A new Star Wars animated series from the man behind The Clone Wars, Dave Filoni, is on the way. Star Wars Rebels will be set between Episodes III and IV and will launch on the Disney Channel with a one-hour premiere in Fall 2014, with the series continuing on Disney XD afterward. In addition to Filoni, Rebels will be executive produced by Greg Weisman, of Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Young Justice fame, and Simon Kinberg, who is currently working on future Star Wars films.

While specific details of the show other than the time period are being kept close to the vest at the moment, there is a lot here to be excited about, especially if you’re a fan of The Clone Wars. Disney has made an excellent move installing Dave Filoni as the showrunner of this new series. He completely understands Star Wars and grew The Clone Wars into an increasingly excellent show, both in story and animation. Having Weisman and Kinberg as part of the leadership team will only help make this show even stronger.

The fact that this new animated series is set between Episodes III and IV should help ease the fear some fans had that Disney wouldn’t go to any dark places with a new show. Rebels is set in the Dark Times, when the Empire is eliminating the few remaining Jedi and beginning to enforce its power across the galaxy. Being set in a time so close to The Clone Wars also could allow Filoni to continue some of the themes that show had begun to touch on as it moved closer to Revenge of the Sith. There’s even a chance that Rebels could have appearances from Ahsoka Tano and Darth Maul, two big characters who are left with dangling stories at the moment.

While footage of Rebels won’t be seen until Celebration Europe this summer, Pablo Hidalgo of Lucasfilm did a brief interview with Filoni and a few others involved in the show that you can check out below.

[StarWars.com]

This is a week of Expanded Universe timeline extremes. On Wednesday Dark Horse Comics releases new issues of Dawn of the Jedi and Legacy. It should be interesting to read both of these in the same week and see just how much things have changed from when the Jedi order was beginning.

Dawn of the Jedi – Prisoner of Bogan #5 (of 5)

Je’daii Daegen Lok is on the verge of launching a war against the Je’daii. With the Force-strong stranger Xesh as his ally and a young Je’daii captive, Lok is close to his goal.

But Je’daii Rangers are close behind, as the Masters at the Temples have unlocked some of the secrets of Xesh’s origins. Something worse than the prisoner of Bogan is loose in the Tython system!

Legacy #3

Ania Solo and her friends have been chased, blockaded, and shot at, and now they’re stuck on a world of molten sulfur all because an Imperial Knight wants them dead. Just when things seem bleakest, another Imperial Knight shows up! Is he here to help them, or help destroy them?

Script: Tim Siedell
Pencils: Stephen Thompson
Inks: Mark Irwin
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Ariel Olivetti

“Don’t mess with the Empire!” And what better way to emphasize this point than with Ariel Olivetti’s great cover for Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2. However, I’m afraid the cover and the interior art are the highlights of the issue as Tim Siedell’s story goes to places I just can’t imagine, with a few good hiccups along the way.

Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2

This story really makes me wonder how the Empire ever managed to stay in control until the end of Return of the Jedi. The Empire has always been a dark, menacing organization that took years to bring down, and the Emperor and Darth Vader helped orchestrate its fall with their plan to crush the Rebellion at Endor. But the Sith have become such an easy target. Darth Vader is thrown into the thick of things when he saves the Emperor from an assassination attempt. When I recall the Ghost Prison storyline, the opening arc for Empire, and the recent Free Comic Book Day Star Wars issue, I’ve realized that the Emperor and Darth Vader are easy to get to. I’ve got to be fair, though, because the latter two stories I mention had the Emperor and Darth Vader welcome those attempts, and that captures the quote I included at the start of this review beautifully. Siedell shows that same welcoming ruthlessness in the aftermath of the attempt on Palpatine’s life and gave me hope, but the ease of the bomb’s placement can’t be erased from my mind, even if some force is preventing the Sith from foreseeing these events. As for the rest of the issue’s story, the opening bit was great yet disturbing, and Darth Vader is incapable of playing the “good cop” role, I believe.

My favorite part of this issue is the art. Stephen Thompson and Mark Irwin get to illustrate lots of action and explosions, and achieve some of the best Force illustrations I’ve seen in recent years. When Vader goes to work, his hand gestures let the reader know immediately that he’s using the Force with the added sound effect and silent speech bubble driving the point home. Every picture of Vader is done in amazing detail, especially the mask, and the Emperor looks even more ugly than he ever did in the movies. Michael Atiyeh’s colors add to that ugliness and gives us an idea of what more gruesome things we may see in later issues following the Emperor’s mentioning of “abnormalities” existing at Darth Vader’s next destination. The Imperial Royal Guard will be joining Vader in this mission, and their looks and detail may steal the artistic attention away from Vader and the ninth assassin, which I would love to see.

For this story arc, the assassination attempt on Palpatine’s life was included to get Darth Vader into the ninth assassin’s path, but it made me question the warning of not messing with the Empire. I believe Siedell’s story will take a better turn in the next issue, and that’s why I’ll be sticking around until then…well, that and the great art included by the team. After all, when you come so close to ending the Empire, you better succeed in your attempt or it will be the last thing you ever mess with.

3/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

Shadows of the Empire was a multimedia project set after The Empire Strikes Back, showing what Luke, Leia and others were up to before Return of the Jedi. Dark Horse Comics will be releasing what I can only hope is a spiritual successor to Shadows of the Empire on October 16th when the digest sized Ewoks – Shadows of Endor hits stores.

Taking place on the forest moon of Endor and leading into Return of the Jedi, Shadows of Endor will bring us back to the glory days of the 80′s Ewok films and cartoons. The Ewoks rivals, the Agluks, have been enslaved by the Empire. Terrible beasts have been awakened. Cute drawings have been drawn! At only $7.99, I don’t think I’m going to be able to turn this one down.

