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...with Darth Bane: Rule of Two, which came out on Wednesday. Great read! Also, head to the comic shop and grab the final Clone Wars Adventures #10, Dark Times #7 and KOTOR #24. This site will see some changes in the new year by finally splitting into its respective domains. www.timelineuniverse.net will still be the umbrella site under which all the other timelines will fall, but from here on in, www.starwarstimeline.net will forward to the main page on the Star Wars portion of the site, whereas www.oztimeline.net will forward to the main page on the Oz portion of the site, and www.xfilestimeline.net will forward to the main page on the X-Files portion of the site.

Makes a lot more sense that way. This Latest News page also officially becomes the Star Wars news page, as each of the other sites either have or will have their own 'latest news' pages, as is appropriate. With a new X-Files film coming out in late July, new Oz projects and books always on the horizon, and Star Wars constantly producing new titles, including the upcoming multimedia project and two new TV shows, it's only fair that each universe have its own news page.

The Official Site just released the cover of the upcoming Sean Williams novelization of The Force Unleashed, the big multimedia event of 2008 which will feature a next-gen video-game from LucasArts, a graphic-novel from Dark Horse Comics and lots of toys and action figures. Should be fun! Best part is that no fan is left behind. Those who don't play the video games for various reasons will be able to enjoy the story, and those who do play will have a chance to see the "canon" events revealed. It's a good move on LFL's part and a nice way to continue the 30th anniversary of Star Wars (which runs from May '07 to May '08), not to mention usher in the next generation of Star Wars via the television shows, the first of which is the Clone Wars 3D animation series which will debut in the fall of 2008.

Leaked news from a VIP Hasbro meeting seems to indicate that on 8/8/08, the Star Wars Clone Wars animation series (which they're saying is so unlike any animation we've seen before they're calling it "cinemation") will launch in theaters before coming to television! Yes, this is big news. No confirmation from Lucasfilm as of yet, other than to say it's one of the options they're exploring.

Marvel SW fans rejoice! Fenn Shysa and Tobbi Dala are at long last being released in a comic-two pack! This will be as part of the third wave: Fenn Shysa will be packaged with Dengar; and Tobbi Dala with Princess Leia! Happy news indeed!!

The new paperback in the Legacy of the Force series, Fury, is out today! By Aaron Allston, here's the back cover blurb (minus spoilers): "Fighting alongside the Corellian rebels, Han and Leia are locked in a war against their son, who grows more dangerous with each passing day. Nothing can stop his determination to bring peace with a glorious Galactic Alliance victory–whatever the price."

This is the seventh book in a nine-book saga. If you haven't caught up yet, there's still time. The saga begins with Betrayal.

Recently at the French Star Wars convention (Reunion 2), Star Wars producer Rick McCallum shined some light on the future of Star Wars:

No confirmation yet on any changes Lucas is making to the films (beyond Yoda in TPM which we all know about), deleted scenes, bloopers or any of that, but the documentaries are without a doubt a big step in the right direction and certainly more than most fans were hoping for or imagining. And still no word on the animated Droids or Ewoks box sets! But that might be an announcement they're saving for next year.

In the wake of such vicious and heinous cruelty that we seem to see daily on the news (and so much that we don't see), let's not forget to do whatever small share we can to alleviate the suffering of our animal brethren abroad. So click on the purple button on the right (and when you get to the site, click it there) which means free food to animals in shelters for every daily click. It only takes a moment, so make it a daily habit. Thanks!

At long last, some news (or strong gossip at this point) on the upcoming 2009/2010 live-action Star Wars TV series. Some spoilers, but nothing too revealing. You can find the full story at aintitcoolnews.com. The short version:

All in all, some interesting news to get fans salivating for the series! I think it's great that they're continuing to embrace the EU. Rick McCullum had said recently that they were thinking of hiring writers that had worked on some of the books and comics, so that's a major step in the right direction.

TV Guide has a really good interview with George Lucas discussing his two upcoming shows, the animated Clone Wars and the as-yet unnamed live-action show. Lucas clarifies some things that will make fans happy. You can check it out here. Some of the highlights include confirmation of the fact that Clone Wars will be 100 episodes (they're almost half-way there now) and it's currently being shopped around. Lucas feels that because it's neither off-color "adult" humor or kiddie stuff, the networks don't know how to market it (real geniuses, aren't they?!) So it's a PG-13 show. That's pretty cool! And as for the live-action show, same kinda deal: 100 episodes, produced beforehand and shopped around. Lucas talks about how this show will allow him to explore his universe in a way that he couldn't with the films b/c they were primarily about Darth Vader and his story. And here's a quote regarding that latter series that's pretty exciting for SW fans: "conceptually, it's so much more interesting than anything I've ever done before." Now THAT'S saying a lot! Lucas goes on to talk about some of his favorite shows and his annoyance that Rome was cancelled. Good stuff all around. Also too you'll notice just how excited Lucas is in general about both of his upcoming series. These aren't just money-making schemes; you can tell he's totally into these and is enjoying himself! As has been said before, Star Wars is not only NOT dead; it's just coming to life (and in a whole new way)!

