The Bad Batch wrapped up last year with its third and final season, bringing to a close the Clone Wars spin-off series that became a beloved staple in the long line of terrific Star Wars animated shows. But though the series has concluded, the characters live on.
Star Wars announced that there will be a new novel releasing later this year following the Bad Batch on another adventure. The book, titled Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel, is written by Lamar Giles and will release on August 5. Giles is a relative newcomer to Star Wars, having previously written a chapter in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi in 2023.
The story is set during the events of season two, and it follows Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Omega as they help their newfound home on Pabu to recover from the tsunami that was seen in the show. The peaceful community needs resources to try to recover and rebuild, so the clones decide to assist – alongside Phee Genoa, their treasure-hunting friend. As the book’s description states, Phee leads them to a first job, to reclaim a relic at an auction, but winds up entangling them in multiple jobs – including ferrying a young family to safety with an Imperial Security Bureau officer pursuing them.
I love that we’re getting a Bad Batch novel, knowing that we’ll continue to have adventures with these characters even though the series has concluded. Setting it during the events of season two also allows them to bring in another adventure with Tech, which is certainly quite welcome. These clones are a whole lot of fun, and their dynamic together as a family makes the stories all the more compelling. In all honesty, when I first read the description of the book it sounded a little dull and lacking in a grand adventure, but then I remembered that the main part of this adventure anyway needs to be the heroes working together and looking out for each other. Done well, this could feel just like another episode of the series, with them taking a job for a client and needing to work as a team to survive. Even better if it’s taking a job to try to rebuild and protect their new idyllic home.
Star Wars Thoughts 