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Comic News: Star Wars: The Old Republic - Threat of Peace #1 online now:
Posted: 27th February
The first issue of Threat of Peace, the introductory online comic for the forthcoming MMO video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, is available to read online. This first issue contains only three pages, but as a new issue is released every fortnight it wont take long to grow into a fully fledged comic story. Threat of Peace occurs approximately 3,500 years before the Battle of Yavin, about 300 years after the events of the Knights of the Old Republic video games. It is written by Rob Chestney with art by Alex Sanchez and produced by Dark Horse Comics.
(Source: swtor.com)

Book News: Released today in UK:
Posted: 27th February
Released today in the UK are the graphic novels Legacy Volume 4: Alliance and Vector Volume 1. Both are published by Titan Books.

Book News: Title split for Death Troopers:
Posted: 27th February
As reported on StarWars.com: In a move befitting its grisly cover, the upcoming Star Wars novel has had its title ripped into two pieces. Since each and every news update regarding Joe Schreiber's much talked about upcoming novel warrants attention, here's the latest: its title, formerly Deathtroopers, is now Death Troopers.
(Source: StarWars.com)

Media News: The Clone Wars Volume 2 DVD first listing:
Posted: 25th February
Affiliate EU Cantina are reporting that Netflix.com (a US DVD rental website) have listed the second DVD volume of The Clone Wars as The Clone Wars: Clone Commandos and just like the first volume, The Clone Wars: A Galaxy Divided, it will feature four episodes from the TV series. Expected are episodes 5 through 8: Rookies, Downfall of a Droid, Duel of the Droids and Bombad Jedi. There is no release date nor official confirmation of this title.
(Source: Netflix.com via EUCantina.net)

Comic News: John Jackson Miller answers 10 questions:
Posted: 24th February
Knights of the Old Republic writer and creator John Jackson Miller has answered 10 questions over at ComicsCareer.com. Included in the 10 questions answered are who had the biggest influence? and what has been the most rewarding project? All 10 of John's questions and answers can be read here.

Book News: New Vader book blurbed:
Posted: 24th February
Publisher Becker&Mayer have published a summary for their forthcoming book Vader: The Dark Lord and his Universe (aka The Complete Vader): Fully licensed with Lucasfilm, Vader will be the definitive book on the history, myth, and cultural impact of Darth Vader. From his early development by George Lucas in the original classic films, to the new legends created in comics and novels, to his appearances on everything from commercials to bedspreads, Vader will present a complete view of the character. This book will contain unique pieces both printed flat and removable, including never-before-seen concept sketches, rare promotional materials, early comic books, video games, action figures, merchandise, movie posters, and more. Written by Pete Vilmur & Ryder Windham, Vader: The Dark Lord and his Universe is expected to be published in the US in hardback in October with a list price of $60.
(Source: beckermayer.com via StarWarsTimeline.com)

Comic News: Invasion creators interviewed:
Posted: 20th February
TheForce.net have published their interview with Star Wars: Invasion artist Colin Wilson here just as ex-TFN'er Mike Cooper scored his own scoop with an interview with writer Tom Taylor he published on TFN's Jedi Council Boards.

Book News: Official Deathtroopers synopsis:
Posted: 19th February
Hot on the heels of Amazon.co.uk's synopsis for Joe Schreiber's horror novel Deathtroopers, StarWars.com have posted the official summary: When the Imperial prison barge Purge breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope seems to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting, derelict and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back -- bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours, nearly all aboard the Purge will die. And death is only the beginning. This is not dissimilar to Amazon.co.uk's synopsis, a change in the name of the prison barge, from Virtue to Purge, but no mention of "a certain rogue smuggler and his Wookiee sidekick". So whether Han and Chewie will appear is unknown.
(Source: StarWars.com)

