If you like comic books and are a Star Wars fan, then 2011 is your year. The Dark Horse/Star Wars panel at C2E2 showcased some big names such as John Ostrander (Legacy) John Jackson Miller (Knight Errant), and Star Wars editor Dave Marshall. The panel teased the crowd with glimpses 4 new titles set in a galaxy far, far away.
First up, we have the return of the Crimson Empire series. Crimson Empire was released in 1997 and tells the story of Kir Kanos, loyal member of the Emperor’s elite Crimson Guard and his quest for vengeance after he is betrayed by one of his own. Its sequel Crimson Empire II was released in ’98, and there were plans for a third that never came; after all this time it looked as though it had fallen through the cracks. Thankfully, that isn’t the case and Mike Richardson, president of Dark Horse and the lead writer of Star Wars: Crimson Empire explained the hold-up.
“We did the first two parts of what was planned to be a trilogy years ago,” referring to the 1997 and 1998 series he co-wrote with Stradley, which also had Gulacy on art. “They actually were two of our best-selling Star Wars series, so it’s been one of the most-requested series we’ve had over the years. During the course of writing, because of the new movies [The Phantom Menace was released in 1999], we unintentionally kept stepping on the [movie’s] story line and in the course of storytelling we kept having to constantly change it. It’s hard when you have basic building blocks in your story and they’re being pulled out one by one. So there’s a lot of changes we had to make in the first set of books, and many more in the second. Suddenly, we were sort of covering for holes in the story because we couldn’t use certain things.
“Now, after all these years, we’re going back, and it’s always kind of been in the back of our minds. So Randy is doing a recap story for Crimson Empire, putting everything back into context since we’ve been away for a while. We’re in the process, the original team, of putting together the final chapter in that series.”
Crimson Empire III will hit stores this fall. You can see an 8 page sneak peak in Dark Horse Presents #1 which hits stores April 20th.
Next up, is one I’m really excited for by Star Wars: Legacy writer, John Ostrander called Star Wars: Agent of the Empire. Ostrander described the title as a sort of a “James Bond meets Star Wars” about a superspy for the Sith. There are not a lot of details yet, but we do know that the story will take place in the classic era and will feature a lot of familiar faces such as Han Solo, Princess Leia and Rebel Intelligence Agent Winter. Agent of the Empire will be released this December.
Next is sort of a supplemental comic that takes place after the events of the Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knight Errant novel that was released earlier this year by Del Rey. Star Wars: Knight Errant-Deluge will be written by John Jackson Miller. While readers are not expected to read the book to understand the comic, Miller says it’s good fun to get a grasp of the larger scope of events.
“There are a lot of stories to be told in this time, and a lot of sights to see. We don’t always hit readers with the obvious stories they immediately expect—where would be the surprise? I think Deluge adds a lot to the Knight Errant story—including a lot about what’s going on beyond the frontiers.”
An interesting twist to this storyline is that the main villain will not be a Sith at all, but a starfighter-flying Hutt named Zodoh. SAY WHAAAA???
Look for Star Wars: Knight Errant-Deluge on August 17th.
Finally on the list is Star Wars: Dark Times-Out of the Wilderness, the newest arc of the fantastic Dark Times storyline. Head writer Mick Harrison has some trials ahead for Master Dass Jennir that will prove to be damn fine drama in true Star Wars fashion.
“Like all of the arcs focusing on Jedi Master Dass Jennir, this one has him struggling with how to stay true to his Jedi roots in a galaxy where the Jedi Order has been destroyed and all Jedi are fugitives. After Blue Harvest, Jennir feels that he’s back on the right track, but he’s not completely out of the woods—or wilderness—as far as reconnecting with the Force. Also, Jennir is stuck in an actual wilderness in this story.”
Look for Star Wars: Dark Times-Out of the Wilderness on August 3rd.
[Source] Dark Horse
