I must confess, I have loved pop-up books since I was a child and that love only intensified as I ran a children’s department at a Barnes and Noble for a few years. The first Star Wars pop-up book actually came out while I worked there and I spent many hours playing with it and showing it to families. Now Matthew Reinhart has done the impossible, he’s created a new Star Wars pop-up book that not only surpasses his first but may be one of the best pop-up books I’ve ever seen.
This new book has 5 spreads, 24 pops and actually folds out into a 37″ x 44″ diorama. The attention to detail in each pop is amazing. Every time you think you have seen it all, you find another movement that you missed. Because this folds out into a diorama, the pops are 360 degrees, so that even the “backs” of the pops have things to see. On of the best examples of this is the Endor spread which has so many layers to it, back to front, that you’ll find yourself staring at it for a long while. The very last spread of the book is a feat of paper engineering as Reinhart recreates the Battle of Crait, complete with First Order walkers that actually walk!
Each page has pops around the edges that help tell the story of the entire Star Wars saga. The illustrations by Kevin M. Wilson are beautiful and will make you wish you could frame them. The only thing that could make this book better was if it had a final page devoted to The Rise of Skywalker. Matthew Reinhart has truly created some of his most astounding work with this book and it’s a must for any fan or Star Wars family. Be prepared to spend hours enjoying this book. Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop-up Galaxy is rated 5 out of 5 stars.
This review was completed using a copy of Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop-up Galaxy that was provided by Insight Editions.
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.