The New Order

OLD REPUBLIC ERA

Knights of the Old Republic comics 

KOTOR 1&2 the games

Revan novel

Darth Bane trilogy novels

HIGH REPUBLIC ERA

Return of the Star Wars watchlist

Star Wars the new watch order?

Now that's a name of a project i haven't heard of in a long time... a long time.

It's back baby. The last 7 years have been a blur and i got some heavy SW fatigue. The experiment at one point was to see if Disney canon and Legends could co-exist and if so which wouldn't break each others lore? But after the failure that was the sequel trilogy, and the more recent Acolyte debacle, i've decided to make a essentials list that incorporates both new and classic media.

Since last time i have built my library, one additoon i am most happy with is the Omnibus edition of The Old Republic comics in one big hardcover. Another thing that will help is Spotify has started adding SW audiobooks to their library, even though i already have a few bought on Audible.

I've also found some interesting edits of SW films and tv shows that i'll review and suggest if i find them better than the traditional versions. I LOVED Mandolorian season 1&2. My biggest hype though is to finally get around to watching Andor and the final episodes of Clone Wars. 

I'll be giving Rebels another try, letting go of my hate of skinny lightsabers and overuse of the spraypaint tool used for the textures on literally everything, for that way leads to the darkside.

Starting to dip my toe into The High Republic era stuff also but seeing as though it hardly ever intersects with anything if i don't love it i wont mind. I don't feel like i'm its target audience anyway.

The next thing is figuring out what order to watch things in. I really want to watch Andor. Basically I need to split the eras up

Old/High Republic era - Darth Bane trilogy

Prequel era - Clone Wars

Dark Times era - Andor, Jedi Survivor

New Hope era - original trilogy, Shadows of the Empire

New Republic/post ROTJ era - Mandolorian 

Stephen King

I love how King gets under your skin, reads your thoughts and feelings that seem so complex, and yet puts them to paper so simply so effortlessly. 

As a slow reader (who only recently figured out it's probably due to ADHD) I appreciate how he's able to catch me up in a tale, draw me in with his characters that feel so real.

I'm trying to get back into reading, and eventually treat my ADHD. It seems every King fan has their own opinion on reading lists, what to start with, what order to read the Dark Tower series in and what to include. I plan to make my own list but it's going to not just include books by King. A thing i love about King is he actively encourages people to expand their love of all forms of media. My list similarly will include films, music, and stories written by other authors.

From what I have currently read, the short story collections Nightshift and Everything's Eventual are both great starting points for newcomers to King, as well as the novel Carrie, which is a quick read.

Appart from the above here's what i've read so far:

The Shining

The Gunslinger revised edition

Secret Window, Secret Garden (part of 4 Past Midnight)

The Talisman

The Dark Half

The Stand Uncut

The Green Mile

Things that Are referenced by King include The Man With No Name trology, classic characters like King Arthur (so maybe i'll read The Once And Future King), Lord Of The Rings trilogy, multiple bible references, and even Harry Potter.

How am I not myself? (slam poetry rant)

"You are not yourself"

Oh boy, is that a lot to unpack. Myself? Myself is the dark and the light. Myself is the sludge of the earth and heavens above. Myself is not a solid state that you can keep in its box hoping it will be worth something someday. Myself is amorphous and you have caught but a glimpse in our brief history. You have blindly held only 1 part of the elephant, and when you discover another part you state that I am not myself?

Myself?

Myself is not a statue you can place on a pedestal only to see it fall from a greater height so that it hurts more when it hits the ground. And as i'm sprawling chipped and broken you deflect from any form of self reflection, stare down and decry that I... am not... myself?

STAR WARS: Beyond the Return

Return Of The Jedi
The Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy
The Truce At Bakura
* Tales 4 #15
*Tales 6 #23
*Tales 1 #4
*Epic Collection: The New Republic
*Tales 1 #1
*Tales 1 #3
*Tales 3 #12
*Xwing Rogue Squadron omnibus 1 - 3

*Shattered Empire
(VG) Uprising
Aftermath trilogy

Tales From The New Republic
*Tales 6 #22
(VG) Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2
Dark Forces trilogy
*Tales 3 #10
*Tales 5 #19
*Tales 2 #5
Luke Skywalker and the Shadow of Mindor
Xwing: Rogue Squadron to Solo Command
* Tales 5 #17
The Courtship of Princess Leia
Tatooine Ghost
The Thrawn Trilogy
XWing: Isard's Revenge
(VG) Jedi Knight: Mysteries Of The Sith
* Dark Empire trilogy
* Boba Fett omnibus
* Bounty Hunters
The Jedi Academy trilogy
I, Jedi
*Tales 4 #16
Children Of The Jedi
(VG) Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Darksaber
Xwing Starfighters Of Adumar
Planet Of Twilight
*Jedi Academy: Leviathan
*Crimson Empire trilogy
*Tales 2 #8
The Crystal Star
*Tales 3 #11
(VG) Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy
The New Rebellion
The Corellian trilogy
Hand Of Thrawn duology
* Union
Survivor's Quest
*Tales 4 #14

NJO: Vector Prime
* Invasion
NJO: Dark Tide and Agents of Chaos
*Tales 5 #18
*Chewbacca
New Jedi Order: Balance Point to end
*Tales 6 #21
The Dark Nest Trilogy
Legacy Of The Force Novels
Riptide
Millennium Falcon
Fate Of The Jedi novels
Xwing Mercy Kill
Crucible

Batman Begins

I'm planning on reading and eating as much Batman as possible. Starting from the very with Batman: The Golden Age volume 1, back when his Batmobile was just a red car, and he would snap necks, let folks fall into acid vats, and throw people off buildings without a care.