Dark Horse is really embracing the quirky past of Star Wars in the near future. In addition to Shadows of Endor, there are also two omnibus collections of rare comics on the way, along with the limited series The Star Wars.

[DarkHorse.com]

This week the Sith show everyone their might on Wednesday with the releases of Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2 and the trade paperback collection of Darth Maul – Death Sentence. The titular Ninth Assassin is giving Vader and the Empire a lot of trouble this issue, with even the Emperor advising Vader to take caution against this mysterious adversary. Darth Maul – Death Sentence is noteworthy for taking place between seasons 4 and 5 of The Clone Wars, showing what the recently resurgent Darth Maul and his brother Savage Opress were up to as they began making their presence known in the galaxy.

Keep an eye on our regularly updated EU Release Schedule to see what’s coming up. One noteworthy recent change is that Empire and Rebellion – Razor’s Edge has been moved up two weeks to October 1st.

Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2 (of 5)

An unknown enemy obliterates a star destroyer. An attempt is made on the life of the Emperor. A new evil has made itself known in the galaxy, and Darth Vader is going to find it and crush it. But beware, warns the Emperor, this new adversary appears to wield a sorcery very old and very dark.

Darth Maul – Death Sentence

Fearsome Sith Lord Darth Maul, rescued and restored after surviving his confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, wreaks havoc through the galaxy with his brother Savage Opress!

When the brothers’ murderous rampage is interrupted by a bounty placed on their heads by Ja’Boag, the duo decides to target him—only to be met by a team of Jedi and Ja’Boag’s own private army! Collects the four-issue miniseries.

io9 seems to be the place to be for Expanded Universe cover reveals these days. First they had Maul: Lockdown, then the first look at art for Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge recently. Today they give us the official cover art for the upcoming Kenobi by John Jackson Miller.

Personally, I prefer the original teaser art that was shown at New York Comic Con. It was kind of nice to not have a lightsaber on a cover for once. What do you think? Should they have stuck with the promo art, or is the new, less stylized cover more to your liking?

Kenobi will release on August 27th.

[io9]

Script: Brian Wood
Art: Carlos D’Anda
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Rodolfo Migliari

I never thought I’d say this, especially in regards to Star Wars, but I’m getting tired of dogfights.  I can’t believe I even just wrote that sentence, but it’s the truth.

Star Wars #5 opens with the battle we left in the last issue.  Wedge, Leia and Tess Alder are scouting a remote world when they’re ambushed by an Interdictor cruiser.  The battle and escape are as exciting as any of the action scenes we’ve had so far, but after several issues of this, it feels like more of the same.  Even the best thing in the world can become routine if you get too much of it.

Meanwhile on Coruscant, Han Solo is being offered a risky and expensive way to get off the planet.  It’s a small scene with not much going on, but we do meet an interesting character who I hope sticks around.

We are now in Issue #5 of this new Star Wars series and the issues have started to feel like they are falling into a pattern.  We get an Xwing dogfight, the underworld adventures of Han and Chewie, in fighting amongst the Rebels, and then wrap with a Darth Vader scene.

The previous issues have all had the four separate storylines running in each issue.  I would like a bit more variety to be coming in the future issues.  Maybe have an issue or two where Darth Vader doesn’t show up, or an entire issue focused on just one storyline.

Luckily, the second half of this issue makes up for a formulaic first half.

My favorite part of this issue was Luke’s scenes with Prithi.  Hearing Luke talk about Obi-wan with his loss still being so fresh for him, not fully understanding the messages he is receiving, and that Prithi seems to not only hear Obi-wan speaking but also see him.

A true high point of this series has been the art.  I don’t think I’ve given enough credit to Carlos D’Anda’s great cinematic art and layouts.  Even knowing the fate of these characters, the art helps to increase the tension and give a real emotion to Brian Wood’s writing.

3.5/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

Fans of Star Wars video games were recently dealt a crushing blow when it was announced that game developer LucasArts was being shuttered and all in-development games, such as Star Wars: 1313, were cancelled. Many feared that Disney was going to shift their focus to purely casual/mobile Star Wars games. Lucasfilm addressed fan concerns today by announcing that publisher Electronic Arts has entered a multi-year deal to develop future Star Wars games for console, PC, mobile, and tablets.

While it is true that EA as a publisher has its faults, the actual developers mentioned in the press release should give gamers cause for excitement. Star Wars gamers are already well aware of BioWare, the developers of Knights of the Old Republic, along with the acclaimed Mass Effect series. Those longing for a Star Wars: Battlefront 3 should be excited to know that DICE, developers of the popular shooter series Battlefield, will also be developing future Star Wars games. Visceral Games, who created the very detailed (and terrifying) universe of the Dead Space games, was also listed. Death Troopers: The Video Game anyone?

After a long period of news consisting of cancellations and layoffs, this is something that we can be excited about. The games that many of us have been wanting for years may finally have found developers that can bring them to life in exciting ways. The future looks bright for Star Wars video games.

[StarWars.com]

The first new novel release since The Last Jedi is this Tuesday. Dawn of the Jedi – Into the Void by Tim Lebbon takes place in the early days of the galaxy far, far away. Young Je’daii Ranger Lanoree Brock is sent on a mission to stop a cult from potentially destroying the entire Tython system. Those are already pretty high stakes, but Lanoree’s mission also takes a very personal turn as the story moves along.

Taking place in the same settings as the Dark Horse Comics series, Into the Void can be read totally independent of the comics, and vice versa. Fans of the comic might be interested to know that Into the Void also has an original short story from John Ostrander, author of the Dawn of the Jedi comics.

