Darths & Droids IV: Not in Numerical Order

[Kantaki]

Spoiler: Episode IX

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I'm looking forward to what they do with 9's stupidest plot point (possibly tied with the nav-beacons for getting off Exegol): the wayfinder dagger. If anyone can turn that insult to the viewer's intelligence nonsense into a compelling plot point, it's the Comic Irregulars.

Also looking forward to the cavalry charge, though I actually rather liked that scene in the original.

Spoiler: Episode IX

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I mean, "the back of the dagger looks like a specific landmark and marks the hidden treasure" is workable (and cool) enough that I mostly nodded along.
The "landmark" being the half sunken piece of wreckage of the Deathstar though?
That's opens so many questions.

[SirKazum]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

I'm looking forward to what they do with 9's stupidest plot point (possibly tied with the nav-beacons for getting off Exegol): the wayfinder dagger. If anyone can turn that insult to the viewer's intelligence nonsense into a compelling plot point, it's the Comic Irregulars.

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

Hoo boy. If there ever was something that desperately called for that "don't think about it" attitude (aka MST3K Mantra), that's it, specifically the way the shape matches the wreckage's profile. You can NOT think about it, there's no way to make it make sense if you examine it at all. Really curious to see how they'll play it, now that you mention it...

[Doug Lampert]

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

Hoo boy. If there ever was something that desperately called for that "don't think about it" attitude (aka MST3K Mantra), that's it, specifically the way the shape matches the wreckage's profile. You can NOT think about it, there's no way to make it make sense if you examine it at all. Really curious to see how they'll play it, now that you mention it...

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I just assumed really powerful force precognition. Now, that doesn't fit with ANYTHING else in any of the movies. Force Precognition isn't nearly that good. But it's as close as I can come.

[Rodin]

Spoiler: Ep IX

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I mean, I get what they were going for. The artifact with a hidden map leading to a location of significance is classic quest stuff. I could give them a pass on the weirdness of it being the Death Star if the rest of the movie was actually...y'know...good. Or if the rest of the movie fit the questing adventurers story pattern, which it doesn't. The dagger then just becomes this weird thing that happens.

Ultimately that's my biggest complaint with Episode 9. It has cool little things all over the place that are utterly ruined by how disjointed the plot is. It's bits of different genres stuck higgledy-piggledy together and none of it amounts to much. If they hadn't revealed the Emperor at the beginning and stuck with the "Rey and gang investigate ominous goings on" it could have been a much better movie.

[Kantaki]

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I mean, I get what they were going for. The artifact with a hidden map leading to a location of significance is classic quest stuff. I could give them a pass on the weirdness of it being the Death Star if the rest of the movie was actually...y'know...good. Or if the rest of the movie fit the questing adventurers story pattern, which it doesn't. The dagger then just becomes this weird thing that happens.

Ultimately that's my biggest complaint with Episode 9. It has cool little things all over the place that are utterly ruined by how disjointed the plot is. It's bits of different genres stuck higgledy-piggledy together and none of it amounts to much. If they hadn't revealed the Emperor at the beginning and stuck with the "Rey and gang investigate ominous goings on" it could have been a much better movie.

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

I pretty much agree.
As great as the Palpatine reveal was- my reaction was pretty much "finally a proper villain"* -having it in the actual movie instead of the title crawl might've been better.

*And isn't it sad that that was my first thought?

[SirKazum]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

I pretty much agree.
As great as the Palpatine reveal was- my reaction was pretty much "finally a proper villain"* -having it in the actual movie instead of the title crawl might've been better.

*And isn't it sad that that was my first thought?

Spoiler: Episode IX

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Oh, man... they did put the one big plot twist in the opening crawl, didn't they? It honestly sounds like they were trolling us at some points.

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

And they apparently didn't even actually reveal it in the movie. For some inane reason, Palpatine announcing his Return was an event in Fortnite of all places, the opening crawl of the movie was a recap.

[AMX]

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I just assumed really powerful force precognition. Now, that doesn't fit with ANYTHING else in any of the movies. Force Precognition isn't nearly that good. But it's as close as I can come.

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I just figured the dagger was not actually ancient, it was just done up to look like it so strangers without Plot powers wouldn't ever consider it might be in any way related to the Death Star.
Consider:
- having the wayfinder just lying around is a security risk, some scavenger might find it by chance
- so it makes sense to order Ochi to retrieve it on the way back
- but Ochi is un utter moron, so you can't just give him a note "deck X, room Y, under the fake rock behind the flowerpot"; that'd only make the problem worse if he gets himself killed (as he does)
- thus, disguise the map somehow, for example as an "ancient" dagger (of somewhat impractical apperance, unknown purpose, presumably ritual significance)

So, that part of the movie didn't bother me.
The part that bothered me was basically everything else.

