"We’re more deviant than we are defective."
hey may not fit in among the clones, but the Bad Batch certainly fits in with these great Star Wars stories. The newest project on Disney Plus courtesy of Executive Producer Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Animation has started off with a bang! It also sent fans of the Expanded Universe into a frenzy right out of the gate, comparing the opening sequence to a certain series of events in Kanan: The Last Padawan. As you wait between weeks for more adventures of Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, Tech, Omega, and Crosshair, there’s plenty to dive into in the larger world of Star Wars storytelling.
First, the animated projects that proceeded it. Bad Batch follows hot on the heels of the revival of the Clone Wars as Season Seven hit the small screen in 2020. The Bad Batch, interestingly enough, was first introduced as an unfinished animatics reel released to StarWars.com in 2014 as part of the Clone Wars Legacy project. This rough, early version of the story arc was important enough to Filoni and company to release to the world in its as-is condition—clearly he had bigger plans for the ragtag crew. Their mission is to retrieve the Republic battle algorithm from behind enemy lines in Separatist territory—which leads them to discover that Echo, a former squad-mate of Rex and Cody, has been captured and programmed for nefarious purposes. Echo’s story is first told in Season 1 episode 5, Season 3 episodes 1 and 17-19, then continues into what eventually became episodes 1-4 of Clone Wars Season 7. They were truly some of the most visually compelling episodes of the beloved series, taking the action, animation, and voice acting from Dee Bradley Baker to entirely new levels. With the arrival of The Bad Batch, these episodes have tremendous rewatch value as Echo’s story has gone to all-new depths.
From there, we’d like to recommend a handful of carefully curated books and comics for your enjoyment—both Canon and Legends. First and foremost among the volumes you’ll want to check out after watching the pilot is 2015’s Kanan: The Last Padawan. It overlaps curiously with the first scene of Bad Batch, though differs in the details. . . We’ll let you explore the source material on your own without spoiling too much of it here. BUT we believe both Bad Batch and The Last Padawan are excellent stories in their own right and this all comes down to seeing things “from a certain point of view.”
Beyond Kanan and Canon, you’ll need to look in Legends. The Bad Batch isn’t the first overpowered crew of clones to get caught in the crosshairs of Order 66. Controversial and compelling, Karen Traviss’s Republic Commando series follows Delta Squad through the Clone Wars and even continues their journey into Imperial Commando: 501st. Consisting of Hard Contact, Triple Zero, True Colors, Order 66, and 501st, these character-driven books set in the early years of Clone Wars storytelling were eventually overwritten by the animated series and serve as an interesting case study in comparison.
Furthermore, the Coruscant Nights trilogy of novels and the Dark Times comics from the mid-late 2000s give a glimpse into the Legends rendition of the aftermath of Order 66. Both are among the most underrated diamonds-in-the-rough of the Expanded Universe and will not disappoint. If the dark and gritty world of the Empire’s infancy is your vibe, these are the books for you.
Coming Soon
Our team is hard at work building out this collection. Stay tuned!
Books in this Collection
The Clone Wars S03E01: Clone Cadets
The Clone Wars S01E05: Rookies
The Clone Wars S03E02: ARC Troopers
The Clone Wars S03E18: The Citadel
The Clone Wars S03E19: Counterattack
The Clone Wars S03E20: Citadel Rescue
The Clone Wars S07E01: The Bad Batch
The Clone Wars S07E02: A Distant Echo
The Clone Wars S07E03: On The Wings Of Keeradaks
The Clone Wars S07E04: Unfinished Business
The Bad Batch - Season One
The Bad Batch: Hunted!
The Bad Batch: Hunted! is a young readers graphic novel in the Screen Comix series. The book adapts the episode "Bounty Lost" from the first season of the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
A graphic novel-style retelling with full-color images and dialogue from Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+!
After refusing to follow Order 66 and destroy the Jedi, Clone Force 99 and their new friend Omega are on the run from bounty hunters Fennec Shand and Cad Bane, the Empire—and even their old teammate Crosshair! Will the Bad Batch be able to escape? This 80-page graphic novel-style retelling of Episode 9: Bounty Lost from Star Wars: The Bad Batch features final frames and dialogue from the animated series on Disney+ in vibrant full color. It's perfect for boys and girls ages 8 to 11 and fans of Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental troopers of Clone Force 99 (first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars. Members of the Bad Batch, as they prefer to be called—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army&mdasheach possess a singular exceptional skill, which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew
The Bad Batch - Season Two
Kanan: Hardcover (Hardcover Omnibus)
Discover how Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume became Kanan Jarrus, the cocky, sarcastic renegade hero of Star Wars: Rebels! As Caleb trained under Master Depa Billaba, neither one of them ever suspected that their "loyal" Clone Troopers would turn on them upon the issuing of Order 66 - the Emperor's directive to execute all Jedi. How did Caleb Dume escape the Jedi purge? Then, journey even further back and experience Caleb's very first adventure as a Padawan, protecting the Jedi Temple alongside his new Master. As they head towards the furious Battle of Mygeeto, they'll face one of the deadliest threats in the entire galaxy - General Grievous! Bridge the gap between the Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels!
