You Need To Check Out These 'Star Wars' Comics

There are a few Star Wars shows coming down the pipeline soon. The anime anthology Star Wars: Visions is scheduled for release on September 22, 2021. LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales is coming out October 1, 2021 to kick off Halloween month. The highly anticipated The Book of Boba Fett will take over the holiday season, coming out in December 2021. The third season of The Mandalorian, the second season of The Bad Batch, the new Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor are scheduled for release sometime in 2022. What is a Star Wars fan to do during the time when there is no weekly Star Wars show to look forward to?

The Star Wars comic scene is something to look into. The Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm has allowed Marvel to create series to add on to the current Star Wars canon. Do not be intimidated by the number of issues already released, as you do not have to hop in at issue #1 (although you might choose to check them out at a later date). You only have to jump in at the beginning of a story arc, which has been conveniently collected in trade paperback form. Here are some Star Wars comic series that everyone should check out.

RELATED: New Comic Series Featuring Qi'Ra Announced

Star Wars (2015 and 2020)

A good series to start with for any fan of the franchise. Star Wars (2015) follows our familiar heroes from the original trilogy: Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2. The series is not a retelling of the films, however, but fills in the blanks between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. There's also a sequel series titled Star Wars (2020), which takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

War of the Bounty Hunters

This crossover event is what got me interested in the Star Wars comics. With the overarching story told in the eponymous War of the Bounty Hunters, Star Wars, Bounty Hunters, Darth Vader, and Doctor Aphra, readers are given the chance to check out other series currently in circulation and decide if they want to dig deeper into them.

From the films, we all know that the carbonite-frozen Han Solo is taken by Boba Fett to Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tatooine. We all assumed that this happens immediately, that Boba Fett goes straight from Bespin to Tatooine. War of the Bounty Hunters tells us differently. After Bespin, Han Solo is stolen from Boba Fett, leading to Jabba the Hutt putting a bounty on Boba Fett in retaliation. As opportunistic hunters jump at the chance to take down the infamous bounty hunter, Han Solo becomes a pawn in the return of the criminal organization Crimson Dawn.

Doctor Aphra (2016 and 2020)

The “female Indiana Jones in space,” Doctor Aphra was first introduced in Darth Vader (2015) when she teams up with Darth Vader in search of murderous droids for his planned droid army. After she betrays Vader by revealing his treacherous plans to Emperor Palpatine (who actually shocks her by praising Vader’s initiative), Vader throws her into an airlock out into space. Presumed dead, she becomes free to travel the galaxy for artifacts for fun and profit.

Darth Vader (2020)

Greg Pak’s latest comic run about Darth Vader covers the time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. This series digs deep into the psyche of the Sith lord in response to Luke’s rejection of his offer, choosing death rather than joining him. As he sorts out his emotions, we see Vader discovering the true fate of Padme, and uncovering Palpatine’s secrets on Exegol.

Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith (2017)

Written by Charles Soule, the series looks into the early development of Darth Vader as he steps out in the menacing armored suit with the death of Padme still fresh on his mind. Starting “one second after the end of Revenge of the Sith,” the series explores various questions on our minds like how he gets the new red lightsaber. At the same time, he is learning to tap into the power of the Dark Side of the Force guided by Palpatine, whose agenda is not necessarily in Vader’s best interests.

Darth Vader (2015)

Not to be confused with other series about our favorite villain, this series written by Kieron Gillen follows Darth Vader in the time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Set shortly after the destruction of the Death Star, we see Vader growing from an enforcer under Grand Moff Tarkin to a dominant force leading the Empire as seen in The Empire Strikes Back.

While we wait for the upcoming Star Wars shows to drop, we can check out the vast variety of comics set in the galaxy far, far away. With amazing artwork and compelling stories, these series will satisfy your cravings as you learn of the stories interwoven in between the major events we see onscreen.

READ NEXT: Top 7 Anime That You Should Watch Before 'Star Wars: Visions'

Written By Apinya Wong

Source(s): CBR, StarWars.com [1], [2]

Syndicated From Culture Slate

Join The Team