Star Wars (2015 comic book)

• 1. Introduction

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  On the 14th of January 2015, Marvel Comics released the first issue of a new ongoing series called Star Wars. Jason Aaron wrote it, with art by John Cassaday. The story sits between the 1977 film Star Wars and its 1980 sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. A previous Dark Horse Comics series had explored that same gap back in 2013. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 anchor the cast, alongside Darth Vader. Marvel called this series a return, its first Star Wars comic in decades. What kept Marvel away from that galaxy for so long, and what would this new team do with characters fans thought they already knew?

• 2. A License Comes Home

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  In 1977, Marvel had already told a Star Wars story, publishing the original film's comic book adaptation. The publisher followed with an adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and 1981. Then, in 1991, the license moved to Dark Horse Comics, which held it until 2014. The Walt Disney Company bought out Lucasfilm and its subsidiaries in 2012, having already acquired Marvel Entertainment itself the year before. Dark Horse relinquished the Star Wars license back to Marvel in 2015, though not before publishing one final title, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir. In 2022, Lucasfilm and Marvel struck a dual distribution deal. IDW Publishing and Dark Horse Comics both came back to publish new Star Wars comics alongside Marvel.

• 3. Chasing Each Other

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  In 2014, Aaron described his goal: "We wanted this to feel like the movies. We wanted to feel like we were hired to do the direct sequel to the original film." He said the first arc gives Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, the droids and Darth Vader all big moments, calling them "our core cast going forward."

  Luke's situation, in Aaron's words, is "all pretty new to him." His mentor had been in his life for "five minutes" before dying, Aaron said, leaving Luke with unanswered questions about his father. Aaron explained that Luke is "on this journey of discovery by himself," hunting for answers about his father while Vader hunts him in turn. "Luke's chasing after his dad while running away from Vader," Aaron said, describing two men chasing each other without grasping the full stakes.

  Han occupies what Aaron called "an interesting spot at this point in the timeline." His commitment to the Rebellion remains uncertain, and his romance with Leia is only just beginning, Aaron said. Aaron warned that "eventually his past is going to start catching up to him."

• 4. Rebels In Motion

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  Issue #1 opens with Leia leading a covert Rebel mission to destroy an Imperial weapons factory, an operation that draws Darth Vader's direct attention. In issues #4-5, Luke returns to Tatooine and searches Obi-Wan Kenobi's abandoned house for any clue about the man or his father. He fights Boba Fett there and finds Obi-Wan's journals, which he reads across issues #7, #15, #20 and #26-30. Issue #6 has Fett telling Vader that the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star is named Skywalker. That same issue introduces Sana Starros. She is first presented as Han Solo's wife, Sana Solo. The story then reveals she was only legally married to him on one planet, during an old scam. Han had stolen her cut afterward, and she goes on to become a recurring character.

  Issues #13-14 form part of the Vader Down crossover with the Darth Vader comic series. In issues #16-19, the Rebels enlist help from Doctor Aphra, later established as an antagonist. Issues #21-25 center on an attempt to capture a Star Destroyer. Issues #26-30 flash back to Yoda's history before The Phantom Menace, as recorded in Obi-Wan's journals. The Screaming Citadel crossover with the Doctor Aphra series runs through issues #31-32.

  In issues #38-43, the Rebels fight to keep the Empire from obtaining kyber crystals on the planet Jedha. Issues #44-49 follow their attempt to recruit Mon Cala to the Rebel cause, even as the world faces its own local unrest. By issues #50-55, the Mon Calamari, including Admiral Ackbar, join the Rebellion, but Queen Trios of Shu-Torun betrays the Rebels and lets the Empire attack. Issues #56-61 show the Rebellion left crippled and scattered. In issues #62-67, Leia strikes back at Queen Trios with help from the unorthodox Partisans.

  The closing arc, told across issues #68-75, follows the Rebels dodging Imperial probe droids and getting pulled into a crime syndicate's conflict with the Empire. They also help the rock creatures of an unstable world resist Imperial forces led by Vader.

• 5. Changing Hands

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  Several variant covers accompanied issue #1 when the series launched. Simone Bianchi stepped in as guest artist for issue #7. Stuart Immonen then took over as the regular artist, starting with issue #8 in July 2015. He carried the series through its second story arc, up to issue #12. In 2017, Aaron left the writer's chair, and Kieron Gillen replaced him, while Salvador Larroca took over the art. Two years later, in 2019, Marvel announced the series would end after 75 issues. It relaunched with a new issue #1 on the 1st of January 2020, picking up the story after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Charles Soule wrote it, with art by Jesus Saiz.

• 6. Return To Cloud City

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  Before the epilogue of The Empire Strikes Back arrives, Lando Calrissian returns to Cloud City to retrieve Lobot and help Luke search for his lightsaber. Luke cannot find his old weapon, but he learns of a Jedi outpost from the High Republic era. There he finds a yellow lightsaber and battles the spirit of the Grand Inquisitor. Leia leads the Rebellion, whose ranks include the parents of Poe Dameron, until the Empire compromises their security codes and forces the Rebels to improvise.

  In the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover, the Rebels try to rescue frozen Han Solo from Crimson Dawn, led by his old flame Qi'ra. Boba Fett still manages to recover his prize and deliver it to Jabba the Hutt. Crimson Dawn's story continues into the Crimson Reign crossover and a spin-off miniseries called Hidden Empire. The Rebels, in turn, prepare to mount their last stand against the Empire.

• 7. On The Shelf

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  Marvel began collecting the series in trade paperback form with Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes. It gathered issues #1-6 and was published on the 6th of October 2015. The Vader Down crossover got its own collection, released on the 19th of April 2016. Years later, on the 10th of May 2022, Marvel issued the Star Wars by Jason Aaron Omnibus. It bundled the writer's entire run, from issue #1 through issue #37, into a single volume. The 2020 relaunch got its own collected line too. It started with Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path, covering issues #1-6, published on the 10th of November 2020. Its most recent volume tied to this run is Star Wars Vol. 6: Quests of the Force. It collects issues #31-36 and reached shelves on the 26th of September 2023.