SDCC: Marvel Launches "Star Wars" Comics With Aaron, Cassaday, Waid and More

[Cel]

It's pretty much what I expected for Marvel's new Star Wars line except for the Princess Leia mini. I figured there would be a post-Episode IV book and a book featuring Darth Vader or the Empire. I had hoped that there would be something post Episode VI/pre-Episode VII, but I think something like that might not happen until after Episode VII is released.

Aaron and Cassaday on Star Wars will be cool, but I don't see Cassaday sticking on the book for more than a few issues (five tops, and that's being optimistic, IMO).

[Janobi]

I'm very happy with this move from marvel and star wars. I figured that marvel would have the rights to star wars again. Dark horse did ok with the art, but they had weak story lines. I'm stoked to see what modern day marvel writers do with one of my favorite series. Hopefully some marvel crossovers .

[thales]

As someone who got back to Star Wars with The Clone Wars and Dark Times comics, this is supremely disappointing news. I guess we're back to a pampered princess being able to beat up four combat veterans without problems because hey, she's the hero in the story.

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[RobinFan4880]

I'm very happy with this move from marvel and star wars. I figured that marvel would have the rights to star wars again. Dark horse did ok with the art, but they had weak story lines. I'm stoked to see what modern day marvel writers do with one of my favorite series. Hopefully some marvel crossovers .

Go read Star Wars: Legacy and try to say that again. I dare you.

[thales]

Go read Star Wars: Legacy and try to say that again. I dare you.

The Dark Times, even some of the Clone Wars that focused on Quinlan Vos (written by Ostrander) was pretty good. But I guess we're going to have cross-over with Spider-Man, X-Men and the Avengers soon because we need to make it mainstream.

[Deniz Camp]

Gillen could still be on Strange. He's only got 2.5 books at the moment.

EH? Wicked + Divine (Image), Uber (Avatar), Angela (Marvel), Vader (Marvel).

3.5, no?

[Iggy Langridge]

I'm obviously pleased with everything that Marvel is doing with Star Wars, but the one thing that would make it beyond perfect is if they brought over THE STAR WARS and let J.W. Rinzler and Mike Mayhew continue it.

In an interview here at CBR J.W. Rinzler said he'd like to do more...

Finally, I realize this is an eight-issue series based on George Lucas' original rough draft screenplay but has there been any talk about continuing the story of "The Star Wars?"

Personally, I would love it. It's like a whole other alternate Star Wars universe. Episode VII is coming out and even before that, "Rebels" is coming out. This will finish, the graphic novel collection will come out some time this summer and by that time "Rebels" will be heating up to maximum anticipation. Nobody is going to want to explore "The Star Wars" anymore. Or at least I'd be surprised if they were. That said, I think it would be fun. If you did the whole Kaiburr crystal story because in a way that would be the most fun to do next. It's a whole other alternate Star Wars story.

You could do "Empire" and you could do "Jedi," but then you have your established characters so that would be more variations on a theme. You could do them as four issues each. Who knows? Anything is possible.

...of course THE STAR WARS came out this past Tuesday. I got it on iBooks. And Amazon and everyone else has it too, of course.

One thing for those who want it: you should probably act soon because Dark Horse can only sell Star Wars comics until the end of the year. So whatever is in print is it. In other words, whatever physical copies that are now available, and whatever Dark Horse decided to print between when the announcement came down on January 3rd of this year until December 31st of this year, is all that they'll be allowed to print because they no longer have the license, and once those sell through that's it.

If you buy digital you of course have the luxury of that never being out of stock, but you still only have until the end of the year to buy it digitally and then it will be unavailable. Naturally you'll still have your digital copy if you bought it though iBooks like I did, or through Amazon's Kindle, and I guess Barnes & Noble's Nook, and of course through the Dark Horse app.

Here's a couple more links on THE STAR WARS:
EXCLUSIVE: J.W. RINZLER EXPLORES LUCAS' ORIGINAL CONCEPT IN "THE STAR WARS"
STARKILLER LIGHTS UP HIS LAZERSWORD IN J.W. RINZLER'S "THE STAR WARS"

[Exciter]

It's pretty much what I expected for Marvel's new Star Wars line except for the Princess Leia mini. I figured there would be a post-Episode IV book and a book featuring Darth Vader or the Empire. I had hoped that there would be something post Episode VI/pre-Episode VII, but I think something like that might not happen until after Episode VII is released.

I like Star Wars enough, but it seems like these series will be hampered by continuity. We know how things are by the time the Empire Strikes Back happens, so what major stories or character developments can you really expect?

The Dark Times, even some of the Clone Wars that focused on Quinlan Vos (written by Ostrander) was pretty good. But I guess we're going to have cross-over with Spider-Man, X-Men and the Avengers soon because we need to make it mainstream.

Bring a version of Boba Fett into the 616 and put him on the Guardians of the Galaxy. It worked for Angela.

