Welcome to the Austin Books & Comics New Reader Guide! We’re here to introduce some of our favorite books that you may not already know about, and maybe even help you find your next favorite comic series!
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
Starting in 2015, Marvel has been releasing all-new, in-canon comics, written and drawn by some of the top names in comics today. Primarily taking place just after A New Hope, these books are accessible, exciting, and most importantly have that classic Star Wars feel. To date, Marvel has published four ongoing series, and multiple miniseries that focus on a single or couple of characters.
In this guide you’ll find all of the new Star Wars titles to date that Marvel has published.
All titles are available at the store, and if not we will be happy to special order them for you!
Ongoing Series
Star Wars
The main ongoing series, Star Wars picks up immediately after A New Hope. The series centers around the main cast of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO in their continuing fight against the Empire. This series absolutely captures the feel of the original film, both in visual style and characterization. In addition to the main characters, the occasional issue features a story “From The Journals of Old Ben Kenobi,” centering around Obi-Wan Kenobi during his time in exile on Tatooine.
Written by: Jason Aaron
Art by: John Cassady, Stuart Immonen, Mike Deodato, Jr., Mike Mayhew, Leinil Yu
Darth Vader
The other major ongoing series, Darth Vader centers around the titular Dark Lord of the Sith as he seeks to rebuild his standing with the Emperor after the destruction of the Death Star. Taking place concurrently with Star Wars, there are occasionally scenes that will be in both books but from different perspectives. This series depicts Vader as an almost sympathetic protagonist, exploring his relationships with the Emperor, Imperial command, and fan-favorite Doctor Aphra.
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Art by: Salvador Larroca, Leinil Yu
Poe Dameron
The newest ongoing series, Poe Dameron takes place before The Force Awakens, and centers around the fan-favorite pilot and his elite Black Squadron as they struggle against the forces of the First Order.
Written by: Charles Soule
Art by: Phil Noto
Kanan: The Last Padawan
Spinning out of the Rebels TV series, the Kanan ongoing series centers primarily around “Cowboy Jedi” Kanan Jarrus, and his formative years evading Imperial forces and surviving the seedy underworld of the galaxy following the fall of the Jedi Order and rise of the Empire.
Written by: Greg Weisman
Art by: Pepe Larraz
Miniseries and One-Shots
Princess Leia
The first miniseries released, this series focuses on Princess Leia immediately after A New Hope as she and a fellow Alderaanian X-Wing pilot travel the galaxy in secret to find the remaining survivors of Alderaan in order to preserve their destroyed world’s culture and history.
Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Terry Dodson
Lando
Starring the smoothest cat in the galaxy, the Lando miniseries centers around infamous smuggler/gambler Lando Calrissian, his loyal friend Lobot, and a crew of miscreants and scoundrels as they seek to steal an exceedingly expensive ship and the cargo stored within. Things get interesting when they discover the true nature of the ship and its cargo.
Written by: Charles Soule
Art by: Alex Maleev
Shattered Empire
Picking up at the end of the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, this miniseries centers around Rebel A-Wing pilot Shara Bey and her husband, commando Sergeant Kes Dameron, and the Rebel Alliance’s ongoing war against the Empire following the death of the Emperor and destruction of the second Death Star.
Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Marco Checchetto
Chewbacca
Taking place after A New Hope, the Chewbacca miniseries centers around everyone’s favorite Wookiee co-pilot as he goes on a solo mission. Along the way, he crash lands on a mining colony run by a corrupt gang boss. He befriends a young girl named Zarro, and sets out to help her free her people from their overlords and the Imperial seeking to rule the planet.
Written by: Gerry Duggan
Art by: Phil Noto
Han Solo
The Han Solo miniseries takes place shortly after A New Hope, and features everyone’s favorite scoundrel and Wookiee co-pilot as they take on a secret mission for the Rebel Alliance, under the guise of entering a famous and extremely dangerous starship race.
Written by: Marjorie Liu
Art by: Mark Brooks
Obi-Wan & Anakin
The Obi-Wan and Anakin miniseries centers around a little-seen era of the Star Wars saga, taking place in between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. This series features a younger, brash Anakin butting heads with his more traditional master.
Written by: Charles Soule
Art by: Marco Checchetto
C-3PO
A special one-shot issue, C-3PO depicts the droid returning from a mission with several Imperial intelligence droids. Taking place shortly before The Force Awakens, this surprisingly poignant issue explores themes of the nature of war and the people on opposing sides, and explains the droid’s randomly red arm in the film.
Written by: James Robinson
Art by: Tony Harris