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![[ News Review and Archive ]](../images/banner.jpg) |
March 2011 |
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![[ News Archive... ]](../images/news-archive.jpg) |
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The following news items were posted
on Star Wars Books during March 2011:
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Star Wars novels' back catalogue set for digital
release this Summer
Posted: 30th March
As widely reported, Max Jaybo from NJOE.com
has discovered listings on book publisher Random House's
online catalogue indicating that their back catalogue of Star Wars
novels will be released in digital format this Summer.
The list of almost one hundred novels includes
almost all novels published by Bantam Spectra during
the 1990s: from Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy of Heir
to the Empire in 1991 thru to Aaron
Allston's X-Wing:
Starfighters of Adumar in 1999; as
well as Del Rey's novelisations of the six films, the remaining 16
novels of The New Jedi Order
not previously available in e-Book
form, and most other novels up to last year's Fatal
Alliance and this year's Knight
Errant. According to the online catalogue, all titles will
be released on 17th August in the US for around $7.99 each.
However, it should be noted that this is not the first instance of
Random House releasing many titles en-masse in a digital format as
regular visitors to Star Wars Books will recall that
four years ago on 20th February 2007, Random House Audio (the
audio book division of Random House) released their back
catalogue of Star Wars audio
books in digital format, allowing many fans the chance to
download audio books previously out of publication.
Here is a complete list of the titles proposed for
release on 17th August (as composed by Lightsaber
Rattling )
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(Sources: NJOE.com
and Lightsaber
Rattling ) |
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New releases
Posted: 30th March
Legacy:
War #4 (of 6)
Comic Book by John Ostrander, Jan Duursema,
Dan Parsons et al.
Dark Horse Comics (
&
[import])
Approximately 138 years after the Battle of
Yavin:
As Jedi and Imperial Knights fight shoulder to shoulder against
the Sith in defense of the Hidden Temple, Cade Skywalker can’t
help but think of his father and the horrible losses the Jedi
suffered the last time the Sith attacked...more
Darth
Vader and the Lost Command #3 (of 5)
Comic Book by Haden Blackman, Rick Leonardi, Dan Green, Wes
Dzioba et al.
Dark Horse Comics (
&
[import])
Approximately 19 years before the Battle of
Yavin:
An attempt on his life leaves Darth Vader and a handful of loyal
troops trapped on a desolate world. Despite the deadly perils posed
by the environment and attacks from his mysterious enemy, Vader will
not veer from his duty...more |
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New release
Posted: 29th March
The
Star Wars Craft Book
Paperback Non-Fiction Book by Bonnie Burton
Del Rey (
)
What began in 2004 as a regular crafts feature on StarWars.com is
now a book. While fans might recognize some crafts from StarWars.com,
the book is also jam-packed full of brand new projects that cater to
both beginners and advanced Jawa-level crafters. The book features
fully-detailed, step-by-step instructions and photos for each craft...more |
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Sneak peeks at Crimson Empire
III and Dark Times: Out of the Wilderness
Posted:
25th March
In their Star
Wars Friday blog entry ,
Dark Horse Comics has revealed not only the cover for the
first issue of the much anticipated Crimson Empire III
but also two interior pages (excluding lettering) and that it will
begin this Fall. Written by Mike Richardson (with art by Paul Gulacy),
Crimson Empire III promises to provide closure on Kir
Kanos's unfinished story from Crimson
Empire II: Council of Blood.
Dark Horse Comics also published a sneak
peek at three interior pages from the first issue of a new five-part
mini-series that signals the return of Dark
Times comic series in Out of the Wilderness.
Written by Mick Harrison with art by Doug Wheatley, the first issue
is due for release on 3rd August. |
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New releases
Posted: 25th March
The
Old Republic: Deceived
Hardback Novel by Paul S. Kemp
Titan Books (
)
Approximately 3,653 years before the Battle
of Yavin:
Darth Malgus brought down the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in a
brutal assault that shocked the galaxy. But if war crowned him the
darkest of Sith heroes, peace would transform him into something far
more heinous: something Malgus would never want to be, but cannot
stop, any more than he can stop the rogue Jedi fast approaching...more
The
Old Republic: Volume 1 - Blood of the Empire
Graphic Novel by Alexander Freed et al.
