It's no secret that I think a lot, but not all of the EU is really P.U. (as in stinky, for our non-American friends)... but I am deeply disturbed the recent trend to bash our heroes...
I've always found the popularity of stormtroopers amusing... after all, the stormtroopers are the klutzes of the Empire, banging their heads, tripping over each other, missing all those crucial shots... but I do not like the fascination with clone troopers and the Mandolorians that has developed recently...
The clone troopers may have come from Mandolorian stock, but they were raised on Kamino in a controlled environment... they wouldn't have any cultural affiliations at all. They were genetically engineered to be totally obedient, according to Lama Su... trained to fight for the Republic... no amount of information fed into their brains would be the same as growing up in the society... and they weren't smart enough to realize that killing the Jedi is WRONG...or they just weren't brave enough to go against Order 66. They were traitors!
Then there's the Post-ROTJ EU...
Luke turning to the Dark Side? PU! And Luke and Mara should have had several children to help re-populate the Jedi... at least Leia did her part, but now poor Anakin Solo is dead, killed in an attack he should have been able to avoid and Jacen Solo is turning evil... so evil he doesn't even respond to the love of his parents... Vader was saved by the love for his son and he was lot further down the dark path than Jacen...
And Luke can't save his own nephew from the Dark Side? I don't think so... Luke is the most powerful Jedi who ever lived, and he's pure of heart... untainted by the anger and fear that turned his father into a Sith Lord...
Darth Vader returned to the good side of the Force before he died, the Rebels destroyed the Death Star, and the people of the galaxy celebrated... the EU could have expanded on this, instead it makes our heroes out to be weak, and ineffectual... That's P.U.
I want my heroes to be the Good Guys, and I want them to shine! I want me Jedi to be the guardians of peace and justice, not sniveling, weak minded, chickenhearted wimps. And want my villains to be the Bad Guys, not the heroes. I don't admire the villains... I love to hate them.
Boba Fett died in ROTJ... He was so tasty the Sarlaac belched after swallowing him... and the audiences cheered..... so deal with it!
FURTHER CLARIFICATION:
I didn't mean it all stinks! I've read some good stuff, and some great stuff!
GREAT:
Darth Maul, Shadow Hunter
Labyrinth of Evil
Shadows of the Empire
Tatooine Ghost (most recent read)
All 6 movie novelizations
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Good:
Shatterpoint
Cloak of Deception
Rogue Planet
I, Jedi (at first I hated this one but it grew on me)
Betrayal
Jedi Trail was OK, as was The Approaching Storm
I just don't care for this trend in hero bashing.
Back in the olden days of TV, my dad would always tell me "The star won't get killed...." and he was right, not because it was a continuing story that it would have made a difference in, but becuase the star was the HERO!
