"Star Wars: The Official Comics Collection"

The Star Wars Expanded Universe games, books, and comics have enriched the galaxy far away with many great stories and characters. Admiral Thrawn, Corran Horn, Kyle Katarn, Quinlan Vos or Darth Revan deserve to be on a par with the characters from the original films. Moreover, it was the creators of the Expanded Universe who sometimes discovered new eras of the saga that were not shown in the movies. The authors created new conflicts and proved that Star Wars could be interesting without the Skywalker family.

Perhaps the most obvious example is the era of the Knights Old Republic. Games and comics based on it are among best works Expanded Universe. Their authors delved not only into the deep past, but also into the future of a distant galaxy. For example, the bold Legacy comic book series took place one hundred and thirty years after the events of A New Hope.

As a young man, Cade Skywalker saw the Jedi Order and his father fall to the Sith as they seized power in the galaxy. The heir to the Jedi dynasty grew up among criminals and became a clever smuggler and bounty hunter. But, although the role of the savior of the galaxy does not appeal to him, Cade will have to remember his origin and find himself in the center of the confrontation between the Jedi and the Sith.

Star Wars: Legacy Volume 1: Broken

Genre: space opera
Screenwriters Stars: John Ostrander, Jen Duursema
Artist: Jen Duursema
Original output: 2006
Publishing house: AST, 2017

Dark Horse has been publishing Star Wars comics for almost a quarter of a century, and during this time it has given fans many bright and original stories. One of the most original and daring was the “Legacy” series. Its authors moved the action into the future of a distant galaxy, creating new era sagas

The series is based on the usual Star Wars elements: there is the Empire and the rebels, the Sith and the Jedi, space battles and, of course, the Skywalkers. But these elements are presented in a new way. For example, the Sith are numerous here, and they are led by the mysterious Darth Krayt, who has taken the imperial throne. The empire is not united, but is split into two camps: some recognized the Sith usurper, others remain loyal to the overthrown Fel dynasty. The dynasty is supported by imperial knights, who wield the Force no worse than the Jedi.

And the Jedi themselves, again, as after the Clone Wars, became victims of massacres and purges... But this time the surviving masters and knights did not hide on distant planets, giving up the fight, but were secretly gathering forces to strike back. Finally, the heir to the Skywalker family does not want to have anything to do with the Force and fight for the fate of the galaxy - he is content with the role of a petty bandit and does not even hesitate to hunt the Jedi.

The world of “Legacy” turned out to be dark and cruel. This becomes obvious from the very first pages, when the Sith descend on the Jedi Temple and kill the head of the order, Kol Skywalker, and his only son goes missing. Cade Skywalker falls into the criminal world, and when we meet him again a few years later, we are already a seasoned bounty hunter. Moreover, this is not a charming criminal with a heart of gold, like Han Solo - Cade is not burdened with moral principles, and for him the end justifies the means. Needless to say, we have never seen Skywalkers like this before. The main character of “Broken” is difficult to call pleasant and sympathize with him. But this is a very interesting and non-trivial protagonist, whose fate and development are interesting to watch.

The first volume of the series lacks scope: a large-scale confrontation between the Jedi and the Sith, political battles and battles between star fleets await us in the following issues. "Broken" focuses on Cade and his friends. Having successfully completed their next case, they encounter fugitives, on whose trail the Sith are following. Calculating profit, Skywalker undertakes to help random acquaintances, not yet suspecting that he is getting involved in a conflict between the Sith, Jedi and imperial knights. And adventures begin, fierce battles and dramatic clashes with the ghosts of the past.

Events are developing rapidly, but the authors manage to introduce us to the new era and its main actors, thus laying the foundation for the plot. This is just the beginning of the story - but it has already turned out to be incredibly exciting. And in the following volumes, “Legacy” will gain a scope worthy of Lucas’ films.

Bottom line: The Legacy series once again proves that a Star Wars setting can create new and original characters, conflicts and stories. The series has an independent plot, so the comic is suitable for those who are not familiar with the Expanded Universe. And it will delight connoisseurs with frequent references to other works of the saga.

