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Favorite Disney Canon Books, Comics, and Games, ect.

JD

Fleet Admiral
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Since the Disney canon started six years ago we've gotten quite few new books, comics, games and other stuff, and I thought it would be fun to share my favorites, and see what other people's favorites are. I'd appreciate it if you could also include a list of what you've read/played/whatever.

Books read:
  • Catalyst
  • Dark Disciple
  • Most Wanted
  • Solo novelization
  • Lost Stars
Favorites:
  • Dark Disciple
  • Lost Stars
Comics Read:
  • Obi-Wan & Anakin
  • Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir
  • Princess Leia
  • Chewbacca
  • Han Solo
  • Star Wars (first series)
  • Darth Vader (first series)
  • Dr. Aphra (first series)
  • Shattered Empire
  • Poe Dameron
  • Adventures
Favorites:
  • Star Wars
  • Darth Vader
  • Dr. Aphra
Games played:
  • Battlefront II
  • Jedi: Fallen Order
Favorite:
  • Jedi: Fallen Order
 
I've read nearly all the novels and comics released before 2020. Haven't played any of the games.
Favorite novels: Lost Stars, Dark Disciple, Thrawn
Favorite Comics: Darth Vader, Dr. Aphra
 
Alas, I've not been able to get into the new continuity as deeply as I got into the old expanded universe. Not a value judgment as I would love to read the new canon material, it just comes down to time and money.
 
I'm a little bit behind on some of the latest books (part way through reading both the second Alphabet Squadron & Queen Amidala books as we speak), and I've read most of the comics, save for the Tie Fighter series, the Target Vader & bounty hunter books, and basically none of the adaptations (didn't see the point since I'm reading the novelizations anyway.)

In terms of favourites, I think 'Lost Stars', 'Dark Disciple', 'Ahsoka' and 'Alphabet Squadron' are usually top of my list. (only just now realizing that they all feature female protagonists; read into that what you will!) I tend to prefer stories that have a little scope and depth to them but are still very much rooted in a personal story, as to me those are essential Star Wars storytelling components, way more so than space battles and lightsabers.

Honourable mentions for the Leia books (Princess of Alderaan & Bloodline), the Padme 'Queen' books, the Thrawn books..mostly...and something that I feel like has slipped by the wayside is the little trilogy of books that is 'Catalyst', 'Rebel Rising' & the Rogue One novelization. If the movie itself didn't exist, those would probably easily be the best series/trilogy of novels out of the whole bunch, telling a surprisingly complete, coherent and comprehensive story.

For the comics; no surprise that the Darth Vader and Aphra books are far and away the favourites. Most everything that Charles Soule has done is good (indeed if any writer in the pool has earned a shot at writing a TV or movie script, it's him) but that run he did on Vader was consistently outstanding. Indeed, consistently or lack of it has been something of a problem for many of the longer running comic books. Too often I've found myself skimming through entire issues when a certain arc just doesn't grab me, and since those stretch out over months, it can really drag at times.
It never helped either when they use that artist that seems to think tracing over photoshops of the actors is a good way to get a likeness and not in fact creepy, off-putting and very fake looking.

The only "canon" game I've played is BFII. Not much to say about it really; while I like what's there and the characters, there's just not enough of it to really call it a coherent story. I almost wish they'd done a novelization or comic book series instead of the tie-in to flesh it out a bit more.
 
That’s a good question. Nothing really has really stuck out in the Disney canon department. Maybe Catalyst. That added some interesting information to Rogue One.
Maybe the novelisation to Rise of Skywalker as well.
 
Doctor Aphra and the two Vader series have definitely been highlights, but Vader: Dark Visions has been surprisingly great and refreshing too.

I think the Thrawn novel adaption mini-series worked very well. Especially in how each issue felt like a complete story, as opposed to how most story-arc based comics feel, where every issue feels like a fifth of a story. And that's particularly ironic, considering it's literally an adaption of a novel. I'd have loved an ongoing Thrawn series, based on the events they skimmed over in the mini-series.

The Kanan series was surprisingly enjoyable, from the perspective of someone who has never seen Rebels. It worked well as a Purge era story.

As for Marvel's main Star Wars series, I think it's been rather hit and miss, especially with some weird art decisions. Photo-realistically drawn faces can work, but if the rest of your book is drawn in a regular comic style it just looks jarring. The arcs that really stood out to me were "Last Flight of the Harbinger", where the Rebels steal a star destroyer, "Hope Dies", where the Empire just completely decimates the Rebel fleet and the follow-up to that "The Escape", where our heroes hide on a remote world. I think the Gillen run had a somewhat rocky start and increased tremendously (as his Iron Man did).
 
That’s a good question. Nothing really has really stuck out in the Disney canon department. Maybe Catalyst. That added some interesting information to Rogue One.
Maybe the novelisation to Rise of Skywalker as well.
How much have you read?
 
Enjoy a lot:

Comics:
Both Vader comics
Bounty Hunters

Books:
Lords of the Sith
Tarkin
Thrawn 1 & 3
Dark Disciple
Ashoka


Also Read:
Comics:
Main Star Wars comic
Princess Leia mini series
Lando mini series
Dr Aphra (first few trades worth)

Books:
New Dawn
Bloodline
Aftermath 1&2
Thrawn 2


Attempted to read, but gave up:
Books:
Lost Stars
Battlefront 1&2



Overall, while Star Wars is doing well in the movie and TV departments, I'm generally unsatisfied with the spin-off media. It's all stuff I've talked about before, like the lack of novels for General audiences, and how the ones we do get are never allowed to be even slightly important, Etc. As someone who devoured all the old EU books I could get my hands on, I find it hard to care at all when a new book gets released unless it's one of the Thrawn books, and even those had a bad book.

The comics are hit-and-miss, especially the main Star Wars comic, but being quicker reads I generally give them more of a chance even if they're only just okay.
 
How much have you read?
19 of there novels. I was looking forward to Resistance Reborn when it was announced as it would have been the first original novel with the next gen characters but it was mostly forgettable. Probably the issue of them being all canon. I love that they are but nothing really interesting happens in them because of it. They leave all the good stuff for movies and tv shows.
 
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