Book News: Darth Bane #3 summary revealed:
Posted: 19th February
As well as the official summary for Deathtroopers, StarWars.com have also released the official summary for Drew Karpyshyn's third Darth Bane novel, Dynasty of Evil: The Sith are gone -- all except Darth Bane, creator of the "Rule of Two," which states that the new Sith Order will consist of only two: a Master and an apprentice. But how does one train an apprentice whose ultimate goal -- and proof of success -- must be to kill the Master?
Darth Bane is beginning to suffer the effects of drawing heavily on the dark side of the Force for so many years. At the same time, he's beginning to doubt his apprentice, Zannah, because she hasn't yet tried to kill him and take his power. Is she weak? Unworthy of being his apprentice? When he learns of an ancient Sith artifact that might hold the secret to immortal life, he heads out in search of it alone. But Zannah is anything but weak, and now that she has glimpsed his worries, she knows that the time is ripe to take him on. The Forces of evil will clash in spectacular battle, with the future of the Sith hanging in the balance!
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil's US release has also been brought forward one week from 15th December to the 8th December.
(Source: StarWars.com)

Comic News: Stradley discusses Invasion:
Posted: 19th February
Dark Horse Comics' Senior Editor, Randy Stradley, addressing concerns on Dark Horse Comics' Message Boards of the possible story arc that Star Wars: Invasion could take, wrote: "it was never [Tom Taylor's] -- or my -- intention that this series should exist to "fill in the gaps" of the [New Jedi Order]. The galaxy is a huge place, and even 19 novels can't hope to cover all that transpired during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. I'm not saying that the series absolutely won't touch on any of the characters or aspects that folks here are speculating about, but neither do I want readers to get their hopes set on a series that patches up the cracks or answers all of the questions from the Del Rey novels". He finished by saying "just like Dark Times is not about Vader hunting down Jedi, Invasion is not about the 'Big Three' fighting the Vong."
(Source: DarkHorseComics Message Boards)

Book News: 501st delayed:
Posted: 19th February
RandomHouse.com have updated their listing for Karen Traviss's Imperial Commando: 501st indicating that its US release date has been put back by almost a month from 29th September to 27th October. There's been no reason for this delay announced but it does mean that October's US Release Schedule is filling fast with Joe Schreiber's Deathtroopers in hardback on the 13th, followed by Imperial Commando: 501st in paperback on the 27th and the unconfirmed $60 The Complete Vader by Ryder Windham and Peter Vilmur.
(Source: RandomHouse.com via ClubJade.net)

Book News: Amazon reveal Imperial Commando: 501st synopsis:
Posted: 18th February
THIS NEWS ITEM CONTAINS SPOILERS
Amazon.co.uk have published a synopsis for Karen Traviss's first Imperial Commando novel, 501st, her sequel to the Republic Commando series: The Clone Wars are over, but the clone deserters' personal battle against the Empire has only just begun. With death warrants on their heads, and a hated Imperial garrison on Mandalore, Kal Skirata's clan of clone veterans, Mando mercenaries, misfit refugees, and a renegade Jedi find all their worst nightmares have followed them home. The search for a cure for the clones' premature aging grows more desperate, and Etain's son must be protected at all costs. Darman and Niner are still stranded in the Imperial legion, and fight to survive in a very different army. But as Mandalore prepares to resist Palpatine's new order, Skirata is forced to give safe haven to those he hates most, and some he thought were dead. Clan Skirata thinks things can't possibly get any worse - until their ragtag private army faces the reality of fighting the Empire. Their most lethal enemies are now their own brothers.
Imperial Commando: 501st is due for release in paperback in the US on 29th September and in the UK on 8th October.