[Anonymouswizard]

Spoiler: Ep 9, moving into a bit of the others

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The movie would have gained a lot from Palpatine's return being anywhere else. Middle of the film? Amazing. Climax as Rey rushes to see just what Ren Solo found on Exegol? Great climatic twist. Literally the first thing after the opening crawl? Likely not the ideal placement, but at least we get to see the main characters reacting to the announcement.

Like, there are multiple problems with the film, starting with the feeling I get that this is two things squashed into one (mostly because The Last Jedi abruptly closed so many plot threads that almost the entire first half has to set up some new ones). Even Palpatine just feels like he's been brought back to be a discount Snoke (so a discount of a discount version of himself) Because Abrams doesn't have time to set up a proper villain.

I trust the Webcomic Irregulars to make it work, but they also have a masssive advantage in that the creative vision isn't changing from film to film. They're clearly setting up plot points for both this film (the new hyperdrive modulator allowing them to duck under the shield) and the next film (hyperdrives are dangerous without the new modulator), and even justifying why the FO has so much stuff with the 'scavenging old Imperial projects' thing with the Peace Moon 2.

I can't wait to see what they do with the bombing run scene. It'll probably be a plan of Jim's that at least one of the other players mentions is stupid.

[Keltest]

If this were anybody but Jim, i would think that he was genuinely trying to intimidate Finn here.

[b_jonas]

Spoiler: Ep 9, moving into a bit of the others

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Even Palpatine just feels like he's been brought back to be a discount Snoke (so a discount of a discount version of himself) Because Abrams doesn't have time to set up a proper villain.

Spoiler: sequel trilogy film spoilers

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You may be right that the timing of introducing Palpatine wasn't good. But I think using Palpatine as the villain itself was a good idea, because he's exactly the villain that the hero Rey needs. An idealistic young girl who grew up on tales of the old revolution, orphan but dreaming about secretly being a princess, with Force powers to give her some reason to keep those dreams to young adulthood. She needed a villain who can use those misconceptions against her and feed her with lies that yes, she is a Princess and she has great Force powered ancestors to live up to. Kylo Ren too was obsessed with the legends and Darth Vader. Palpatine manipulating them both was quite characteristic, and the best way to use Palpatine. Of course this only applies to the Star Wars universe, Da&Dr differs in the back story significantly.

[Squire Doodad]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

And they apparently didn't even actually reveal it in the movie. For some inane reason, Palpatine announcing his Return was an event in Fortnite of all places, the opening crawl of the movie was a recap.

Do...do you have a link to this, or-

Also, what was this campaign in reference to?
It sounds like it's Batman without Batman as a PC?

[The Glyphstone]

Do...do you have a link to this, or-

Also, what was this campaign in reference to?
It sounds like it's Batman without Batman as a PC?

Spoiler

Show

This is the recap from Wookieepedia:
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Pal...%27s_broadcast

[VoxRationis]

Spoiler: sequel trilogy film spoilers

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You may be right that the timing of introducing Palpatine wasn't good. But I think using Palpatine as the villain itself was a good idea, because he's exactly the villain that the hero Rey needs. An idealistic young girl who grew up on tales of the old revolution, orphan but dreaming about secretly being a princess, with Force powers to give her some reason to keep those dreams to young adulthood. She needed a villain who can use those misconceptions against her and feed her with lies that yes, she is a Princess and she has great Force powered ancestors to live up to. Kylo Ren too was obsessed with the legends and Darth Vader. Palpatine manipulating them both was quite characteristic, and the best way to use Palpatine. Of course this only applies to the Star Wars universe, Da&Dr differs in the back story significantly.

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

While I would say that the typical Palpatinian themes of temptation apply well to Rey as a hero, I think returning Palpatine himself as a villain was a mistake for two reasons:

• Thematically, it spoiled the entire arc of Anakin's story, neutering the effects of Vader's redemption;
• Practically, it made no sense, as the last time we had seen Palpatine was being thrown bodily into a reactor core which then exploded. Absent a long and convincing explanation of how he could possibly have survived that (and not merely as a Force ghost or something, but bodily, if with injuries), which we naturally do not get in IX because every concept in the movie is rushed to the point of falling apart, including Palpatine destroys suspension of disbelief and just comes across as a cheap way to recycle old scenes.