Since the Expanded Universe evolved into the non-canon Legends, quite a few novels and comics have been released within the new canon. But for now, the plots of these works invariably revolve around the events of the films and their characters. The authors seem to be afraid to experiment and open new horizons. Yes and for real bright characters, who first appeared outside the silver screen, are still very few in the new canon. One of the rare exceptions can be considered Doctor Aphra, a kind of black archaeologist of a distant galaxy. Aphra was Darth Vader's servant and rightfully deserved her own comic book series.

Having discovered who the mysterious pilot was who destroyed the Death Star, Darth Vader became determined to find young Skywalker. Having learned from his agent where to look for Luke, Vader personally goes after him to the planet where the secret Rebel base is located. To reach the young Jedi, the Sith Lord will have to single-handedly challenge an entire army of rebels.

Star Wars: Vader Down

Genre: space opera
Screenwriters Stars: Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen
Artists Stars: Mike Deodato, Salvador Larroca
Original output: 2015–2016
Publishing house: “Come il faut”, 2017

Apart from films, the most interesting works of the new canon Star Wars- These are comic book series with the simple names “Star Wars” and “Darth Vader”. Both tell about the events after the destruction of the first Death Star, their plots develop simultaneously and are often even intertwined. Less than a year after the launch of the series, Marvel decided to link them even more closely by launching the Vader's Fall crossover.

However, the title “Vader’s Benefit Performance” would be more appropriate for the comic. From the very first pages, the Sith shows his frightening power. Already at the beginning of the crossover, he is at the helm of a fighter, single-handedly dealing with as many as three squadrons of the Rebels. Only Luke's suicidal maneuver allows this beating to stop and leads to the very fall that is included in the title. After this, father and son find themselves among ancient ruins without ships or means of communication.

Realizing that they have a rare chance to get rid of Vader, the Rebels begin hunting him. But the real hunter here is Darth - he pursues Luke, sweeping away everyone who gets in his way. Every scene featuring Vader is a reminder of why his name strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents. If at first he deals with the rebels, then it is the turn of his rival from the imperial camp: he tried to get his hands on the prey that the dark lord had set his sights on.

But Vader was not the only one who showed himself brightly in the crossover. Almost the same important role is assigned to Doctor Aphra, her companions - a pair of killer droids, very similar in appearance to R2-D2 and C-3PO, and also the half-mad Wookiee Black Krrsantan. This colorful company comes to the aid of Vader, and Luke is helped by his faithful friends - Han and Chewbacca. Thanks to the droids, who constantly find themselves in comical situations, the confrontation turned out to be not only exciting, but also very funny.

Unfortunately, although the crossover is great, it lacks drama. The plot centers on the main characters of the films, and the action takes place between the fourth and fifth episodes. Therefore, it is quite obvious that the tension that the authors are building up is in fact imaginary and the danger looming over Luke and his comrades will safely pass. The drawing also raises some complaints. The issues drawn by Deodato are very spectacular and beautiful, but against their background the parts for which Larroca was responsible look plain.

Bottom line: The Star Wars and Darth Vader series are some of the best in the new canon. And the crossover between them, although it did not present any special surprises, was a great success.

“The Force Awakens” is more anticipated on our website than the New Year. We are counting down every day until the premiere and have already booked tickets for the very first showings a long time ago. We actively discuss theories built by fans around the film, and also try to extract as much information as possible even from the music track list for the film. But in order for the picture to emerge completely, you need to use the maximum of available information. Therefore, today we offer you a tour of the comics that were published in the past year by the publishing house. In fact, there are many details and hints scattered throughout them about the future of the galaxy. Be careful, the material contains a lot of spoilers and shamelessly points out those fragments that you cannot pass by without paying attention!

