The second Invasion hardcover came out this week in France, and Star Wars: Invasion artist, Colin Wilson, has just sent me this screen grab from the French Amazon site.
Colin spent years creating comics in France and still keeps an eye on what the market is doing over there. I can’t read it but I’m assuming ’17′ is the same in English.
To everyone buying our book in France – ‘Merci beaucoup’.
Voting for the Eagle Awards in the UK is now open and anyone can vote right here – http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/
Some nice person has stuck me down under ‘Favourite Newcomer Writer’ and ‘Favourite Writer’… for the record, even I can’t vote for me under ‘Favourite Writer’ but I’m sure my mum can.
If you’re planning on voting (thanks), Star Wars: Blood Ties and Star Wars: Invasion are also nominated, as is Rombies (be ready for a Rombies update soon…). Also, be sure and vote for Chris Scalf under ‘Favourite Painted Art’ and Colin Wilson under ‘Favourite Inker/Penciller’ – Colin is also on the Honour Roll – definitely vote for him there. Justin Randall is also under ‘Favourite Newcomer Artist’.
Staying in the UK, my play ‘Falling Praying’ has taken out the final of ‘Crash Test Drama UK’! Whoop!
Thanks to the director, Dan Clarke, and a big congratulations to the two cast members, Dan Clarke, who took out the ‘Best Actor’ award on the night, and Steph Weller, who won ‘Best Actress’. Also, a big thank you to organiser, Glynn Oram.
In other UK news, Star Wars Book UK have announced the winners of their ‘Fan Favourites’ for 2010 and it seems we‘ve picked up second place… twice.
“Knights of the Old Republic: Demon by John Jackson Miller et al. was your favourite comic book story of 2010 with 26% of votes cast. However, second place was tied by two different stories by the same author, also a newcomer to the Star Wars expanded universe, Tom Taylor, with his Invasion: Rescues story (with art by Colin Wilson) and Blood Ties: Jango & Boba Fett (art by Chris Scalf) – both gaining 17% of votes cast. Third place goes to another series known to be popular, Legacy by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, with its concluding arc Extremes (13%).”
Thanks to everyone at SWBOOKS.UK who voted.
Also in the UK, I believe the 5th issue of Star Wars Galaxy is out this week, reprinting Blood Ties and Invasion from the beginning along with Knight Errant. Pick it up if you’re in the UK.
“Star Wars Galaxy is the brand new 4-weekly comic from Titan comics, showcasing the greatest Star Wars comic adventures from a galaxy far, far away! …each 4-weekly 76-page issue contains three pulse-pounding Star Wars comic adventures.“
And, starting today, two-thirds of it is written by me.
Yep, ‘Blood Ties’ begins in the UK publication today, which already features my ‘Invasion’ series. Nice cover too – featuring Chris Scalf AND Colin Wilson.
“Star Wars Galaxy Comic issue 4 is on sale 20 January! This issue delivers a double dose of new beginnings, as two fantastic stories start!
First up, two fan-favourite bounty hunters, Jango and Boba Fett, kick off a decade-spanning adventure. Boba will discover that the decisions made in Jango’s life have an impact on the life of his clone…
Then the much anticipated debut story from Knight Errant – a new era and a new corner of the universe, where it’s all Sith, all the time! Reckless young Jedi Knight Kerra Holt is about to find herself in over her head, when she and her Master go behind enemy lines in the depths of Sith space!
That’s not to disregard the widescreen action taking place in Invasion. Finn Galfridian has been deemed ready by Master Luke Skywalker to face his first test – confronting the Yuuzhan Vong invasion on the planet of Rychel! Plus, his mother and sister put their escape plans into effect, aboard a Yuuzhan Vong slave ship!” – Broken Frontier
The end of the year has coincided with the end of a lot of my stories. We had the end of ‘The Authority’ this month, the end of the first arc of ‘Star Wars: Blood Ties’ a month ago, and now, on December 22nd, we have ‘Star Wars Invasion: Rescues #6′, the final issue to this story arc.
