“Reading is fundamental” – Lucasfilm. Okay, not really, but that’s basically what we found out this week.
That’s right, this week was all about the written word, with news coming from all corners of Lucasfilm’s publishing arm. In addition to not just one, but two excerpts from Rebecca Roanhorse’s upcoming Resistance Reborn, we got a look at the upcoming Star Wars: Allegiance miniseries coming from Marvel, which starts this Wednesday, 10/9. But, while everyone loves a preview, the real headlines came from New York Comic Con.
During Friday’s Lucasfilm Publishing panel, we learned… ok, not much about the super secret Project Luminous, except that we will learn more in January 2020 (right after the Skywalker saga concludes, what a convenient time to launch something new). We also got confirmation, via logos on a graphic, that all arms of Lucasfilm publishing – Del Rey Books, Disney Lucasfilm Press, Marvel, and IDW comics – will be involved in this new chapter in the Star Wars galaxy. From there, though, the real news came quick:
- The official The Rise of Skywalker novelization will arrive on March 3, 2020, written by Rae Carson (who previously wrote Most Wanted and contributed to From A Certain Point of View). The junior novel version will be written by Michael Kogge.
- Christian Blauvelt will continue his work in the galaxy far, far away by writing Use The Force, aimed at teaching children how to be a Jedi (with, hopefully, no risk of lightsaber burns in the process).
- Nine authors will contribute to a middle grade anthology of tales about Star Wars: The Clone Wars, retelling stories from the perspectives of major characters from the animated series. The book will be out on August 25th, 2020.
- George Mann, author of Myths and Fables which came out earlier this year, will return to the mythical and fantastic side of Star Wars with Dark Legends, which, as one would expect from the title, reveals the myths that the galaxy tells about the Dark Side of the Force.
- Marvel’s Star Wars ongoing comic series will officially be relaunched in January with Charles Soule at the helm, picking up right where The Empire Strikes Back leaves off. But that’s not all: Greg Pak will write a new Darth Vader ongoing that covers the same timeline – that series will launch in February.
- Alexander Freed’s Alphabet Squadron trilogy will continue on June 30, 2020 with Shadow Fall, as the ragtag squad of misfits takes on a resurgent Shadow Wing.
- And finally, Tim Zahn’s streak of omitting the truth from Nanci continues, as The Ascendancy Trilogy will launch in May 2020 and act as an origin story for Thrawn before he goes to the Empire. The series will also give us our first look (in canon, anyway) at the inner workings of the Chiss Ascendancy.
So, all in all, a pretty slow week.
Oh, right, we also got a look at a new character from The Rise of Skywalker, and learned details of how to enter to win a trip to the premiere this December. We’re pretty Frik-ing excited (I’m not sorry)!
Strap in, folks – only two more months til December, and between book launches, Disney+, and the leadup to Episode IX, it’s going to be an exciting ride.
