New Essential Guide

[El Chuxter]

Haven't noticed too much discussion, and maybe this book's gotten kinda lost in the shuffle. I got mine from amazon yesterday and, though I haven't read all of it (partly due to my happening upon an AOTC spoiler under Ki-Adi's bio and not wanting to spoil the movie further), it looks awesome.

The art kicks the living doodoo out of the art in the previous edition. Even Xizor and Dash Rendar look better than the pig terds we all know them to be. Corran and Mara look incredible. And in color!

I noticed that the little discrepancy about Greedo (how he could be a youngun' in ANH and be beaten up by Anakin in Mos Espa) is addressed, as is the origin of that nutty "Jaster Mereel" moniker Boba Fett's been known to use. And there's also a tiny bit about the whereabouts of Boba, Bib Fortuna, and Kyle Katarn during the NJO, as well as the sad news of Mon Mothma's passing.

And best of all, since it doesn't include folks like Het N'kik, Gartogg, Kneesa, and Davin Felth, the old one isn't completely obsolete! I hope any updates to the other Essential Guides are the same way.

[PloKoon2385]

I think it is awesome too. The only part I don't like is that I paid $7 more than I should have. ($25 at Barnes and Noble, $18 at Wal Mart!)

[Sith Vicious]

I'm waiting until after I see the movie to get it, but the entries they previewed in the SW Insider looked cool.

[Sidiously Darth]

I also bought mine ag B&N. Just so I could get the free magazine.

Anyway, what I have read so far has been great but it is spoiler heavy. So be careful reading this thing.

I'm sure there will be much more discussion after the movie comes out.

[Taichi]

I love it......

I'm not big on the EU and don't believe a word of anything that doesn't appear onscreen, but the character bios, for real characters (Except Boba Fett) are pretty spot on......

I hate the re-writing of EU explanations to fit around the fact that the EU is being debunked as nothing more than wishful thinking.....

[RooJay]

Originally posted by Taichi
I love it......

I'm not big on the EU and don't believe a word of anything that doesn't appear onscreen, but the character bios, for real characters (Except Boba Fett) are pretty spot on......

I hate the re-writing of EU explanations to fit around the fact that the EU is being debunked as nothing more than wishful thinking.....

O.k. I understand why someone might not like the EU, but why hate it outright? EU hasn't changed the movies at all, especially if you don't read into it. The EU is not wishful thinking. It's fans attempting to continue the story that Lucas has said he never will. Agree with it or not. Accept it or not. Read it or not. Don't knock us for wanting to have new adventures for our favorite heroes. I love the EU. I hope it keeps coming. I see the EU as a perfectly acceptible, if not always successful, expansion of the Star Wars mythos. Many other fans feel the same.

Yes, this book is great! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! I loved the first one, but I agree that the art was pitiful at best! I do hope they give us a second volume; there are a LOT more characters that they left out.

[Sidiously Darth]

Originally posted by Taichi
I love it......

I'm not big on the EU and don't believe a word of anything that doesn't appear onscreen, but the character bios, for real characters (Except Boba Fett) are pretty spot on......

I hate the re-writing of EU explanations to fit around the fact that the EU is being debunked as nothing more than wishful thinking.....

Remember, all this information has some truth to it...from a certain point of view.

[Sith Vicious]

Now that I've seen the movie, and I've read a few of the entries in the book, I wish they had just waited until Ep. III to redo the guide. As it is we get detailed histories of characters until they get to that section of the time frame then all of a sudden *bam* we get a couple of perfunctory lines going over that part of their history. I suppose it gives them an excuse to redo the whole thing again 3 years down the road.

[Taichi]

I'm talking mostly about the resurrection of Boba Fett.....he DIED in the Sarlaac....Lucas said this himself.....Fett is DEAD.....the EU is WRONG......

as for killing off Chewbacca, that's just wrong too.......

[RooJay]

Actually, I've read lots of EU that explains that Boba Fett lived through the Sarlacc incident, and it all sounds RIGHT to me. That's just my point of view though!:happy: Even the story that reveals what happened to Fett during and after his time inside the Sarlacc was cool and sufficient enough to convince me. By the way, even in ROTJ itself it is said that being digested by the Sarlacc takes "a thousand years" and that the Sarlacc keeps you alive during the digestion; plenty of time to make an escape if you have the right equipment, which Boba Fett DID!

I was HIGHLY upset when I heard Chewbacca was being killed off in the books! That's exactly the reason I decided to read Vector Prime (I'm VERY selective of the EU books I read!). After that point I was HOOKED! I still miss Chewbacca's presence in the EU, and I think it would've been great to see him get his chance to rip into a gang of Yuuzhan Vong, but his death made for some GREAT character moments and development! Most EU novels tend to be kind of throw-away in that respect (at least in my opinion ), but the NJO books have character development and ACTUAL danger for our heroes to spare.