Dark Horse have put a special four-page preview up on their website - check it out right here – make sure you’ve read issue #5 of Invasion Rescues first, or big things will be spoiled.
Here’s the first page, proving once again that Colin Wilson is the master of all, Wes Dzioba’s work here is also brilliant.
The end may be here for some projects but there is a lot more coming in the new year. More ‘Star Wars’ stories are underway, ‘Rombies – the series’ should begin early in the year, Brief Cases will show up, ‘ The Deep’ will finally surface and… a pile of other exciting things will appear that I can’t talk about yet.
Once again, two of my Star Wars books are out on the same day and both are the penultimate chapters of their stories.
Star Wars: Blood Ties seems to be a bit of a critical success and issue #1 sold almost as many copies the month after it came out as it did in the first month, which is a very good sign. The story continues here. More is revealed about Connor Freeman, and Boba Fett gets to show off his wonderful toys.
Meanwhile, so much of Star Wars: Invasion has been leading up to this single issue. There have been some wild theories from fans about the secrets of this series. Some of those ‘ridiculous’ theories may be proven true in this issue (sorry, some of those ridiculous theories will remain ridiculous). This is the issue that should have more people talking than ever before…
STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #3 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 27
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Boba Fett has discovered that his father left a legacy to someone Boba has never heard of. He manages to track down the man, but if he is to learn the reasons behind Jango’s posthumous generosity, Boba Fett must first save the man from an army of bounty hunters who want the guy’s head!
Jango Fett and Boba Fett together!
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #5 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Oct 27
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Kaye Galfridian has taken command of a New Republic army, but her first mission has forced her to fight against some of the very refugees she has come to rescue! Mutated by Yuuzhan Vong bioengineering, the refugees have become monstrous killing machines who can only be “saved” by death.
Meanwhile, on their homeworld of Artorias, Kaye’s brother Finn must deal with death on another level, unaware that he has become the enemy’s objective in a new front in the Yuuzhan Vong invasion!
• Set within the time frame of the New Jedi Order novels from Del Rey!
The price of Victory . . .
This week, I strangely have two Star Wars comics coming out on the same day; Star Wars Invasion: Rescues issue #4 and Star Wars: Blood Ties Issue #2.
Fight for my love, children!
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #4 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Sept 29
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Jedi-in-training Finn Galfridian learns a secret about his mother that he never knew, but the knowledge only leads to new questions about himself and his unusual ability.
Meanwhile, Kaye Galfridian leads a New Republic attack against a Yuuzhan Vong base, not realizing that the Vong commander’s tactics are meant to buy him time to learn more about his most hated foe: Kaye’s brother, Finn.
New allies, new enemies, and a turning point in the lives of the Galfridian family!
STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #2 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Sept 29
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Then: Jango Fett, the most dangerous assassin/bounty hunter in the galaxy, never fails to get his man. But Jango has never had a success that has affected him this way.
Now: Boba Fett has taken up his father’s mantle and lived up to Jango’s fearsome reputation. But a secret from the past has Boba working a case he would normally dismiss and wondering if he actually knew his father as well as he thought . . .
Across the generations, and across the galaxy, if a Fett is on your trail, you’ve reached a dead end!
Fully painted art by Purge artist Chris Scalf!
Trying to keep on top of this. Here are the books I have coming out in the months ahead (now with October and November added).
THE AUTHORITY #23
On sale JUNE 2
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by MIKE S. MILLER
Cover by PHILIP TAN
With the onboard rebellions subdued and attacks from the stowaways repelled, The Authority can once again focus on the nature of their voyage. Is the Carrier leading them to its home – or does it have some other, more sinister agenda? While passing through a vast graveyard of discarded spacecraft, the latest Century Baby detects a faint sign of life. The High goes off on a rescue mission, but what he brings back on board eclipses any danger they’ve faced so far.
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #2 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale June 30
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
New and vital knowledge sends Finn Galfridian with Jacen and Jaina Solo on a mission to the planet of Artorias. Though Finn does not know if his father, Caled, lives, if there is any chance, he must be warned of new dangers. It’s a hot and dangerous ride to Artorias, and the occupying Yuuzhan Vong are ready with a toothsome, ravaging welcome . . .