[Ibrinar]

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I just figured the dagger was not actually ancient, it was just done up to look like it so strangers without Plot powers wouldn't ever consider it might be in any way related to the Death Star.
Consider:
- having the wayfinder just lying around is a security risk, some scavenger might find it by chance
- so it makes sense to order Ochi to retrieve it on the way back
- but Ochi is un utter moron, so you can't just give him a note "deck X, room Y, under the fake rock behind the flowerpot"; that'd only make the problem worse if he gets himself killed (as he does)
- thus, disguise the map somehow, for example as an "ancient" dagger (of somewhat impractical apperance, unknown purpose, presumably ritual significance)

So, that part of the movie didn't bother me.
The part that bothered me was basically everything else.

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I was more bothered by it a)being a crap way to mark a location (you have to stand in exactly the right place and honestly I think finding the right place inside based on that would still be difficult) and b) that anyone who was there to make the map and got close enough to verify the wayfinder location could have moved the damn thing to a more convenient place for their faction.

[b_jonas]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

the last time we had seen Palpatine was being thrown bodily into a reactor core which then exploded

Spoiler: sequel trilogy film spoilers

Show

The last time that I've seen Palpatine, he fell into a bottomless pit in his own throne room, one that he had ample opportunity to prepare to serve the dual purpose as a deadly hole to throw foes into and an escape path for him to disappear. Palpatine has previously explained how every Sith apprentice eventually turns against his master, so it's not like he had no idea he might need to fake death and disappear at some point. Also in earlier films, Luke jumped into a bottomless pit and survived. Yoda also fell into something like that and then disappeared to exile.

[Anonymouswizard]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

The problem with Palpatine isn't that he's in the film, it's that he suddenly appears in part 3 of a trilogy, with no foreshadowing, revealed in the ****ing title crawl of all places, all because Abrams felt he had to pull a villain out of his arse instead of promoting Kylo (who, as the arguably legitimate heir to the Skywalker legacy, works well if you want to go for the old versus new path TLJ set up) and/or Hux.

Set this up properly, or have Snoke do the exact same things, and there's no problems. But Palpatine is just there (without even a 'of course I had a side tunnel leading away from the reactor shaft I force levitated myself into, it even had a spare shuttle in it:), does evil things without the careful manipulation he still employed in Episodes 5 and 6, and laughing.

If course, given the massive differences in story between the films and the comic, I suspect that Palpatine might be replaced by somebody else. Nute? A clone possessed by Anakin? An insane Tarkin who somehow got catapulted to Exegol when the Death Star Exploded?

On today's strip

Spoiler: few scenes from now

Show

Is it even going to be Anakin's laser sword? Or will it just be the ones you can normally buy in a bar?

I'm going for the latter.

[memnarch]

Spoiler: Episode XI

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I've had a new appreciation recently for how much work goes into making comics by writing these reactions, and we've just hit 2000 comics in the series. Wow.

...Note for any quoting commenters, I'm still not going to open any spoiler boxes not in my posts in the threads.

Did you think that was a typo for IX?

[SirKazum]

Spoiler: Episode XI

Show

I've had a new appreciation recently for how much work goes into making comics by writing these reactions, and we've just hit 2000 comics in the series. Wow.

...Note for any quoting commenters, I'm still not going to open any spoiler boxes not in my posts in the threads.

Did you think that was a typo for IX?

Getting jealous of all the spoiler action there?

[Squire Doodad]

Spoiler: Episode IX

Show

The problem with Palpatine isn't that he's in the film, it's that he suddenly appears in part 3 of a trilogy, with no foreshadowing, revealed in the ****ing title crawl of all places, all because Abrams felt he had to pull a villain out of his arse instead of promoting Kylo (who, as the arguably legitimate heir to the Skywalker legacy, works well if you want to go for the old versus new path TLJ set up) and/or Hux.

Set this up properly, or have Snoke do the exact same things, and there's no problems. But Palpatine is just there (without even a 'of course I had a side tunnel leading away from the reactor shaft I force levitated myself into, it even had a spare shuttle in it:), does evil things without the careful manipulation he still employed in Episodes 5 and 6, and laughing.

If course, given the massive differences in story between the films and the comic, I suspect that Palpatine might be replaced by somebody else. Nute? A clone possessed by Anakin? An insane Tarkin who somehow got catapulted to Exegol when the Death Star Exploded?