Speaking of comics, Star Wars #5 is out on Wednesday. Things are looking bleak for Leia in this penultimate issue to the first arc of this series, but Luke will do everything he can to keep Leia safe, even if it means disobeying her orders.

Don’t forget to check out our EU Release Schedule to see what other great Expanded Universe content will be coming out soon.

Dawn of the Jedi – Into the Void

On the planet Tython, the ancient Je’daii order was founded. And at the feet of its wise Masters, Lanoree Brock learned the mysteries and methods of the Force—and found her calling as one of its most powerful disciples. But as strongly as the Force flowed within Lanoree and her parents, it remained absent in her brother, who grew to despise and shun the Je’daii, and whose training in its ancient ways ended in tragedy.

Now, from her solitary life as a Ranger keeping order across the galaxy, Lanoree has been summoned by the Je’daii Council on a matter of utmost urgency. The leader of a fanatical cult, obsessed with traveling beyond the reaches of known space, is bent on opening a cosmic gateway using dreaded dark matter as the key—risking a cataclysmic reaction that will consume the entire star system. But more shocking to Lanoree than even the prospect of total galactic annihilation, is the decision of her Je’daii Masters to task her with the mission of preventing it. Until a staggering revelation makes clear why she was chosen: The brilliant, dangerous madman she must track down and stop at any cost is the brother whose death she has long grieved—and whose life she must now fear.

Includes a special, full-color excerpt from the Dark Horse comic Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi and an original Dawn of the Jedi short story by John Ostrander!

Star Wars #5

When Princess Leia is caught between two squadrons of TIE fighters, her undercover scouting may be at an end. But Luke Skywalker is doing his best to disobey Leia’s own orders, and to once again save the princess. Time is short and the Empire is closing in!

[RandomHouse.com | DarkHorse.com]

This feature was written by guest contributor Lee Millington.

Today is Star Wars Day. In light of that, and all the developments in the Star Wars universe at the moment, it seems appropriate to look back on the EU in the decade so far. The past three years have been full of eye-opening changes – much positive, some negative, but entirely unforgettable.

LucasBooks has been unafraid to delve into new territory. Dark Horse’s Knight Errant (2011-12) has explored the era before the reign of the Sith’ari Darth Bane, when the numbers of Jedi and Sith were countless. Another DH series, Dawn of the Jedi (2012-), went even further back, further than any series before it, to explore the creation of the Jedi Order. This move was perhaps even bolder than when the Legacy comics took the franchise to a point over one hundred years after the films. The Agent of the Empire series (2011-) did return to familiar pre-Episode IV territory, but with a different angle – the protagonist is a spy. To delve into any new territory is a good move, whether it is an unexplored age or just a different view on a well-known one, as it provides the potential for many more stories to be told. New takes on the EU are what keep it feeling fresh.

Knights of the Old Republic

Of course, two fan-favorite series had to be shelved to make way for the creation of the new series. Knights of the Old Republic and Legacy ended, capped off with mini-series – but the latter returned with a new protagonist, and the former isn’t necessarily over permanently. Whilst Randy Stradley revealed in an interview with Comic Book Resources that commercial concerns were behind the return of Legacy, and they obviously play a part in the creation of any product, it’s good that interesting eras, people, and places aren’t casually thrown away.

Which is why it is so good that some of the EU classics have returned. A third arc of the Crimson Empire series appeared in 2011, followed by a new X-Wing novel in 2012; both last appeared in 1999. These revivals suggest that LucasBooks might finally have recognized that some fans are dissatisfied with the current output, in particular the post-ROTJ novels, and have corners of the galaxy that they’d like to see revisited.

On the television front, The Clone Wars has been busy shaking up the franchise. The now-classic episode ‘Monster’ (2010) introduced us to Savage Oppress in a brutal fashion, followed shortly after by the revelation that his famous brother, Darth Maul, survived being bisected on Naboo. Since Maul’s return via the show, we’ve seen the character grow beyond the generally silent figure he was in Episode I and develop a personality. This shocking return was followed up by a shocking departure, admittedly expected in some form, when Ahsoka left the show after being blamed for a bombing of the Jedi Temple.

The novels linked themselves to the higher canon Clone Wars, and the main saga, with some interesting revelations. I can’t detail those in Darth Plagueis (2012), which follows the titular character’s fall and Palpatine’s rise, as some reveals will reshape your understanding of the movie saga. Fate of the Jedi has a less tremendous but nonetheless interesting link, as the series’ main villain is directly tied to characters from The Clone Wars. Such connections are great reminders that the Star Wars universe can be viewed as one continuity. Even better is that Lucas has been happy for it to be treated as such, entrusting important events to the authors and artists who create so much of the content that keeps fans entertained.

The sense of cohesion that has arisen in the Star Wars franchise has extended to connecting Del Rey’s novels with Dark Horse’s comics. In a first for the EU, Del Rey published a novel continuing the story of the Knight Errant comics. This set a precedent for the future, with a 2012 comic sequel to the Lost Tribe of the Sith novellas (2009-12), and a Dawn of the Jedi novel due in three days. It has also left numerous possibilities. One of them is that such a project could be a way to fill the gap in time between the Legacy comics and the post-ROTJ novels, when the latter starts to encroach on the territory of said comics. This will solve the issue of who gets to tell the stories by giving opportunities to both DH and Del Rey.

