No Longer the Future
Well, this is my first review of 2016 which happens to be of the last book that I read in 2015 (okay, it is a graphic novel, but it has been sitting on my shelf for ages, but I wanted to read it and give it to a friend before I returned to Melbourne – and it also gives be an excuse to talk about the new movie). Anyway, despite the fact that I have come to see New Years Eve as one of those absurd celebrations that our society seems to want to pursue on an annual basis, even if the celebration involves simply getting drunk and waking up with a hangover the next day. Still, despite the fact that I consider this to be another relatively meaningless celebration (which includes, by the way, my birthday) I still end up spending the night with friends, and then making my way home at 12:01 on the 1st of January. I did the same thing last night, except I was at a mates house talking about The Force Awakens (particularly since I gave one of them this graphic novel).
Anyway, this is the first in a series that is set 125 years after Return of the Jedi. However with the release of the new movie everything that has occurred after Return of the Jedi has ceased to be canon (unless you are a purist with means the canon only consist of the movies, though some even go as far as to exclude The Phantom Menace). Still, despite the fact that this is no longer canon (especially since the galaxy far, far away isn't invaded by the Yuuzhan Vong) it was still quite entertaining.
Basically a new empire has been established, and a new group of Sith, led by Darth Krayt, have started hunting down the Jedi. At the beginning the Jedi and battling the Sith on this planet, but the Sith are winning, so Cade Skywalker is ordered to escape. However, as is typical of a Skywalker, he disobeys and ends up getting killed when his fighter explodes (or so it seems). The Sith, having defeated the Jedi, then go off and kill the emperor and take over the reins of leadership. Thus we suddenly have three groups – the Sith, the Empire in Exile, and the remnants of the Jedi. What I also found interesting is that the empire also seems to have their own Jedi knights (or at least an elite force that use lightsabers). Mind you, we can't have a Skywalker killed off, especially since his father had died (what is this about Jedi having children? I thought they weren't supposed to have children), and it turns out that he is running around the galaxy as a bounty hunter.
As for the new movie, well, it was okay, even if this was the entirety of Luke's lines:
It also seems that some people were rather amused at Rey's form on transport on Jakku:
As for the loveable ex-stormtrooper Finn, he also has a part to play:
As for my thoughts on the movie, well, I've already written a review on IMDB.
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