...of release dates! Head to your bookstores: Both The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader and The Last of the Jedi #8 are out now (at least in NY)!!

The upcoming sequel to Darth Bane: Path of Destruction now has a cover (as displayed on the Random House website), and what a weird one it is! I love it! Check out Rain/Darth Zannah! Apparently she's all grown-up, and she's adopted the double-lightsaber first wielded by Exar Kun! Can't wait for this one!

Though not much information has yet been given, Dark Horse announced a new Star Wars ... series? mini-series? graphic novel? Whatever it is, it's called Vector, and the main character from it (a new character) will purportedly crossover to each of the other four Dark Horse series, apparently from the KOTOR series (set roughly 3900 BBY) to the Legacy series (set 137 years after A New Hope.) John Jackson Miller and John Ostrander will be the head writers on the series which is being described like the Civil War. More info as it comes up...

There's a nice interview with executive editor for Lucasfilm Licensing Sue Rostoni over at www.theeucantinaforums.com. You can find it here. You'll also find another interview with her and the creative minds behind the Legacy of the Force authors in the upcoming novel Inferno due out this Tuesday!

The very first action figure from the EU of the Marvel series (as opposed to just the movie adaptations) is exclusively hitting the Walmart shelves on October 1st. From issue #81: Jawas of Doom: Boba Fett (with Sarlacc slime and a Death Star droid.) Some of you might remember that Fett first escaped the Sarlacc soon after the end of Return of the Jedi in this issue. He ended right back into it when he got trapped in an out-of-control sandcrawler (only to have a much more difficult time escaping the second time.) This is exciting news and hopefully the first of many Marvel Star Wars characters to debut in the Hasbro line. Let's hope we start getting some characters exclusive to the line (Lumiya, Jaxxon, Flint (in Sith armor), Dani the Zeltron and Den the Nagai would be great to see one day!) Also expect on October 1st some troops (Commander Keller and Galactic Marine to be more specific) from the Dark Horse series Republic.

As some of you are aware, contrary to rumors the San Diego Comic Con produced no news on the upcoming Ultimate Star Wars DVD box set, much to the chagrin of those of us who've been anxiously awaiting some glimmerings of this. And no, the Lego Star Wars Saga and Indiana Jones video games are no damn substitute, not even close, thank you very much! Ok, so we continue wait. But it is starting to look like the 30th anniversary will pass without a release. Maybe next year? We can hope. For all of you annoyed by this and wondering why Lucas and LFL are suddenly so gunshy about releasing a new box set, you can thank that faction of online fandom; you know them as the loud-mouth, vitriolic so-called purists out there who constantly complain that Lucas is greedy and raping them every time a new video or DVD was released. That's always the way: the rest of us suffer because of the idiots and jackasses out there. If there's one thing we can thank the Prequels for, it's getting rid of a nice chunk of those losers. Let's hope the upcoming TV series don't bring them back (or a whole bunch of new ones in!) Signing off.

I don't normally post rumors, but as this is pertinent to news I've posted on this site and which many of you are interested in, here goes: The word around town is that Lucasfilm has a special surprise in store for those of you attending the San Diego Comic-Com. Despite evidence to the contrary, there may be an announcement that the long-awaited "Ultimate" Star Wars Saga DVD Box Set may be released this year after all!! Remember, this is only a rumor, but the weekend is upon us and we'll find out for sure in a day or so.

A lot of us have been awaiting a box set of new editions of the films for some time. We know Lucas redid Yoda from The Phantom Menace for just such a release, and there's been speculation and rumors about extended editions for some time. What many would really like to see is what they're doing with the upcoming Blade Runner Final Cut, and that is a release of several different editions: a two-disc set with the new Final Cut and a new documentary for casual fans; a four-disc set with everything from the two-disc, plus 3 additional versions of the film (the original theatrical, the international version and the '92 Director's Cut), and finally an ultimate 5-disc version in a special case which includes everything from the previous versions plus a rare "workprint" version packaged with all kinds of neat stuff for fans (check this page out for further details.) Could you imagine a Star Wars set like the latter one!

