Out this week: The Bounty Hunter Code, Frames

The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba FettGet out your credit card, because two huge holiday books are coming this week. Today sees the release The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett. A follow-up to The Jedi Path and The Book of the Sith, it’s by Star Wars all-stars Daniel Wallace, Ryder Windham and Jason Fry.

There’s also a more affordable version of Frames. (The original, lest we forget, would run you a cool $3000.) And, for the paperback fans, the reprint of Drew Karpyshyn’s The Old Republic: Annihilation drops.

Meanwhile, Wednesday: Dark Times: A Spark Remains #4.

Coming up for the rest of the year, we have the Death Star Owner’s Technical Manual by Ryder Windham, Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas (November 5) and the Scoundrels paperback (November 26.)

Out this week: In the Shadow of Yavin trade

Star Wars #1 (Dark Horse)If you’ve been waiting to try Brian Wood’s Star Wars series to make it to trade, Wednesday is your lucky day: Volume 1: In the Shadow of Yavin comes out, collecting the first 6 issues plus the Free Comic Book Day special.

Meanwhile, there’s also Dark Times: A Spark Remains #3 and the trade collection of the last Dark Times storyline, Fire Carrier.

In stores on Tuesday will be the perplexingly ‘educational’ National Geographic Angry Birds Star Wars.

Next week brings our final brand-new novel for the year, Martha Wells’ Razors Edge, first in the Empire and Rebellion series.

Interview: Randy Stradley & Douglas Wheatley on Dark Times

And you thought my con coverage was over! Here’s Randy Stradley, writer of Star Wars: Dark Times, and Douglas Wheatley, artist of Dark Times, discussing the start of the current arc, ‘A Spark Remains’. If you haven’t checked it out yet, Issue #1 came out in July, just before Comic-Con, and the second issue comes out today. While setting the stage for the activity in the first issue of ‘A Spark Remains’ (check out my review of #1 on Big Shiny Robot), the pair kept mum about the future of Jedi Dass Jennir and his friends, as well as other projects being worked on. Bonus: we get photobombed at the very end by a certain Sith voice actor.Dark Times: A Spark Remains #1

EUbits: Fan artist takes on Rebels-era Mara Jade

ENGELHA5T's Mara Jade and Palpatine (crop)Fan art. Lucasfilm may not have revealed what (most) of the Rebels character design will look like yet, ENGELHA5T on DeviantArt has created several OT-era characters in the style of The Clone Wars. Of particular interest to us would be Mara Jade, but there’s also Han and Chewie, Thrawn and Pellaeon, a teen Leia and even a Luke, may of them with cardbacks as well. You can check out his full gallery, but be warned it does contain some more adult works, though they do seem to be hidden if you’re not logged in to DA.

Del Rey. We actually heard about it way back at Celebration, but now Del Rey has officially announced their Star Wars Action Team. It’s not quite up and running yet, but the general gist is that you “spread the word” and get points. Please don’t break down any doors. On that note, here’s some of the swag they’ll have at SDCC.

Comics. Newsarama has a first look at the next arc of Dark Times, A Spark Remains.

The blogside. At the official blog, Dan Brooks praises Matthew Stover’s Revenge of the Sith adaptation, while Jennifer Heddle talks about why Leia is awesome.

Reviews. Over at Big Shiny Robot, James reads Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #3,The Clone Wars: The Smuggler’s Code and Legacy #4, where Ania Solo learns sometimes shooting first isn’t the best solution.

Interview with Randy Stradley on Dark Times: Fire Carrier

SW-DarkTimes-FireCarrier-5-finalWith today being the release date of the fifth and final issue of the Fire Carrier story arc for the Star Wars: Dark Times comic, I wanted to highlight this fantastic comics storyline, so I got the chance to discuss the story with Randy Stradley, the writer of Dark Times as well as senior Star Wars editor and VP of Publishing at Dark Horse Comics.

Let’s hear what Randy has to say about writing the latest adventures of the Whiphid Jedi, Master K’Kruhk and a group of younglings under his care, posing as refugees on an Imperial backwater world. We won’t spoil the final issue, but if you want to learn more about the story so far, you can check out my reviews of all individual issues at Big Shiny Robot: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5.
Continue reading “Interview with Randy Stradley on Dark Times: Fire Carrier

Out this week: Dark Times’ Fire Carrier continues

Dark Times: Fire Carrier #3Need a read? Head to your local comic shop today to pick up Dark Times: Fire Carrier #3, our lone release this week.

If you don’t mind dropping a bit more than $2.99, the non-limited edition reasonably priced version of Star Wars: The Blue Prints came out yesterday.

There will be many comics between now and then, but if it’s novels you want, you’ll have to wait until May 7 for Tim Lebbon’s Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void. In the meantime, here’s a look at the finished jacket.

Out this week: Dark Times continues Fire Carrier

Dark Times: Fire Carrier #2Look for Dark Times: Fire Carrier #2 at your local comic shop on Wednesday.

As for what’s upcoming, the Willow Blu-ray will be out next week, and later this month we’ll see the return of Legacy. (Probably the 20th – comic release dates aren’t certain until you see the week’s distributor list, but high-profile #1 issues are often the ones that do make it on time.) No novels until Tim Lebbon’s Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void drops in May.

Stradley reveals the origins of Legacy’s return

Legacy #2Comic Book Resources interviews Dark Horse’s Randy Stradley about their Star Wars line, Brian Woods’ eponymous series and the return of Legacy.

He hints that Wedge will be getting more facetime in the Woods’ series, and how the upcoming Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin came about…

And of course, there’s Legacy, which apparently owes it’s return to the retailers asking for more. Stradley talks about why it’s going in a different direction than the original:

For one thing, I felt too many direct comparisons between creative teams would dilute fan enthusiasm for the series. I also felt that by the end of his arc, Cade Skywalker had become too involved with the movers and shakers within the galaxy. I couldn’t see where to take him. That’s when it struck me there had been no Solos in “Legacy.” What were the Solo descendents doing 140 years after “A New Hope?”

There’s more, of course, on Dawn of the Jedi and Dark Times: Fire Carrier… Plus Dark Horse still has “a huge announcement coming up in the next few weeks.”