This Weeks Publications – 14th August 2023

Welcome to this week’s publications breakdown.

The scheduled releases for this week will be;

Tuesday 15th August 2023
Star Wars Insider #220 (Titan Magazines) Once upon a long time ago, when we used to talk about Return of the Jedi (1983) we were only talking about the film itself. These days, however, it seems there are Jedi returning all over the place! First there was Luke Skywalker, taking on bad guys before gaining a little green student in Star Wars: The Mandalorian. Then Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi filled in some of the blanks in that crazy old wizard’s wilderness years. And now Star Wars: Ahsoka brings another former Jedi back into action, with Rosario Dawson taking center stage in the new Disney+ series. In this issue of Insider, we speak to the live-action Ahsoka Tano and it’s clear to see the actor’s joy in playing the much-loved character. We also chat to comic-book legend Walt Simonson, who wrote or drew (or both) some of the most memorable Star Wars stories in the original Marvel Comics series, and we catch up with The High Republic author Lydia Kang, who will soon be writing Phase III short fiction for this very magazine! And talking of short fiction, this issue see the first in a trilogy of stories set around the events of Return of the Jedi, beginning with a tale of great loss in a moment of sweet victory from acclaimed Star Wars author Alexander Freed. All this, and much, much more, in Insider #220! FEATURING: – THE BAD BATCH: THE ANATOMY OF ANIMATION PART 2: The second part of our in-depth look at the making of an episode of The Bad Batch. – ANDOR SEASON 1: CHARACTER BUILDING: The pivotal character moments from across the 12-part first season. – THE HIGH REPUBLIC: PHASE II COMPANION: A story-by-story look back at the second phase of Star Wars: The High Republic Subscribe: U.S. / CANADA | U.K. | REST OF THE WORLD | DIGITAL
		Newsstand		Subscriber
		Exclusive		Foil
Cover Art – Dominik Mayer	Essential Legends Collection: Fatal Alliance by Sean Williams (Random House Worlds – ISBN 978-0-593-60059-7) “When I look into you, I see no loyalty… I sense only tangled allegiances… Given a choice, I would never trust you.” From across the galaxy they’ve come: agents of both the Republic and the Sith Empire, an investigating Jedi Padawan, an ex-trooper drummed out of the Republic’s elite Blackstar Squad, and a mysterious Mandalorian. An extraordinary auction has drawn them all together—in quest of a prize only one can claim. Each is prepared to do what he must to possess the treasure, whose value may be the wealth of a world itself. None intend to leave empty-handed. All have secrets, desires, and schemes. And nothing could ever unite them as allies—except the truth about the deadly danger of the object they covet. But can Sith and Jedi, Republic and Empire—enemies for millennia—join as one against the certain doom of the galaxy? Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Cover Art – Orlando Arocena	Essential Legends Collection: Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn (Random House Worlds – ISBN 978-0-593-60060-3) It began as the ultimate voyage of discovery–only to become the stuff of lost Republic legend . . . and a dark chapter in Jedi history. Now, at last, acclaimed author Timothy Zahn returns to tell the whole extraordinary story of the remarkable–and doomed–Outbound Flight Project. The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark–aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel–on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start–until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight. Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail. Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as “Thrawn.” Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds–and the most diabolical of adversaries. Timothy Zahn’s unique mix of espionage, political gamesmanship, and deadly interstellar combat breathes electrifying life into a Star Wars legend. Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Cover Art – Orlando Arocena	Essential Legends Collection: Survivor’s Quest by Timothy Zahn (Random House Worlds – ISBN 978-0-593-60061-0 ) Sometimes it seems a Jedi’s work is never done and Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker know this only too well. Despite the bond they share in the Force, after three years of marriage the Jedi Master and his wife are still learning the ropes of being a couple—and struggling to find time together between the constant demands of duty. But all that will change when they’re united on an unexpected mission—and must pool their exceptional skills to combat an insidious enemy… and salvage a part of Jedi history. It begins with a message from a surprising source: Nirauan, the planet where Thrawn, dangerous disciple of Emperor Palpatine, once held sway… and from which Luke and Mara barely escaped with their lives. The message itself is shocking. After fifty years, the remains of Outbound Flight—a