Personally, I must admit that my main interest lies in whatever new editions he may have cooked up in the editing room. There is a lot of deleted footage from all six films (some finished, some unfinished that would need work) which could be presented either as a separate "Deleted Scenes" section or within the body of the film itself. Hopefully we'll find out exactly what's in store for us in the next few days. With the 30th Anniversary this year and really not much happening in a big way now that Celebration IV and Celebration Europe is behind us and The Force Unleashed multimedia event has been pushed to 2008, a huge box set release would be just what the doctor ordered.

I also think too that from a marketing standpoint, it's the right time. With the HD/Blu-Ray format war waging (and some say coming to a swift end in favor of Blu-Ray), we may see players dropping considerably in price and people starting to gravitate towards the high-definition format. What that means is that by next year more and more of the movie-buying audience will begin clamoring for high-definition releases, and even more the following year. So, if LFL is going to do a big (and likely expensive) standard-def DVD set, now would be the time.

Listen to the full audio program here. Otherwise, here are the highlights from Star Wars producer Rick McCallum yesterday at Celebration Europe:

Update: One further bit of news not available in the audio: The Star Wars films will not be released in High Definition until a clear winner has emerged in the format war. Interesting news indeed!

Issue #17 is now online. This is a far more abbreviated issue as only four main stories exist. You can check it out starting here.

It appears that in place of the cancelled Darth Plagueis novel, there will be a sequel to Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane: Path of Destruction! Good news indeed! Fans can expect this book at the end of this year according to the Random House site, which is listing it at 12/26/07!

Update: For those interested in seeing how the comic book series (and trade paperback) Jedi vs. Sith (which the author based his novel on) meshes chronologically with the Darth Bane: Path of Destruction book, click here.

This thing looks unbelievably good!! Forget anything Tartakovsky did, this trailer is full blown amazing 3D animated action that looks and sounds like an extension of the films! Wow! Check it out here! And kudos to everyone involved. This show is going to kick some serious butt when it debuts in 2008!!

Another video worth watching on that same page is the documentary for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. There's lots of clips of the game, its designers and the story behind how Lucas had a lot of input into the concept. The Force Unleashed will debut in 2008 for the Playstation 360, but non-gamers can rejoice that there will also be a book and graphic novel to accompany it!

Finally, let's also not fail to mention that the redesigned Official Site looks great!

...comes trickling in. First bit: Book 9, the last novel in the Legacy of the Force series will be called Invincible. And don't forget that Book 5: Sacrifice comes out in four days!

...the original Star Wars film debuted in theaters across the United States. For an entire generation of young people who loved and continue to love the saga that may be a little hard to wrap your head around. It's a milestone for the film and a tribute to the enduring success of the franchise, the fans and the visionary who created it all! Happy Anniversary Star Wars and many more to come!

...coming to TV on the History Channel. A very unique and fascinating documentary is going to debut this month on the 29th that's well worth checking out at 9:00:

Monday, May 28, 2007

8-9pm -- Star Wars Tech -
Take a look at the technology shown throughout the six Star Wars films and examine their viability through the eyes of cold hard science. Could a Death Star really be built? Can you build an army of clones? What is 3-D imaging, and where the can you get a Light Saber? Travel to a galaxy far, far away to answer all of these questions and more.

9-11pm -- Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed -
The story of Anakin Skywalker's descent into darkness and his son Luke's quest to conquer evil has spellbound audiences for 30 years. The reason for this is simple: the saga of Star Wars is universal and firmly rooted in the mythology and the political history of the entire planet. May 2007 will mark the 30th anniversary of George Lucas' space fantasy that grossed billions worldwide. For the first time take a profound look at the serious subtext behind Lucas' six film milestone. The influence of ancient mythology from Greek legends to King Arthur is visible; but also more recent historical influences, from the political rise of Napoleon to the machinations of Adolf Hitler can be seen.

...albeit unofficially. After much time and preparation, you can read what would have been Adventure Journal #16 right here. Thank you to everyone responsible for providing me with the original materials. You can read more about it on "Old Horizons" from the contents page. Please note: This manuscript was in a rough state and was not in its polished, final form when West End Games lost the Star Wars license. I've done my best to clean it up, but it's still pretty rough and is provided solely as an archival, non-profit treat for the fans and for the sake of posterity. Enjoy!

