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Comic News: The Clone Wars comic series to end with issue #12:
Posted: 29th December
Randy Stradley, Dark Horse Comics' Executive Editor, has announced on Dark Horse Message Boards that their The Clone Wars comic book series will end with issue #12, wrapping up the Hero of the Confederacy story. Their reasons, according to Randy, are "a case of there not being enough of a market in the U.S. for comic books aimed at the age bracket of [The Clone Wars] television show". Randy further explains that "Lucasfilm's overseas publishers are wanting material skewed even younger than the comics we're producing, which would further erode our domestic sales. It's simply a matter of the target audience for the "Clone Wars" show not being a good fit for the U.S. comics market."
However, their ongoing graphic novella series of digest stories will continue as they are "doing well" as their target audience "consists of parents, or even parents with kids in tow" and are purchasing these books in large numbers from bookstores.

Book News: Paul Kemp interviewed by Stomping on Yeti plus Crosscurrent reviewed:
Posted: 27th December (UPDATED: 30th December)
Paul S. Kemp, author of next month's Crosscurrent novel, was recently interviewed by Patrick of book review blog Stomping on Yeti. In this interview they discuss Crosscurrent, Paul's Forgotten Realm books as well as the influences Star Wars has had on Paul's writing. It appears that this interview was conducted before the confirmation that Paul will be writing a The Old Republic novel, alongside Sean Williams' The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance novel, as Paul discusses non-disclosure agreements when asked about any future Star Wars projects.
You can read the interview here.

UPDATE: Patrick has posted his review of Crosscurrent, describing it as "one of the better Star Wars novels in recent memory, Kemp portrays a more intimate adventure focusing on two Jedi and their dance with the dark side." You can read Patrick's full review here.

Media News: StarWars.com publishes original short story from Charlene Newcomb:
Posted: 23rd December
StarWars.com has published a new and original short story from Charlene Newcomb, Shades of Grey, exclusively for Hyperspace members.
Shades of Grey is a brand new and previously unpublished short story featuring Alex Winger, a Force-sensitive human female born during the Dark Times but who was raised as the adopted daughter of an Imperial Governor. In her younger years, Alex was a resistance fighter where she routinely took advantage of her father's position as planetary governor to actively participate with her friends in resistance missions and guerrilla ambushes. Eventually her Force-sensitive abilities brought her to the attention of Luke Skywalker, but Alex has yet to become a fully trained Jedi.
Hyperspace members can access Shades of Grey here.
Other short stories featuring Alex Winger (in chronological order): Turning Point, A Glimmer of Hope, Whispers in the Dark, Mission to Zila, Shadows of Darkness, Rendezvous with Destiny, Betrayal by Knight, Shades of Grey.

Comic News: Resurrection comic story now available on iTunes:
Posted: 22nd December
Dark Horse Comics' Dark Horse Mobile project has added their first Infinities story, Resurrection, to the Apple AppStore for iPod Touch and iPhone. First published in Star Wars Tales #9 (later collected in Tales: Volume 3 graphic novel), Resurrection is a non-universe story of the ultimate Sith fight: Darth Vader versus Darth Maul!
You can purchase Resurrection from the Apple AppStore here (requires iTunes).

Book News: Excerpt for Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth online:
Posted: 20th December
RandomHouse.com has published the first excerpt for Karen Miller's penultimate The Clone Wars novel, Clone War Gambit: Stealth. The first title in a duology, Gambit: Stealth is due for release in trade paperback in the US on 23rd February 2010 and in hardback in UK soon after.
You can read the excerpt here.
(Source: StarWars.com via NJOE.com)

Comic News: Invasion graphic novel to be published May 2010:
Posted: 18th December
Detailing their Spring 2010 comic book releases, Dark Horse Comics' also announced the release of  Invasion Volume 1: Refugees graphic novel that will collate the first 5 issues plus issue #0.
The planned US release date is 12th May 2010.
(Source: StarWars.com)

Comic News: John Jackson Miller's KotOR retrospective with ComicBookResources.com:
Posted: 18th December
In just over over two months time, comic book series Knights of the Old Republic will end with the release of issue #50. But before that happens, series author John Jackson Miller spent time with ComicBookResources.com and took a retrospective look back at what will be four years worth of continuous Star Wars storytelling, as well as hinting at possible futures for himself.
You can read ComicBookResources.com's interview with John Jackson Miller here.
(Source: via @jjmfaraway)