Meanwhile, Kaye and Nina, board their newly acquired Vong ship, embark on their own mission. It’s one they can’t refuse: rescuing captives held on a dead planet. There is no telling what peril will meet the rescue party . . .
STAR WARS ADVENTURES: THE WILL OF DARTH VADER
Tom Taylor (W), Brain Koschak (P), Dan Parsons (I), Michael Wiggam (C), and Sean McNally (Cover)
On sale July 21
FC, 80 pages
$7.99
TPB, 5 1/4″ x 7 1/2″
Darth Vader is on a mission for the Emperor!
When the Rebellion’s hit-and-run attacks on Imperial cargo ships become too audacious to be ignored, Darth Vader is sent in to find the Rebel base and destroy it. But the base, hidden in the center of a constantly shifting asteroid field, cannot be attacked directly.
To reach his target, Vader will have to team up with a recently captured smuggler named Zika—and dealing with an unwilling, wisecracking partner may be more of a trial for the Dark Lord than the actual mission!
THE AUTHORITY #24
On sale JULY 7
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by AL BARRIONUEVO
Deep in space, The Authority wage battle on two fronts. Aboard The Carrier, the combined might of the entire team is barely enough to keep the possessed, reanimated Aegean in check. It’s time for Hawksmoor to finally unleash his secret weapon, but will it be enough? Outside, against the vast entity known as Mondregon, even the immense Carrier is a mere speck. The High’s comeback may prove to be short–lived, as he’s about to face down Mondregon in what could turn out to be a suicide mission.
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #3 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale July 28
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Two armies have joined forces for a dangerous rescue mission. Both have experience fighting the Yuuzhan Vong, but this time the encounter takes an unexpected turn, and more is revealed about their enemy’s strange capabilities . . .
Meanwhile, Finn Galfridian and the Solo children race to warn Finn’s father that a trusted friend is a deadly enemy!
• Covers by Jo Chen!
THE AUTHORITY #25
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by HOWARD PORTER, ALLEN MARTINEZ & WES HARTMAN
In the aftermath of the twin battles with the Aegean and Mondregon, the team assesses the damage and Hawksmoor is forced to explain the origin of his strange, secret weapon. Deathblow is down for the count, and Swift is unconscious with no one able to figure out why she can’t be revived. But there’s not much time to lick their wounds or ease over internal tensions as The Carrier appears to finally be approaching its ultimate destination. Who or what they are about to meet could alter the course of the Wildstorm Universe forever.
On sale AUGUST 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #1 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Aug 25
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Here begins a multigenerational tale of honor and redemption, starring two of the heaviest hitters in the Star Wars galaxy—the father-and-clone team of Jango and Boba Fett!
Shortly before the start of the Clone Wars, Count Dooku sends Jango Fett on a mission that will affect the course of Boba Fett’s life some twenty years later. But for now, neither of them knows what the future holds in store, and besides, they have their schedule filled dodging monsters and fighting bad guys!
• Jango Fett and Boba Fett together!
• Fully painted art by Purge artist Chris Scalf!
ROMBIES #0
(W) Tom Taylor (A/C) Skye Ogden
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it may crumble in one. Titans battle in the arena. A thumb turns down. A sword comes down. A dead man… stands up? Racing through dark, narrow tunnels beneath the Colosseum, two heroes and a child join together to escape their pursuers. Pursuers who were once men. Hungry men. Undead men. Rombies! Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your brains!
EXAMPLE (ONE-SHOT)
(W) Tom Taylor (A) Colin Wilson
Two people. A train station. An unattended Briefcase. Prejudice versus Preservation. In the war on terror, will suspicion and fear win out? Written by Tom Taylor (The Authority) and illustrated by Colin Wilson (2000AD), The Example is a bleakly humourous meditation on terrorism, paranoia, and personal responsibility.