Titan Books (
)
Approximately 3,678
years before the Battle of Yavin:
Collating issues #4 thru #6 of The Old Republic comic book series:
The Galaxy is at war. The Sith Empire strikes blow after blow
against a Republic reeling from the return of its ancient enemies,
and the Jedi scramble to defend their holdings...more |
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Paul S. Kemp interviewed at
Lightsaber Rattling
Posted:
23rd March
Paul S. Kemp, author of The
Old Republic: Deceived, Crosscurrent
and the forthcoming sequel to Crosscurrent,
Riptide, has been
interviewed by Expanded Universe blog site Lightsaber
Rattling .
While primarily discussing those titles, Kemp also talks about his
short story, The Old Republic: The Third Lesson, which
was published in this month's edition of Star Wars Insider
magazine (issue #124 in the US and #100 in the UK); as well as his,
as yet untitled, forthcoming hardcover duology.
The
Old Republic: Deceived is available now in hardback in the
US by Del Rey and from Friday in the UK by Titan Books. |
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New release
Posted: 22nd March
The
Old Republic: Deceived
Hardback Novel by Paul S. Kemp
Del Rey (
)
Approximately 3,653 years before the Battle
of Yavin:
Darth Malgus brought down the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in a
brutal assault that shocked the galaxy. But if war crowned him the
darkest of Sith heroes, peace would transform him into something far
more heinous: something Malgus would never want to be, but cannot
stop, any more than he can stop the rogue Jedi fast approaching...more |
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Ostrander reveals more about Agent
of the Empire
Posted:
21st March
Writing on Dark
Horse Comics' Message Boards ,
John Ostrander author of the forthcoming Agent of the Empire
comic book series revealed the following:
We're looking at a series of miniseries here
with a forward narrative progressing as we go. [Jahan] Cross has a
backstory and we'll fill you in on it as we go and its relevant to
the story we're telling. While the shorthand description of the
series is "James Bond meets Star Wars", it's not just a
Bond knockoff. Cross will be his own character and I'll be pulling
tropes from Jason Bourne, Secret Agent, and other espionage
sources. Those who know my work know I've done a LOT of espionage
themed stories in my career; Suicide Squad at DC did it with
supervillains.
Part of the reason to do the series as we are is a new way of
looking at the events and characters of the Original Trilogy. I
hope/intend to use established characters as supporting characters
in this series, depending on their availability and what they're
doing in the timeline and subject, as always, to LucasFilm
Licensing approval.
John also added the following about series artist
Stéphane Roux:
Stephane is an amazing artist and I think
you're going to psyched when you see more of this. I'm hard at
work on the first story now and we'll reveal more here on the
boards as we can.
Comic fans don't have to wait until December to be
able to judge for themselves Stephane's take on Star Wars as her
first Star Wars comic story, Jedi:
The Dark Side, premiers in May. |
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Dark House announces Agent of
the Empire
Posted:
20th March
Dark Horse Comics has announced at
this year's Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo
(C2E2) a new comic series written by John Ostrander (Legacy)
titled Agent of the Empire. Here's the blurb from
Randy Stradley, Editor at Dark
Horse Comics :
The series will be written by John Ostrander,
with art by Stéphane Roux.
Set in the years prior to A New Hope, the series will focus on the
adventures of Imperial agent Jahan Cross. In some ways, Cross
fulfills for the Empire the role the Jedi played for the Republic
-- taking on everything from diplomatic assignments to helping to
enforce the laws of the galaxy. Only instead of a lightsaber,
Cross packs a blaster (and other secret weapons), and instead of
the Force, he is supported by the custom-built assassin droid
N-GA-44.
The series is set to debut in December.
While TheForce.net
reveal some more info:
[Agent of the Empire] takes place 3 years
before A New Hope [...] include strong female figures
including possibly Leia, Winter & Isard [...] as well
as movie characters form the Original Trilogy, but not in main
roles.