[fumetti]

So we are essentially getting the same titles we had before Marvel got the license?

Angsty Vader, core team post episode IV and more Leia being a bad ass?

/sigh

Yep. Doing the same stuff.

1. DH was publishing a popular ongoing series set right after Ep4. What's Marvel's big idea? An ongoing set right after Ep4.

2. DH's regular series was focused on Princess Leia. What's Marvel's big idea? A mini-series focusing on Princess Leia.

3. DH was publishing a series of mini-series with Darth Vader as lead character. What's Marvel's big idea? A regular series with Darth Vader as lead character.

Wow, talk about the House of (ripped off) Ideas.

At least the Vader series is set during a different time period.

[fumetti]

Alright, let's launch a series set immediately after Episode IV. That's never been done.

There's not much that hasn't been done already.

What's cheap is doing pretty much exactly what DH was doing.

[Chrysalis_Changling]

am i the only one not really interested in this announcement? good for star wars hardcore fans but it doesn't really make up for the lack of a doctor strange book or supernatural avengers title to me

[resipsaloquitur]

There's not much that hasn't been done already.

What's cheap is doing pretty much exactly what DH was doing.

Yeah, look, I get that Marvel is constrained by Lucas' new storygroup and that doing post-Episode IV stuff is where the money's at. Still, it's a shame to jettison an entirely decent set of stories set in that timeframe just to release a new set of stories in that exact timeframe, particularly when a whole bunch of us already spent money on the original stories. "All that stuff you paid for before? SORRY! It no longer counts." Disney/Lucas/Marvel basically just New52'd the Expanded Universe.

I also realize that not everyone is a fan of the "Star Wood" series that's been running for the last two years. However, Dark Horse had a pretty good series--"Star Wars: Empire" (which later became "Star Wars: Rebellion") which ran from 2002 to 2008 and had some good stories, including an awesome explanation of Luke's friend "Tank" who's mentioned in a single line in Episode IV. ("Biggs and Tank have already left...!") When Tank made his appearance, minds were blown. Also, there was a really good retelling of Episode IV from Biggs' point of view with some phenomenal artwork.

[fumetti]

That's the Star Wars sweet spot, though. Post-Empire? No Han. Post-Jedi? No Vader. It's Star Wars at its most iconic.

Well said!

When Marvel spent 3 years making post-Empire comics they all seemed a bit sad in that our great heroes had no clue where Han was. Seemed obvious where he was going (Tatooine and Jabba), but our heroes were off traipsing around the galaxy doing this and that--all because it was going to be a three year wait between movies. Everybody knew the series was just stalling. (So they filled it with Hoojibs...)

Ironically, those are the only good Star Wars comics Marvel produced. Post-ANH was godawful dreck and post-Jedi just meandered until it became the worst comic book on the stands--didn't even look or read like any kind of SW comic the last year or so. The only reason they're so valuable is because they were discarded as garbage (by fans anyway) and became scarce later when people were either just curious or trying to complete their collection. Glad I bought mine while they were cheap.

[fumetti]

Yeah, look, I get that Marvel is constrained by Lucas' new storygroup and that doing post-Episode IV stuff is where the money's at. Still, it's a shame to jettison an entirely decent set of stories set in that timeframe just to release a new set of stories in that exact timeframe, particularly when a whole bunch of us already spent money on the original stories. "All that stuff you paid for before? SORRY! It no longer counts." Disney/Lucas/Marvel basically just New52'd the Expanded Universe.

I also realize that not everyone is a fan of the "Star Wood" series that's been running for the last two years. However, Dark Horse had a pretty good series--"Star Wars: Empire" (which later became "Star Wars: Rebellion") which ran from 2002 to 2008 and had some good stories, including an awesome explanation of Luke's friend "Tank" who's mentioned in a single line in Episode IV. ("Biggs and Tank have already left...!") When Tank made his appearance, minds were blown. Also, there was a really good retelling of Episode IV from Biggs' point of view with some phenomenal artwork.

I feel your pain. Some good stories are getting tossed into the dumpster. I have been enjoying the Wood series very much. I understand we all have specific wants and can't seem to get them, but I think Wood's done a good job. The kinda comics I'll actually re-read some day.

But that's what you get from a superhero publisher. They're ALWAYS doing reboots of some kind. DH found a way to spend 20+ years coming up with new angles without needing to reboot anything. It's just not in the soul of a superhero peddler to stay faithful to a property once its talent runs out of ideas.

"Just New52ed"... I just threw up in my mouth a little.

(God, I hate the New52... it ruined Barry Allen forever. And don't get me started on the damage to Hawkman...)

[Janobi]

Go read Star Wars: Legacy and try to say that again. I dare you.

Still wasn't a fan of it, although the story was mix with a new and nostalgic features. I didn't like how they went against the "rule of two" as a sith.