Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
If you head out to the comic shop today, you’ll find two series enders from Dark Horse: Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #4 finishes off Darth Maul’s story from The Clone Wars, while last week’s Star Wars #20 wraps up the Brian Wood series.
Not counting reprints, there’s only one Star Wars comic left from Dark Horse – Legacy #18, which we’ll hopefully see later this month. And speaking of Legacy (and reprints) the third volume of the series, Wanted: Ania Solo, is now in trade.
Del Rey has posted video of the A New Dawn panel from SDCC.
Was it really necessary for everyone to unload every Star Wars ‘scoop’ they have today? We were bored out of our skulls most of the week, and then it all comes through at once. Can’t we have some pity? It’s Friday! In any case, since we’re already touched on the villains and Han Solo’s clothes, here’s what else came up:
→ Making Star Wars has some description of what Daisy Ridley’s character will be wearing. I’m happy to see this because a) unlike Han, we haven’t the faintest clue and b) to remind us that some women do actually exist in this movie. More lady character-centric rumors that don’t involve fancasting Lupita Nyong’o as various aliens, please.
→ Latino Review’s Dave Gonzales has finished A New Dawn and speculates about how it (and Rebels as a whole) and the new rumors seem to fit into the new tapestry of Star Wars. Possible spoilers for some of the book, naturally.
→ Jedi News claims there will be a Mon Calamari/Mon Cal character ala Admiral Ackbar, “not just in a background role.” And, you guessed it, Making Star Wars has more context, including what the connection may be to Skellig Michael shoot. You know exactly who’ll get pinpointed in this role, don’t you?
→ Episode VIII director Rian Johnson talks about visiting the Episode VII set.
→ Not a rumor, but: John Boyega met Samuel L. Jackson the other day and it was adorable.
Jedi News spotted that Random House has posted a longer blurb for James Luceno’s Tarkin:
He’s the scion of an honorable and revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. Loyal proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority ever more mercilessly . . . and zealously pursuing his destiny as the architect of absolute dominion.
Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself, he advises his Emperor. Under Tarkin’s guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction moves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. When the so-called Death Star is completed, Tarkin is confident that the galaxy’s lingering pockets of Separatist rebellion will be brought to heel—by intimidation . . . or annihilation.
Until then, however, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Escalating guerrilla attacks by resistance forces and newfound evidence of a growing Separatist conspiracy are an immediate danger the Empire must meet with swift and brutal action. And to bring down a band of elusive freedom fighters, the Emperor turns to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer as remorseless as he is mysterious; and Tarkin—whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy . . . and its enemies’ extinction.
Tarkin is currently due out in hardcover and eBook on November 4.
Some suggestions for Marvel’s new Star Wars comics. They should totally do Rogue Squadron, and I like the Alderaan idea as well.
The essential Quinlan Vos comics. With Vos co-starring in a novel next year, The Star Wars Report’s Aaron Goins has a primer on the character in comics. Now: Who’s going to do one of these for Ventress?
The first seven chapters of A New Dawn. Pity the poor folks at Del Rey, who have to deal with a wide variety of people deeply upset over the recent changes in canon. Will the chapters help? Well, I think some of them may need more time…
Shelly Shapiro, Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo explain how Lucasfilm is handling canon and Legends. A nice roundup of quotes from the SDCC book panel.
James talks to Adam Bray, author of Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide, at San Diego Comic-Con.
Newsarama has another interview with John Jackson Miller about A New Dawn.He does have some wise words on canon and the Legends label:
I really think it’s a mistake for people to play the canon/not-canon parlor game. What they said when they made the announcement is that the previous material wasn’t being discarded, it would be drawn from – inspirations and ideas would come from it. The planets are the same; the species are the same. You know, the Rebels series uses the same manufacturer of the TIE fighters that was introduced in the Role Playing Games years ago. My book revolves around a strategic compound that I introduced back in KOTOR years ago! The universe is the same.
The thing about “Legends,” and that’s the word on the cover of the previous material: Legends can be true, in part or in whole. They inspire, they are sort of like the King Arthur story – parts of that, little bits of that here and there are true.
He goes on to talk about A New Dawn specifically and some of the other things he’s working on. And don’t forget to check out James’ video interview!