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December 13, 2007
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'Tis the season for end of the year Top 10 lists, and, while some may consider it a half-baked stab at generating content on a slow news day (*cough*), we here at SWAC actually feel that 2007 was a banner year for Star Wars, and therefore worthy of said list.
Contrary to most years, we had some trouble pairing this list down to ten entries, and in fact, we didn't, keeping one to grow on for 2008. Hey if the commissioner of the Big 10 can say 11 = 10, so can your humble SWAC correspondents.
Without further ado, we present to you SWAC?s Top 10 Noteworthy Star Wars Moments for 2007:
 #10 - The Force Unleashed Delay
In what has to be a first, Lucasarts' gaming division failed to get a planned Star Wars title to market in time for the holiday shopping season. While the push back of the hotly anticipated next-gen console title The Force Unleashed caught us by surprise, it remains to be seen whether the surprise will be a welcome one, or the equivalent of getting a scratch and sniff turd-flavored Jar Jar pez dispenser in your Christmas stocking.
Given the involvement of producers Haden Blackman and Julio Torres, we're betting on the latter.
 #9 - Cat Staggs Painting
Star Wars has seen some talented artists come and go over its first thirty years, but few have so perfectly captured the mood of an entire franchise like Cat Staggs did in her seminal Red Squadron painting. Originally created for Celebration IV, the work was reprinted and sold in limited quantities via Starwarsshop.com.
Inspired by the recruitment posters and war bond ads that popped up all around the U.S. in the 1940s, the work manages to be retro and sci-fi cool all at once. The Force is strong with this one.
 #8 - Tionne Discovers Renegade Squadron
Ok, we admit it, the storyline was the weakest part of Battlefront 3, er... Renegade Squadron. Stop us if you've heard this one before: a group of rogues are recruited by the Alliance to subvert, disrupt, and assassinate various Imperials during the height of the Galactic Civil War.
Yeah its not very original, but Renegade Squadron gets high marks on account of simply being a fun game, and certainly the best portable Star Wars title in many years. And those nifty Ken Burns-style cutscenes didn't hurt either.
 #7 - Darth Krayt Unmasked
Okay so it wasn't Jacen Solo, or any of the other potential identities posited by fans across internet gossip boards. The selection of A'sharad Hett to be the man behind the mask of the main villain in Dark Horse's Legacy comic series may have been an odd choice to casual fans, but for the hardcore, the reasons are sound. Moreover, the choice adds texture and depth to the Republic comic issues in which Hett previously appeared, and forms a nice bridge that doesn't feel as forced as some of the other character/timeline retcon jobs that have recently cropped up around the EU.
 #6 - The Death of Mara Jade
By gracing the cover of a book entitled Sacrifice, it didn't take a whole lot of Jedi forecasting to come to the conclusion that Mrs. Luke Skywalker was about to be offered up to the credibility gods in an attempt to restore some emotional punch and believability to an EU that was, at the time, sorely lacking both.
Not only did the editors and authors at LucasBooks take a big swing by killing off perennial fan-favorite Mara Jade, they smacked it out of the proverbial park in typical Legacy of the Force fashion: a brutal knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred melee between Mara and her devious nephew, followed by an agonizingly poignant moment of realization and loss as Luke Skywalker feels his wife become one with the Force.
 #5 - Cade Skywalker & Darth Talon Sex Scene
At the risk of turning this Top 10 list into a Legacy on Legacy lovefest, it bears repeating that a tremendously high quality title has come out of the creative think tank over at Dark Horse. In addition to gratifying stories, exceptional pencils and coloring, and quality character development, the series has given us a darkly mature take on Star Wars that rises above the stale kid-friendliness of the majority of the license. Nowhere was this more evident than the lip-lock and resulting romp in the sack enjoyed by the spice-addled Cade Skywalker and the Sith Lord Darth Talon.
 #4 - Clone Wars Series Trailer
Hell yeeeeuuuh! A new Star Wars trailer! Multiple episodes! Multiple seasons! Yeah, so some of the CG looked rough, but it was good to see fresh content coming out of the Lucas factory well after the Episode III buzz was dead and buried.
There are some continuity concerns, but overall, the two minute trailer that premiered on Star Wars.com was awash in potential that left us ooooing and ahhhhing. Seeing this again brings warm feelings to our collective heart.
 #3 - Bioware/LucasArts Press Release
Normally we'd reserve a slot on this list for a tangible product. When it comes to Bioware, however, we'll make an exception. The 800 pound gorilla of Star Wars roleplaying made news without even revealing its hand, much less delivering it. The fans of speculation were flamed anew on October 30 when a cryptic press release appeared online, confirming that the Canadian RPG giant was indeed working with LucasArts on their highly anticipated 'interactive entertainment' project.
All we know is that Bioware is in fact working on an MMO, and they are in fact working in some capacity with Lucasarts, presumably on a pre-existing license. The absence of hard facts didn't stop the two-year old rumor of a SWG-killer from spreading faster than the California wildfires, however, and fans await official word on the project with a fervor eclipsed only by the ravenous geek hunger displayed during the pre-release run up to Episode I.
 #2 - Darth Caedus' Evolution
While perceptive readers may have seen this coming as early as the last few New Jedi Order novels, and certainly in the Dark Nest trilogy, the fall of Jacen Solo and the rise of Darth Caedus was nonetheless one of the most brilliantly executed story arcs in the long history of the EU.
Veteran authors Karen Traviss, Troy Denning, and Aaron Allston served up a tragic tale that, while at times predictable and reminiscent of another fallen Jedi in black, still managed to pack an emotional wallop, as well as surprise and delight with the meticulous detail and high caliber prose. It may be licensed spin-off fiction, but you wouldn?t know it from reading these three at their peak.
 #1.5 - Death Star
Millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and they said damn this book kicks holy ass! Co-authors Michael Reaves and Steve Perry took readers on a raucous trip down memory lane with the September release of the hardcover novel Death Star. Part skillful retcon, part expertly crafted character ensemble, and all original-trilogy-goodness, the novel reminded us why we love this license more than our wiv...er, yeah. If we had to pick one required piece of EU reading for 2007, Death Star is it.
 #1 - 30th Anniversary
You didn't really expect us to pick anything other than the 30th anniversary as our top choice did you? With apologies to Legacy, Legacy, Death Star, and Bioware, none of us would be here if weren't for the debut of the little film that could, a long time ago in a multiplex far far away.
The cultural impact of Star Wars, and the personal impact of its joys, frustrations, and inspirations on the lives of SWAC's creators, and presumably you, our friends and readers, cannot be understated. Raise a glass of jawa juice, join us, and repeat after me: This will be a day(year) long remembered.
Here's to thirty more.
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