Category: books and comics

Posted on

Out this week: The Essential Reader’s Companion

Coming Tuesday – and probably already on the way if you preordered one – will be Pablo Hidalgo’s Essential Reader’s Companion, perhaps the most anticipated Star Wars reference book of the year – or at least since Celebration VI. Pablo did interviews last week with FangirlBlog and Roqoo Depot for the occasion, while io9 featured some of the book’s art.

And speaking of art, you’ll also want to keep your eyes open for Star Wars Art: Illustration. Unlike Visions it contains a good amount of art that we’ve already seen, but since when has that stopped anyone from buying an art book?

Meanwhile, coming to comic shops on Wednesday is the second Clone Wars omnibus, The Enemy on all Sides, which collects collects Republic #54–#66 and #68, Jedi: Yoda, and General Grievous #1–#4. You may also find a second printing of the Rise of the Sith omnibus, which collects comics that lead into The Phantom Menace.

Posted on

Out this week: Sith, Sith, LEGOs, and more Sith

There’s quite a variety of things coming this week, at least if you take formats into account. (…Lots of Sith.) First up, today, is Drew Karpyshyn’s The Old Republic: Revan in paperback.

Then Wednesday brings Darth Maul: Death Sentence #3 to comic shops. That night, tune into Cartoon Network at 8:00 p.m. EDT for LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.

And finally, The Clone Wars returns Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. with the Maul-centric ‘Revival‘.

If none of this catches your fancy (I hear that, sister) hold tight: Pablo Hidalgo’s The Essential Reader’s Companion is coming on October 2.

Posted on

EUbits: Star Wars books and comics at NYCC

New York Comic Con. The schedule for the October 11-14 con is up, and both EU panels are on Friday… both at noon? Star Wars Books features Jason Fry and Pablo Hidalgo, while Brian Wood & Dark Horse: From World’s End to the Galaxy’s Beginnings will be Brian Wood, Jeremy Atkins, Randy Stradley and Sierra Hahn.

Previews. EUCantina has a few pages from The Essential Reader’s Companion… (Which you can currently pre-order for $19.19 on Amazon.) Oh, and Paul S. Kemp still can’t talk about his duology.

Interviews. There were a lot of them. In text, EUCantina has Haden Blackman, Jedi News has Bill Slavicsek (old-timers will remember his Guide to the Star Wars Universe) and Fangirl talks to Del Rey’s summer intern, Tom Hoeler. In audio, Fictional Frontiers has Aaron Allston, while Jedi Journals caught up with Aaron and Drew Karpyshyn at CVI. And Roqoo Depot ties up their series of CVI video interviews with John Jackson Miller.

The blogside. Roqoo Depot thinks Crucible may bring Borsk Fey’lya back from the dead. Oh-kay.

Reviews. James reads Lost Tribe of the Sith: Spiral #2, Knight Errant: Escape #4, and Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #5.

Posted on

It’s time to sell me on Jaina Solo

So here we are, in the post-Legacy of the Force Expanded Universe. And, as we learned at Celebration, one of the first things out of the gate will be a trilogy focused on Jaina Solo. Fans of the only remaining Solo kid greeted the news with boundless enthusiasm – and just a hint of trepidation. My feelings are less clear. On the one hand, I think it’s long past due. On the other hand… No one has really managed to make me actually care about Jaina yet, and I think it’s probably long past time.

Continue reading “It’s time to sell me on Jaina Solo”

Posted on

Opa Gungan Style: Last week’s best #StarWars and #SWEU tweets

So yeah, the entire free world, except possibly my dad, now knows about Gangnam Style. (I actually heard it on the radio yesterday. The actual broadcast radio. Yes, I still listen the radio sometimes. Deal with it.) So, yes, it’s more or less played out. But hey… I had a theme. Also below the cut, a warrior race’s lack of interest in lasers. Jabba the Hutt’s pantslessness, a puzzle for comic fans from Randy Stradley and your usual spread of #SWEU, Star Wars life, and snark.

Continue reading “Opa Gungan Style: Last week’s best #StarWars and #SWEU tweets”

Posted on

Rumor mill: Stover continuing Imperial Commando?

Take this one with a GIANT grain of salt: According to this Kickstarter, Matthew Stover is “replacing Karen Traviss as the author of the 501st novels for Star Wars.”

I’m assuming this means the Imperial Commando series, which has remained unfinished since Traviss bowed out of the franchise in 2009 after the release of 501st. LFL and Del Rey folks have talked about handing over the series to another author before, but the last attempt, with Aaron Allston, ended up turning into Mercy Kill instead. However, at Celebration VI, Del Rey’s Shelly Shapiro did say “Big maybe with positive thoughts. Can’t say anything yet but I think you’ll be happy.”

Keep in mind that this is far, far from a confirmed source… And, quite honestly, I’m hoping it’s false. Stover is far better than picking up Traviss’ scraps, no matter how beloved the series may be in some circles. (Hattip to Andrew Liptak.)

Posted on

EUbits: The Essential Reader’s Companion approaches

That’s no moon. With the Essential Reader’s Companion only 3 weeks away, copies are landing on the desks of the official types (with, one assumes, an audible thud.) Expect to see a lot of reviewer tweets about it soon. In the meantime, you can get a closer look at some of the portraits and check out the first 28 pages in the Random House catalog. (via)

The blogside. Tor’s Emily Asher-Perrin takes a look at ‘the true nature of the force,’ addressing a lot of the weird and complicated issues at hand with ‘balance’ and all the rest of the simple tricks and nonsense scattered throughout fandom.

Costuming. Trisha Barr interviews Shea Standefer about her great Jaina Solo costumes at CVI. Bria wrote about gender-swapped costumes, including a crossplay Wraith Squadron she took part in at D*C. And, on that note, more Expanded Universe costumes from D*C.

Interviews. John Ostrander talks about the next arc of Agent of the Empire at CBR; Roqoo Depot caught up with Timothy Zahn, James Luceno, and Troy Denning at Celebration.

Blurb. There’s now one for The Last Jedi by by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff. (via)

Audio Random House Audio has a poll up on Facebook asking which of three books – Miller’s Knight Errant, Reaves/Perry’s Death Star or Zahn’s Allegiance – you want to hear on audio first.