‘X-Files’ flashback: Topps Issues 13-24 (1996) (Comic book reviews)
The first dozen issues of the Topps “X-Files” Comics featured Stefan Petrucha’s conspirators-within-the-conspiracy, the Aquarius group. But at the same time, the TV show’s mythology was becoming more complicated. Perhaps in response, the Topps writers – Petrucha in Issues 13-16, John Rozum in 17-19 and 22-24 and Kevin J. Anderson in 20-21 — decided to tone down
‘X-Files’ flashback: ‘Antibodies’ (1997) (Book review)
Kevin J. Anderson’s trio of “X-Files” books ends on a weak note with “Antibodies” (1997). Despite having a core story that would make for a good monster-of-the-week episode, the narrative is thin, padded and sloppily structured. There’s enough decent stuff to make it worth reading for die-hard fans, but it’s clearly a step down from “Ground Zero”
‘X-Files’ flashback: ‘Ruins’ (1996) (Book review)
Just as Kevin J. Anderson’s “Ground Zero” was a step up from Charles Grant’s books, Anderson’s “Ruins” (1996) is a step up from “Ground Zero.” Unlike his first book, I didn’t know precisely where the story was going this time around, and that made it a more enjoyable read. (Spoilers follow.)
‘X-Files’ flashback: ‘Ground Zero’ (1995) (Book review)
After two mediocre novels from Charles Grant, the “X-Files” book series turns things around in a big way with “Ground Zero” (1995). Remarkably, this book is by Kevin J. Anderson, who around the same time was writing four “Star Wars” novels (the “Jedi Academy Trilogy” and “Darksaber”) that haven’t aged nearly as well. But for whatever reason,
The 10 best short stories in ‘The X-Files: Trust No One’ (Book review)
“The X-Files” returned to comics in 2013, it will return to the small-screen for six episodes starting on Jan. 24, and last year it returned to bookshelves with “Trust No One,” a collection of short stories published by IDW, which also produces the comics. With the exception of the “I Want to Believe” movie novelization in 2008,
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Illustrated Star Wars Universe’ (1995) (Book review)
Even though he died in 2012, it seems Ralph McQuarrie’s influence will be felt on the 2014 animated series “Rebels” more so than on any “Star Wars” project since the original trilogy. Artists on the show are purposely adding brushstrokes to the work to give it a very McQuarrie feel, which is appropriate since it
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Jedi Academy: Leviathan’ (1998-99) (Comic book review)
Michael Stackpole and Timothy Zahn are the two authors who introduced the most important and iconic EU characters in the 1990s, but ranking a close third is Kevin J. Anderson. While he’s not in the same league as the others as a writer, there’s no denying that his creation of Luke’s Yavin IV Jedi Academy
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Darksaber’ (1995) (Book review)
Having been swept up by the Luke-Callista romance introduced at the end of “Children of the Jedi,” it was with some optimism that I gave Kevin J. Anderson’s “Darksaber” (1995) another chance, despite my negative opinion of the “Jedi Academy Trilogy” (which I also recently reviewed). I especially looked forward to re-reading the Return to Hoth segment, a short horror story
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Jedi Academy Trilogy Volume 3: Champions of the Force’ (1994)
I tried to be an apologist for some aspects of the first two books of Kevin J. Anderson’s “Jedi Academy Trilogy,” but that becomes harder to do with “Champions of the Force” (1994). As the plot ratchets up to a showdown between the Rebel-controlled Maw Installation, Dalla’s last Star Destroyer, a Death Star prototype helmed by yet another incompetent
‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Jedi Academy Trilogy Volume 2: Dark Apprentice’ (1994) (Book review)
“Dark Apprentice” (1994), the second book in Kevin J. Anderson’s “Jedi Academy Trilogy,” is quite a page-turner. About the only thing slowing me down was that I stopped to roll my eyes every chapter or so. For all the entertainment value of the book, there are also some incredibly stupid things in here. Let’s start with the bad