Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
Out Tuesday we have The Force Awakens 3D Blu-ray, which also includes director J.J. Abrams’ commentary. (Some of it we already know from preview clips and other media, but there’s a decent rundown over at io9.)
In books, there’s the Rogue One prequel novel, Catalyst by James Luceno. It’s our last major release before the film, although we do have Carrie Fisher’s latest memoir coming on the 22nd.
Two Star Wars comics are headed for the shops on Wednesday: Poe Dameron #8 and The Force Awakens #6, the final issue of the movie adaptation.
There’s only one thing out this week, as we wait and gear up for the Rogue One rush. Wednesday brings a hardcover reprint collection from Marvel, Heroes for A New Hope. It collects the Princess Leia, Lando and Chewbacca miniseries.
Our next two books are James Luceno’s Catalyst (November 15) and Carrie Fisher’s The Princess Diarist (November 22). Check out our book release schedule for what’s coming up in December and beyond.
Well, we didn’t get a date for Rogue One ticket sales, but this week’s Star Wars Show does reveal an Imax standee for the film. There’s also a look at Ashley Eckstein’s Lego Ahsoka dress and an interview with Ahsoka author E.K. Johnston.
We’ve got an interesting item out Tuesday: Pablo Hidalgo’s Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy. The book is written from an in-universe perspective and features brand-new artwork, including “ten removable art prints.”
On Wednesday we have Star Wars #24, Poe Dameron #7 and volume 1 of the Legends collection of the original Marvel Star Wars run. Also keep an eye out for Star Wars Insider #169.
Our next book, due out on November 15, is the Rogue One novel Catalyst by James Luceno, which will give us some background on Orson Krennic and Galen Erso. (The first excerpt dropped last week.) Check out our book release schedule for more.
E.K. Johnston’s novel Ahsoka has made it to #1 on the New York Times’ Bestsellers list for Young Adult hardcovers, per Lucasfilm’s Jennifer Heddle. The October 30th list isn’t online yet, but Ashley Eckstein has a shot of the print version.
This is far from the first Star Wars novel to make it to #1 on an NYT list (several novelizations and Heir to the Empire) but I believe it is the first YA to make the list at all. (Of course, keep in mind that the Star Wars YA novel is a very recent phenomenon, unlike the adult and middle-grade lines.)
USA Today has our first excerpt of the Rogue One tie-in novel Catalyst. The article also contains a few insights from Pablo Hidalgo about the inspirations Lucasfilm drew from for the film. Here’s one:
“It’s no accident that we’ve taken a look at the Manhattan project and what was happening at Los Alamos laboratories during the tail end of World War II. Being able to look at that kind of thing through history and then apply the Star Wars filter to it is really fascinating.”
I do find it interesting that Lyra seems to be a viewpoint character… Here’s hoping she gets more to do throughout the novel.
Catalyst, by James Luceno (Tarkin) is out in hardcover and ebook on November 15 from Del Rey.
As announced Wednesday, Kieron Gillen’s successor series to Darth Vader will be Doctor Aphra. Aphra, introduced in Darth Vader #3, was Marvel’s first original canon character and has developed something of a following throughout the series. (And yes, “she’d be cast as an Asian actress,” Gillen says.) There’s a great deal of storytelling freedom to be had with an original character in the original trilogy era, and plenty to do with the concept of archaeology in a setting like the GFFA. (For instance… Jedha?)
StarWars.com has an interview with Gillen, while Marvel introduces series artist Kev Walker. Doctor Aphra #1 is expected to land on December 7.
Announced this afternoon on The Star Wars Show: The Rogue One one-sheet and the news that the new trailer will debut Thursday morning on Good Morning America.
We also learn what Marvel’s next ongoing comic is although be warned, there are spoilers for Darth Vader #25. (And next time we mention it we’ll be much less coy.) But for now, check out that poster.
Continue reading “Rogue One one-sheet is here, new trailer on GMA Thursday”
Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston comes out today from Disney-Lucasfilm Press in hardcover, eBook and audio. It tells a great story that helps fill in some of the critical gaps between her departure from the Jedi Order in The Clone Wars and her appearance as the Rebel agent, Fulcrum, in Rebels.
In early September, author E.K. Johnston was a guest panelist at Salt Lake Comic Con, where she discussed her novel on two panels: “The Life and Times of Ahsoka Tano” (alongside Pablo Hidalgo, Amy Ratcliffe, and moderated by Bryan Young; panel available from Full of Sith) and “Star Wars Books: Writing the Force” (alongside Christie Golden, Cecil Castellucci, Matt Martin, and moderated by yours truly). Here is an abridged transcript of the panel, focusing on Johnston’s responses to the moderator prompts and panelist discussion as relating to writing the newest chapter in the story of Ahsoka Tano.
Here’s what Johnston had to say (trying to stay spoiler free) on the behind-the-scenes of writing Ahsoka: Continue reading “Behind the scenes with E.K. Johnston on writing Ahsoka”