A More Civilized Age: A Star Wars Podcast

This week, we have escaped from the gravity of of the comic book crossover  and returned back to the day-in-the-life tale of Darth Vader. Still hurting from the Death Star's destruction, the Empire badly needs ore to build back its strength. One key supplier: The world of Shu-Torun, a lava filled, mineral rich world of ore dukes, magma submarines, and mining citadels. The only problem is, this wor...

Our dip into the mid 2010s Marvel Comics Star Wars universe continues, and this time, we've got a bona fide crossover event! "Vader Down" jumps between issues of Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's Darth Vader (which we've been reading for the past few eps) AND Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato Jr's Star Wars . Which means we've got an extended stay with the comics version of Han, Luke, and Leia. Can...

We will, eventually, get to the second set of Vader comics. But first, the gang imagines how they're going to react to The Mandalorian and Grogu . Because of course our patrons have already heard our reaction! Then they discuss how Vader has to sabotage yet another investigation into his own treachery, and Dr. Aphra's character arc as well as her academic credentials. Hosted by Rob Zacny ( robzacn...

Today we begin a journey into the Dark Side as we begin our reading of Marvel's 2015's Darth Vader comic,  Written by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larroca! It has a high reputation, not least of which is due to its introduction of the beloved character Doctor Aphra, but can it do what so few attempts to fill in the blank spaces of the films pull off and actually be good on its own merits Let...

We come at last to the grand finale of the original Star Wars trilogy, and it, too, is haunted by the past. Once again, in space, a one time scoundrel must trust his gut and swoop down to the pits of a cataclysmic, moon-sized weapon to save the day. Once again, aboard that station, a Jedi must come to the realization that striking down his opponent is not the path to real power. And once again, on...

Return of the Jedi is a haunted movie. It is haunted most obviously by the ghosts of the past films: droids walking across desert wastes, fateful holograms delivered in desperation, deflector shield substations, robotic hands, and a Death Star hanging above the world.  But it is also haunted by the future of the franchise: further reliance on ambitious CGI, a subtle sanding down in humor and chara...

The heroes of the rebellion have fled Hoth and found themselves in new environs unlike any we've seen in Star Wars before. Bespin's Cloud City is the first real metropolis in the series, and while Yavin was covered in trees, it was nothing like the damp swamps of Dagobah, home to creepy crawlies of all sorts. As our heroes meet their respective contacts, one has to wonder, which of these new world...

Three years after Luke turned off his targeting computer, Star Wars returns. Indeed, one might even ask "Is The Empire Strikes Back the actual 'start' of what we know as Star Wars?" Maybe! It's here that Star Wars begins to take the shape of a franchise (without any of the bloat yet), Industrial Light & Magic performs even greater special effects miracles, and the story begins to effortlessly blen...

We return with the back half of a little movie called Star Wars . We can finally talk about some of the most foundational moments in the franchise. The very first lightsaber duel--and its relationship to a little tv show called  Obi-Wan Kenobi.  The series' three protagonists finally sharing screen time. The Death Star trench run and its relationship to the Force and Technology. But we also get to...

A long time ago in a galaxy, far far away... there was a spaceship with a princess and a pair of droids and a malevolence dressed in black. There was a desert world with two suns and a farm boy whose only chance at escaping the planet's gravity was a wizard who lived out in the hills and couple of smugglers looking for a big payday. And there was something grey--aggressively grey--a sphere in the...

We've come to the end of Matt Stover's (p)re-telling of Revenge of the Sith , and it has raised a lot more questions than it answered (which isn't, necessarily, a bad thing). Questions like: "Why does Anakin say things like that?" and "How do I know that's a baby?" and, maybe most importantly, "Padme who?"  NEXT TIME: STAR WARS Support the show by going to Patreon.com/civilized! Show Notes Four Re...

We return to the final days of the old Republic. But not the Old Republic. That's different, now, that's like... an even older time before all this. Anyway, the Battle of Coruscant has concluded and its heroes, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi can finally come home for a little rest. And a little scheming. And a little paranoia. The Jedi Council members spin their wheels despite having all the...

This is A More Civilized Age: Three hours of podcast when another team would make an hour and a half. Distractions. Diatribes. Deep dives into the databanks to learn, live on air, factoids about characters who hardly matter. But that's what makes A More Civilized Age  A More Civilized Age: All of it might matter. Five years running and it's still asking questions a first year podcast might.  And t...

