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The
first series of The Clone Wars animated series
continues into 2009, ending in the Spring but a second series
beginning later in the year "will evolve some views that we
did not see in season one"[1].
There will be the ongoing tie-in children's and young reader books
from the Penguin Group throughout the year as well as a new spin-off
novel from fan favourite Karen Traviss, The
Clone Wars: No Prisoners, from Del Rey in mid-May. Karen also
has a second novel coming out in late September: Imperial
Commando: 501st in which we will witness the
transformation of Republic clonetroopers into Imperial stormtroopers.
Also making a welcome return in 2009 is Darth Bane in his third
outing, as yet untitled, by Drew Karpyshyn, which is due in December
and we can look forward to "exploring what happens next with
Bane and Zannah [as] the nature of their relationship kind of
suggests that at least one of them has to die sooner or later"[2].
Another author returning to our galaxy far, far away in 2009 is
Elaine Cunningham in her new novel Blood
Oath. The last time Elaine visited the Star Wars universe was in
2002 with Dark Journey,
a New Jedi Order novel that featured Jaina Solo and
her near descent to the Dark Side following the death of her younger
brother Anakin. This time Blood
Oath concentrates on Jaina's friend and former Joiner Zekk who
at the end of the final battle in Invincible
was "left spinning in his StealthX and [Blood
Oath] follows his journey to rejoin the Jedi Order"[3].
Blood Oath is due in
paperback in December, but was originally planned for release in
April as a pre-cursor to the next major novel series, Fate
of the Jedi.
We have been promised that Fate
of the Jedi will be "a huge story arc with heroic roles
for the galaxy’s most beloved characters: Han Solo, Luke
Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, and their surviving children, Ben
Skywalker and Jaina Solo. While Luke and Ben set off on the journey
of a lifetime, of discovery and hardship, of obstacles and
victories, the others remain in more familiar territory, dealing
with the aftermath of the civil war that rocked the galaxy in the
Legacy of the Force"[4].
And just like Legacy of the
Force, Fate of
the Jedi will be a nine-book, three-year series written by just
three authors: Aaron Allston, Troy Denning and newcomer Christie
Golden. But unlike Legacy of the
Force, all nine books in this new series, beginning in late
March with Outcast
by Aaron Allston, will be released in hardback. While Aaron and Troy
have contributed on numerous occasions to the Star Wars universe,
all eyes will be on Christie Golden whose first Star Wars novel, Omen,
the second novel in the series, is due for release in late June. But
Christie is herself a successful sci-fi author with credits
including The Final Dance trilogy, Starcraft: The Dark
Templar trilogy as well as contributing to the Warcraft
series of books. The third novel, Abyss
by Troy Denning, will be released in late August. Fate
of the Jedi will continue into 2010 and 2011.
2009 will also allow us to welcome another author who has never
before contributed to the Star Wars galaxy as well as viewing Star
Wars in a new light, well perhaps by the light of a flashlight under
the covers, as Joe Schreiber will pen Star Wars' first horror novel,
Deathtroopers. Joe, the self-titled 'scary parent',
describes Deathtroopers as being "the kind of
book you'd want to read if you were a child of the 70s who grew up
with the original Star Wars trilogy and really digs horror in the
vein of The Shining and Alien, with a little dose of William Gibson
mixed in"[5].
We can expect Deathtroopers in paperback from Del Rey
in late October.
While 2008 saw Dark Horse Comics' largest story-arc in their 12-part
cross-over Vector
story (available this year as a two-volume trade paperback graphic
novel set in January and June), 2009 will be slighter quieter for
the boys and girls from Milwaukie. Their ongoing series' Knights
of the Old Republic and Legacy
continue, but both begin new story-arcs. In Knights
of the Old Republic, Zayne Carrick has been cleared of murdering
his fellow Padawans and his former Master and nemesis, Lucien Draay
has been dealt with, now Zayne and Gryph have to face "a
dangerous new nemesis that comes on the scene as we move further
into 2009, a figure from the past of one of our major players. And
our new threat isn't bound by the handicaps that the Covenant faced,
operating as Jedi, they had to watch their step"[6].
Meanwhile, some 4,100 years later in Legacy,
Cade Skywalker, a descendent of Luke, must come to terms with the
decisions taken and their effects following his encounter with
Celeste Morne and the Muur Talisman in his Vector
storyline.
Making a welcome return in April is Dark
Times, placed on hiatus last September for The
Clone Wars comic book series', a storyline that is set just
after the horrific events of Order 66 and Revenge
of the Sith, and how it affected different people: Jedi and
non-Jedi alike. As a teaser, Dark Horse Comics will release a free
two-part online story titled Blue Harvest from 7th
January on their MySpace
site.
Dark Horse Comics continue their spin-off comic stories from The
Clone Wars in 2009 with both the digest-sized graphic novels
(or 'graphic novellas') from The
Clone Wars Quarterly series as well as the last three chapters
of their six-part Slaves
of the Republic story. According to writer Henry Gilroy, we can
also look forward to a new comic book spin-off series "come
summertime"[7].
A recurring theme for both books and comics in 2009 will be a return
to the classic period in Star Wars. Scholastic's new youth series, Rebel
Force by Alex Wheeler, continues in 2009 and tells of the
adventures of Luke, Leia and Han shortly after the events of A
New Hope and their escapades as they try to recover the Rebel
Alliance's hidden finances while evading the assassin and spy X-7,
whose mission is to discover the name of the pilot who destroyed the
Death Star. Meanwhile, Dark Horse Comics launch a new series of
graphic novellas starring the heroes of the Rebellion prior to or
just after A New Hope
beginning with Star
Wars Adventures: Volume 1: Han Solo and the Hollow Moon of Khorya
in April.
Finally 2009 will see the celebration of two important
anniversaries. In May we have the 10th Anniversary of The
Phantom Menace and the beginning of the prequel films, while
June will see the modern Expanded Universe come of age as Timothy
Zahn's Heir to the
Empire celebrates its 18th birthday. Without doubt, Zahn's
trilogy of Heir to
the Empire (first released in 1991), Dark
Force Rising (one year later) and The
Last Command (in 1993) awakened a fan base that many believed
had almost comatose since the mid 1980's. A trilogy set some five
years after the deaths of Palpatine and Vader in Return
of the Jedi, where Han and Leia were married and Leia was
pregnant with twins, Zahn introduced many, now household names, new
characters such as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade (an ex-assassin
of the Emperor who attempts to kill Luke Skywalker, but in later
books would eventually marry him), Talon Carrde, Borsk Fey'lya and
Gilad Pallaeon. Who gave us new and exciting creatures like the
Noghri and the Ysalamir, created fantastic new planets such as
Honoghr, Myrkr and Sluis Van, and who ultimately gave Coruscant its
name. Since then the Star Wars Expanded Universe has become one of
the most popular franchises in the world with total sales placing it
in the Top 15 of Best Selling Book Series[8],
with more than 160 million copies of Star Wars books in print.
Thus there is plenty to look forward to in 2009 and maybe, just
maybe, Qui-Gon was right, there is a bright future ahead in 2009 for
Star Wars books, comics and novels. |