In other news from the Dark Horse Comics panel
at C2E2: the collected graphic novel for Darth
Vader and the Lost Command will be released in hardback; Dark
Horse Comics will produce more direct tie-in material to The
Clone Wars; an "enhanced" relationship between Dark
Horse Comics and Del Rey; the much anticipated Crimson
Empire III comic series is set 2 years after Crimson
Empire II: Council of Blood; and Darth Revan will feature on
the cover of issue #2 of The
Old Republic: The Lost Suns.
(Source: TheForce.net )
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Miller talks up Knight Errant:
Deluge with Newsarama.com
Posted: 19th March
Knight
Errant author John Jackson Miller has been interviewed by Newsarama.com
and talks about the second Knight
Errant comic series, Deluge.
For its protagonist, Jedi Knight Kerra Holt, Miller says:
Kerra has returned, at last, to Aquilaris,
responding to a distress call. It’s the chance she’s been
looking for to score some points and get some personal
satisfaction from it. But it comes at a time of increasing
frustration for Kerra, too. People living out in the Sith-controlled
Outer Rim are completely battered down and downtrodden; it’s not
ripe for mounting a rebellion or revolution. Many of the people
here have been enslaved for their entire lives, and there’s drug
abuse, as people try to forget their hardships. More than
anything, she could use some help...
...and we give it to her. Knight Errant: Deluge sees her
getting her fondest dream: competent help she can trust. New
allies arrive from the Republic in the form of Captain Jenn Devaad
and her Devil Squadron, the advance team for the mercy mission
known as Grace Command. In many ways, they’re like the allies
that Kerra lost in that initial disaster; absolutely what she was
looking for. Other allies she’s had, like Jarrow Rusher in the
novel, she couldn’t quite trust because they’d worked for the
Sith. Devaad definitely doesn’t. For Kerra, it’s an enormously
happy moment — a chance to get back on the path she wanted to
walk.
As for the series title, Miller explains:
On the simplest level, “Deluge” is
the name of the drug that’s circulating in the populations Kerra
encounters; it’s one of the things making it hard for Kerra to
help the people help themselves, and an added source of
frustration for her. But there’s another meaning, and it relates
to a new invasion that’s taking place — from a completely
different quarter. We’ve shown Sith-on-Sith violence; now, we’ll
see that other opportunists are out there, waiting to take
advantage of the situation.
He also reveals that the main antagonists in this
second series may be not necessarily be the Sith:
As we’ve seen, the Hutts are Sith-like in
many aspects of their attitudes and behavior — there are some
differences, of course, but in their own way, the Hutts are a
plague of equal menace [...] in this time period one of the
largest regions ostensibly under Sith control is Hutt Space; as we’ll
learn, it’s an open question who’s controlling whom. And they’re
ready to branch out: one of the most intrepid Hutts, Zodoh, sees
nothing but opportunity in the chaos of the Grumani Sector. He
could either be kingmaker in the battle between Sith Lords Daiman,
Odion, and their rivals — or king himself! So we really do have
the flood on the way: plagues from in the neighborhood, and
plagues from without!
Finally, the cover
for the first issue by Joe Quinones was revealed by Miller - a cover
that Miller claims "really suggests it all — it’s almost
like a patriotic World War II poster. Kerra Holt is back in the
fight".
Knight
Errant: Deluge #1 is due for release in August from Dark
Horse Comics. |
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Book news from C2E2
Posted:
19th March
Book publisher Del Rey has
announced at this year's Chicago Comics & Entertainment
Expo (C2E2) that the re-issue paperback editions of The
Phantom Menace and Darth
Maul: Shadow Hunter due next year, to tie-in with the 3D
cinema release of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, will each
include exclusive new short stories by author James Luceno (Millennium
Falcon).
Also announced was The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
by J.W. Rinzler. Following the success of last year's The
Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, a Making
of... Jedi book was inevitable and no doubt that this book will
be released in 2013 to tie-in to the 30th Anniversary of Return
of the Jedi.
Meanwhile, Del Rey are also considering another Tales
from... anthology although they stress that nothing is
definitely planned beyond the release of John Jackson Miller's Lost
Tribe of the Sith anthology due August 2012.
