It's not a real
Star Wars movie unless there is an accompanying Incredible Cross-Sections by DK, and the latest
Star Wars movie received the same treatment that David West Reynolds and Hans Jenssen kicked off in 1998. So far all of the
Star Wars movies - with the exception of
Rogue One which had the
Ultimate Visual Guide instead - have been given an inside look. And this addition doesn't fail to treat us to some explosive details we wouldn't normally get to see.
If you haven't looked into one of the
Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections books before I'll let DK sum it up:
"This beautiful hardcover book reveals the inner workings of 13 key vehicles from Episode VIII of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Each vehicle is shown as an intricately detailed, full-color cross-section artwork, complete with callouts to the important features of each ship. Clear, comprehensive text makes this an indispensable reference guide for the new craft in the Star Wars galaxy."
The first thing you are going to want to do when you get this book is wash your hands, because you don't want to leave greasy marks on the pages while you're pawing over the detail. Like I did :(
Once you are inside the cover you'll find the frontmatter includes a contents listing that is largely chronological (only the Resistance Shuttle seems to be in the wrong place), and an introduction that outlines the state of the galaxy, much in the same was that
The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary did (see
our review for more) - albeit in a less illustrative manner.
The best illustrations have been saved for the meat of the book, and within two pages turns you are gorging on all the intricate detail that author Jason Fry and artist Kemp Remillard could pack into double-page spread with an area of just over 0.5 m
2 (1.5 ft
2). Jason Fry holds his own, with touches of details that sometimes has you reaching for a magnifying glass to discern.
That said, some of the detail isn't tucked away in callouts but dropped - like a bombshell (pardon the pun - you'll get it in the next sentence) - into easy-to-absorb text bodies. For instance, did you know that the payload of the Resistance Bomber (see pages 12 & 13) fits like the magazine of a gun? Head to
starwars.com to read an article where Jason Fry describes the "'A-ha!' moment" when he discovered this detail.
While the artwork is outstanding it does seem like the it has been diluted somewhat. Compared to earlier books - especially
The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars Vehicles and Spacecraft - the minutae that Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore would include in their illustrations doesn't seem to be there anymore. Or maybe it's just my wistful fondness of the Original Trilogy. Don't let that put you off though because Remillard's art is extraordinary.
There are some notable omissions though - the towable superlaser that Hux deployed to knock on the door of the Resistance's base on Crait has not been included. A weapon that uses Death Star tech without needing a Death Star power plant? I want to know more!
The book isn't just about detailed art and interesting annotations. The write-ups quite often have new and pertinent details in them. For instance the blocky, strand beast-like crawlers that were towing the First order's seige cannon on Crait are All Terrain-Heavy Haulers (AT-HH) and not Heavy Scout Walkers as
LEGO would have us believe.
DK won't confirm if there is an Incredible Cross-Sections book for
Solo:
A Star Wars Story but there is sure to be. Who doesn't want to see a retconned Millennium Falcon cutaway?
If this book has caught your attention then check out the rest of the
Incredible Cross-Sections series - you won't regret it.
Available online and from all good bookstores,
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Incredible Cross-Sections is priced US$22.99, CA$29.99, GBP15.99, EU€19.00 and AU$29.99. This book is a great companion to
Star Wars:
The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary which we have
recently reviewed on Rebelscum.
 | | Price : $22.99 |
Pages : 48 |
Pub Date : 15 December 2017 |
Age Range : 9 - 12 |
Grade Level : 3 - 7 |
Format : Hardback |
ISBN : 1465455523/978-1465455529 |
Thank you to the staff at DK Australia for providing us with this copy to review.