The Children of Hurin that is! Tomorrow, Tuesday April 17, 2007, J.R.R. Tolkien's first prose-style fantasy book since The Lord of the Rings will be released nationwide. If you're in the NY area, head over to Barnes and Noble (the one on 5th and 46th) and grab a limited edition, signed (by Christopher Tolkien and Alan Lee) copy! For more details, go here.

Other bookstores throughout the U.S. are hosting special events as well, for a complete list, check out www.theonering.net.

Here is the first schedule for the month of May:

5000-4999 BBY

Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith #0-5 (Dark Horse: also collected in trade paperback)

Fall of the Sith Empire #1-5 (Dark Horse: also collected in trade paperback)

3998-3996 BBY

Tales of the Jedi #1-5 (Dark Horse: collected in trade paperback as The Collection and as Knights of the

Old Republic)

Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising #1-2 (Dark Horse: also collected in trade paperback)

Dark Lords of the Sith #1-6 (Dark Horse: also collected in trade paperback)

The Sith War #1-6 (Dark Horse: also collected in trade paperback)

Circa 3998-3996 BBY

A Tale from the Dark Side (Tales of the Jedi Companion: Wizards of the Coast; online at Hyperspace)

The Most Dangerous Foe (flashback tale only) (Adventure Journal #11: West End Games; online at Hyperspace)

Light and Shadow (unpublished Adventure Journal story; available online)

3993 BBY

Tales #23: Shadows and Light (Dark Horse)

3986 BBY

Tales of the Jedi: Redemption #1-5 (Dark Horse: also collected in trade paperback)

Note: Drop me a line if you're interested in receiving future mailings! Look forward to having you onboard!

As many of you have already heard, The Force Unleashed multimedia event for 2007 will in fact not be released in 2007, but 2008. Video game, book, comics, action figures, etc., all have been pushed back to '08. At least we're still getting it. More disappointing is the reveal that James Luceno's Darth Plagueis novel has been cancelled. (See Sue Rostoni's blog for details).

For more details on the revised schedule, see Upcoming Tales. Maybe this will ensure that we see the DVD box set many of us have been waiting for... Time will tell.

In honor of this being Star Wars' 30th Anniversary, George Lucas and LFL are doing a lot to show the world that Star Wars is alive and well. This will include postage stamps, The Force Unleashed multimedia event (comprising books, comics, a video-game, action-figures), Celebration 4, and hopefully news of the Ultimate DVD box set of the films. In keeping with this celebratory theme, I'm going to keep a list of upcoming releases on a new page called Upcoming Tales. Thanks to Chad Walton for the idea and updated compilation!

There's been lots of talk and interviews lately about the upcoming Clone Wars 3D animated series. To sum up: There will be around 100 episodes involving the known cast and a some new characters including a Togruta padawan named Osaka (a Togruta is species represented by Shaak Ti in the prequels.) It will capture the feel of the films in a 3D animated style and look like "nothing on television." It is currently in production after which Lucas will shop it around to various stations. Look for a 2008 debut. Now in 2009, hopefully we'll be seeing the live-action show which is set after Episode 3. There are rumors still floating around that Boba Fett will feature in it, and Lucas did confirm that it will not focus on any of the major characters from the prequels, but one of the side characters. Lucas said that while he will not do episodes 7, 8, and 9, that "Star Wars is not dead" and that its future is on TV. Video game fans will be happy to note that a new video game is in the works based on the upcoming Clone Wars 3D series.

Bad news from thedigitalbits.com: "You know that mega-bombad 9-disc Ultimate Star Wars Saga box set that's been in the works for a few years now? The one that was expected to be released later this year to celebrate the 30th Anniversary? Yeah... maybe not so much anymore. Click here to read the rest, and then start sending your polite petitions and pleas to Lucasfilm ASAP! There still may be time to get this box set released this year, the 30th Anniversary!

Reminder: Don't forget to pick up Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Exile tomorrow!!

In wholly unforseen news, the official site posted this very exciting synopsis of an upcoming Matt Stover novel that will take place in the aftermath of Marvel's post-ROTJ comics dealing with Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie's team-up with Fenn Shysa and the Mandalorians to defeat Lord Shadowspawn on the world of Mindor. So devastating was this battle it caused Luke to resign his commission!

From the Official Site: The Battle of Mindor is one of the great conflicts of the Galactic Civil War that has yet to be documented in a novel, but best-selling author Matthew Stover is tackling this conflict as the subject matter of his new Star Wars novel.