In other news, Star Wars Insider magazine
from Titan Magazines will feature more original short
stories. Following this month's edition (#124 - US / #100 - UK) and
the inclusion of Paul S. Kemp's The Third Lesson short
story, issue #125/#101 (due late April) will feature a short story
by Christie Golden (Omen,
Allies) titled First
Blood that will feature leading Fate
of the Jedi Sith acolyte Vestara Khai. While issue #126/#102
(due late May/early June) will feature a story by Timothy Zahn, Buyer's
Market, that stars Lando Calrissian and is presumably a
tie-in to his forthcoming Choices of One novel.
(Source: Star
Wars Action News
via EUCantina.net )
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First look: Lost Tribe of the
Sith - Pantheon
Posted:
17th March
StarWars.com
has released the blurb and cover for the penultimate Lost Tribe
of the Sith e-Book novella, Pantheon,
by John Jackson Miller. As this contains possible spoilers highlight
between arrow-heads to read >>>When
the Sith ship Omen crash-landed on Kesh two thousand years ago, the
crew encountered native barbarism and superstition. Now a violent
millennium has reduced the Lost Tribe of the Sith to a similar
state. While Sith teachings are remembered, honored, and violently
practiced, knowledge of the Lost Tribe's true origins has all but
vanished.
With a dark age imperiling the Sith, the future rests in the hands
of the unlikeliest of people: Caretaker Hilts, the official keeper
of lore. Mild-mannered by Sith standards, the aged Hilts hopes to
use the wisdom of the ancients to reunite his people. But the truth
he uncovers becomes anything but the Tribe's salvation. Rather, he
may have set loose forces leading to its destruction -- and his own.<<<
Lost
Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon is due to be released as a free
download (PDF) from StarWars.com on 18th July and from online
retailers. |
|
New releases
Posted: 17th March
Star Wars Galaxy Comic #6
Premier Comic Book
Titan Comics (
)
Featuring reprints from Invasion:
Refugees, Blood
Ties: Jango & Boba Fett and Knight
Errant: Aflame.
Star Wars Insider #100
Magazine
Titan Magazines (
)
Featuring an original short story, The Old Republic: The Third
Lesson by Paul S. Kemp, that acts as a prequel to his
forthcoming novel The
Old Republic: Deceived due for release next week in
hardback. Plus explore the history of the Wookiee-Trandoshan
conflict through the pages of the Expanded Universe; behind the
scenes on LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars; and sculptor
Darren Marshall of The Clone Wars talks about how his awesome
character maquettes are created and used on the show. |
|
Comics for June 2011
Posted:
16th March
In their latest solicitations, Dark
Horse Comics has announced the following Star Wars comics due
for release in June 2011:
Jedi:
The Dark Side #2 (of 5)
Comic book by Scott Allie, Mahmud Asrar, Paul Mounts and
Stéphane Roux
Approximately 53 years before the Battle of
Yavin
Dispatched to the planet Telos IV, Qui-Gon, his Padawan Xanatos,
and the lovely Jedi Master Tahl must uncover the secrets behind a
recent political assassination and prevent an outbreak of civil war.
For the headstrong Xanatos, this return to the world of his birth
has dredged up hidden resentments, while Master Tahl has herself
become a target for assassination!
Intrigue, action, danger, and the dark side are imminent!
Available: June 22nd 2011
The
Old Republic: The Lost Suns #1 (of 5)
Comic book by Alexander Freed, George Freeman, Dave Ross, Mark
McKenna and Michael Atiyeh
Approximately 3,660 years before the Battle
of Yavin
Theron Shan—descendant of the legendary bloodline that includes
Jedi Bastila Shan and Satele Shan—is no Jedi he's a Republic spy!
His mission: to discover the blackest secret at the heart of the
evil Sith Empire!
The first issue in a brand-new story!
