Del Rey Books presented their upcoming slate of Star Wars novels to fans at their "A New Dawn – The Exciting Future of Star Wars Publishing" panel on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at New York Comic Con. Del Rey's Erich Schoeneweiss moderated the panel, which included author John Jackson Miller, voice actress Vanessa Marshall, LucasBooks Senior Editor Jennifer Heddle, Del Rey editor Shelly Shapiro, and Marvel Star Wars editor Jordan White.
Part of the panel was devoted to recapping the five publicly announced novels: A New Dawn itself, Tarkin, Heir to the Jedi, Lords of the Sith, and Dark Disciple. Throughout the presentation, Miller and others weighed in on the role of these books in expanding the Star Wars universe. Afterward, Marvel's Jordan White mentioned that his company had just announced an ongoing comic series called Star Wars — Kanan: The Last Padawan, which will be written by Star Wars Rebels Season 1 executive producer Greg Weisman.
After White's announcement, the panel moved into a discussion of how the Story Group is ensuring that all of Lucasfilm's new stories merge together in a symbiotic way. Marshall spoke about how A New Dawn helped her better understand Hera Syndulla's relationship with Kanan Jarrus, and Miller said that his intention was to show how the Empire in these early days was already hurting so many people that it was planting the seeds of discontent.
For a complete recap of everything that happened at the panel, check out my tweets below, followed by a photo gallery. There's also a complete video of the panel at the bottom.
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