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Billy Ruffian
10-05-2010, 06:04 PM
Hi all,

A brief review of my posting history will reveal that I like comics and as a librarian, I'm a big believer in their power to educate as well as reach out to readers and patrons who may learn best from a combination of text and image (and good art work!).

I'm especially fond of the old pulp comics. I don't need to tell you the boom they went under during WWII and that many of the characters that are a staple of our culture, like Wonder Woman, Captain America and Nick Fury, made their debut smashing the Nazis.

That is why I was intrigued to see that there was a new release of Pulp History comics. The first is on Smedley Butler (http://books.google.ca/books?id=zEN71oNtlKkC&pg=PT161&dq=Devil+Dog,+Pulp+History&hl=en&ei=P2arTLTTF4ihnAf0sMS8Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA), who implicated several prominent businessmen in an alleged plot to overthrow FDR (nothing proven).

And the second (http://books.google.ca/books?id=Y1V7RAAACAAJ&dq=Shadow+Knights,+pulp&hl=en&ei=lWarTKyKFM-RnAf-icy1Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA) is on Winston Churchill's net of secret agents, saboteurs and spies sent into the teeth of the Nazi war machine to wreak havoc behind the lines.

I'm afraid all the reviews aren't in yet, nor have I read them, so I've yet to form a complete opinion. I've seen some of the pages and read a few previews and they look to be very entertaining if nothing else. I hope that they teach a verifiable and credible version of history, or else a promising format will just continue to be unfairly slammed as 'not serious.'

Tukhachevskii
10-05-2010, 06:13 PM
Looking at you signature...wasn't Thrawn a Grand Admiral, or are you quoting him from when he was in the outer rim (forgotten the name of the sector)?:D

Billy Ruffian
10-05-2010, 08:36 PM
Looking at you signature...wasn't Thrawn a Grand Admiral, or are you quoting him from when he was in the outer rim (forgotten the name of the sector)?:D

It's actually a quote from a series of young adult novels - Galaxy of Fear - in which Thrawn makes an appearance before his promotion to Admiral.

I only really liked Timothy Zahn's take on the 'expanded universe', but Thrawn is my favourite character and I like to see other writer's take on him.

Tukhachevskii
10-06-2010, 11:58 AM
I only really liked Timothy Zahn's take on the 'expanded universe', but Thrawn is my favourite character and I like to see other writer's take on him.

Ditto, although I have great esteem for Admiral Pellaeon (I think he was a Captain under Thrawn, or was he his XO?) especially for saving the Empire:D. Come to think of it, have you seen the Pellaeon class Star Destoyer (she's real tasty (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Pellaeon-class_Star_Destroyer)). Personally, I think Thrawn was not only killed off too quickly but outsmarted by an utter fool. Still, chance, uncertainty and fog all have their role to play. And I'm sure even Thrawn's luck had to run out at some point. God, I can't belive how much of a "geek" I am am. Well, I admit it, ok? I'm now offically out of the closet!:eek: I don't suppose anyone will take me seriously now (not that they were before of course!;))

Billy Ruffian
10-06-2010, 08:09 PM
Ditto, although I have great esteem for Admiral Pellaeon (I think he was a Captain under Thrawn, or was he his XO?) especially for saving the Empire:D. Come to think of it, have you seen the Pellaeon class Star Destoyer (she's real tasty (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Pellaeon-class_Star_Destroyer)). Personally, I think Thrawn was not only killed off too quickly but outsmarted by an utter fool. Still, chance, uncertainty and fog all have their role to play. And I'm sure even Thrawn's luck had to run out at some point. God, I can't belive how much of a "geek" I am am. Well, I admit it, ok? I'm now offically out of the closet!:eek: I don't suppose anyone will take me seriously now (not that they were before of course!;))

Thrawn clearly adopted Pellaeon as a protege IMO. Pellaeon's actions in the aftermath of the disastrous rout at Endor proved that he was an Loyalist with no thought of exploiting the situation for himself when the Emperor, as well as his designated successor and much of the Imperial Ruling Council were killed on the Death Star. This in turn actually gained him great respect from the rank and file Imperial troops who wished to take part in a peaceful transfer of power during the Galactic Civil War (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Galactic_Civil_War). However, his relative power as a kingmaker due to his temporary command of the still formidable survivors from the battle of Endor may have prevented the Imperial Civil War (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Civil_War) from breaking out had he been willing to pledge those forces behind one of the emerging contenders for the Imperial throne.

Some doubt also exist to Gilad Pellaeon's actual rank during the battle of Endor. Zahn clearly states that Pellaeon ordered the retreat as a Ship's XO for the remainder of the imperial fleet after the commanding officer of the ISD Chimarea was killed, however he is established to have achieved his captaincy before the battle of Endor, which doesn't quite gel. Though due to the intentional complexity of the Imperial command hierarchy as well as the size of the Imperial fleet present at Endor, it's possible that he was serving under a Commodore or perhaps a Rear or Vice-Admiral under the overall command of Fleet Admiral Piett.

It is also established that Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik attempted to rally the fleet after the destruction of the flagship ISD Executor aboard his flagship before it was disabled. Whether or not this occurred before or after Pellaeon ordered the retreat from ISD Chimaera.

I felt Thrawn got sort of an anti climatic end too, but the other option would have been for him to survive and... re-establish the Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor.

Tukhachevskii
10-12-2010, 11:31 AM
I felt Thrawn got sort of an anti climatic end too, but the other option would have been for him to survive and... re-establish the Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor.

And what's wrong with that? I sure he would have snuffed out the remnants of the Sith without battering an eye-lid. Just think, all that good work put in by stunch loyalists like Pallaeon and what happens? As soon as Emperor Fel takes the thorane the g-d-damn Sith re-appear and take it all away! (Personally, I never liked that story arc, was indicative of a lack of imagination on the writers part. I would have liked to have seen the jedi torn apart into rival factions- none of this light side/dark side nonsense- Althugh I have to admit loving the Imperial Knights).