Available: June 8th 2011 |
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New release
Posted: 15th March
Star Wars Insider #124
Magazine
Titan Magazines (
)
Featuring an original short story, The Old Republic: The Third
Lesson by Paul S. Kemp, that acts as a prequel to his
forthcoming novel The
Old Republic: Deceived due for release next week in
hardback. Plus explore the history of the Wookiee-Trandoshan
conflict through the pages of the Expanded Universe; behind the
scenes on LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars; and sculptor
Darren Marshall of The Clone Wars talks about how his awesome
character maquettes are created and used on the show. |
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First blurb for Fate of the
Jedi: Ascension
Posted:
14th March
In their Fall 2011 catalogue, Random
House has given us the first blurb for Ascension,
the penultimate novel in the nine-book Fate
of the Jedi series:
Contains minor spoilers. Highlight between
arrow-heads to read >>>Luke
Skywalker, his son Ben, and the Sith girl Vestara are in hot pursuit
of the dread power called Abeloth, who has joined forces with the
Sith in a bid to take over the galaxy. The leadership of the
government is uncertain, torn apart by power struggles and
infiltrators, while the Sith have a terrible secret that could shake
the Jedi Order to its core...<<<
Fate of
the Jedi: Ascension by Christie Golden is due to be released
in hardback in the US on 16th August and about two weeks later in
the UK.
(Source: via NJOE.com ) |
|
New releases
Posted: 10th March
Fate
of the Jedi: Backlash
Paperback Novel by Aaron Allston
Arrow Books (
)
Approximately 44 years after
the Battle of Yavin:
Repercussions from the dark side's fatal seduction of Jacen Solo
and the mysterious plague of madness afflicting young Jedi continue
to wreak havoc galaxy-wide. Having narrowly escaped the deranged
Force worshippers known as the Mind Walkers, and a deadly Sith hit
squad, Luke and Ben Skywalker are in pursuit of the now Masterless
Sith apprentice Vestara Khai...more
Star
Wars: The Clone Wars Comic #18
Children's Comic Book
Titan Comics (
)
Between 22 and 19 years before the Battle
of Yavin:
Featuring an original short comic story, Repel
all Boarders!, plus puzzles, games and free cover gift. |
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New release
Posted: 9th March
Omnibus:
At War with the Empire - Volume 1
Omnibus
Graphic Novel by various
Dark Horse Books (
)
Just
before, during and after the
Battle of Yavin:
Collating the following stories: Betrayal,
Princess... Warrior,
The Short, Happy
Life of Roons Sewell, What
Sin Loyalty?, The
Savage Heart, Target:
Vader, A
Little Piece of Home, Alone
Together, Idiot's
Array and The
Price of Power from Empire
comic book series...more |
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First Knight Errant graphic
novel due this autumn
Posted: 9th March
NJOE.com has discovered a
place-holder listing on Amazon.co.uk
for the graphic novel edition of the first Knight Errant
comic story arc, Aflame.
Amazon.co.uk list this UK edition from publisher Titan
Books as being released on 26th August, but as NJOE.com
state "take this [release date] with a grain of salt
- but it does match when I'd expect the first Knight Errant
TPB to be released (in time for folks to get caught up on "the
story so far" just as the first issue of Knight Errant vol
2: Deluge is released."
We can expect an official announcement from Dark Horse Comics
regarding a US release either later this month or next month.
UPDATE: In their June
solicitations, Dark Horse Comics announced that Knight
Errant Volume 1: Aflame graphic novel is due for release in
the US on 3rd August.
(Source: via NJOE.com )
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Preview Darth Vader and the Lost
Command #3
Posted:
6th March
Dark Horse Comics has posted a three-page
preview
of the third issue of Darth
Vader and the Lost Command by Haden Blackman, with art by
Rick Leonardi. In this, the midway point of this five-part series Darth
Vader is haunted by recurring visions of what his life with Padme
might have been like if he had not succumbed to the dark side, and
guided by the Ghost Nebula’s mysterious priestess, Vader and his
troops become embroiled in a disastrous battle on a tar-pit world.
Darth
Vader and the Lost Command #3 is due for release on 30th
March. |
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New The Old Republic comic
story coming soon
Posted:
3rd March
Star Wars Insider #124 reveals that
a new 5-part comic series from Dark Horse Comics titled The
Old Republic: The Lost Suns:
It stars Republic spy Theron Shan, son of
Jedi Master Satele Shan, and packs explosive revelations relating
to the events of the game.