Detective Comics #27 May 1939
We got our first taste of the Batman in The Case Of The Chemical Syndicate.
A decent tale, with the first Commissioner Gordon appearance and a clever enough plot. Villian: Alfred Stryker (killed)

DC #28
Starts with the classic 2 crooks on a roof getting jumped by Batman. Ends with Batman leaving a note for Gordon, letting him know he's here to help and here to stay.
Villian: Frenchy Blake (apprehended)

DC #29-30
This is the first 2 parter and first villian that has that Batman rogues gallery quality to him. Has the name Doctor Death, calls Batman out instead of merely having Batman show up, gets face burnt off etc. Batman stone-cold kick-snaps a dudes neck in this, killing him.
Villians: Jabah (killed),
Doctor Death (apprehended)

DC #31-32
Bruce Wayne has a fiancee, Julie Madison. This also has the first appearance of the Baterang. First villian with powers, hypnosis. Also werewolf/vampires and first time outside of Gotham. Feels like they're jumping the shark with weird supernatural stuff all of a sudden.
Villians: The Monk and Dala (killed? Silver bullets on vampires)

DC #33
First backstory for Bruce Wayne and origin for Batman. Villian motivated to rule the world with death ray blimp. Fashions himself after Napoleon.
Villians: The Scarlet Horde - Dr Carl Kruger (dead? Plane crashes and body is recovered) Travis, Bixley, and Ryder (apprehended)

DC #34 (follow up to #32)

Another international adventure. Weird science that has no payoff, it's just weird. No strong motivation to villian either.

Villian: Duc D'orterre (dead? Car crash)

DC #35

This may be subtley the first appearance of the Batmobile, even though it's called Batman's "high-powered roadster". Utility belt also gets used. Gordon is NOT a fan of Batman,  thinking he is making the police look bad.

Villian: Sheldon Lenox (dead)

DC #36

HUGO STRANGE! First of the main rogues gallery gets mentioned.

Kadir - the Half Orc Shadow Sorcerer

Born of a human mother and an orc father. He was raised by his mother and his older human sister who taught him the art of herbalism. He left on a pilgrimage to meditate in solitude and to quell the call of gruumsh within him to further fit into human society. While away he had a vision of some great calamity and knew he had to return. Alas he was too late to save his sister. He attempted resurrecting her at the temple but the clerics could not help. They stated that resurrections have been failing for the last 20 days.

Desperate to find out what happened to his half sister's soul Kadir sought dealers in dark magics to assist with his investigations (red wizards?). Short of killing himself, the next closest thing to tracking his sister was to try and search the Shadowfell, the place you go on the way to the afterlife. He questioned wraiths and spirits, and Shadar-Kai asking if they had seen any newcomers on the way to the afterlife. To his surprise no ghosts attempted to possess him, acting afraid of the prospect of revisiting the mortal realm. His questioning found that no newcomers, other than himself, had arrived or passed through the Shadowfell. One word uttered in vacant haunted fear escaped them.... "Chult".

Though Kadir had left the Shadowfell for the material plane to seek Chult, the shadowfell had not left him. His time there poisoning his soul with dark energy and newfound power, power he would use to smite with singular purpose whoever had possession of his sister's soul.

ARROW FLASH crossover part 3

Hoo boy, this is going to get crazy. 4x series crossing over with each other. Flash, Arrow, Legends Of Tomorrow, and Supergirl (a show i never thought i'd get into but i'm eager to give it a try).

FLASH Episode 2 refers to Arrow episode 1. So start alternating between episodes with Flash ep1 then Arrow ep1 then Flash ep 2.

One of the coolest things with Flash s2 and Arrow s4 on bluray they both have the episode 8 crossover episodes for each series. Unlike other crossover eps that are mere cameos these are literal 2 parters.

F1, A1, F2-6, A2-6, S4, F7, A7, F&A8, S5-7 F9-10, A9-10, L1-2, S8-10, F11-14, A11-14, L3-5, S11-14, F15, A15, L6-8, S15-17, F16, A16, S18-20, F17, A17, L9-12, A18, F18-19, A19, L13-L15, F20-22, A20-22, L16, F23, A23

Okay... i'm tempted to tell you to just skip the first 3 episodes of Supergirl. They are simply awful. Episode 4 is the first good episode, and its not just good it's great. Supergirl faces challenges both physical, emotional, and interpersonal. It felt more akin to Arrow, Flash, and dare i say it Buffy-esque. It also didn't have any cringeworthy, forays of forced faux feminism. Not to say the episode doesnt have a feminist message to it, it's just handled way more organically, which is a sign of good storytelling. Also its the first episode with some real foreshadowing of things to come. Another problem was too much "reveal" and not enough "give me a reason to keep watching this season" mysteries.