Star Wars Rebels - The Complete First Season

Set five years prior to the events of the original Star Wars, Star Wars Rebels introduces us to the motley crew of the Ghost: ship's captain Hera (Vanessa Marshall), Mandalorian artist and explosives expert Sabine (Tiya Sircar), Zeb (Steven Blum), insane robot Chopper, Jedi in hiding Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.), and the newest member of the crew in thief turned padawan-in-training Ezra (Taylor Gray).

Capturing the feel of the original film while introducing us to an entirely new set of characters (and a few familiar faces). I was immediately hooked. Highlights of the First Season include the two-part season premiere, the arrival of Grand Moff Tarkin (Stephen Stanton), Ezra earning his lightsaber, Empire Day, the battle against The Inquisitor (Jason Isaacs), the introduction of a familiar scoundrel, a look inside the Imperial Academy, and the season finale which brings back a pair of familiar faces who will likely have a large impact on Season Two.

My complaints with the collection are minor. I would have preferred the series premiere to be presented as an extended episode (as it aired) rather than separated into two parts. Other than that, and the fact that the season only includes 16 (pretty darn good) episodes, there's not much to complain about. I'd even argue the show plays better in binge watching back-to-back episodes than viewing them live on Disney XD.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD, the sets include several (mostly short) extras including short featurettes for each episode, the set of animated shorts which were used to launch the series, highlights of Star Wars Celebration, a recap of the First Season, and a sneak peak at Season Two.

[Disney, Blu-ray $45.99 / DVD $39.99]