THE AUTHORITY #26
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE & KARL STORY
When Jack Hawksmoor chose to board the departing Carrier, he chose to hedge his bets. Now that his terrible secret has been exposed, the loss of trust far outweighs the recent loss of life…and the loss of loved ones. But there is no time for anger or mourning. They have reached their destination. Will The Authority find the help for their dying Earth that they seek – or will the end of their journey bring new nightmares?
On sale SEPTEMBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #2 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Sept 29
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Then: Jango Fett, the most dangerous assassin/bounty hunter in the galaxy, never fails to get his man. But Jango has never had a success that has affected him this way.
Now: Boba Fett has taken up his father’s mantle and lived up to Jango’s fearsome reputation. But a secret from the past has Boba working a case he would normally dismiss and wondering if he actually knew his father as well as he thought . . .
Across the generations, and across the galaxy, if a Fett is on your trail, you’ve reached a dead end!
Fully painted art by Purge artist Chris Scalf!
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #4 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Sept 29
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Jedi-in-training Finn Galfridian learns a secret about his mother that he never knew, but the knowledge only leads to new questions about himself and his unusual ability.
Meanwhile, Kaye Galfridian leads a New Republic attack against a Yuuzhan Vong base, not realizing that the Vong commander’s tactics are meant to buy him time to learn more about his most hated foe: Kaye’s brother, Finn.
New allies, new enemies, and a turning point in the lives of the Galfridian family!
THE AUTHORITY #27
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by DAVE GIBBONS & KEVIN NOWLAN
1:10 Variant cover by ANDY PARK
One hundred thousand refugees scream inside the Carrier and are gone. Hawksmoor, Flint and Grifter disappear with them – taken by a species of brutal, nightmarish creatures. River’s growing powers as the Spirit of Information hid only a handful of Authority members. As they set out on an impossible rescue, a terrible history is uncovered and the mystery of Swift deepens.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale OCTOBER 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #3 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 27
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Boba Fett has discovered that his father left a legacy to someone Boba has never heard of. He manages to track down the man, but if he is to learn the reasons behind Jango’s posthumous generosity, Boba Fett must first save the man from an army of bounty hunters who want the guy’s head!
Jango Fett and Boba Fett together!
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #5 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Oct 27
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Kaye Galfridian has taken command of a New Republic army, but her first mission has forced her to fight against some of the very refugees she has come to rescue! Mutated by Yuuzhan Vong bioengineering, the refugees have become monstrous killing machines who can only be “saved” by death.
Meanwhile, on their homeworld of Artorias, Kaye’s brother Finn must deal with death on another level, unaware that he has become the enemy’s objective in a new front in the Yuuzhan Vong invasion!
• Set within the time frame of the New Jedi Order novels from Del Rey!
The price of Victory . . .
STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—JANGO AND BOBA FETT #4 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Nov 24
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Boba Fett is on a mission to uphold his father’s honor. But when a bounty is paid, and the crime lord who issued it still refuses to call off his vendetta, Boba Fett’s own sense of honor is offended. Forget about bounties; now there’s hell to pay!
Boba Fett takes on a crime lord. Check.
And the crime lord’s army of minions. Check.
And a giant, rampaging rancor. Check and double-check!
THE AUTHORITY #28
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by TIM SEELEY & ALLEN MARTINEZ
Trapped by bloodthirsty aliens in a distant galaxy with billions of lives on the line, The Authority face impossible odds. Sarah Rainmaker will astonish, The Engineer will kick butt, Grifter will probably blow something up, Jack Hawksmoor will have to make a terrible decision, and Flint will put her fist through some squishy bits!
On sale 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
A whole lot of good reviews have been appearing recently, including some great words for Will of Darth Vader (Dark Horse’s top-selling trade for July). Here’s a ‘best of’ to check out…
Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader AND Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes
“…offering two thought provoking, yet action-filled stories. Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes takes place during Luke’s training on Dagobah with Master Yoda. Taylor allows himself to have fun with Yoda as Yoda in turn has fun with Luke in the name of training. (Teachers who can get this volume away from their students will completely sympathize with Yoda’s desire to gently torment his disciple.) When Yoda sends Luke on a journey to rescue treasure from a ferocious beast, Luke at first cannot understand why his monastic mentor would suddenly be making a selfish request. But, as with all of Yoda’s teachings, there is a deeper meaning. Daxiong’s art is vivid and perfect for action scenes, though he seems unable to draw any facial expressions which would allow his characters to show emotion. Luckily Taylor’s writing is strong enough to carry the story through to a full-circle finish that is not preachy or overly pat.
