Three years ago, Disney-Lucasfilm press released an in-universe guide from the Graf Archive, Star Wars: Galactic Maps with illustrations by Tim McDonagh which gave fans a look at the famous planets from a galaxy far away. Now they have uncovered another guide, Star Wars: Alien Archive again featuring the art of Tim McDonagh.
Like the first Archive, the stand out of this volume is the art. The layout of each page is lovingly crafted with text to explain the different species as well as illustrations. If you are like me and have trouble keeping all these alien species and creatures straight in your head as you read Star Wars books, then this guide is the answer. The book is formatted perfectly for children but will be a worthy addition to any adult’s collection. There are fun facts about each species or creature that draw from the movies as well as other ancillary material. Now you can know everything there is to know about the most famous Kyuzo, Constable Zuvio!
Books like this are extremely helpful to me. I cannot count the times I have had to look up an alien online because I cannot remember what they look like. Now, like Galactic Maps, this book has become the perfect resource when reading in the Star Wars universe. This book covers almost every major species and creature that has been seen in the Star Wars saga, including the animated series. One notable exception was the Zygerrians. The Brezak, a gliding lizard is in the book, yet the Zygerrians themselves are not, which seemed odd. Regardless of this oversight, the book is worth picking up to share with your kids or as a reference guide for yourself. Star Wars: Alien Archive is rated 4.25 out of 5.
This review was completed using a copy of Star Wars: Alien Archive provided by Disney-Lucasfilm Press.
Author: Matt Rushing
Matthew Rushing is the host of Trek.fm‘s The 602 Club and co-host of TheNerdParty.com‘s AggressiveNegotiations: A Star Wars Podcast. He can be found on Twitter @mattrushing02.