When I went to post this episode, I went through all the motions necessary to post it as a Patreon bonus before remembering: "Oh no, wait, did we actually watch this chaotic mess for the main feed?"  That's how bonkers this 1978 variety show is. So get ready to have your mind evaporated by this neutron bomb of content as we head to the Wookiee Planet on this very special Life Day.  Next Time: Matt...

With the Ravager in pieces, Telos seemingly saved, and an army of HK-51s unleashed, the Exile and the (remaining) crew of the Ebon Hawk heads to the place where it all began: Malachor V. There, at the end of a multi-level dungeon and a couple of boss fights, the two remaining Sith Lords stand in wait. And in classic KOTOR II fashion, what they have to offer is tantalizing, memorable, and famously...

After a climactic confrontation on Dantooine, the Exile and the (remaining) crew of the Ebon Hawk return to Telos, chasing after the Handmaiden and Kreia. There, the Handmaiden faces down her sisters, the Exile comes face to face with Atris (if that is still her name), and HK-47 fights his way through a factory of hostility-ending droids. Then, above Telos, war breaks out. Darth Nihlus arrives at...

With three of the missing Jedi Masters found, the Exile, Kreia, and the rest of the Ebon Hawk's ad hoc (ad hawk?) crew finally head towards the ancient Sith world of Korriban. There they find... well, mostly the same planet that Revan and co. left behind a few years ago, albeit a little more decrepit than usual. Then, its back to Dantooine to confront the reconvened Jedi Council and finally get so...

The Exile and the crew of the Ebon Hawk return to Dxun at the behest of Jedi Master Kevar, loyal guardian of Onderon's queen. Onderon itself is at war, and like everything else in KOTOR 2, this crisis could spiral out of control and destabilize the wider galaxy if things go bad. And that's why the Exile and co will need to split into two teams, finally kill a bunch of Sith randos, and spend like a...

With two new party members in tow (and some dark secrets about our old crew newly learned), the Exile heads back to the first of two locales originally visited by Revan and co. during KOTOR 1: Dantooine. The old Jedi Enclave lays in ruins from a Sith attack towards the end of the last war, and the newly emerging government finds itself needing to serve three factions: fearful farmers, bored mercen...

We bring Nar Shaddaa to a close as our Exiles fight their way through a secret criminal HQ before being whisked away to the cloaked ship of the mysterious Exchange leader, Goto. Then, after some real table top dungeon crawl hijinks, we come face to face with the first of our missing Jedi... Next Time: Dantooine, Pt. 1 (We haven't figured out a stopping point yet! We'll announce on Bluesky later th...

With their work on Onderon stalled out, the Exile and the Ebon Hawk head to the smuggler's moon, Nar Shadaa in search of Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell. Instead, they find the densest planet in the game, overflowing with side quests, NPCs that seems to exist just for flavor, and some of the most aggressive dark side options yet. Next time: Finish up Nar Shaddaa! Show Notes Hosted by Rob Zacny ( robzacny....

You can watch Austin play through this section of the game right here. With a ride secured from Mandalore, the Exile and the crew of the Ebon Hawk arrive to a world on the brink of civil war between an ineffectual and inexperienced queen and an authoritarian general, both of whom are vaguely populist. Anyway, that's not what's important. What's important is running between the same two maps four t...

You can watch Austin play through this section of the game right here. In search of the missing Jedi Masters, the Exile and the crew of the Ebon Hawk head towards Onderon. I say "towards" Onderon because before they land, they're driven to the nearby beast moon of Dxun. And that's not the worst of it: Before they can enter the jungles and reconnect with one a series' favorite... they first have to...

You can watch Austin play through this section of the game right here. The Exile and their companions delve into the abandoned military bunker on the surface of Telos in search of a shuttle that can, potentially, bring them to whoever has stolen the Ebon Hawk. And oh, what a "whoever" that turns out to be... Show Notes Invisible Headgear Mod Hosted  by Rob Zacny ( @RobZacny ) Featuring Alicia Acam...

You can watch Austin play through this section of the game right here . This week, our various Jedi exiles are forced to pick a side in ongoing dispute on Citadel Station. Should we back the new age-y Ithorians who have a little knowledge, a lot of heart, and no resourcing? Or well-funded, profit-minded (put poorly budgeted) Czerka? Hard choice, I know. But what if I told you that one of these pat...