Republic Commando: Hard Contact (The Essential Legends Collection)
A tie-in novel to the Republic Commandos video game, Hard Contact is the first in a five book series. This novel introduces a squad of clone troopers as they take on a precarious mission to destroy a nanovirus production facility on the Separatist-controlled planet of Qiilura. When the clones find themselves split up behind enemy lines, their chances of success seem slim. If they’re to be successful and make it out alive, each trooper will have to rely on his clone brothers to have his back.
Karen Traviss’ Republic Commando series is one of the most celebrated and dearly loved Legends series out there. Hard Contact, its first installment, is responsible for laying the foundation for fans’ staunch dedication.
Republic Commando: Hard Contact
Wave 6 of the Essential Legends Collection Series
As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy–stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could...
On a mission to sabotage a chemical weapon research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies. The commandos are outnumbered and outgunned, deep behind enemy lines with no backup–and working with strangers instead of trusted teammates. Matters don’t improve when Darman, the squad’s demolitions expert, gets separated from the others during planetfall. Even Darman’s apparent good luck in meeting an inexperienced Padawan vanishes once Etain admits to her woeful inexperience.
For the separated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with Trandoshan slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives. A single misstep could mean discovery...and death. It’s a virtual suicide mission for anyone–anyone except Republic Commandos.
Republic Commando: Triple Zero
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.
Republic Commando: True Colors
As the savage Clone Wars rage unchecked, the Republic’s deadliest warriors face the grim truth that the Separatists aren’t their only enemy–or even their worst.
In the Grand Army’s desperate fight to crush the Separatists, the secret special ops missions of its elite clone warriors have never been more critical . . . or more dangerous. A growing menace threatens Republic victory, and the members of Omega Squad make a shocking discovery that shakes their very loyalty.
As the lines continue to blur between friend and enemy, citizens–from civilians and sergeants to Jedi and generals–find themselves up against a new foe: the doubt in their own hearts and minds. The truth is a fragile, shifting illusion–and only the approaching inferno will reveal both sides in their true colors.
Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel
The job of the clone troopers is simple: destroy the enemy at all costs. But as the war wages on and its atrocities add up, some clones start question their purpose and plan to lay down their arms altogether. Suddenly, a seemingly simple command from Chancellor Palpatine ruins those plans and also leaves them wondering exactly who the enemy is that they’re supposed to destroy.
Karen Traviss—who has proved more than capable of placing the reader inside the helmet of a trooper—is once again successful with this novel. The pain and suspense of the Order 66 scene in Revenge of the Sith is somehow stretched the entire length of the novel. Readers who have followed the Republic Commandos series can’t miss this part of the story!
After the fierce combat of Hard Contact, Triple Zero, and True Colors comes the spectacular culmination of New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss’s gripping Republic Commando series. As a battle-scarred era nears its end, a shattering power play is about to stun the entire galaxy . . . and set in motion events that will alter destinies and resound throughout history.
Even as the Clone Wars are about to reach an explosive climax, no one knows if victory will favor the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) or the Separatists. But no matter who wins, the stakes are highest for elite Special Ops clones like the Republic Commandos in Omega and Delta squads–and the notorious renegade Advance Recon Commando troopers known as Null ARCs.
With Republic forces stretched to the max and casualties mounting, the last thing these beleaguered warriors need to hear is that Chancellor Palpatine is keeping vast armies of secret clone troops in reserve. Sergeant Skirata, a mentor to the clone commandos, has no intention of standing idly by while Palpatine sends them into battle like lambs to the slaughter. Skirata begins to plan the clones’ escape from the GAR, but his heroic effort will be in vain unless he can reverse the clones’ accelerated aging process.
Caught in the treacherous dealings of their leaders, and locked in the battles of their lives, the disillusioned Null ARCs and Commandos nonetheless fight with everything they’ve got, determined to wrest victory from the Seps and save the galaxy.
But even the deadliest weapons may not be powerful enough to defeat the real menace. And nothing will stop the apocalyptic horror unleashed when Palpatine utters the chilling words The time has come. Execute Order 66. Translation: The Jedi have tried to stage a coup, and all must be shot on sight.
With their faith in the Republic and their loyalty to their Jedi allies put to the ultimate test, how will the men of Omega and Delta squads react to the most infamous command in galactic history? All the breathtaking action, suspense, and intrigue of Karen Traviss’s Republic Commando series comes alive in Star Wars: Order 66.
Imperial Commando: 501st
Order 66 may have unified the galaxy under the Empire’s control, but it split members of the clone army. Just weeks after the order was carried out, former brothers-in-arms now find themselves on opposite sides. Will they ultimately choose to serve their Emperor or their ex-comrades, the Jedi? And just how far are they willing to go in the process?