Comic News: The Old Republic - Threat of Peace #22 now online:
Posted: 18th December
The twenty-second issue of Threat of Peace, the introductory online comic for the forthcoming MMO video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, is available to read online.
The twenty-second issue of Threat of Peace takes us to the long-abandoned Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where Lieutenant Tavus meets the true culprit behind the efforts to undermine the peace treaty. It seems Master Dar'Nala survived her Imperial captivity after all, and everything that's happened since has been all part of her plan. Despite his doubts, Lieutenant Tavus agrees to assist Master Dar'Nala in completing her plan by slaying the Sith mastermind, Lord Baras.
(Source: swtor.com)

Book News: First look at Clone Wars Gambit: Siege:
Posted: 18th December
RandomHouse.com has published the cover for next year's final The Clone Wars tie-in novel, Clone Wars Gambit: Siege. Written by Karen Miller (The Clone Wars: Wild Space), it is the second part of her Gambit duology and is due for release next summer.
The story's summary was made available from Amazon.co.uk a while ago: [CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS - highlight between arrowheads to read]>>>Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are trapped on the Separatist controlled planet Lanteeb, on the run from General Lok Durd and his droid army. After being forced to abandon their jerry-rigged groundcar they continue on foot, hunted, as they try to find a safe place to hide and regroup before escaping the planet altogether. Eventually they seek shelter in a remote Lanteeban village, but the Separatists track them down. Now they're under siege...and the little time they've bought themselves is running out.<<<
(Source: RandomHouse.com via NJOE.com)

Book News: Amazon.co.uk publish summary for cancelled Imperial Commando #2:
Posted: 17th December
When Karen Traviss stated earlier this month that she will not be writing any sequels to Imperial Commando: 501st (or any other Star Wars books), this left many fans with a dilemma as Imperial Commando: 501st was due to be the first in a new series and it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Karen attempted to provide some closure to her Imperial Commando series in her blog: the main characters would have escaped the Empire in the ba'slan shev'la you already know about from Legacy of the Force. (But you knew all that from Revelation anyway.)
Now, for fans looking to discover a little bit more of what Karen planned, amazon.co.uk have published a summary for the now cancelled Imperial Commando #2 sequel: The Clone Wars are over, and the Republic commandos now wear the white armour of the stormtroopers in service to the Empire. But not all those commandos are loyal to the Emperor, turning the fight against the rebels into a war between clone brothers! The newly-fledged Empire is strengthening its foothold on Mandalore, but Kal Skirata's clan of clone deserters and fugitive Jedi face a new threat as an older, more insidious enemy emerges from decades in hiding. The Death Watch is back. The loathed Mandalorian hardliners - the brutal nationalist faction that murdered Jango Fett's parents - are now on the Imperial payroll, threatening to bring civil war to the Mandalore sector. As Clan Skirata prepares to settle old scores, knowing they may lose the battle, Imperial commandos Darman and Niner arrive on a covert mission that will put them on a collision course with their former brothers. Their task: to hunt down and kill eccentric Jedi Master Djinn Altis, an unlikely ally of Clan Skirata. But Darman has plans of his own that he hasn't even revealed to Niner. He's come looking for his son, Kad. The galaxy is a dangerous place for a kid who's half-Force user, half clone, and Darman's set on getting Kad out of the reach of both the Emperor and the last of the Jedi any way he can - even if that means taking on the man he's always called father.
Please note that officially this book has been cancelled and while LucasBooks considers options to use a new author, there is no guarantee that this summary would or will form part of any new author's possible storyline.
(Source: amazon.co.uk)

