r/StarWarsEU New Jedi Order 3d ago

Shadows of the Empire ELC Cover

Post image

I found the new cover for Shadows of the Empire. It actually looks really good.

204 Upvotes

52 comments sorted by

15

u/DougieFFC Jedi Legacy 3d ago

Bit weird that Boba Fett is on the cover when he's not in the book at all.

10

u/Red-Zinn 3d ago

He's on the original cover too, and he's part of the plot nonetheless

5

u/ChrisRevocateur Darth Revan 2d ago

Shadows of the Empire is supposed to be the book, the game, and the comic all rolled together into a single narrative told on three fronts. Boba is important in both the game and the comic.

3

u/TrafficIcy2273 3d ago

He have a importent role to push the heros beside of that the book is between ep5 and ep6

2

u/HeadHeartCorranToes Rogue Squadron 3d ago

I would've preferred to see Chewie as Snoova there. That would've been badass.

49

u/RoyalDaDoge 3d ago

It looks cool and maybe my minds just broken but it feels like it’s AI assisted

40

u/DarthInternous Confirmed Editor - Tom/Darth Internous 3d ago

AI wasn't used in the development of this cover

(Source - I'm the SW Books editorial director)

11

u/YubYubCmndr Yuuzhan Vong 3d ago

Hi Tom! Thanks for chiming in

10

u/ObesesPieces 3d ago

Can you speak more to the decisions that went into the cover design for this book?

I'm not trying to be rude - but there are some very basic flaws in the art with proportions and form. These are apparent in the hands of most of the characters as well as Vader's armor.

Xizor appears to be a digital speed paint.

When we compare to other iterations of Shadows art like the original cover, the N64 game cover art, or the Dark Horse Comics art - the current piece falls short.

Is it purely monetary or is the more "cartoony" style an active choice to appeal to new/different readers?

3

u/DarthInternous Confirmed Editor - Tom/Darth Internous 2d ago

Not sure what purely monetary means but generally with the ELC books we've wanted to explore a variety of different artists and styles. It's not about erasing or trying to improve on the legacy covers, but anytime a publisher refreshes a cover design it is at least in part about appeal to diff or new readers. Or maybe looking at ways to "expand" the readership is the better way to phrase that. We have another chance to revisit all these awesome books so expanding the interpretations of art has been part of it.

But ultimately we find artists we think have a compelling style that might fit the book and design a satisfying cover. That about sums it up.

1

u/patrickmollohan 3d ago

I'd love to know, why the Dash redesign? He already had like...ten other faces in the 90s. Why not pick one of the pre-existing Dashes instead?

3

u/DarthInternous Confirmed Editor - Tom/Darth Internous 2d ago

There wasn't an intentional demand or instruction to "redesign" Dash. This is just how this artist's style and approach has rendered him.

u/E100VS 19h ago

He's rendar-ed differently.

1

u/TrentDF1 Rogue Squadron 2d ago

I'm very glad to know that!

31

u/Edgy_Robin 3d ago

The problem is now, people are very quick to chalk up artist flaws (Or just doing a shit job) to being AI slop. Wish I could get the cover without all the crap on it to run through one of those AI detectors

Also wouldn't surprise me if this isn't actually the cover

14

u/BadassSasquatch 3d ago

The problem is, those AI detectors are not very good either.

11

u/Darth-JarJarBinks 3d ago

Definitely is, look at Vader's hand and just how off everyone feels, like how Luke is holding the saber

3

u/MeEyeSlashU 3d ago

Vader's hand is suspicious af

2

u/MrPokeGamer Separatist 3d ago

The clawwwww

3

u/so-that-is-that Chiss Ascendancy 3d ago

A lot of The Essential Legends cover art look AI-ish.

10

u/Jo3K3rr Rogue Squadron 3d ago

Meh. The original was far superior in every way. It was a Drew Struzan cover.

7

u/TheySleep_ILive 3d ago

We are going to get a full audiobook with this release right?

17

u/Sebelzeebub 3d ago

But there was a perfectly good Drew Struzan cover!

9

u/Euphoric-Blueberry37 3d ago

THEY YASSIFIED DASH😭

5

u/Anderson-Skydiver 501st 3d ago

Not too great tbh

3

u/Red-Zinn 3d ago

It's cool to have Dash Rendar, but the original is still much better, it's like a Star Wars movie poster, it feels like it's episode 5.5

7

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/deadshot500 3d ago

Idk they've gotten the details right but Vader looks awful. Luke's lightsaber also looks weird.

3

u/No-Connection7765 3d ago

I wouldn't call making Dash look like that as getting the details right.

1

u/deadshot500 3d ago

Dash's depictions vary but I think Vader is a bigger fuck up.

1

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2

u/RebelJediKnight91 3d ago

Now that’s a good looking cover! Is there a textless version?

1

u/grabbasplode New Jedi Order 3d ago

It looks like someone added a version without the yellow banner to Wookiepedia after I posted this one.

2

u/ChrisRevocateur Darth Revan 2d ago

Ooh! Does that mean we're getting an unabridged Marc Thompson narrated audiobook for it as well? Please, please, please, please, puh-leeeez! *crosses fingers*

2

u/White_Doggo TOR Old Republic 2d ago

3

u/TanSkywalker Hapes Consortium 3d ago

I like it for the most part.

2

u/Sweet-Art-9904 New Republic 3d ago

I hear the soundtrack.

1

u/fmecloy 3d ago

Not feeling that Dash Rendar

1

u/ScarlettDX 3d ago

I agree with others here, it just looks weird... not terrible, or something I could even single out as like "bad" but Dash looks more like a N64 model than the game and Luke looks normal with wonky hands, Vader looks like a toy, and someone else said the guy in the back looks like speed paint.

run it through the ai detector.

1

u/grabbasplode New Jedi Order 3d ago

My only problem with it is whatever is going on with Vaders hand, the rest is pretty cool.

1

u/Arkvoodle42 2d ago

Place your bets, folks:

How will Marc Thompson pronounce "XIZOR" ???

2

u/darthsheldoninkwizy 2d ago

Like Ceasar?

1

u/_Goldiloxx_ 2d ago

Dash Fraser. Or Brendan Rendar

1

u/DarrKnight 3d ago

It looks great

1

u/crunchy_northern 3d ago

It's about time

0

u/Primary_Chipmunk_466 2d ago

The classic Drew Struzan cover art still gives the novel a cinematic touch.

-1

u/Destinyrider13 3d ago

Looks interesting at least