From The Sci-Fi Bloc…

“This is definitely a comic to keep your eye on. There is action here, but this issue generally starts things off with reservation, as though it is confident enough in its overarching story not to feel a need to wow us right away. Especially when you’re talking about a race coming from without to invade an entire galaxy, the temptation to try to go big-for-the-sake-of-big must have been strong. It is a good sign that this comic avoids such an approach.” – The Sci-Fi Bloc

From our friends over at NJOE.com…

“The best character, for me, is definitely Kaye. She is every inch the leader. I would follow her into battle….this was a great issue to not only catch up with the whole cast but propel the story into where it needs to go for the rest of the arc, and yes it feels great to have Invasion back on the shelves again.” – NJOE.com

More…

“We’ve got some kick butt females in command of a Vong cruiser causing havoc.  We’ve got a traitor waiting to be discovered..and we’ve got a Jedi in training that doesn’t listen to Luke and Luke doesn’t mind that much. It all makes for good fun, a decent read and solid artwork to match.” - Show Me Sci Fi

“Consistency may not always lead to continued press coverage, but it does lead to some pretty spectacular books, of which this issue is a fine example. Rescues #1 continues on from the previous Star Wars: Invasion mini-series, but you don’t need to have read that to get up to speed on this new book – a short blurb and some clever exposition provides all you need to know without infuriating existing readers.” - Pop Culture Hound

Also, below is a glimpse of a very limited edition alternative cover by Jo Chen, offered as part of a competition Dark Horse are running.

STAR WARS: INVASION VOLUME 1—REFUGEES
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale May 12
FC, 144 pages
$18.99
TPB, 7″ x 10″

Twenty-five years after the Battle of Yavin, Luke Skywalker and the galaxy are facing their first real threat since the Sith were defeated: an invasion of hostile warriors from another galaxy—the Yuuzhan Vong!

The peaceful planet of Artorias is in the path of the alien armada. Finn Galfridian, his spunky sister Kaye, and their parents find themselves separated and fighting for their lives when the surprise invasion occurs. But their ordeal is just beginning . . .

• Collects Star Wars: Invasion #1–#5 and #0.

• This new series ties in to—and fits between—the nineteen novels of Del Rey’s New Jedi Order series.

• Features some of the first visual representations of this turbulent era of the Star Wars saga, including Han and Leia’s Jedi children!

Anyway, rush to your local comic shop and buy Star Wars: Invasion #4 before it runs out!  News has come in of many places selling out of the last issues very quickly – which is nice.

Once you’ve finished #4, don’t despair, because more Invasion is right around the corner.  Star Wars: Invasion #0 will hit the shelves next week!

My first purple cover… click for a preview.

Meanwhile, two comics in two weeks…

STAR WARS: INVASION #4 (of 5)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Oct 7
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries

Twenty-five years after the events in A New Hope, the relentless assault by the alien invaders known as the Yuuzhan Vong has plunged the galaxy into war. But word has come of a possible intelligence coup for the New Republic!

Young Finn Galfridian joins Leia Organa and her children aboard the legendary Millennium Falcon for an undercover mission to a notorious refuge for pirates and smugglers. Meanwhile, Finn’s sister Kaye, held prisoner aboard a Yuuzhan Vong starship, is about to show the invaders that the galaxy is not defenseless!

- A first look at Princess Leia twenty-five years after A New Hope!

- Covers by Eisner Award nominee Jo Chen!

STAR WARS: INVASION #0
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Dave Dorman (Cover)
On sale Oct 14
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
One-Shot

A Yuuzhan Vong armada has entered that galaxy far, far away, and the target is the defenseless planet Artorias. The planet’s only hope lies with the crew of a tiny ship in the armada’s path . . .

In print for the first time, this comic collects the introductory chapters for Invasion, which appeared exclusively at starwars.com. But this is not simply a collection of the online material! The creative team from the series has woven into the story an additional six pages of all-new action!

- In print for the first time, with new material!

Dave Dorman returns to Star Wars!

They’re coming.

Leaving behind only destruction, misery… and death.

Star Wars: Invasion is here!  Congratulations and thanks to Colin Wilson, Randy Stradley, Kym Bagley, Megan Mooney Taylor, Wes Dzioba, Jo Chen, Sue Rostoni, Leland Chee, Michael Heisler and Freddye Lins.

MTV (MTV covers comics?) has our book as one of their three ‘best bets’ this week, with the return of Captain America only warranting an ‘honourable mention’.

I hope you like it, world.  If you do like it, it gets a lot better.  If you don’t like it… it gets a lot better.

Will Artorias receive warning of the impending Invasion?

Will our brave explorers survive to tell the tale?

Or will the whole thing end with blood and explosions?

Click the pic to find out.

Jo Chen cover right here.  Oooooh.

It looks like another short play of mine is also being optioned – more when it’s official.

Speaking of unofficial, I’ve just handed in a script for another Star Wars project and it looks like Randy Stradley (fast becoming my favourite guy) may have something else he wants me to write.

Meanwhile, a guy called Corax (i’m going to assume that’s his real name) contacted me to let me know that there are some preview pics up at the Dark Horse Website for Star Wars: Invasion #1.  Go.  Look.

The second Invasion prequel story will be appearing at starwars.com Friday if you live in the US or Saturday for Australians… if you live in a timezone other than those two, I imagine it will still be appearing around then.

Lastly, I was mentioned in two separate articles in The Age today.

‘The Teatowel Was My Jedi Robe‘ – written by my becoming-hideously-famous friend Lawrence Leung.  If you haven’t seen Lawrence’s brilliant TV show ‘Lawrence Leung’s Choose Your Own Adventure’, track it down, it’s great.

The other article was ‘The Fan Force‘ by Jake Wilson.  I even got a pic in the paper for that one.

Check them out Star Wars Fans.

The invasion has begun.

A galaxy far, far away is about to get its ass kicked.

The first eight page prequel for Star Wars: Invasion is now online at starwars.com.

Right here – www.starwars.com/invasion/ (the link doesn’t work without the last ‘/’)

Written by Tom Taylor, with art by Colin Wilson, and colors by Wes Dzioba, the story begins shortly after the events in the New Jedi Order novel Vector Prime . . .

The fan reaction has been fantastic so far, with one fan summing up their feelings with this image…

…which Colin and I got a kick out of.