J. Michael Straczynski's "new" Babylon 5 graphic novel?

[JoeD80]

And is this Third Force the Drakh for all intents and purposes, or the EA Shadow Tech Conspiracy?

There's no explanation in these particular notes who the "Third Force" is, and the Drakh are referenced in the same notes as "Z'ha'dum survivors" so I don't think they are intended to be the same. The notes imply that the Third Force first shows up when Sheridan's son appears.

[Ivanova] is among the first to encounter the Third Force out there. She is Sheridan's champion in meetings, in council, and on the battlefield.

Not sure what this means. With Ivanova absent from year five, I guess we'll never know...

There was a bit more on Ivanova in these notes:

Captain Ivanova divides her time between B5 and preparing to take command of the first of the Warlock class destroyers. Meanwhile she is given more day-to-day responsibilities
...

So that is likely why she ends up being one of the first to encounter the "Third Force" since she's checking out the Warlock class ship.

 

[Mr Light]

That's funny because from S2 to S4 Ivanova already was the "day to day" person in charge of the station while Sheridan handled the bigger issues.

 

[JoeD80]

I guess I should have typed out more of it. I'm trying not to just write everything in here as much as I'd like to since it is a copyrighted book. The rest of that paragraph says that Sheridan is concentrating on keeping the Alliance together; so Ivanova takes over all station responsiblities. Later in the notes it mentions Ivanova asking Franklin to assist her with running things and there is mention of G'Kar becoming her confidante and right hand when dealing with the Alliance.

 

[Mr Light]

Yeah I'd love to get that book but there's no way in hell I'm going to buy every single script book to get it, what is that like 200-300 dollars?!

 

[chrisspringob]

Yeah I'd love to get that book but there's no way in hell I'm going to buy every single script book to get it, what is that like 200-300 dollars?!

No, you're thinking of the final script book. JoeD80 is quoting from one of the earlier script books, that you could buy individually. The individual scriptbooks had numerous notes about abandoned concepts, in addition to the scripts themselves. This includes the notes I mentioned earlier about the earlier iteration of Crusade, that would have included Sheridan and the Rangers.

But I don't think they're in print anymore. It was a limited run, that ended shortly after the last one went on sale. So the only way to get any of them would probably be Ebay.

 

[Mr Light]

For even more money I just came off a nine month unemployment streak dammit

 

[Candlelight]

Yeah, they are horribly expensive, although I imagine are well worth it.

I'll have to wait until the US dollar is worth the same as the button on my coat jacket, then snap them up.

 

[Jan]

For those interested, the Scripts Team knows of some folks (including, but not limited to ourselves) who bought multiple copies of the series and we can help put you in touch with them if you write to help@babylon5scripts.com .

Jan

 

[Candlelight]

Will they only charge 1 dollar for the entire 15-album series including postage to New Zealand?

You guys are great...

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Could the Third Force be The Hand from Legend of the Rangers?

 

[Candlelight]

Could the Third Force be The Hand from Legend of the Rangers?

That's what I thought. It does sound like them (in planned storyline, I guess).

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Could the Third Force be The Hand from Legend of the Rangers?

That's what I thought. It does sound like them (in planned storyline, I guess).

The Drakh, perhaps?

 

[Reverend]

^See the top post on this page.

The Hand, or something like them would be my guess too. The bit about them directly undermining the Alliance fits pretty well too.

Speaking of the Hand, has JMS ever hinted as to what they're all about or is this something else that he's saving for later?
Personally, I don't think it's a coincidence that a "new" ancient and previously banished race turns up just a few years after Lorien and the other First Ones take off for the Rim.

 

[JoeD80]

Could the Third Force be The Hand from Legend of the Rangers?

That's what I thought. It does sound like them (in planned storyline, I guess).

The Drakh, perhaps?

No not the Drakh; the Drakh are referenced separately in these notes, and this "Third Force" doesn't show up until Sheridan's son does. The Drakh were already there in season 4.

It sounds like the Third Force was to tie into the whole Alliance building/Sheridan is Hitler/time-travel plot, but these notes aren't detailed point-by-point; they're just notes from jms to himself so that he could remember what he was thinking.

 

[Jan]

Speaking of the Hand, has JMS ever hinted as to what they're all about or is this something else that he's saving for later?

Dunno but in the Movie Script Book, he was asked about them and said that just because somebody *said* they were (paraphrase) '...more powerful than the First Ones' didn't mean that it was true.

Jan

 

[David cgc]

Could the Third Force be The Hand from Legend of the Rangers?

Or the Thirdspace dudes (who I always figured were The Hand, anyway).

 

[The Nth Doctor]

that

Could the Third Force be The Hand from Legend of the Rangers?

Or the Thirdspace dudes (who I always figured were The Hand, anyway).

Yeah, I thought of that, too, but I'd like to think JMS wouldn't be corny enough to go with Thirdspace = Third Force...

 

[Harvey]

JMS indicated that the Hand and the Thirdspace aliens were unrelated in the movies script book, but who really knows.

 

[Reverend]

It's been suggested before but I don't think "The Hand" are the "Thirdspace Aliens".
For one the The Hand were said to have been exiled from this dimension (as in they're from here and were sent away) to one where they can only watch, while the Thirdspace Aliens were native to the "Thirdspace" dimension, where they've been happily slaughtering all forms of life that isn't them.

It's certainly not difficult to see the similarities, but they're clearly meant to be distinct entities. Very different MOs for one thing. The Hand recruit others to do their dirty work, furnishing them with (relatively) advanced tech while Cthulhu--I mean the "Thirdspace Aliens" get inside people's heads, find ways to seduce them and turn them into willing berserkers.

 

[Mr Light]

I believe I read a JMS quote somewhere (Lurkers?) where he said the Hand were just con artists using stolen technology and weren't ancient gods or anything like that. Hey, maybe they're the EA Shadow Tech Conspiracy wearing a fancy dress! Because the Legends of the Rangers series was supposed to segueway into the Crusade storyline in the second season remember.