On today's strip

Spoiler: few scenes from now

Show

Is it even going to be Anakin's laser sword? Or will it just be the ones you can normally buy in a bar?

I'm going for the latter.

Pub-batter fried laser swords. Irish.

Spoiler: Episode XIII

Show

As some other people have mentioned Palpatine fits the Lich archetype incredibly well and his interactions with the party in the movies can be reconfigured into something a DnD party could try.
However, whether or not Darth and Droid Palpatine will turn out to have wanted to come back, nor if he's actually the one meant to be the one pulling the strings, is very much up to debate.
One thing that seems plausible is Nute reviving Palpatine as a Lich to mirror Palpatine creating Darth Vader.

[Anonymouswizard]

Of course I'd like for a Jedi in a bar, they'd be the one buying a new laser sword!

Spoiler: Episode sqrt(49)

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Interesting to see that they're gender flipping Maz. I suppose that answers the laser sword question then, it's most likely theirs from back in the day. Makes more sense than Anakin's magical teleporting laser sword at least.

[AMX]

Spoiler: Ep IX

Show

I was more bothered by it a)being a crap way to mark a location (you have to stand in exactly the right place and honestly I think finding the right place inside based on that would still be difficult) and b) that anyone who was there to make the map and got close enough to verify the wayfinder location could have moved the damn thing to a more convenient place for their faction.

Of these two points, I agree with one of three

Spoiler: E-PIX

Show

-"you have to stand in exactly the right place" is not a problem, that's how it works.
-no, there didn't have to be an agent there; long-range probe footage, or possibly even public news footage, is enough

But of course you're right that you only get a pretty vague location.

[Thufir]

Also, what was this campaign in reference to?
It sounds like it's Batman without Batman as a PC?

Basically Ben's campaign was supposed to be the old Adam West Batman and ended up as the modern Christopher Nolan Batman, with the players becoming the villains.

[Squire Doodad]

Basically Ben's campaign was supposed to be the old Adam West Batman and ended up as the modern Christopher Nolan Batman, with the players becoming the villains.

Ahh, that makes sense. Thinking about the others, we've got The Princess Bride, Batman, Mad Max? I'm not sure if the big guns thing was meant to be about Mad Max or something else.

Plus there was something about robot dinosaurs that I assume was meant to be a very loose take on Jurassic Park?

[Anonymouswizard]

Ahh, that makes sense. Thinking about the others, we've got The Princess Bride, Batman, Mad Max? I'm not sure if the big guns thing was meant to be about Mad Max or something else.

Plus there was something about robot dinosaurs that I assume was meant to be a very loose take on Jurassic Park?

You're forgetting Airplane!/Zero Hour for Jim's campaign.

We know that Cory's have was vaguely space related, so Mad Max is out. We also know a couple of plot elements, but they sadly don't ring any bells for me. I'm guessing some kind of anime? Like, one of the ones with space and mechs. Or Space Battleship Yamato? Does a distorted version of that fit?

[memnarch]

I'd thought/heard it was possibly Voltron related, but dismissed it as I only knew about the old version. Rockphed had much better info on how things fit for the show when it last came up in comic.

And Corey drove them through a Voltron game at some point. Sally was obviously Hagar. Pete was the princess. The GM was Pidge. Beyond that it becomes a question of which Voltron it was (though from the sounds of it, it was the new Netflix version).

Got to use one of the big guns... happened around the end of season 4, I think. They very decidedly stole a giant gun and used it to great effect. Then Hagar got creative.

Prince Lotor did a bit of stalking of the princess..., but not nearly as much as in the old Voltron. Also, he didn't show up until like the third season. I guess that is a point against nutron.


And I vaguely remember there being a mustached plumber, which describes Corran (the keeper of the Castle of Lions) perfectly.

[ByzantiumBhuka]

Any guesses on what the mysterious next project will be? I'm currently betting on the Mandalorian.

[Squire Doodad]

Any guesses on what the mysterious next project will be? I'm currently betting on the Mandalorian.

I mean, probably, but that'd be in like half a decade.
They might just retire at that point, hasn't the comic been going on for a decade already?

[memnarch]

I mean, probably, but that'd be in like half a decade.
They might just retire at that point, hasn't the comic been going on for a decade already?

• We've been working on this comic since September 2007, making it a bit over 13 years and 8 months

Indeed it has! Which is a hecking long time for a project.

[Squire Doodad]

Indeed it has! Which is a hecking long time for a project.

COnvenient timing on my end, too