Darth Maul

There has just been just as much ambition in the video games of this period as the rest of the EU, but far less success. There is no question as to the fate of the long running MMO Star Wars: Galaxies, as it came to its ultimate end in 2011 after a troubled lifespan. It was replaced by The Old Republic, which looked to be a real contender in the market since it was developed by Bioware, behind the much-loved original Knights of the Old Republic game. Instead it was met with a mixed reception, and subscriber figures soon fell dramatically. The biggest single-player Star Wars release of recent times, The Force Unleashed II, also underwhelmed. This installment was received with a mediocre critical reaction, lots of the criticism being aimed at its very short length and a weaker story, though it did pose some interesting questions. Unfortunately, it seems very likely that we may never find any answers since, on April 3rd, almost all of the LucasArts staff was laid offand the studio switched from internal development to a purely licensing model. The Guardian blames this situationon the poor quality of recent Star Wars releases. Whatever the case, Star Wars titles will now be handled by Disney Interactive Studios or a third-party developer.

Of course, the LucasArts shutdown is just one of many major changes to the franchise, following what could arguably be called the acquisition of the century. It feels like Disney acquired Lucasfilm years ago, though it was technically only last December. This, plus the announcement of a sequel trilogy and spin-off films, has left questions surrounding how the EU will be affected. Will it no longer be canon? Will there be a reboot of the EU? A multiverse? We don’t know at this point, but we’ve seen plenty of more immediate effects: the cancellation of The Clone Wars, the postponement of Detours and the end of LucasArts as we knew it.

What may happen in the future isn’t an issue. The EU is currently an exciting place to be with some great projects still on the horizon. No matter what is to come, it has been an amazing ride so far, and the last three years have arguably been three of the greatest in the Expanded Universe’s history. Today of all days, it seems right to thank everyone who has made them so great – the creators and the fans.

Thank you, and happy Star Wars Day!

Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Ryan Odagawa
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Douglas Wheatley

What’s Free Comic Book Day without Star Wars? Well, Brian Wood and Ryan Odagawa deliver a tale titled The Assassination of Darth Vader, detailing one such attempt (readers of Ghost Prison and Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin and many more tales know this is an explored topic), and aside from some awkwardness at the start, the short story leaves readers stunned and craving more great Vader action.

Free Comic Book Day 2013

Brian Wood is best known to the Star Wars community as the current writer of Star Wars, a title I’ve decided to pass on reading at this time so I don’t know how the characters are portrayed there, but here, Wood does a great job capturing Darth Vader in action. Darth Vader’s early lines and parts of his narration seem off for his character and filled me with some concern at the start. Most comic stories featuring Vader are narrated by other individuals, so maybe “hearing” Vader’s thoughts is unusual for me but greatly add to his character in the latter pages of the story. And when the action takes off, Vader is quick to react and even receives aid from a fan favorite bounty hunter. Wood excels here with Vader, showing how ruthless and unforgiving we all know him to be without alienating anything that came before.

Ryan Odagawa’s art is good and shows the “lived in” galaxy that George Lucas wanted captured in Star Wars back in 1977. Even in the smallest of panels, the script calls for lots of wide angles, and Odagawa does well, adding all the necessary details for the characters, the ships, and the Force. The use of the Force isn’t shown in the most obvious of ways as I liked in The Force Unleashed, but the sound effects and exaggerated hand gestures help readers recognize it almost immediately, just like in the movies. The best panels are on the last page, where Odagawa illustrates the ruthlessness and unforgiving nature of Vader before everything goes silent in another failed assassination attempt.

The goal of free comics like this is to draw in new readers to current and upcoming stories. This was a great Darth Vader story (I couldn’t help but be impressed by the end), but I don’t think I’ll be jumping onto the Star Wars train just yet. However, if Darth Vader becomes the focus in future issues, I may find it hard to resist.

4/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

In anticipation of next week’s release of Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon, Kindle Post has posted a short prelude to the novel. The Adventures of Lanoree Brock, Je’daii Ranger is pulled from the journal of Lanoree Brock, the main character of Into the Void. The prelude teases Lanoree’s mission and briefly introduces some of the characters and places that will be seen in the novel.

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void will be on sale Tuesday, May 7th. Taking place in the same era as the popular Dark Horse Comics series, Into the Void will show some of the earliest years of the group that will one day be known as Jedi. A full color excerpt of the comic will be included in the novel, along with a new short story by the author of the comic, John Ostrander.

[KindlePost.com]

Script: Randy Stradley
Art: Gabriel Guzman
Colors: Garry Henderson
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Douglas Wheatley

The chase continues in this penultimate chapter of Dark Times—Fire Carrier! The Arkinneans will stop at nothing to protect their plans, and Masters K’Kruhk and Zao will stop at nothing to protect the younglings. Randy Stradley and Gabriel Guzman let the action out to play and they don’t let up.

Dark Times – Fire Carrier #4

The script this time around is quick and full of information. Stradley jumps all over the place, following the Arkinneans, helping the younglings, and even takes the time to bring in another interested party. The Darth Vader side of the story looks to be going nowhere, but I’ll keep my hopes up that something exciting will result from it next month. When all is said and done, we’re left at a stand off, and I’m going to be anxious to see how this miniseries concludes.

Gabriel Guzman keeps his best coming, filled with a range of expressions and action galore. The uses of the Force still need some better illustration, but no other details, no matter how small, go unattended. If there weren’t enough alien faces already filling the pages, some natives enter the fray and they aren’t entirely thrilled about it. And for a race that doesn’t speak, the script relies entirely on the skills of the artist to capture the creatures’ intentions, and Guzman doesn’t come up short.

This was a great issue, capturing everything that makes a single issue worth every cent. Here’s to the next issue and a strong finish!

4/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

Take a look at our EU Release Schedule to see what’s coming up. Hint: if you’re a novel reader, there might be something coming soon for you.

Dark Times – Fire Carrier #4 (of 5)

Jedi Master K’Kruhk goes to war against the soldiers of a local militia in order to give the Padawans he’s vowed to protect a chance to escape. But the Padawans have encountered a new, unexpected danger in the forest.

