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• Star Wars — ongoing
  [this is the new series by Brian Wood announced prior to SDCC that features the Original Trilogy heroes in new adventures and is due to begin next year]
• Star Wars: Agent of the Empire — 5 to 8 issues a year
  [second 5-issue story arc, Hard Targets, is due to begin in October]
• Star Wars: Dark Times — 5 issues a year
  [awaiting confirmation of sixth story arc]
• Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi — 5 to 8 issues a year
  [first arc, Force Storm, has concluded; second arc, Prisoner of Bogan, announced at SDCC]
• Star Wars: Knight Errant — ending after current arc
  [current story arc, Escape, due to conclude in October]
• Star Wars: Blood Ties — ending after current arc
  [current story arc, Boba Fett is Dead, due to conclude this month]
• Star Wars: The Old Republic — ended for now
  [last story arc was The Lost Suns]
• Star Wars: Darth Vader — 5 issues a year
  [second story arc, Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, due to conclude September - can now expect third arc next year]
• Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith — ending after current arc
  [first, and would now appear to be only story arc, Spirals, begins 5-issue run in August]
• Star Wars: To Be Announced 1 — ongoing
• Star Wars: To Be Announced 2 — 8 issues

Not on the list is Tom Taylor's Invasion series, its future had been announced at SDCC, it has been put on hold for 2013 because next year was "too busy" for Dark Horse Comics; and Scott Allie's Jedi series - according to Randy a second series was planned (as of September 2011) and was due to begin Spring/Summer this year (this could be the TBA #2 on Randy's list, but there's no confirmation yet).

So, what does all this mean for comic book stories in 2013? Well, according to Randy's list, in 2013 Dark Horse Comics plan to have two ongoing series (with up to 12 issues each) and 5 mini-series (of up to 8 issues per series) - giving us an average of up to 5 comic book releases per month (although this is more likely to be around 4 releases per month - giving us a four week release cycle per series). This is highly comparable to 2012's 10 mini-series output which also averaged around the 4 comic book releases per month. Comic fans should therefore not loose out in numbers of comic books released next year - just a change in story titles. This is perhaps highlighted by what appears to be the biggest shocks on this list: the ending of John Jackson Miller's Knight Errant series after just fifteen issues (plus one novel) and his Lost Tribe of the Sith series after only one series. Certainly many fans were expecting a longer series in Knight Errant from the author who penned the 55 issue Knights of the Old Republic series, but it appears that Dark Horse Comics cannot see an immediate future for Kerra Holt that was as long as Zayne Carrick's.
However, Randy was keen to point out: "we're shaking things up a bit -- starting new series, bringing in new talent, and trying new things [...] There may be some occasional other surprises along the way [...] change will remain as constant as it has always been [...] don't go carving this in stone" - meaning that his list is a working list and has yet to be confirmed. We can expect more news from Randy and Dark Horse Comics next month during Star Wars Celebration VI.

Dark Horse Digital purchases can currently be viewed on any modern web browser or on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch via iTunes App. An Android app is currently in Beta version and can be downloaded from the Android Market.

• Crucible: Troy Denning is to pen a post-Fate of the Jedi hardback novel that should put Luke, Leia and Han "back in the focus". Set about a year after Apocalypse, the Jedi have a lot to worry about after the defeat of Abeloth and the return of the Sith, but there’s a new threat in the galaxy that only heroes like Leia, Luke and Han can face.
• The Last Jedi: Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff's (Shadow Games) standalone novel stars Jax Pavan and I-Five from the Coruscant Nights series during The Dark Times period between Episodes III and IV.
• Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void - following the success of the first arc of Dark Horse Comics' Dawn of the Jedi series, created by writer/artist duo John Ostrander and Jan Duursema (Star Wars: Legacy), Del Rey are to publish a tie-in novel written by (self-proclaimed) horror and dark fantasy author Tim Lebbon - whose credits include the novelizations of The Cabin in the Woods and 30 Days of Night. Although its story takes place concurrent to Force Storm, it will tell its own story and shows things not seen in the comics.
• Dawn of the Jedi: Prisoner of Bogan - Ostrander and Duursema return with second story arc. According to Randy Stradley (Dark Horse Comics' editor) “It’s a coming of age story with massive Force powers. This one will get off of Tython and we will actually see most of the other planets in the Tython system by the time the story is ended.”

More announcements are planned for this year's Celebration VI (23rd-26th August, Orlando, Florida).

We — the Dark Horse editorial team and the folks at Lucas Books — felt that the time was right to rack focus back on the core characters of the Original Trilogy [...] we're trying very had to keep everything fresh — as if Episode IV had just come out in theaters. This is the Star Wars series for everyone who has loved the films, but has never delved into any of the comics or novels. There is no vast continuity that a reader needs to know beyond the events in A New Hope. This is the beginning of the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie [...] It's back-to-basics in the sense that we're going back to the beginning, but Brian Wood is exploring aspects of the characters and their relationships that have, in many ways, been glossed over in the past, or shoved aside in favor of big action set pieces. Don't get me wrong, this series has plenty of action, but all of it is informed by, or springs out of, the characters' reactions to events in A New Hope. Remember, Luke is, quite literally, a farm boy thrust into the front lines of a galactic war. He may be the guy who blew up the Death Star, but that doesn't immediately prepare him for his new situation. And Leia, well, she's been so busy running the Rebellion, has she even had a moment to grieve for the loss of her family or her homeworld? And what does holding in all that emotion do to a person? Brian is using those emotions to propel his story, which makes reading this series a more satisfying experience than simply dogfights in space.

The first issue of Star Wars: In the Shadows of Yavin 4 is due to premier in January.

Dark Horse Digital

• Emissaries to Malastare
• Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 7
• Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 8
• Omnibus: Droids and Ewoks
• Tales #22

Dark Horse Digital purchases can currently be viewed on any modern web browser or on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch via iTunes App. An Android app is currently in Beta version and can be downloaded from the Android Market.