Comic News: The Prequel Trilogy to get the Infinities make-over by Dark Horse Comics? UPDATE: No, they're not:
Posted: 13th December (UPDATED: 17th December)
Affiliate StarWarsTimeline.com has spotted the following inside the latest issue of Star Wars Insider (issue #114) alongside an advert for the next issue of Star Wars Insider (issue #115, due January 26th): "The Star Wars saga as you’ve never seen it before, as Dark Horse comics adapts the prequels and takes a different route with Star Wars Infinities!". (Infinities are stories that ask a simple what if this never happened? question of each of the Original film stories and extrapolates a new outcome, for example, what if on Hoth, Luke never survived his encounter with the Wampa? that's one question that is explored in Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back).
While there's been no official announcement from either Dark Horse Comics nor LucasFilm Licensing about this new Infinities comic book series, Dark Horse Comics' Knights of the Old Republic comic book series is due to end with issue #50 in February and, at present, there has been no news of anything to replace it on the publishing schedule. This will leave a gap that could be filled by a 12-issue (or more) comic book series that explores even more worlds of endless possibilities.

UPDATE: Writing on Dark Horse Comics' Message Boards, Editor Randy Stradley stated that Dark Horse Comics "have no plans for Infinites versions of the Prequel films. I don't know what [Star Wars Insider] could possibly be talking about [...] I think there are some wires crossed somewhere [...] I contact[ed] writer Dan Wallace about the mention, but he has no idea what it is either".

Book News: First look at DK's The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia:
Posted: 15th December (UPDATED: 24th December)
Amazon.com has published a cover for next year's The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia from DK Publishing. Although little is known about this book, the cover indicates that its 208 pages will feature information on more than 200 characters from The Clone Wars TV series including Jedi, Sith, Bounty Hunters and more.
The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia is due for release in hardback from DK Publishing in June 2010.

UPDATE: StarWars.com has posted an Inside The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia article featuring the book's front and rear cover, and a two-page spread extract.

Comic News: Aayla Secura to return to Dark Horse Comics:
Posted: 12th December
Writing in the letters page of The Clone Wars #11, Randy Stradley, Editor at Dark Horse Comics, announced that Twi'lek Jedi Aayla Secura is to appear in an upcoming digest story along "with two new villains".
Fan favourite Aayla's first appearance was in 2000 in John Ostrander's comic story, Twilight, in which she was Padawan to Quinlan Vos, a Jedi Knight who had lost his memory. Up until 2005, when Aayla was a victim of Order 66 (she is one of a select few Expanded Universe characters who have also appeared in one or more of the Star Wars films), she appeared regularly in comic stories from Dark Horse Comics such as Ongoing and Republic series (where she was seen to play a pivotal role in the Clone Wars).
Since then, Aayla's appearances have been sparse, usually as part of a flashback sequence or a name mention, but in 2009 Aayla appeared in several episodes of The Clone Wars TV series, where her character is voiced by Jennifer Hale.
Hopefully it wont be too long before Aayla makes a welcome return to comic stories from Dark Horse Comics as there is at present no further information about this upcoming story including its release date.

Book News: Backlash's release back on for 9th March 2010?:
Posted: 11th December
Following our previous reports of 24th October and 10th November where we reported that Backlash's release date had been pushed back from 9th March 2010 to 13th April, it now appears that Backlash may be back on for a 9th March 2010 release in the US as RandomHouse.com has reinstated 9th March 2010 as Backlash's US release date.
There has been, as yet, no official confirmation of 9th March as being Backlash's new release date from LucasBooks.

Affiliates News: Update from JediTempleArchives.com:
Posted: 10th December
Chuck Paskovics, webmaster of affiliate JediTempleArchives.com, has contacted us about a new feature available on his site: We just launched a new Special Report on collecting Star Wars Dark Horse Graphic Novels/Trade Paperbacks, featuring a massive timeline/checklist. I just wanted to share this new resource. Thanks and enjoy!
Enjoy JediTempleArchives.com's new Special Report, compiled with information supplied by Star Wars Books, here.

Comic News: The Force Unleashed comic story now available on iTunes:
Posted: 10th December
Extending their range of comic stories available on iTunes for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Dark Horse Comics have added The Force Unleashed (comic story adaptation) to the Apple AppStore. Told through 544 screen pages, The Force Unleashed is the sixth Star Wars comic story to be adapted for a digital medium as part of Dark Horse Comics' Dark Horse Mobile project.
You can purchase The Force Unleashed from the Apple AppStore here (requires iTunes) and for a limited time it is available for just US$1.99 (GBP1.19).