While the Jedi may have gotten the worst of it, Karen Traviss manages to brilliantly portray the struggle of the clones following Order 66. This book serves as a fitting end to her run with the Republic Commandos.
The Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun. . . .
The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos–the galaxy’s finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett–find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor. Some have deserted and fled to Mandalore with the mercenaries, renegade clone troopers, and rogue Jedi who make up Kal Skirata’s ragtag resistance to Imperial occupation. Others–including men from Delta and Omega squads–now serve as Imperial Commandos, a black ops unit within Vader’s own 501st Legion, tasked to hunt down fugitive Jedi and clone deserters. For Darman, grieving for his Jedi wife and separated from his son, it’s an agonizing test of loyalty. But he’s not the only one who’ll be forced to test the ties of brotherhood. On Mandalore, clone deserters and the planet’s own natives, who have no love for the Jedi, will have their most cherished beliefs challenged. In the savage new galactic order, old feuds may have to be set aside to unite against a far bigger threat, and nobody can take old loyalties for granted.
Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
The Order may have fallen, but not all the Jedi are gone. Jax Pavan is just one such Jedi who was lucky enough to survive the Purge. Living in the seedy lower levels of Coruscant, Jax now works as a private investigator. However, whispers from his past soon pull him into a mission that only a Jedi could carry out successfully—assuming he can survive the wrath of Darth Vader along the way.
Michael Reaves delivers a delightful story with a main character in Jax Pavan that is sure to quickly win over fans. As only the first book in a three-part series, the story is only just beginning.
With the dark ascension of the Empire, and the Jedi Knights virtually wiped out, one Jedi who escaped the massacre is slated for a date with destiny–and a confrontation with Darth Vader.
Jax Pavan is one of the few Jedi Knights who miraculously survived the slaughter that followed Palpatine’s ruthless Order 66. Now, deep in Coruscant’s Blackpit Slums, Jax ekes out a living as a private investigator, trying to help people in need while concealing his Jedi identity and staying one step ahead of the killers out for Jedi blood. And they’re not the only ones in search of the elusive Jax. Hard-boiled reporter Den Dhur and his buddy, the highly unorthodox droid I-5YQ, have shocking news to bring Jax–about the father he never knew.
But when Jax learns that his old Jedi Master has been killed, leaving behind the request that Jax finish a mission critical to the resistance, Jax has no choice but to emerge from hiding–and risk detection by Darth Vader–to fulfill his Master’s dying wish.
Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows
With the Jedi all but wiped out in the grim aftermath of Order 66, the Empire’s power seems unchecked. But one lone Knight continues to fight the good fight–against all odds and when all else fails.
Deep in the bowels of Coruscant, Jedi Jax Pavan ekes out a living as a private investigator, a go-to, can-do guy for the downtrodden. Now a mysterious Zeltron knockout named Deejah approaches Jax with a case that needs to be cracked: to find out who killed her artist lover Volette, brutally murdered hours after his triumphant unveiling of a dazzling new light sculpture with obvious links to lightsaber pyrotechnics.
Finding Volette’s killer won’t be easy–too many secrets, too many suspects, and all kinds of motives. But with the droid I-5YQ’s help, and ex-reporter Den Dhur’s excellent snooping skills, the investigation is soon operating like a well-oiled machine.
Unfortunately, there’s a far more efficient machine hunting Jax. It’s a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as the clock starts ticking toward the final explosive showdown . . . to see who strikes first and who will die first.
Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force
After the Empire’s bloody purge of the Jedi, one lone Knight still fights for those who cannot, unaware that he’s about to be swept into a cataclysmic battle against the Master of Darkness himself.
Throughout the galaxy, a captured Jedi is a dead Jedi, even in Coruscant’s most foul subterranean slums, where Jedi Knight Jax Pavan champions the causes of the oppressed with the help of hard-nosed reporter Den Dhur and the wisecracking droid I-5YQ. But Jax is also involved in another struggle–to unlock the secrets of his father’s death and his own past.
While Jax believes that I-5YQ holds some of those answers, he never imagines that the truth could be shocking enough to catapult him to the frontlines of a plot to kill Emperor Palpatine. Worse yet, Darth Vader’s relentless search for Jax is about to end . . . in triumph.
The future looming over the valiant Jedi and his staunch pals promises to be dark and brief, because there’s no secret whatsoever about the harshest truth of all: Few indeed are those who tangle with Darth Vader . . . and live to tell the tale.
Omnibus: Dark Times Volume 1
Master Dass Jennir will strive to find out what it means to be a Jedi in a changed galaxy now ruled by the Empire. Master K'Kruhk—suddenly responsible for a group of Jedi younglings—will sacrifice much for their safety. The struggles of the Jedi will intertwine with those of others now living in fear, including the diverse crew of a smuggling ship, the Uhumele, and a Nosaurian whose troubles begin when the Clone Wars end.
Collects issues #1-12