What’s worse is that the Empire has become suspicious of the militia’s activities and is bringing in troops to investigate. The Force is a powerful ally, but even a Jedi Master can’t fight a battle on three fronts!

Script: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art: Gabriel Hardman
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Dave Wilkins

Ania Solo is on the run.  Things have become steadily worse for her ever since the lightsaber fell into her possession.  Much like her Great, great, great Uncle Luke (I’m assuming, since we still don’t know her exact lineage) she has found her whole world turned upside down, pulled into events shaping the future of the galaxy.

Legacy: Prisoner of the Floating World #2

Regardless of her parentage, she definitely has the Solo ability to outrun the authorities.  The issue opens mid chase with Ania and her Mon Cal companion Sauk.  They are only able to escape with some accidental help, the act of a bumbling fool or the Force at work.  Either way it’s a lot of fun and just what we expect from Star Wars.

Meanwhile, our Imperial Knight Yalta Val’s situation has not gotten any better.  He is imprisoned by the Sith Lord who ambushed him in Issue #1.  Forced to wear some kind of helmet that doesn’t look very comfortable.  I wonder if we are going in a Man in the Iron Mask direction, does this mean Ania is d’Artagnan?  On the other side of the galaxy, others are starting to notice that Master Val’s mission is not going as planned.  The impostor Knight’s disguise isn’t going to hold up if more Knights come looking for Val.  So whatever our still unnamed Sith warrior has planned, he may want to act quickly.

Ania and our Mystery Guest’s paths cross in a great confrontation.  We see her character as she stands up to him and doesn’t back down, possibly she senses that something isn’t right about him.  It all quickly turns into a firefight and a chase.

For an issue with this much action, the writing and art are very strong and are more than just filler between action scenes.  The story moves quickly and is always giving us fresh turns in the action.  Ania and her gang are a great group and I can’t wait to see what they do with her in this story and later books.

4/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

The new volume of Legacy continues on Wednesday with the second issue of Prisoner of the Floating World. Our new hero, Ania Solo didn’t get much page time last issue, but now that she’s found a lightsaber, she has both local police other mysterious parties on her tail. This issue will also introduce us to more of Ania’s supporting cast. Hopefully they’re as much fun as the cast from the first volume of Legacy.

Be sure to check out our EU Release Schedule. It’s recently updated with Dark Horse’s July solicits, which include the first issue of a new arc of Dark Times, and the official title for the upcoming Leia novel.

Legacy #2

Ania Solo found a lightsaber inside a broken Imperial communications droid. Now she’s being pursued by the local police—and a determined Imperial Knight who is willing to kill to get the weapon!

Fortunately, as a black-market salvage dealer, Ania has made some formidable friends of her own . . .

[DarkHorse.com]

The untitled Leia novel by Martha Wells is now officially called Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge. The first book in the series formerly known as Rebels, Razor’s Edge takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

The book is scheduled to be released on October 15th. Two other novels are currently slated to be a part of the Empire and Rebellion series, one with Han Solo in the lead role and another focusing on Luke Skywalker.

[Star Wars Books Facebook Page]

Script: Tim Siedell
Pencils: Stephen Thompson
Inks: Mark Irwin
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Ariel Olivetti

You know, there are just some things I will never do no matter how much it offers. I wouldn’t feed hundreds of hungry great white sharks while swimming with a bleeding wound for any amount. I wouldn’t agree to jump out of an airplane from the upper edge of the troposphere without a parachute. And I wouldn’t accept a contract to assassinate Darth Vader by any means. What do these scenarios all have in common? They’re all situations with a high probability of death, so imagine my surprise when I read a new comic title called Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin. Not the first, second, or third, but ninth assassin! This means eight others took this contract, but I guess the ninth time’s the charm, right, and that’s what Tim Siedell, Stephen Thompson, and Mark Irwin plan to explore.

Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1

Siedell’s script establishes a few key characters (even if their names are never mentioned) while setting up the overall story. Flashbacks tell us why this man seeks the assassination of Darth Vader while the present shows us just how far and how much he’ll pay to see it happen. In all honesty, he may have found the perfect assassin. A vast majority of the issue “talks” its way along with only snippets of action, but my interest grew throughout, something a good story will always accomplish.

Thompson and Irwin’s art shines in its character details and gives us an idea of the action they can and will likely illustrate in future issues. Through the images, we see just what kind of man our contractor and his son are as the contractor narrates the flashback, explaining how horrible his son’s death is for him. The character details, especially for the aliens, caught my eye, and the reptilian race the man seeks out looks quite frightening indeed. The best illustrations are the range of fear shown frequently on the man’s face, even the gleeful smile at the end is terrifying, but the splash pages of Vader’s “epicness” make me grin every time I see them. Hopefully more of this comes to pass.

Although we know how this story will end, I’m not exactly sure how, and that’s why I encourage others to stick with the miniseries even if the setting establishment is slow for you. The creative team wouldn’t be telling this story if they didn’t have something grand in mind, and who knows, maybe the ninth assassin achieves more than I can even think possible.

4/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

Last week Dark Horse Comics released the hardcover collection of Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison. That’s being followed up this Wednesday with the start of a new miniseries, Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin. Someone has been sending assassins after Vader. The first eight proved no match for the Sith Lord. Will the Ninth Assassin fare better?

The final collection of Knight Errant also releases on Wednesday. Escape takes place after the Knight Errant novel (which I highly recommend), and contains revelations about Jedi Knight Kerra Holt’s past. The Knight Errant series is impressive in large part due to its world building. The Sith space that Kerra is stranded in and the Lords that rule it are all incredibly interesting. Now that the whole series is out in trade paperbacks it’s a great time to check it out if you missed it when they were coming out in single issues.

As always, keep an eye on our EU Release Schedule to see what’s ahead in the Expanded Universe!

Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1 (of 5)

Eight assassins hired to murder Darth Vader—eight assassins dead. Now the man who enlisted them seeks a ninth assassin. The price? A cost higher than all the credits in his bottomless coffers. But when it comes to avenging his son, no sacrifice is too great to acquire the one man who can kill the Dark Lord of the Sith . . .

The Hunt for Darth Vader is on!

Knight Errant Volume 3: Escape

Joining a team hunting for a relic of extraordinary evil, Kerra hopes their search will reveal the truth about her missing parents—before it leads the Sith to a tool of ultimate destruction! But Kerra’s desire to find her lost family is clouding her judgment. If the relic falls into Sith hands, the galaxy is doomed! Collects the five-issue miniseries.

Script: Brian Wood
Art: Carlos D’Anda
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Alex Ross

Things are not going well for the Rebellion, and they seem to be going even worse for our heroes.  Han Solo and Chewbacca are on the run in the very heart of the Empire.  Luke Skywalker is grounded.  Princess Leia is working to find the traitor in their midst and a new  home for the Rebellion.

Star Wars #4

This issue opens with a bang, dropping us right into the thick of it on Coruscant as Han and Chewie try to outrun the Empire in a world that is nothing but Imperial Forces.  Clone Wars fans will notice a small cameo by the former Republic, now Imperial Underworld Police officers.

The Han and Chewie moments of issue #3 were my favorite moments of that book and they continue in this.  We see the classic smuggler pirate with the “it’s so crazy, it might just work” thinking as he tries to evade TIE fights between the buildings of the Coruscant underworld.

Back in the fleet, we see just how secretive Leia’s new squadron is.  They are completely disconnected from the rest of the Rebellion and only Mon Mothma seems to know what they are up to.  I never thought I’d say that one of my favorite parts of a book filled with action and dogfights was a small dialogue scene between Mon Mothma and a random Mon Cal crewmember.  Brian Wood’s writing really shines throughout the whole book, but it’s small scenes like this that really set this book apart.  These do not feel like one dimensional characters.

Luke is growing in the Force, and it seems like he may not be the only one.  Prithi, his fellow grounded pilot overhears Luke talking to Ben Kenobi in the Force.  Is she Force sensitive or is Luke merely talking out loud?  We don’t know yet.  Even though we already know that nothing will become of this relationship, I am very intrigued to see what happens between Luke and Prithi.  There is definitely more going on with her than we have seen so far.

Leia has taken Wedge and Tess to scout another far off world.  Things quickly escalate when the Empire drops in right on top of them.  Wood and D’Anda are setting the bar pretty high in these early issues with the action, I just hope they are able to keep it going in the future.

This books is both familiar and completely new.  It’s all the elements that we love rearranged into something that feels wholly original.  I hope that they can keep it up, because I can’t wait to see where else we go.

4.5/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

You will believe. Not in a religion or a higher power, but in the talent of Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff.  She, along with Michael Reaves, wrote the genre-bending Shadow Games and thought-provoking The Last Jedi. In this interview, Maya boldly and beautifully shares her views on droid rights, spirituality, and more!

EUCantina (EUC):  How’s your take on Darth Vader different from other Star Wars authors?

Maya Kaathyrn Bohnhoff

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (MKB): This is a question I enjoy answering because when Del Rey released Patterns of the Force several years ago, some fans had issues with the way we portray Darth Vader. What we wanted to get was Anakin’s revolution – angry, obsessive, out-of-control – to the cold implacable menace that most us Star Wars fans met for the first time in A New Hope (episode four).

What’s at the core of our portrayal of the Dark Lord is that the Darth Vader who confronts Jax Pavan is not the Darth Vader who confronts Luke Skywalker. He is a young man—Jax’s age, in fact—and he’s in unbearable pain. Not just physical pain, but every kind of horrific pain imaginable. He has lost the love of his life, his best friends, and himself both physically and spiritually (or psychically as you prefer). He has committed atrocities that would cause any person with a conscience to up and shrivel away, but the Force and the enviro-suit and the will of the Emperor keep him going.

That’s the Darth Vader that lives inside the black suit in THE LAST JEDI. He is not the master of his own soul and he is struggling to attain the cold detachment that he has to have in order to maintain even a shred of sanity. He is an open wound inside that disguise. And that’s what we wanted to get at in our portrayal. What dominated my mind as I worked on scenes between Vader and Jax was what Jax represented to the Dark Lord. AND what Jax knew of him that few others did—who was really behind the gleaming black lenses.

I’m sure other Star Wars authors must have had similar thought processes, but I am aware from fan reaction that it’s not the common wisdom about Vader.

EUC: Jax Paven and Laranth (last name) are so attuned to each other that they behave similar to Joiners in Troy Denning’s Dark Nest trilogy. What’s your favorite part of their dynamic?

MKB: I think Aren Follee sums it up when she notes that they finish each other’s sentences. That’s a cool dynamic to have with someone—that you’re so attuned you can look at the other person and know what they’re thinking or you complete each other’s sentences without really being aware of it. There’s a level of complete comfort and unity in their relationship, even though they have seemingly opposing views on being a Force adept. Jax has a dialogue with a Dathomiri witch about this, in fact. But despite the fact that they don’t see the role of Force users the same way—among other differences—they are one in purpose and goal.

EUC: I-Five begs a few questions about droid sapience. Do you think droids are capable of human level self-awareness and emotions? If so, what should governments do? Should they change their policies?

MKB: I think I-Five is. And that’s part of his appeal and his mystery. There’s something about his programming that’s unique and it causes him to generate a Force signature. No one knows why (I’m not telling), but something Lorn Pavan did or had done to Five’s matrix has enabled sentience—or at least an ability to channel the Force. Now, Jax’s daddy was no programmer, so that begs further questions.

