From: jordan@castor.cs.uga.edu (Chuck Jordan)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.starwars
Subject: Re: T.D.E. Analysis
Date: 10 Sep 92 08:27:19 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Sep9.153126.5170@gw.wmich.edu> x91fanjoy@gw.wmich.edu writes:
>	How about that Dark Empire?  The art seems to be good quality,
>but there are some things that merit serious discussion, seeing as how
>the FAQ lists TDE as canon, while other netters find it mildly blaspemous.

I hate it!  I hate it!  I hate it!  Begone, poorly-written fan fiction!
Begone!  Begone, Tom Veitch!  Begone, Cam Kennedy!  (I feel better.  I think
I fall into the "mildly blasphemous" camp.)

I think the art is pretty offensive, as well.  Especially when compared to
the great covers!

>1.  Han and Leia and Lando seem to have been written in a manner consistent
>    with the Trilogy and Zahn's books.  This is cool.

I'm amazed to see anybody claiming to find ANY characterization in this
comic series.  The dialogue is about on the level of TJ Hooker or The Dukes
of Hazzard episodes.  And why are there pages and pages at the end of each
issue "explaining" the story in case we didn't get it?  I haven't seen
simpler plotting outside of the New Zoo Revue!

>2.  Luke joining the dark side to defeat the Emperor?  I don't know about 

I don't think so.  Bad idea.  Everything in the movies suggests that once
you go the way of the Dark Side, you can't easily turn back.  Hmmm.  And
the Emperor of course gives Luke full command of his forces?  Neat plan.
The Luke wins, because he gets to be in command of the forces and gets to kill 
hundreds of his friends in the Alliance.  And the Emperor wins, because he
knows Luke is planning on turning on him and he still lets him destroy several
of his battleships!  Certainly Tom Veitch is the Sun-Tzu of our generation.
Tactical genius and it makes a great story, too!

>3.  Bringing back the Emperor (though it was done in a believable manner)
>    is downright hokey.  New enemies should arise, not old ones.  This leads
>    to plot stagnation (the Emperor AGAIN?  Why not a new Emperor or something,
>    please?), which would be really bad for Star Wars in general.

I agree exactly.  I understand that in reality, it would take a long time to
dismantle an entire galactic Empire, but story-wise, new villains are required
to make a story interesting.  At least Zahn came up witha  new bad guy, kind
of.

>5.  Boba Fett.  I like how they introduced his return, but it's all down-
>    hill from there.
>      For instance:  Boba Fett NEVER would work with a partner, let alone 
[...]
>    in the movies, he spoke little and was concise.  He had
>    but 4 lines between all 3 movies...

I'm impressed that you were able to glean so much information on the
character since he did have all of 4 lines in the 2 movies.  (Are you 
including STAR WARS?  I found that the writers of Star Wars did a horrible
job of developing Fett's character in the first movie.)  Was his name even
mentioned on film until Return of the Jedi?  I'm embarassed that there was
so much depth to this character that I completely failed to see!  (Sorry,
my sarcasm control went a little haywire there.  Are you all okay out there?)

	And this is just another example of the plot stagnation you mentioned.
There is absolutely NOTHING, I mean NOTHING original in The Dark Empire
series.  Every single thing, the characters, the dialog, EVERTYTHING is
rehashed from either the Star Wars movies, or other movies and Science Fiction.
I'm completely amazed that Tom Veitch is listed as "writer" and not as "editor"
or "compiled by..." or something like that.  Boooooo!

Other than that, though, I thought it was really good!
Chuck


-- 
                  Chuck Jordan | jordan@castor.cs.uga.edu
SPY Magazine's 1,000 Reasons Not to Vote for George Bush:
NO 477: The cost of Noriega's conviction: $180 million.  NO 478: "I must say,
I'm finishing [my first year] with a bit of a glow" -- after the invasion.