Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
At StarWars.com, Justina Ireland talks about Spark of the Resistance, her YA novel that’s helping to launch the Journey to the Rise of Skywalker on Force Friday, and we get a look inside at some new Phil Noto art.
Spark of the Resistance is out in hardcover and eBook tomorrow, alongside a few other items.
It’s the week of Force Friday, which means that in addition to the usual Tuesday (five books!) and Wednesday (three comics!) releases, we also have two novels coming later than usual.
Our headliners, out Friday, October 4, are our first Journey to The Rise of Skywalker titles: Justina Ireland’s Spark of the Resistance and Cavan Scott and Elsa Charretier’s Choose Your Destiny: A Finn & Poe Adventure, plus all the usual sticker books and the like. And toys. So many toys, not just for TROS, but The Mandalorian as well.
But first up on, Tuesday, October 1, is the hardcover script of Cavan Scott’s Dooku: Jedi Lost, the audio drama that originally came out back in April. Then there’s illustrated storybook The Skywalker Saga by Delilah S. Dawson and Brian Rood. And it’s also time to nab Christian Blauvelt’s Be More Leia and Be More Lando and the charming Creatures Big & Small from Caitlin Kennedy, Calliope Glass and Katie Cook.
Then, on Wednesday, October 1, it’s time for Return to Vader’s Castle #1, Star Wars #72 and Doctor Aphra #37.
And that’s pretty much out book allotment for the month of October, but expect more comics, particularly the rest of Return to Vader’s Castle. This also gives us plenty of time to finish up Spark, since Del Rey’s JTROS offering, Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse, isn’t coming until November 5.
Our first – and maybe only? – bit of The Rise of Skywalker news out of San Diego Comic-Con has arrived, as Lucasfilm introduces the Sith trooper. Armor from the movie will be on display in Lucasfilm’s pavilion at the con, along with many of its trooper predecessors: Imperial stormtrooper, TIE pilot, death trooper, shoretrooper, biker scout, First Order stormtrooper, First Order TIE pilot and Captain Phasma. Various Sith trooper products will also be on sale at the con.
More about SDCC on this week’s Star Wars Show, which also includes an interview with Lando’s Luck and Spark of the Resistance author Justina Ireland:
For May 4, StarWars.com has revealed the Journey to The Rise of Skywalker publishing slate. And this time, with a gap between films, we actually get several novels focusing on sequel trilogy characters.
From Del Rey, that means a new-to-Star Wars author, Rebecca Roanhorse, taking on Resistance Reborn, and Justina Ireland (Lando’s Luck) with the middle-grade Spark of the Resistance. Cavan Scott and Elsa Charretier also return with Choose Your Destiny: A Finn & Poe Adventure. From Marvel, there’s Allegiance, a miniseries involving Leia and the Mon Calamari. (Go into the galleries for more detail.)
It’s not in the gap, though: Kevin Shinick, another new-to-Star Wars author, has Force Collector, starring a “restless teenager” on Jakku prior to The Force Awakens.
Spark of the Resistance and A Finn & Poe Adventure are first out on October 4; The four-issue Allegiance begins October 9 and drops weekly through the 30th; Resistance Reborn is out November 12 and Force Collector on November 19.
For our nonfiction and reference offerings, we’ve got the same basic template we’ve seen since TFA. Phil Szostak’s The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Pablo Hidalgo’s The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary are both due out the same day as the film: December 20.
A movie novelization isn’t expected until spring. There’s more of the usual kid stuff and sticker books at StarWars.com.