Book News: Amazon reveal Deathtroopers synopsis:
Posted: 16th February
THIS NEWS ITEM CONTAINS SPOILERS
Amazon.co.uk have published a synopsis for Joe Schreiber's horror novel Deathtroopers and it looks like it features Han and Chewbacca: In the time immediately following the destruction of the Death Star and the years between the Battle of Yavin and the foundation of the Rebel Base on Hoth, the Empire's grip on the galaxy has become an unyielding fist of retribution. Pressed into action by Emperor Palpatine, Imperial forces have stepped up efforts to hunt down and imprison Rebel sympathizers, shipping them off to newly formed detainment moons via huge prison barges. By necessity these barges are floating chambers of degradation and vice, notoriously unreliable spacecraft staffed by Imperial corrections officers whose cruelty rivals that of the inmates. The Imperial Prison Barge Virtue is hauling its load of prisoners, criminals and murderers, human and non-human, across the galaxy, when it breaks down in deep space. Soon after, the ship's warden discovers a derelict Star Destroyer, seemingly abandoned, and sends a boarding party to scavenge parts to repair the Virtue. Half of them don't come back. The ones that do are infected with a virus so deadly that within hours, it has wiped out ninety-nine percent of the barge's population. But for the handful of survivors - two brothers, the Virtue's female chief medical officer, and a sadistic captain of the guards, along with a certain rogue smuggler and his Wookiee sidekick - the true horror is just begun. Because those inmates and guards who died of the virus don't stay dead...and when they come back, they're extremely hungry. Against their better judgment, the survivors take refuge aboard the massive creaking emptiness of the Destroyer, only to discover that its original population has not disappeared at all - and that they've been waiting for them. However LucasBooks' Executive Editor Sue Rostoni has stated that Deathtroopers will be set 2 years before the Battle of Yavin, not between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, so perhaps this synopsis is from an early draft but if the setting is readjusted to 2 years prior to A New Hope then the setting would be closer to The Force Unleashed's story of the formation of the Rebel Alliance ("Rebel sympathizers").
Deathtroopers is expected later this year in hardback.

Book News: ...and for Abyss:
Posted: 16th February
THIS NEWS ITEM CONTAINS SPOILERS
Amazon.co.uk have published a short synopsis for the third Fate of the Jedi book, Abyss: Luke and Ben Skywalker arrive in the mysterious part of space called The Maw in search of more clues as to what caused Jacen Solo's downfall into the dark side. But they are not the only ones exploring The Maw: a Sith Master and her apprentice arrive there, too, having followed the delinquent ancient Sith ship found by Ben in The Legacy of the Force - and they're thrilled to find Luke there, because they are determined to kill him. But there's another powerful being hiding in The Maw. It's enormously strong, purely evil, and it has its own plans for Luke Skywalker...
Abyss will be written by Troy Denning and available from August in hardback.

Book News: New children's The Clone Wars books today:
Posted: 16th February
Today sees the official release of 3 new The Clone Wars children's books in the US from DK (Dorling Kindersley). The first two are young reader educational titles: Jedi Adventures (reader level 4) and Yoda in Action! (reader level 3) while the last is The Clone Wars Ultimate Sticker Collection: 96 pages of sticker fun! All three will be released in the UK on 2nd March.

Media News: EUCantina interviews Karen Miller:
Posted: 13th February
Affiliate EUCantina.net have interviewed author Karen Miller (The Clone Wars: Wild Space). You can read their interview here (contains minor spoilers).

Comic News: Stradley talks Invasion, Old Republic & Dark Times:
Posted: 13th February
Dark Horse Comics' Senior Editor Randy Stradley has spoken to Newsarama.com about the world of Star Wars comics coming in 2009. Including Star Wars: The Old Republic, their free online comic introduction to the forthcoming MMO video game of the same name; Star Wars: Invasion, an all-new comic story set during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of The New Jedi Order; and Dark Times, the continuing adventures of Jedi Knight Dass Jennir following Order 66. You can read the interview here.