Written and drawn by the same team who created Blood
of the Empire: Alexander Freed (writer), Dave Ross
(pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Michael Atiyeh (colors), and
Benjamin Carre (covers); the first issue of The Old Republic:
The Lost Suns is due for release in June.
(Source: via NJOE.com )
UPDATE: Discussing his
contribution to The Lost Suns on Dark Horse Comics'
Blog, writer Alexander Freed states "The Lost Suns is
our chance to craft an Old Republic story we could never tell in a
video game. For readers familiar with the setting, the comic starts
when the game starts and showcases events and mysteries key to the
battle between Republic and Empire. For readers who’ve never heard
of the game, we want to recapture the Star Wars sense of adventure
in a strange universe, where the stakes are impossibly high and
treacherously personal."
(Source: Dark
Horse Comics Blog ) |
|
Return of Invasion, Knight
Errant and Dark Times
Posted:
3rd March
Star Wars Insider #124 has revealed
the return of three ongoing comic series from Dark Horse Comics
later this year:
- Invasion: Revelations begins in
June:
This new third story arc sees the heroes of the Galfridian
family step into their new roles as combatants in the middle of
the biggest war the Star Wars galaxy has ever seen. Finn
Galfridian has already lost his father and his homeworld to the
Yuuzhan Vong, and now he offers himself for Force training by
Master Dray-who just might be insane. Elsewhere, Finn’s mother
and sister reach the Imperial outpost of Shramar, where refugees
from their home planet hope to reunite with their family
members. But a mystery turns dangerous and then threatens
violent conflict between the New Republic and the Empire!
- Dark Times: Out of the Wilderness
is a new 5-part series beginning in August:
Jennir Dass, one of the few surviving Jedi from Order 66, is
trying to evade the Empire. But his pursuer is none other than
Darth Vader! And to make matters worse, a mysterious bounty
hunter and his droid killer are also after Jennir, while his
former smuggling comrades hope to meet him at their ship, Uhumele.
All their paths are destined to intersect and when they do, get
ready for a collision!
- Knight Errant: Deluge also begins
in August and is set immediately after the Knight
Errant novel:
Kerra Holt returns to her homeworld of Aquilar, which fell to
the Sith decades ago. But her enemies, and even her allies, are
not what she expected. Kerra will learn that some things are
worse than the Sith.
(Source: via NJOE.com )
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New Star Wars books listed on
Amazon
Posted:
2nd March
Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
have new listings for as yet unannounced Star Wars books due for
release later this year.
First up is The
Art and making of Star Wars: The Old Republic
from Chronicle Books. Amazon lists this 160-page hardcover
behind-the-scenes book as being released 1st November.
Second is for younger readers and is a 160-page
paperback novel
from children's publisher Grosset & Dunlap that will be a
tie-in to the start of the fourth season of The Clone Wars.
More than likely this book will be similar to Defenders
of the Republic (released October 2010) and Grievous
Attacks (released February 2009) - each book featuring
adaptations of three television episodes. According to Amazon, this
book is due for release on 27th October.
Lastly, Amazon.co.uk has a place-holder listing for Volume
5
in Dark Horse Comics' Omnibus: A Long Time Ago...
series that reprints Marvel
Comics' Star Wars series from the 1980s. Amazon
lists this UK edition from Titan Books as being released 1st
June - a highly optimistic date considering that Volume 4 in
this series hasn't been officially announced by Dark Horse Comics
and would not be expected to be released in the US until at least
this summer. However, it is possible that Volume 5 could be
released in the US by this winter. |
|
Darth Malgus short story to appear
in Star Wars Insider #124
Posted:
2nd March
As first revealed by Star Wars Books
on 29th December, issue #124 of Star
Wars Insider will feature an original short story by Paul S.
Kemp, author of the forthcoming The
Old Republic: Deceived novel. Kemp's short story, titled The
Third Lesson, is a direct tie-in to his Deceived
novel and features its protagonist Darth Malgus in an original story
set prior to the events of Deceived.
Star Wars Insider #124 goes on sale on the
15th March in the US and on the 17th March in UK (as Star Wars
Insider #100) from Titan Magazines.
The Old Republic:
Deceived is released in hardback (and unabridged audio book)
on 22nd March in the US and 25th March in the UK.
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