Someone asked me about the differences between writing Five and writing Leebo. That sentience is the difference. Leebo seems to have wit and sentience, but ultimately it’s just the way he expresses his programming—something that we were very conscious of as we worked on his character. Five is something else again. And because he’s unique, a change of policy might be jumping the light saber. Ah, but what if you had a whole cadre of these sentient droids? What if, for example, I-Five knew why he was able to generate a Force signature and think independently and was self aware, etc. and could pass that on to other droids—well, then you might have some interesting issues going forward, both in the legal sense internal to the GFFA, and in the storytelling.

I mean, Jax is very clear in his own mind that Five is not his droid. He’s Jax’s friend and companion. There’s no ownership. But if Five were to run amok, say, and commit mayhem, the constabulary would come after Jax for it. On the storytelling side, you almost get a Dr. Who effect—the ageless being who watches everyone around him grow old and die and who never, ever forgets. This is something we address in the book, actually.

EUC: The Last Jedi tackles the issues with Mandolarian canon head on. Without spoiling anything, what went on behind-the-scenes to make that happen?

MKB: When we decided to put some action in Mandolare, I went into full research mode and found everything I could lay a hand on – official guide, a Star Wars encyclopedia our editor sent, Wookieepedia, subject matter experts. And we extrapolated the situation on Mandolare as near as we could based on those sources. During the editing process, though, our editor – Shelly Shapiro – said she’d heard something from the Clone Wars camp that they’d be dealing with a situation on Mandolare and could pull the specifics about the political situation.

We only tipped and nucked in a few places – a couple of sentences here and there – and went with what we had. So if, the question really is, how much did we do know about what was going on in the Clone Wars, the answer is, we didn’t know a darn thing and even our editor only knew there was some serious upheaval in the works.

EUC: Although The Last Jedi is a fun, action-packed novel, there’s a lot of philosophical discussions especially between Den and I-Five. To what extent did your beliefs shape the viewpoints of the characters?

The Last Jedi

Insofar as Den and Five are concerned, in some ways they fulfill the role of the Greek Chorus. While the hero is up to his ears in Inquisitors and Black Sun functionaries, they can tease out the philosophical consequences for the reader. I-Five also supplies the spiritual anchor and reality check for Jax and Den both. And I believe generally that people make it through hardship intact.

In fact, there is a core belief that Michael and I apparently share, that beings are interdependent – we made to co-exist, to feed each other’s strengths and bolster each other’s weaknesses. That’s a realization that Jax has to come to – the Force binds everyone and  everything together…for a purpose. Chaos happens when that purpose is contravened.

Michael and I are both deeply fascinated by the philosophical, and yes, spiritual issues that are inherent in the ways the Force works. We’re not alone in that. There’s been discussion, for example, around whether the Force actually possesses a dark side and a light side (as it’s commonly expressed) or whether the Force is benign (or neutral) and the darkness or light is in the heart of the adept. This is addressed in one of the Essential guides, in fact – one on Jedi and Sith.

Naturally, this debate echoes similar philosophizing in the mundane world about the nature of good and evil and God and sentience and all the complex, non-material aspects of life, such as, “what does it mean to be human?”

I, personally, believe in a God, and in many ways, the Force is a good metaphor or mental model for That. Possibly that predisposes me to a belief that the Force is benign and that the darkness lies within the heart of the individual Force-adept. I think Michael leans that way as well. BUT where the GFFA is concerned, this is a belief I have arrived at through the process of writing the books and being in Jax Pavan’s head a lot.

In practice this means it’s a question we at least wanted Jax to contemplate, even if he didn’t arrive at a conclusion. I think he had to consider it. He’s confronted over and over in The Last Jedi with the different ways that the Force adepts conceptualize the Force – Jedi and Sith (exemplified in their respective mantras), Gray Paladins, Dathomiri witches, Cephalons, and Inquisitors. Even individual Force users relate to the Force differently – Jax visualizes ribbons of light, Tesla sees it as a flow of water, etc. Is the Force really a ribbon of light or water? No. So what is it?

EUC: What’s next for you?

MKB: I’m working on a number of projects. Book View Cafe just released an eBook version of my first novel, The Meri, which is the first book of a trilogy. The next two books - Taminy and The Crystal Rose are scheduled for March and June releases. I just turned in a new SF novel over to my agent that I’m hoping will be the beginning of a series about a guy named “Trouble” Matthews who has a memory (he can’t remember his past; he just knows he has to keep running from it.) And Michael and I are collaborating on several projects – two science fiction series (one of which he’s co-writing movie scripts for) and a supernatural thriller trilogy.

We’ve also pitched a couple ideas to our editor for future Star Wars projects, so who knows…?

We’d like to thank Maya Kaathyrn Bohnhoff for kindly answering our questions. If you’ve enjoyed this, check out our previous interviews – including Timothy Zahn and Sam Witwer – right here. The Last Jedi is on sale now, and you can read our review here.

Dark Horse Comics has two releases this Wednesday, both with an Original Trilogy flavor. Star Wars #4 continues the story of Leia’s undercover squadron and their attempts to discover a spy amongst the Rebel ranks, while Han and Chewbacca face the dangers of an unfriendly Imperial Center (Coruscant if you’re more Prequel minded).

The hardcover collection of the miniseries Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison also releases this week. A follow-up to the popular Darth Vader and the Lost Command series, Ghost Prison was also very well received. Picking up this collection would be a great sign of respect for the Sith Lord that has a very good chance of winning “This Is Madness,” the official Star Wars March Madness competition that ends tonight.