Book News: More The Clone Wars books this Summer for UK:
Posted: 13th February
Affiliate StarWarsTimeline.com have discovered listings on Amazon.co.uk for four new The Clone Wars children's book from Ladybird Books, all to be published on 2nd July 2009. They are Decide Your Destiny: The Way of the Jedi (a reprint of the US book published in October last year by Grosset & Dunlap); Decide Your Destiny: Tethan Battle Adventure; Operation Huttlet - Activity book with Jedi Badges; and 3-D Adventure Book - Journey Through Hyperspace (with 3-D mask). In addition the two books previously mentioned on StarWars.com: Downfall of a Droid and Destroy Malevolence will also be released on the 2nd July.
(Source: StarWarsTimeline.com)

Book News: Deathtroopers now as hardback:
Posted: 12th February
Writing on the StarWars Message Boards, LucasBooks' Executive Editor, Sue Rostoni, has announced that Deathtroopers' US release will now be in hardback rather than paperback. Written by Joe Schreiber, Deathtroopers will be Star Wars' first horror novel and is due for release on 13th October this year (two weeks earlier than planned). As yet no word on whether the UK release is affected.

Book News: Get ready for the Backlash:
Posted: 12th February
According to StarWars Twitter, the fourth Fate of the Jedi novel by Aaron Allston will be titled Backlash. And according to LucasBooks' Executive Editor, Sue Rostoni, writing on the StarWars Message Boards, its release has been put back one week from 19th January 2010 to 26th January 2010 (US).

Book News: Millennium Falcon to land in UK in April?:
Posted: 12th February
It appears that James Luceno's Millennium Falcon novel may receive a UK release in hardback after all. Amazon UK have a preliminary listing for it being released on 23rd April by Century.
(Source: via TheForce.net)

Media News: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network (UK):
Posted: 12th February
The Clone Wars TV series begins its UK run on Cartoon Network this Saturday (14th February) at 10a.m. with episodes #1 Ambush and #2 Rising Malevolence. Unlike its run on Sky Movies Premiere that required a premium subscription, a normal subscription that includes the Kids channels will allow you to watch this series on Cartoon Network.
(Source: CartoonNetwork.co.uk)

Comic News: The Clone Wars: Slaves of the Republic issue #4 available from today:
Posted: 11th February
Released today is the fourth issue in Dark Horse Comics' Slaves of the Republic comic book series.

Book News: More The Clone Wars books this Fall:
Posted: 10th February (UPDATED: 16th February)
Affiliate StarWarsTimeline.com have discovered listings on Amazon.com for three new The Clone Wars books from Grosset & Dunlap. The first is The Official The Clone Wars Episode Guide (Season 1), a 192 page paperback guide by Jason Fry (author of The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide), to be published on the 19th October. But before that on 3rd September is Escape into Wild Space by Ryder Windham, a 160 page paperback book that is reminiscent of Grievous Attacks (a young reader novel containing adaptations of three selected episodes from The Clone Wars TV series). So perhaps Escape into Wild Space will be yet more adaptations of selected TV episodes.  And the last book discovered is The Holocron Heist by Rob Valois, paperback, 48 pages, again available from 3rd September.
(Source: StarWarsTimeline.com)

UPDATE: Amazon.com have changed the listing title for Escape into Wild Space, it is now Secret Missions: Book 1: Breakout Squad, still by Ryder Windham and is still expected early September.

Media News: Cartoon Network renews The Clone Wars with season 2:
Posted: 9th February
As reported on StarWars.com, Cartoon Network have picked up the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, which should air in the United States in the Fall ...full story at StarWars.com.

Comic News: The future of Legacy and KotOR comics:
Posted: 8th February
THIS NEWS ITEM CONTAINS SPOILERS
News from New York Comic-Con: Newsarama.com are reporting that Dark Horse Comics' panel concsisting of Randy Stradley (Star Wars Editor) and Jan Duursema (artist Legacy) discussed the future for Legacy and Knights of the Old Republic comic series. Duursema explained that as Darth Krayt has been killed, Cade Skywalker finally feels free to pursue his interests, "including piracy". Later this year, Cade will travel to Tatooine for a "story involving his pirate activities". While on Tatooine, "he’ll meet some family he’s never met before". Stradley told "fleet junkies" to look forward to a "battle between three different star fleets". Ron Fel’s Imperial fleet and the Galactic Alliance fleet run into a Sith fleet. The arc will have "lots of back and forth" and will see "alliances stretched to breaking point".
As for Knights of the Old Republic: Next in the series, [Zayne Carrick] set out with a group of pirate allies who believe that they have free run of the galaxy, but "Zane (sic.) has plans of his own... Brian Ching is coming back to the interior art," Stradley confirmed.
(Source: Newsarama.com)