Site News: New poll and results of last poll:
Posted: 8th December
With the US release of Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, we begin a new poll (see left hand side strip, or click here) asking you how much you enjoyed this book. This poll will run until 25th January 2010, giving people plenty of time to read it.
Our last poll, what did you think of Death Troopers, finished at the end of November and 50% gave it 5 / 5 (excellent), 19% rated it 4 / 5 (good), while 28% thought it was okay (3 / 5). This gives Death Troopers an average review rating of 4.1 / 5. Thank you to all who voted.

Comic News: The Old Republic - Threat of Peace #21 now online:
Posted: 4th December
The twenty-first issue of Threat of Peace, the introductory online comic for the forthcoming MMO video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, is available to read online.
The twenty-first issue of Threat of Peace begins with Lord Angral returning to Korriban in full fury. Based on the message from Master Dar’Nala, Angral accuses Lord Baras of secretly ordering the recent attacks. Meanwhile on Dantooine, Jedi Knight Satele Shan reacts to the accusations against Baras with surprise and skepticism.
(Source: swtor.com)

Book News: StarWars.com's first look at a couple of next summer's books:
Posted: 3rd December
StarWars.com has posted details for two new books due next summer.
The first, Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition, is a follow-up to last year's Star Wars Blueprints: The Ultimate Collection. Featuring illustrations by Chris Trevas and Chris Reiff, Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition contains five poster-sized blueprints of the X-wing fighter, the Y-wing fighter, Echo Base and more plus a 32-page companion book written by Ryder Windham. Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition is due for US release in August 2010 from DK Publications.
Secondly is a first look at Star Wars Generations: A Celebration of the Wild World of Star Wars Fandom by Bonnie Burton, Mary Franklin, and Peter Vilmur: as employees of Lucasfilm with a unique access to fandom and its history, they reveal insights into a group of individuals you might have thought you understood. Far more than fanboys and fangirls, Generation Star Wars is a force to be reckoned with, and a force to enjoy. Star Wars Generations will be published by Del Rey in the US next summer.
(Source: StarWars.com - Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition | Star Wars Generations)

Comic News: The Clone Wars: Crash Course now available on iTunes:
Posted: 2nd December
Extending their range of comic stories available on iTunes for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Dark Horse Comics have added their second The Clone Wars digest-sized story The Clone Wars: Crash Course to the Apple AppStore. Told through 396 screen pages, The Clone Wars: Crash Course is the fifth Star Wars comic story to be adapted for a digital medium and it joins The Clone Wars: Shipyards of Doom, Legacy Volume 1: Broken, Legacy Volume 2: Shards and Empire Volume 1: Betrayal as part of Dark Horse Comics' Dark Horse Mobile project.
You can purchase The Clone Wars: Crash Course from the Apple AppStore here (requires iTunes).

Book News: Imperial Commando #2 cancelled UPDATE: To be reprieved?:
Posted: 2nd December (UPDATED: 8th December)
Author Karen Traviss as announced on her blog that Imperial Commando #2, the sequel to the just released Imperial Commando: 501st and also her final Star Wars novel, has been cancelled. In a long statement Karen says: I've withdrawn from the sequel to Imperial Commando 501st, which was going to be my final Star Wars novel. I had issues over contractual matters and working practices that still showed no signs of being resolvable after a couple of years, so I told the publisher that I would not be doing the book. She further cites continuity problems arising from the second season of The Clone Wars TV series that will portray the Mandalorians as pacifists who'd given up fighting centuries ago and that Mandalore was now a post-apocalyptic wasteland devastated by war. This conflicts with Karen's established Mandalorian history in her Republic Commando series for the Mandalorians that was wholly based on a global warrior culture living on a non-nuked Mandalore.
She attempts to provide some closure to her novels: the main characters would have escaped the Empire in the ba'slan shev'la you already know about from Legacy of the Force. (But you knew all that from Revelation anyway.)
You can read Karen's full statement here.
(Source: via EUCantina.net)

UPDATE: Sue Rostoni, LucasBooks' Executive Editor has announced on StarWars.com Message Boards that we're seriously considering continuing [Imperial Commando] series with a new author. Details to come as they happen...
Star Wars Books' will bring you news updates as they happen.

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