Collecting the Galaxy: Shadows of the Empire

When Shadows of the Empire hit bookshelves, Lucasfilm went all out to make it a monumental event. Like nothing ever seen before this novel came with all the backing you would expect for a feature film, and it paid off too.

There were video games, soundtracks and even t-shirts made from the event. But one of the most notable were the toys. Allowing people to get a glimpse of the vision written by Steve Perry.

I'm proud to say I own a complete collection of this series and I thought it was great too! The purple background board stood out from the orange and green ones we'd seen before. Highlighting how special this series was.

It was a win-win for everyone really. While Lucasfilm sat back and watched the returns come in, consumers were delighted at new vehicles and characters from their favorite franchise. The EU itself grew in popularity as more people decided to get into the books.

But this wouldn't be the last time Hasbro would delve into the EU for their Star Wars toy line.

More on that to come later!