pioneering Jedi expedition viciously destroyed by Thrawn—have been found on Nirauan. Now, the fiercely honor-bound aliens who reside there wish to turn over the remnants of the doomed mission to the New Republic. Accepting the gesture will mean a long voyage into the treacherous cluster of stars where the thousands of souls aboard the Outbound Flight vessel met their grim fate. But it may also mean something more… something that has stirred an inexplicable sense of foreboding in Mara. Whatever may await, the Skywalkers will not face it alone. Joining them on the strange and solemn journey are an officer of the post-Palpatine Empire, escorted by a detachment of Imperial stormtroopers; a party of diplomats from a gentle alien species that reveres the fallen Jedi for saving them from bloodthirsty conquerors; and a New Republic ambassador who harbors his own mysterious agenda. Soon enough, suspicion, secrecy, and an unknown saboteur run rampant aboard the isolated ship. But it is within the derelict walls of Outbound Flight itself, buried for half a century on a desolate planetoid, where the gravest danger lies. As the marooned hulk yields up stunning revelations and unexpected terrors to its visitors, Luke and Mara find all they stand for—and their very existence—brutally challenged. And the ultimate test will be surviving the deathtrap carefully laid by foes who are legendary for their ruthlessness… and determined to complete the job Thrawn began: exterminating the Jedi. Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Cover Art – Deena So’Oteh	Essential Legends Collection: Triple Zero by Karen Traviss (Random House Worlds – ISBN 978-0-593-72216-9) Following the eruption of the bloody Clone Wars at the battle of Geonosis, both sides remain deadlocked in a stalemate that can be broken only by elite warrior teams like Omega Squad, clone commandos with terrifying combat skills and a lethal arsenal… For Omega Squad, deployed deep behind enemy lines, it’s the same old special ops grind: sabotage, espionage, ambush, and assassination. But when Omega Squad is rushed to Coruscant, the war’s most dangerous new hotspot, the commandos discover they’re not the only ones penetrating the heart of the enemy. A surge in Separatist attacks has been traced to a network of Sep terror cells in the Republic’s capital, masterminded by a mole in Command Headquarters. To identify and destroy a Separatist spy and terror network in a city full of civilians will require special talents and skills. Not even the leadership of Jedi generals, along with the assistance of Delta squad and a certain notorious ARC trooper, can even the odds against the Republic Commandos. And while success may not bring victory in the Clone Wars, failure means certain defeat. Also includes the bonus story Omega Squad: Targets by Karen Traviss! Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Wednesday 16th August 2023
Darth Vader (2020) #37 (Marvel Comics) CURSE OF THE JEDI – A DARK DROIDS TIE-IN! • Killer Droids have taken over Darth Vader’s flagship Super Star Destroyer, the Executor! • But even with the powerful Kyberite shield, the Dark Lord of the Sith cannot fully control the Force! • Will the lessons of Jedi Masters Qui-Gon and Obi-Warn save him from the SCOURGE — or make him a tool for its galactic conquest?
		Direct – Yu		Variant – Barends
		Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant – Sprouse, Story, Menon		The Clone Wars 15th Anniversary Variant (Anakin Skywalker) – Camuncoli, Aburtov
Direct – Lashley	Dark Droids #1 (Second Printing) (Marvel Comics) “SCOURGE OF THE DROIDS!” A STAR WARS EPIC LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE! • Who or what is THE SCOURGE, and why is no droid safe? • As a corruption spreads from one droid to the next THE REBELLION and THE EMPIRE face chaos! • What role does AJAX SIGMA play in all of this? And whose side is he on? • Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away! Charles Soule continues his legendary run on STAR WARS with the most ambitious event in STAR WARS comics history! Joined by his WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS collaborator Luke Ross, the superstar team carves a new path for the future!
The Mandalorian Season 2 #1 (of 8, Second Printing) (Marvel Comics) SEASON 2 OF THE HIT DISNEY+ SERIES IS HERE!GROGU AND DIN DJARIN return in CHAPTER 9: THE MARSHAL! The Mandalorian is drawn to the Outer Rim in search of others of his kind. Following rumors of another Mandalorian, he instead comes face-to-face with MARSHAL COBB VANTH wearing a very familiar armor! Mando and Grogu have stepped into a situation bigger than they realize!Following the tradition of season one, RODNEY BARNES & GEORGES JEANTY reunite to bring season two to life once more!
		Direct – Nakayama		Variant (1:25) – Gist

You will be able to find these on sale from your usual high street bookstores, news-stands, and online retailers. Please help support Jedi News by purchasing your books using the links to the Amazon websites in this article – happy reading!