Book News: Omen's plot revealed & Darth Bane #3 named:
Posted: 8th February
THIS NEWS ITEM CONTAINS SPOILERS
StarWars.com have published the synopsis for the second Fate of the Jedi book, Omen: The Jedi Order is in crisis. The late Jacen Solo's shocking transformation into murderous Sith Lord Darth Caedus has cast a damning pall over those who wield the Force for good. Two Jedi Knights have succumbed to an inexplicable and dangerous psychosis. Criminal charges have driven Luke Skywalker into self-imposed exile. And power-hungry Chief of State Natasi Daala is exploiting anti-Jedi sentiment to undermine the Order's influence within the Galactic Alliance.
Forbidden to intervene in Jedi affairs, Luke is on a desperate mission to uncover the truth behind Jacen's fall to the dark side -- and to learn what's turning peaceful Jedi into raving lunatics. But finding answers will mean venturing into the mind-bending space of the Kathol Rift, and bargaining with an alien species as likely to destroy outsiders as deal with them. Still, there is no other choice and no time to lose, as the catastrophic events on Coruscant continue to escalate. Stricken by the same violent dementia that infected her brother, Valin, Jedi Knight Jysella Horn faces an equally grim fate after her capture by Daala's police. And when Han and Leia Solo narrowly foil another deranged Jedi bent on deadly destruction, even acting Grand Master Kenth Hamner appears willing to bow to Daala's iron will -- at the expense of the Jedi Order.
But an even greater threat is looming. Millennia in the past, a Sith starship crashed on an unknown, low-tech planet, leaving the survivors stranded. Over the generations, their numbers have grown anew, the ways of the dark side have been nurtured, and the time is fast approaching when this lost tribe of Sith will once more take to the stars to reclaim their legendary destiny as rulers of the galaxy. Only one thing stands in their way to dominance, a name whispered to them through the Force: Skywalker.
(Source: StarWars.com)

Comic News: New comic series' from Dark Horse soon:
Posted: 8th February
News from New York Comic-Con: Dark Horse Comics are producing a new comic series to assist the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the new MMO game from LucasArts and Bioware. The comic series, The Old Republic - Threat of Peace, will be written by Rob Chestney with art by Alex Sanchez and will be available free online every second Friday at www.swtor.com starting later this month.
Secondly, it has been announced that the Rebellion comic series (recently put on hiatus for The Clone Wars comic series) has ended due to it "getting into continuity heavy territory". Instead Dark Horse Comics are to launch an all-new series set during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of The New Jedi Order. Aptly titled Star Wars: Invasion, it will be written by Tom Taylor with art by Colin Wilson and will begin in May with an online two-part introductory story prior to the first issue's release in July. ComicBookResources.com have published interviews with Tom Taylor and Colin Wilson.
(Sources: StarWars.com, Newsarama.com)

Comic News: Fixer's story coming soon?:
Posted: 8th February (UPDATED: 11th February)
News from New York Comic-Con: TheForce.net are reporting that: "Anthony Forest, who played Fixer in A New Hope was speaking at the New York Comic Con yesterday and announced a new comic that he is writing called "Fixer: From the Shadow of Twin Suns". It appears to be published by Dark Horse and will be, get this, free!"
Fixer was a skilled mechanic and one of Luke Skywalker's childhood friends from Tatooine - however Anthony's scenes from A New Hope were cut for the final release and now form part of the famous missing Tosche Station scenes.
(Sources: TheForce.net)

