to send her off in fashion. It gets slow at some points though and I don't agree with all the choices the author made which is why its this low despite such an iconic character.
14. Lords of the Sith: This book dragged on a bit but was still a fun read. The Vader and Emperor bits were the best, and Cham is a great character, but overall the book failed to compel me as much as the ones I ranked higher did. It just moved so slow until the very end and unlike Empires End the third act wasn't good enough to put it higher.
15. Tarkin: This book was boring. Which is sad. It wasn't bad by any means but it dragged on. That said it was really really cool to see the Empire just crush all resistance to it. Something I love about the new canon books that take place before a new hope is how absolutely soul crushing it is to the rebels.
16. The Legends of Luke Skywalker: This book started so strong too with an amazing story, but the frame narrative sucks, the other stories do not live up to the first, and there is a truly awful story involving a flea in this book that made me groan and think of some of the crud in the eu.
17. Aftermath: This book was badly written, and its characters were so poorly realized in this book it hurts. No character is likeable in this first book and while the sequeals do a lot of leg work to fix this issue it doesn't change the fact that this book felt like a chore to get through

[Sithborg 11,644]

I do agree, Claudia Gray is an amazing new voice to the novels. 

Kind of funny that she writes Leia a lot, as she was a Han/Leia fanfic writer...

[Sithborg 11,644]

Bumping, because having watched TLJ, Bloodline really, really sets up the opening crawl. 

[OneKelvin 1,724]

There is not now, there never has been, nor will there ever be, a New Republic.

 

[Forresto 2,200]

On December 21, 2017 at 1:52 AM, OneKelvin said:

There is not now, there never has been, nor will there ever be, a New Republic.
 

???????

There was for thirty years. New canon is pretty clear about that.

[OneKelvin 1,724]

2 hours ago, Forresto said:

???????

There was for thirty years. New canon is pretty clear about that.

New Canon is pretty clear that destroying one system out of thousands, the latest in a series of rotating temporary capitals, and killing a bunch of planetary senators completely removes the New Republic from the scope of cosmic relevance.

You know what would happen if someone blew up the US senate and destroyed the biggest US military base?

We'd elect new senators, who because of political martyrdom would probably all be from the same parties as their predecessors, and we'd mobilize the national guard. It wouldn't be the end of the Republic.

The New Republic was decentralized, so even the loss of the senate Guardfleet shouldn't be a crippling blow, but apparently the New Republic even with thousands of worlds presumably including Mandalor, Naboo, Kashyyyk, Utapau, Kuat, and Coruscant all of which have PDF forces with Hyperdrive equipped ships, is less effective than the primary human Resistance.

[Forresto 2,200]

7 hours ago, OneKelvin said:

New Canon is pretty clear that destroying one system out of thousands, the latest in a series of rotating temporary capitals, and killing a bunch of planetary senators completely removes the New Republic from the scope of cosmic relevance.

You know what would happen if someone blew up the US senate and destroyed the biggest US military base?

We'd elect new senators, who because of political martyrdom would probably all be from the same parties as their predecessors, and we'd mobilize the national guard. It wouldn't be the end of the Republic.

The New Republic was decentralized, so even the loss of the senate Guardfleet shouldn't be a crippling blow, but apparently the New Republic even with thousands of worlds presumably including Mandalor, Naboo, Kashyyyk, Utapau, Kuat, and Coruscant all of which have PDF forces with Hyperdrive equipped ships, is less effective than the primary human Resistance.

The whole setup of the Last Jedi is that the First Order sent fleets to the major Republic systems to mop up what's left of the New Republic. 

Yes you're right there would still be splinter groups carrying on the New Republic. However thr Last Jedi takes place days after the Force Awakens and the Last Jedi is a very focused story that takes course over a week at most.

[OneKelvin 1,724]

1 hour ago, Forresto said:

The whole setup of the Last Jedi is that the First Order sent fleets to the major Republic systems to mop up what's left of the New Republic. 

Yes you're right there would still be splinter groups carrying on the New Republic. However thr Last Jedi takes place days after the Force Awakens and the Last Jedi is a very focused story that takes course over a week at most.

That's my issue. One system gets taken out and the rest of a thousand-world alliance is just a mop-up operation. And the First Order lost their capital too, an entire planet of nothing but military personnel and assets; how are they in a position to mop up?

The First Order is basically the Vong in stormtrooper armor; a massive galaxy-threatening force that appeared overnight due to the incomprehensible off-screen incompetence of the main heroes.

Edit. In fact the Vong make more sense as they had galactic timespans and resources to build their invasion fleet. TFO are the equivalent of the Argentina Nazis taking over the USA or European Union after blowing up DC or Brussels.

(And then losing half of Argentina in the counterattack.)

Edited December 24, 2017 by OneKelvin

[Ironlord 933]

Starkiller Base was never their capital in the first place - it was their superweapon. The Supremacy is their (mobile) capital.

[OneKelvin 1,724]

1 minute ago, Ironlord said:

Starkiller Base was never their capital in the first place - it was their superweapon. The Supremacy is their (mobile) capital.

Their superweapon is 900x bigger than their capitol. And if we follow convention, destroying the Supremacy will eliminate the First Order.

Who will then send their remnants even further away to make a superweapon out of red matter and a transwarp teleprter that for some reason is bigger than starkiller base, and they'll destroy a thousand worlds the screenwriters just made up then and there for that purpose and destroy the New Resistance making way for Rebellion+ (secret funded army of the New Resistance) to fight an intergalactic war with them. Again.