From there, Taylor turns his focus onto Darth Vader, crafting a story which shows off the massive power Vader commands, while also clearly pointing out the flaws in his philosophy of servitude to the Dark Side. Vader uses a captured smuggler named Luca to get to a Rebel base hidden deep within an asteroid field, but Luca is a wisecracking man who does not lightly given into authority. The brilliance in Taylor’s story is that Luca is not a stand-in for Han Solo. He is very much his own person, a theme which is central to the point Taylor aims to make. The ending of the tale is shocking, powerful, and will force readers to think about the nature of free will.” - Graphic Novel Reporter
The Authority #25 – “This is Gonna Suck”
“Don’t let the title of the issue fool you. It does everything BUT suck! But rest assured, Tom Taylor finds a clever way to present the title too. I personally thought it was hilarious how he did it. But the creative team’s not done with us yet. As the solicits reads ‘The Carrier appears to finally be approaching its ultimate destination’. Taylor not only gives us a cool little twist at the end but also leaves us with a great cliffhanger!” - Wildstorm Addiction
Star Wars Invasion: Rescues #3
“Probably one of the best issues in terms of action and moving the story along.”
“I definitely will say I liked this issue. The action was there and the story didn’t drag out but thrust us to the next level.
Overall the issue was solid and action intense. Taylor and Wilson delivered.” - NJOE.com
San Diego Comic-Con is almost here and, once again, I will brave man-made flight machines with Colin Wilson to get there.
This con is looking a lot busier than the last one. I will be signing for The Authority at the DC booth every day. I will also be signing with Colin at the Dark Horse Booth on ‘Star Wars Day’ (Friday) and, on the Saturday, I will be part of the Wildstorm: Stormfront Panel with some great talent. I will also be signing at booth 4500 for Gestalt Publishing and generally hanging around that area as Colin Wilson has his own table at this year’s SDCC with Dave Dorman (which I’m apparently sitting at too). If you’re around, come say hi.
THURSDAY, JULY 22
12-1pm: SIGNING @ DC booth (#1915)
FRIDAY, JULY 23
12:00-1:00: SIGNING @ Dark Horse booth
2-3pm: SIGNING @ DC booth
SATURDAY, JULY 24
1-2pm: SIGNING @ DC booth
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. WildStorm: Storm Front Panel
What’s new in the WildStorm Universe? VP/general manager Hank Kanalz and senior editor Ben Abernathy bring you up to speed with this inside look into DC’s wildest imprint. Joining Hank and Ben will be Adam Beechen (WildCats), Kurt Busiek (Astro City), Darick Robertson (Fringe: Tales From the Fringe), Tom Taylor (The Authority), Tim Seeley (WildCats), Adam Archer (Ratchet and Clank), Cruddie Torian (Gen13) and others. Room 4
SUNDAY, JULY 25
2:30-3:30pm: SIGNING @ DC booth
MONDAY, JULY 26
Sleeping… hard.
Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader is no longer being released in August… it’s now coming out next week!
I seriously urge everyone to pick up this book. I had such a great time writing Vader and I couldn’t be much happier with how the script came together on this one. A few people have been worried that Vader will be less menacing or less powerful in this book. Trust me; Vader gets to be Vader; the Vader I know and respect (and fear), one of the greatest bad guys of all time. And the supporting character in this book, Luca, gets away with more than you would expect from an Adventures tale.
Gun fights, space battles, pathos and humor.
Get this book!
I will be over at the San Diego Comic Con when it’s released… I imagine I’ll be able to find a copy there. I’ve been waiting for the release of this book for a very long time.
You can see a preview for The Will of Darth Vader right here – with art by Brian Koschak.
Full SDCC appearance schedule coming soon…
