Published on July 16th, 2017 | by James Wright
Star Wars Heroes of the Force Review
Summary: Star Wars Heroes of the Force is a celebration of all things ‘the force’ and beyond!
4.8
Celebration
Ever since Star Wars the Force Awakens (2015) and Rogue One A Star Wars Story (2016), the amazing universe created by George Lucas has found itself in the limelight again with Star Wars the Last Jedi to be released in December this year, so it’s truly an awesome time to be a fan.
Star Wars Heroes of the Force from Titan Books is a celebration of this franchise and features some of the best articles from the official Star Wars Inside magazine over the many years of covering this wondrous sci-fi universe. This includes interviews with key cast members such as Mark Hamill, Ashley Eckstein and Samuel L. Jackson, behind the scenes information, never before seen images and lots of other Star Wars lore to get your fix.
So as soon as I opened this book, I was in Star Wars heaven and I must admit that the cover featuring Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) from Return of the Jedi just draws you in. Even though it is a paperwork book, it’s a well-produced and published book with excellent paper stock that makes the images just jump out of the page.
With that said, some of the images in the book are quite stunning and even though some of the pictures will be familiar to the reader, there’s plenty of unpublished from photos. Another interesting element about this book is that it covers other elements of the Star Wars Universe like the hit comic series Dark Empire which is now part of the Legends universe, the cartoon series The Clone Wars and even the franchise in MAD Magazine which put a comedic twist on all your favourite characters.
This book is split into the following sections;
- Mark Hamill
The Star Wars hero talks about life and Luke Skywalker - Footprints in the Sand
Rey’s journey from Jakku scavenger to being at one with the Forc - Ewan McGregor
The actor reflects on stepping into the shoes of Alex Guinness - Midi-Chlorians
Exploring the mysterious creatures that connect all life to the Force - A Knights Tale
How Obi-Wan Kenobi went from Padawan to Luke’s protector - Cloud City
Storyboarding the finale of Empire Strikes BNack - Lightsabre Battles
The greatest Jedi versus Sith lightsabre duels - Samuel L. Jackson
The movie legend on playing Jedi Master Mace Windu - Unexpected Journeys
Dave Filoni reflects on the last days of The Clone Wars - Voice of the Force
Actor Tom Kane on giving voice to Yoda - Taylor Made
James Arnold Taylor on playing The Clone Wars’ Obi-Wan - Ashley Eckstein
The Actress behind Ahsoka Tano speaks out - Use the Farce
How MAD magazine tapped into the funny side of the force - Taylor Gray
The actor behind Star Wars Rebels’ Ezra Bridger on finding the Force - Guardians of the Whills
Rogue One’s Chirrut Imew and Baze Malbus profiled - Dark Empire
The story behind Star Wars trilogy’s comic-book sequel - Kevin J. Anderson
The Legends author on expanding the Jedi mythology
What really stood out for me in Star Wars Heroes of the Force were the insightful interviews of the cast who not only explore their characters but also what Star Wars means to them, including their amazing experience. Although no longer part of the official canon of the Star Wars universe, I also found the section on Dark Empire which was a ‘sequel’ to Return of the Jedi very interesting as it helped put the pieces together, including the growth of all the characters post the films.
Then you have the very amusing section on use of the farce which of course is MAD Magazine and these guys are crazy. I mean Mr. T as Darth Vader? Who would have thought? It’s interesting how this article explains that George Lucas was actually part of the Mad Magazine generation. Another highlight were the storyboards from Empire Strikes Back and that very powerful scene between Luke and Vader which really takes you behind the scenes of how the filmmakers made this happen. All in all, Star Wars Heroes of the Force is definitely a must read for all Star Wars fans which is filled with amazing content and beautiful images.
Final Thoughts?
Star Wars Heroes of the Force is a celebration of all things ‘the force’ and beyond as the reader is taken behind the scenes of one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time. It’s filled with interesting, entertaining and at times detailed information as you’re given a different glimpse into this Galaxy Far Far Away.
Recommended!
Book Details
Format: Paperback
Release Date: Jul 2017
Publisher: Titan Comics
Distributor: New South Books
ISBN: 9781785851926
Price: AUD$29.99, NZD$34.99