John’s and Shaune’s 20 favorite TV shows of the 2010s
2010s in review: In chronological order, these were our 20 favorite TV shows of the 2010s.
‘Star Wars’ flashback: The 10 best ‘Clone Wars Adventures’ digest stories (2004-07) (Comic book reviews)
The Genndy Tartakovsky “Clone Wars” TV microseries (2003-05) delivered bite-size kinetic tales that served as a testing ground for “The Clone Wars” (2008-14). Its comic-book parallel was the “Clone Wars Adventures” digests (2004-07), in which artists – most often the Fillbach Brothers – and colorists mimic Tartakovsky’s work and the microseries’ energy.
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Clone Wars’ digests Nos. 10-11 (2013) (Comic book reviews)
“The Clone Wars” digests, like their parent show, came to a premature conclusion in 2013 with Disney’s purchase and rebooting of the franchise. As with the TV show, the digests were starting to be more consistently good when they ended. No. 9, “The Sith Hunters,” which I reviewed in a previous post, is the best and most essential
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Clone Wars’ digests Nos. 5-8 (2010-12) (Comic book reviews)
“The Clone Wars” digests continue to deliver a mixed bag of supplementary material to the TV show with Nos. 5-8 (2010-12), featuring good yarns about Aayla Secura and the clones and a strong “Secret Missions” tie-in, but also a shallow Obi-Wan/Anakin/Ahsoka story.
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Clone Wars’ digests Nos. 1-4 (2008-09) (Comic book reviews)
Although “The Clone Wars” did try some adult tie-ins, such as the 12-issue comic series and a few novels, it mostly aimed for younger audiences. This is particularly evidenced by the 11 “Clone Wars” digests, sometimes called “graphic novellas.” However, these digests are not as kid-oriented as the “Clone Wars Adventures” digests from earlier in the decade,
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Clone Wars’ Issues 7-12 (2009-10) and ‘The Gauntlet of Death’ (2009) (Comic book reviews)
“The Clone Wars” numbered comics series had a surprisingly short run of only 12 issues, but it was a good one, with TV show writers Henry Gilroy and Stephen Melching penning three arcs that could’ve been TV episodes. Indeed, “Slaves of the Republic” (Issues 1-6) was adapted into a Season 4 arc. (Because of tweaks such as Ventress
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Clone Wars Gambit: Siege’ (2010) (Book review)
By the time of Karen Miller’s third “Star Wars” book, “Clone Wars Gambit: Siege” (2010), we know the game: Strap in for a lot of words, but you’ll be rewarded with outstanding characterization and an appreciation for the human toll of warfare.
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth’ (2010) (Book review)
As she did on “Clone Wars: Wild Space,” Karen Miller again shows she’s a master of delving into characters’ headspaces in “Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth” (2010), the first of a duology that concludes with “Siege.” You won’t get complex plotting here, but you do end up with a thorough grasp of the physical and psychological stresses put
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Clone Wars: Wild Space’ (2008) (Book review)
Karen Miller’s “The Clone Wars: Wild Space” (2008) isn’t the first “trek through the jungle” novel, as it follows the likes of “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye,” “Heir to the Empire” and “Shatterpoint.” But it’s certainly the most vicious, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa get brutalized to within an inch of their lives on the Sith
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Jedi Trial’ (2004) (Book review)
“Jedi Trial” (2004) isn’t on anyone’s list of the great EU novels, and indeed, I did put off my re-read for a while, recalling it to be a slog. However, it was a pretty easy read this time. Written by one-time-only “Star Wars” scribes David Sherman and Dan Cragg, it lacks the smooth prose and deep