Tempus fugit -- even in the Star Wars universe. A year ago this week, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic made its debut at Dark Horse -- and here we are a year later, with issue #13 shipping today.

There's been a lot written and said about 2007's interconnected series of arcs, including in the current issue of Insider and in a podcast here -- but as I've been super-busy lately I've been negligent on the blog here. In short, 2007 features four interconnected arcs that will, by the end of the year, dramatically reshape both the galaxy and Zayne Carrick's life.

The "Days/Knights" cycle begins today with "Days of Fear", in which the Mandalorian Onslaught begins to command the notice of those members of the Republic who prefer to live in their own little worlds. As recriminations and blaster-shots fly, the scene darkens in "Nights of Anger," before getting terribly bleak in "Daze of Hate" and "Knights of Suffering." (Yes, as Yoda said, one thing does lead to another!)

We'll find out a lot this year, including more about the forces arrayed against the Mandalorians, both within the Republic and the Jedi Order. We'll see familiar faces from the video games, and learn how they came to be who they are there. We'll begin to get a bigger sense of the sweep of events reaching from Tales of the Jedi in the past to the games in the future. We'll find out a lot more about what Zayne's fellow fugitives have been hiding. And Zayne's own self-stated mission, declared in #6, will take some interesting turns...

Plug-time over. As usual, be sure to check Dark Horse's site for locations to buy the issue and for discussion on its boards -- and my own site for my usual issue-by-issue goofy trivia. Looking forward to Year Two -- and beyond...

Finally, I'd like to express my appreciation to all the fans who've helped support the series in its first year. The kind words and comments from fans have been a great help to the whole team -- and even the criticisms have been mostly tended to be helpful.

The biggest issue I've learned to confront is that I'm often put in a bind when it comes to talking about the plans we have coming up. Believe me, there have been questions asked that I'd really love to answer -- but I don't want to compromise anyone's future enjoyment, either. So, while I don't intend to appear overly cagey -- I do have to try to sidestep some of the questions that I just can't answer. (One hypothetical question had five "what if" conditionals in it -- talk about a fishing expedition! ) I would prefer not to lie, so often I have to avoid direct answers in the interest of "national entertainment security." It's for everyone's own good, believe me!

Less intangibly, as someone who has tracked comic-book sales for years, I know how rare it is for a series to increase in sales after its launch. Thanks to you guys letting others know about the book, this series has been able to keep growing. Thanks to you all for that vote of confidence -- and be sure to keep that word of mouth going. 2006 was just the start -- with the first trade paperback out, 2007 is a great place to jump on now!