There are a few more comics and collections coming out this month before the release of the next EU novel, Dawn of the Jedi – Into the Void, which comes out at the beginning of May, so take a look at our EU Release Schedule to see what’s coming.

Star Wars #4

As Princess Leia’s stealth squadron lays a trap for the spy within their ranks, she soon realizes that the Rebels are ill prepared for the Empire’s zealous pursuit. Meanwhile, Han Solo flees from the Empire through the lower levels of Coruscant, and Luke Skywalker enjoys being grounded with a female friend . . .

Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison

A traitorous uprising against the fledgling Galactic Empire leaves Emperor Palpatine close to death. Saving the Emperor—and the Empire—appears to be a lost cause . . . unless Vader can uncover the secrets of the Jedi Council and locate the mysterious “Ghost Prison.” Collects the five-issue miniseries.

LucasArts, the video game developer known for its Star Wars titles but also famous for old-school classics like The Secret of Monkey Island, has been shut down. Any projects currently in development, including Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault, have been canceled. According to Disney:

“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles.”

LucasArts has had a somewhat troubled history in the past, but the studio was still responsible for many great games. News of the studio’s closing is disappointing to many fans, who were excited for 1313 and hoped to someday see sequels to hits like Republic Commando, Battlefront, and The Force Unleashed. But while this is unfortunate news, it isn’t very surprising. Many game development studios have been shut down over the past year or two, and Square Enix experienced layoffs today as well.

There is, however, a small possibility that 1313 could make the jump to a different developer. According to a LucasArts representative:

“It is worth noting that we are looking for proven external partners who can help us provide video games to our fans. We still believe in the video game industry, we still will provide Star Wars games, we’re just looking at different models rather than internal production… They’re evaluating everything. There’s always a possibility that it [Star Wars 1313] can still come out via licensing.”

While news of LucasArts’ shutdown is heartbreaking to fans of Star Wars and videogame fans alike (the Xbox community manager said that “it still feels like a bit of the spirit of games died today”), it isn’t the end of Star Wars games. Knights of the Old Republic, one of the best Star Wars games of all time, was licensed to BioWare, so there is still hope for the future. Sadly, LucasArts will not be a part of it.

EUCantina would like to offer our condolences to the 150 people who lost their jobs today.

[Game Informer: 1, 2 | Kotaku]

William Devereux also contributed to this report.

Script: Randy Stradley
Art: Gabriel Guzman
Colors: Garry Henderson
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Cover Art: Douglas Wheatley

Chases are always fun. I said the story would pick up now that the chase is on to stop Master K’Kruhk and his group of younglings, and Randy Stradley and Gabriel Guzman did not let me down. This may not be the 108th issue of Dark Times as the cover seems to imply (it is for Republic, however), but the cover is correct in calling it spectacular.

Dark Times – Fire Carrier #3

Stradley balances the story very well in this issue. After the discovery at the end of the last issue, the Jedi Masters and the younglings would have trouble dealing with what they see (and what they later witness), so it’s perfect that time is spent exploring why the younglings’ revenge declarations aren’t the answer. But when your own actions are being cited against you, it’s more difficult to still say “no.” And the greatest parts of the story maybe yet to come as the Jedi are interrupted by another horrific scene, and the Imperials’ story finally begins to tie into the Jedi’s story (honestly, I never had my doubts…honestly!).

Guzman’s art goes on to amaze me this issue as well. Although one panel doesn’t truly illustrate the use of Force push well enough for me to recognize it at first, and a couple other panels black-out objects in the foreground, I can’t help but be continually impressed with the emotions drawn onto all of the different alien expressions. When a youngling calls for revenge, you don’t need the talk bubble to know it. You also don’t need the brief flashback into K’Kruhk’s past to know that he feels regret. And the panel of the sickening sounds the Jedi and younglings hear conveys just how horrible it must have been. Guzman’s style transitions to action well, too, and everyone likes a big explosion now and then.

Overall, I was hoping for this miniseries to go like this. We still have a couple more issues until it’s over, and not every party in the story has appeared just yet. This is how I’ve always pictured and enjoyed Star Wars, even during the dark times.

4/5 Kath Hounds

Advanced Review Copy (ARC) courtesy of Dark Horse. All staff members can be contacted at staff@eucantina.net.

Lucasfilm has announced that the series soundtrack for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – something fans have been clamoring for since the show began in 2008 - will finally be released on May 4, 2013.

The series soundtrack features 38 of composer Kevin Kiner’s wonderful pieces, from Savage Opress’ heart-pounding theme to the heartbreaking John Williams-inspired music heard during the final moments of the series. With this release, you’ll be able to relive all of your favorite moments from the series’ 108 episodes.

Due to Disney’s recent acquisition of Lucasfilm, the soundtrack will be jointly released under the Sony Classics and Walt Disney Records labels. “This was a difficult feat from a legal standpoint,” said Ken Bunt, the Executive Vice President of Disney Music Group. “But with the conclusion of The Clone Wars television show, we felt it was time to give fans the music they’ve been waiting for.”

When The Clone Wars soundtrack is released on Star Wars Day, it will be made available exclusively on audio cassette. “You won’t find this music anywhere else,” said Sony Music Entertainment Chairman and CEO Doug Morris. “We recently partnered with Lucasfilm and Craig Boliver from I Am Shark to bring The Phantom Menace score to vinyl for the first time, and the fan response has been fantastic. Audio cassette is an experience unlike any other, and fans young and old will soon be able to experience – or re-experience – the magic with The Clone Wars.”

In conjunction with this release, John Williams’ famous scores will also be re-released on cassette tape, including for the first time Revenge of the Sith. So dust off your old tape players and take those tape-to-audio-jack adapters out of your cars, because Star Wars is coming back to audio cassette!

[Lucasfilm]