Due out in February 2008, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor tells the tale of the Alliance's efforts to stop Lord Shadowspawn and his black-clad legions of shadow stormtroopers shortly after the destruction of the second Death Star. All the classic heroes return -- Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, Threepio, Artoo and the pilots of Rogue Squadron -- in a thrilling adventure of good versus evil, with the fledgling New Republic battling the stubborn remains of a splintering Galactic Empire.

Matthew Stover is best-known for his acclaimed novelization of Revenge of the Sith, and his psychologically charged and challenging Star Wars novels Traitor and Shatterpoint. Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is due out in hardcover in February 2008 from Del Rey Books.

Fans who've been wondering about the pictures displayed in 'Secrets of Star Wars 07' (above and on Hyperspace) need wonder no longer. Force Unleashed has been confirmed as the title of a new, multimedia event from Lucasfilm and its affiliates. It will encompass a novel by Del Rey, a comic book mini-series from Dark Horse, a new generation video-game from Lucasarts, actions figures and much more! This hasn't been seen since the days of Shadows of the Empire and to myself and many fans, it is welcome news! The story was created under the direction of George Lucas and will take place after Episode III. For more information, check out the official site and www.theforceunleashed.com. Additional news will be added in the coming days. Look for the unveiling of this multimedia event in November. ***Update: The hardcover novel will be penned by Sean Williams (who co-wrote the NJO: Force Heretic trilogy, and will be released in September. Good news indeed! Furthermore, it's been released that the story focuses on Vader's first secret apprentice. This yet unnamed character is sent by Vader to hunt down Jedi (including which may be Ferus Olin, the Dark Woman and Asajj Ventress!)

On April 17th, the world will be graced with another masterpiece of fantasy literature! Check out this snippet from EW.com:

In the 33 years since Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien passed away, his youngest son Christopher has relentlessly plugged away at deciphering and organizing his father's voluminous notes into further tales of Middle Earth. On April 17, the release of The Children of Húrin — begun by the elder Tolkien in 1918 — will bring those tales to a close.

According to the Tolkien estate website, The Children of Húrin ''takes the reader back to a time long before The Lord of the Rings, in an area of Middle Earth that was to be drowned before ever Hobbits appeared, and when the great enemy was still the fallen Vala, Morgoth, and Sauron only his lieutenant. This heroic romance is the tale of the Man, Húrin, who dared to defy Morgoth's force of evil, and his family's tragic destiny, as it follows his son Túrin Turambar's travails through the lost world of Beleriand.''

Tomorrow, two Zahn Star Wars books hit bookstore shelves, the paperback edition of Outbound Flight (a prequel to Survivor's Quest), starring Jorus C'baoth, Obi-Wan and Anakin on the doomed flight into the Unknown Regions and the heart of Chiss space, and Allegiance featuring young Mara Jade, Luke, Han, Leia and a squad of renegade stormtroopers in the year following A New Hope.

As per the Darth Who contest which asked fans to submit Sith names for Jacen Solo, five names have been posted. The general reaction from fans has been pretty negative. Needless to say, my choice of name has not been chosen for the five, so no Darth Cabal (or Darth Kabal) and no fan favorite Darth Solus either. The list from which you can vote until February 27, 2007 is:

As you can imagine, fan reaction has been less than thrilled (not surprising for SW fans.) The concept behind the name is that Jacen is choosing his own name. So it should have to have meaning to him. My thoughts: Acheron?! Are there Greek myths in the SW Universe? A little too obvious. And if Judicar sounds like its more appropriate for a star destroyer, that's because it is a star destroyer. Taral ... a little too feminine maybe, a little too AD&D perhaps. That leaves Caedus and Paxis as my two top choices. I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with either. Caedus has a nice ring to it, although Paxis isn't bad and seems to have the most appropriate meaning. It may not be the most "evil" sounding name, but this is Jacen we're talking about, and he thinks he's going to be the first good Sith! Agree, don't agree? Vote here!

In related news, Book 8 of the Legacy of the Force series will be titled Revelation.

The Official Site today has revealed the cover and brief synopsis of the fifth book in the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series: Sacrifice! This hardcover scheduled for May 22nd represents that half-way point of this series and will undoubtedly prove a shocking and pivotal entry. This title will also finally reveal Jacen Solo's designated Sith name which will have been voted on by fans at the end of this month (once Del Rey and LFL editors along with the authors of the LOTF series settle on the final five.) You can check out the story here. I actually submitted a name pretty early that I think is pretty fitting for the character. I'll reveal it as soon as voting gets underway, and if you agree it works, you can support it by voting on it.

In other exciting EU news, Karen Traviss' third Republic Commando book (to be released in August '07) will be called True Colors.