Comics: Star Wars
It’s almost that time- when all the big fans of one of the most impactful and popular movie franchises in history releases its highly anticipated seventh movie- Shrek 7: Ogres Are Like Onions. Just kidding. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. So, in the dawn of a new era in this cinematic universe, fans are crawling around for any source of Lucas’ powerhouse franchise while they wait for the next film this December.
While everyone who has walked into a store recently knows that their isles are filled with Star Wars toys, figures, games and the like, the true wanting fan may not know that there is plenty of literature to calm any burning nerves. One of the biggest (if not biggest) growing outlets for those wanting to hang out in a galaxy far far away takes place inside the realm of Marvel Comics.
Within this past year, Marvel has reacquired the rights to the Star Wars comics publishing from Dark Horse who had been sold the rights to the books in 2001, after Marvel’s relatively short run on the book from 1977-1987. In its tenure at Dark Horse, Star Wars was treated to a multitude of stories that were considered a canon exploration of the characters and universe after Return of the Jedi, before Phantom Menace and between all of the other films.
Due to Disney acquiring both the rights to Star Wars and Marvel Comics, it only made sense that Marvel should have the sole rights to write and publish Star Wars comics, as both franchises made their homes at Disney. So, in early 2015, Marvel released brand new Star Wars titles with: Star Wars, Darth Vader, and Princess Leia.
Since Marvel’s gaining back the books from Dark Horse, the stories previously published by both companies are now no longer considered canon to the Star Wars universe, but are looked at as hypothetical stories that may-or-may-not have taken place, as the comics were not Marvel published. Marvel is, however, reprinting a select (the most popular) storylines from Dark Horse’s run on the books, allowing fans of these out of continuity stories validation in their love of these storylines.
This brings us to today and the newest Star Wars comics that are being published every month, with a book coming out every week. These titles include the previously mentioned Star Wars, Darth Vader, and the Princess Leia mini-series, as well as Kanan (from the animated Star Wars Rebels TV show), Chewbacca, Lando mini-series, Shattered Empire mini-series, and the upcoming Obi-Wan and Anakin series coming later this year.
All these books, excluding Kanin, Shattered Empire and the upcoming book, all take place between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back films, filling in gaps in the movies such as- how Darth Vader found out Luke was his son, who was the briefly mentioned ex-wife of Han Solo, and what did Lando do before he met the main Star Wars crew? As well as many other aspects fans may have been curious about.
Darth Vader takes place right after the destruction of the first Death Star, as follows Vader as he attempts to overthrow his angry master, The Emperor, as well as find out the identity of the Rebel pilot who destroyed his precious Death Star and almost crippling the Empire.
Star Wars follows Luke, Leia, Chewy, R2-D2, C3-PO, and the man himself, Han Solo, as they help the Rebels take down Vader and the galactic Empire, all the while avoiding their large, force-gripping fist.
Leia explores the political and tactical side of the Rebel Alliance, as Leia attempts to bring true peace to the galaxy, all the while avoiding political strife, an angry army of Stormtroopers, and an ever-agitating Han Solo.
Now is a fantastic time to be a Star Wars fan, especially if you are open to exploring the universe in the world of comics, and who wants to know more about this galaxy far, far away an so very long ago.
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