UPDATE: Writing on TheForce.net's Jedi Council forum, Dark Horse Comics' editor Randy Stradley denied their involvement in this comic story: "I feel that I should state for the record that this is NOT a Dark Horse title, and it is NOT on our publishing schedule. It is a story that has been proposed to us. Period." So it appears that Anthony Forest's story may not see the light of day.
(Source: via ClubJade.net)

Book News: New books listed on Amazon:
Posted: 6th February
Amazon.com have listed several new and not-so-new titles all due for release later in the year. First up is a listing for the fourth title in the Rebel Force series by Alex Wheeler - no surprise to find it is Firefight after Amazon listed Firefight's cover against Renegade's listing. Next is The Complete Vader, a 192-page hardback book by Ryder Windham and Pete Vilmur but no details as to content. Finally Deathtroopers by Joe Schreiber, Star Wars' first horror story, gets its own listing for pre-orders.

Comic News: May solicitations from Dark Horse Comics
Posted: 5th February
StarWars.com have posted Dark Horse Comics' solicitations for May. Included are the final issues of The Clone Wars: Slaves of the Republic (issue #6); and of the Dueling Ambitions storyline in Knights of the Old Republic (issue #41); while Dark Times continues its Blue Harvest story in issue #14; and there is a new story for Legacy in issue #36 with Renegade. StarWars.com have also confirmed the release of the second, previously rumoured, volume in the new Star Wars Adventures graphic novellas: Princess Leia and the Royal Ransom (due for US release in July).
(Source: StarWars.com)

Comic News: Amazon UK reveal full Khorya cover:
Posted: 5th February
Amazon.co.uk have revealed the cover for the first Star Wars Adventures series from Dark Horse Comics: Han Solo and the Hollow Moon of Khorya. Although Dark Horse Comics have published the cover art without text, Amazon's cover contains full text. However, this image is of the UK variant as will be published by Titan Books, but as Titan Books usually just imports the Dark Horse Comics release, we are confident that this could be the final cover.
Han Solo and the Hollow Moon of Khorya is due for release in April (US) and May (UK).
(Source: Amazon.co.uk)

Book News: Luke Skywalker biography coming soon:
Posted: 5th February
After the success with The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader and The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, biographies of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi aimed at 9-12 year olds, it is no surprise to learn that children's book publisher Scholastic and biographies author Ryder Windham, are to publish a Luke Skywalker biography. Although this book is unconfirmed at present, a listing has appeared on Amazon.com for a Luke Skywalker Bio in hardback by Ryder Windham published by Scholastic on 1st September. More news as we receive it.
(Source: via TheForce.net)

Comic News: Dark Times - Blue Harvest (part 2) now online:
Posted: 5th February
Part two of Dark Horse Comics' new Dark Times story, Blue Harvest, is now online at their MySpace site. Written by Mick Harrison with art by Doug Wheatley, in this the second part of this free two-part online comic, former Jedi Knight Dass Jennir, still in hiding four months after Order 66 has travelled to Cata Nemoida, seeking work... read the full comic story

Book News: New children's The Clone Wars books today:
Posted: 5th February
Today sees the official release of 6 The Clone Wars children's books on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US Grosset & Dunlap have released three titles: Ambush (their graphic novel adaptation of the first TV episode); Bombad Jedi; and the second junior novel Grievous Attacks.
Meanwhile in the UK, Puffin have also released Grievous Attacks, while Ladybird have released three titles: Yoda's Missions; The Dark Side and Galactic Force.

Book News: Released today:
Posted: 5th February
Released today in the UK: Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force (paperback novel from Arrow Books) by Michael Reaves.

Media News: Sue Rostoni interviewed by EU Cantina:
Posted: 1st February
Affiliate EU Cantina have published their interview with Sue Rostoni, LucasBooks' Executive Editor. Sue is responsible for the editing of all new Star Wars books and comics prior to publication.
You can read the interview here (warning contains some Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi spoilers).

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