Everything you need to know about the new Star Wars books and comics announced this weekend!
NewsNYCC 2015 had no shortage of Star Wars announcements. While we didn't learn anything new about the upcoming movies, there was A LOT of news regarding new books and comics to expect in 2016. At the forefront are the second and third Aftermath books by Chuck Wendig and a new comic book miniseries that takes place during the Prequel Era.
The next two Aftermath books will be called Life Debt and Empire's End. No plot details were revealed, although we should point out two things about these titles:
Life Debt could be about Han Solo and Chewbacca. Their next adventure was teased in an Aftermath interlude, and it is also common knowledge that Chewie pledged a life debt to Han after the smuggler freed him from slavers. This is speculation, of course. Life Debt is scheduled for summer 2016.
The title "Empire's End" is a callback to the third Dark Empirecomic book series from Dark Horse Comics way back in 1995. The book saw the final defeat of Emperor Palpatine. How any of this might connect is unknown, but since Disney jettisoned the entire continuity a few years back, there probably won't be much of a resemblance. We'd be surprised, for example, if Emperor Palpatine were to be resurrected...This book will arrive sometime in 2017.
You can see preliminary covers of the two books in a tweet from Mr. Wendig himself:
Also, ahem, in case you did not see... #starwarsaftermathpic.twitter.com/stM8hYlCG9
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 10, 2015
A new Claudia Gray book was also announced at the show. Gray, who recently wrote the well-received Star Wars: Lost Stars, will release a new book that takes place six years before The Force Awakens. It's called Star Wars: New Republic: Bloodline. Again, no plot details to report, but we'd bet it's a prequel tale about at least one of the main characters in the new movie. The book is scheduled for spring 2016.
Del Rey will also be pushing a bunch of new short stories out the door, as well. Landry Walker, who is known for his comic book work, will release a new collection of short stories on Dec. 1. The collection is called Star Wars: Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away and will contain the following stores: "High Noon on Jakku" (a western), "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku" (a pirate story), "All Creatures Great and Small" (a fable), and "Face of Evil" (a horror story). This reminds us very much of the old Kevin J. Anderson-curated anthologies from the 90s.
Oh, but there's more. Two new short stories featuring aliens from The Force Awakens will also be released in November and December. Author Delilah Dawson will pen a short story about one of the aliens in Maz Kanata's castle. (Maz Kanata is the alien pirate character played by Lupita Nyong'o in The Force Awakens.) The e-short will focus on the alien in the middle of the Vanity Fair spread above, the one all dressed in black and that kind of looks like a court jester. Her name is Bazine.
Alan Dean Foster, who is also writing the official novelization of The Force Awakens (he also ghost-wrote the novelization for the original Star Wars), is penning another short story about the alien whom Bazine is sitting on in the spread. No more details than that.
Last, but not least: there was a new announcement from Marvel at NYCC. Charles Soule and Marco Checchetto, who have already contributed to the new line of Star Wars comics, will work on a five-issue miniseries called Obi-Wan & Anakin that will take place between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The book is scheduled for January 2016 and it will be the first Marvel series to take place in the Prequel Era.
Here is the cover for the first issue:
And the synopsis from Marvel:
Before their military heroism in the Clone Wars, before their tragic battle on Mustafar, and many decades before their final confrontation on the Death Star... they were Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker. It's been a few years since Obi-Wan pledged to train the young "chosen one," but even as they have grown closer through training, it has been a difficult road. Now, called to a remote planet for assistance, Master and Padawan may be pushed to the breaking point. Writer Charles Soule (Lando, She-Hulk, Daredevil) and artist Marco Checchetto (Star Wars: Shattered Empire, Avengers World, Punisher) bring us a tale of the Jedi at the height of their power...
As always, stay tuned for more Star Warsnews at Den of Geek!