Kanan

Chronologically, this series about a galaxy far, far away is located earlier than others released this year by the publishing house. For those who watch the series Star Wars Rebels, it will not be difficult to figure out that the main character of the series will be Kanan Jarrus, one of the main characters of the series, a former Jedi and mentor to young Ezra. The events described in the first issues of the series will quite expectedly unfold before those shown in the series. Readers get to see Kanan right after Order 66 goes into effect, and in front of the Padawan's eyes, his former comrades kill his teacher.

The young Jedi, who has not yet completed his training, will have a hard time in the new world: the pursuers of the “traitor” of the Empire will constantly be hanging on his tail, and the skills of independent survival in real world are not included in the mandatory program of the Order. Reading the series, it becomes easy to mentally trace the route that made Caleb Dume (that’s what Kanan was called before the sad events) Kanan Jarrus. Readers will be able to understand both the reasons for his hatred of clones and his reluctance to get involved in major conflicts that could attract the attention of the Empire.

But the series is written so well that pleasant impressions await even those who are not yet familiar with the character and decided for some reason to ignore the series. The authors of the comic did not pursue scope, but concentrated their efforts on revealing the characters. Yes, most of the heroes that appear on the pages of comic books are basically stereotyped and predictable. But issue after issue they demonstrate more and more depth. But it wasn’t Caleb who became the subject of numerous surprises, because the fans had already gotten to know him. But the smugglers into whose company the young man found himself turned out to be colorful and not always simple characters. There are both heroes and villains here, because not only the Jedi were forced to hide from the forces of the Empire.

It's also worth noting that there's an extra treat in store for those who've been pining for the Expanded Universe comics. The story itself, the manner of presentation, and even the coloring will remind readers more than once or twice of the comics published by Dark Horse. If you've read all the licensed comics, you'll no doubt appreciate the weight of this compliment.

If you can’t wait to continue getting to know the character, and you’re watching the series in ongoing mode, then you can turn your attention to the bookANewDawn. It was the first to be published within the new canon. Its events take place six years before the start of the series and will tell about the acquaintance and first joint mission of Kanan and Hera. They will have to join forces to confront the industrialist Count Vidian. The book turned out to be noticeably more interesting than the summary might suggest. In addition to meeting beloved characters, it sheds light on the economic situation in the Empire, which needs more and more more resources to create a weapon of intimidation. Yes, although it is not stated directly, John Miller, the author of the book, managed to convey the feeling that the construction of the Death Star is already in full swing. But that's not all strengths books.

Value to fandom: A standalone addition to Star Wars: Rebels. Like the series, the comic tries to expand the known boundaries of a galaxy far, far away, without using characters long familiar from the films, thanks to which it can afford more than other series.

Princess Leia

The events of the Princess Leia mini-series, which included five issues, begin immediately after Episode Four. Having rewarded the heroes of the Rebellion, Leia still decides to concern herself with fate native people. In the Original Trilogy, there was no room for Leia's suffering at the loss of her home world, where her parents and her people were at that moment.

So, having stepped away from the affairs of the Rebellion for some time, Leia decides to unite the surviving Alderaanians and find them a new home. The situation is complicated by the reward on her head, for which even friends are ready to betray, and the bad character of some survivors. One can understand them, because the Empire decides to take the chance and exterminate the remnants of the intractable people.

Unfortunately, something went wrong. Among comic book readers, it is not customary to criticize a drawing just because the character bears little resemblance to himself from the previous issue, which was worked on by a different artist. The development of the industry over many decades has instilled in readers that conditional preservation is sufficient main elements image. This work falls not only on artists, but also on screenwriters. It's not pleasant to realize that a good creative team failed, perhaps, the most important part of their work. It's unlikely that you'll recognize Leia from the comic as Carrie Fisher, but it's not just a matter of external resemblance. Leah Dodsonov is sometimes even prettier, and her numerous outfits highlight this to her advantage. Throughout all five issues, Leia acts as a Princess, and not as the leader of the Rebellion on a dangerous mission. But this determined person doesn't have much in common with the Ice Queen that Leia was portrayed in the Original Trilogy. She is more reckless and soft.

Unfortunately, the authors failed to create an intriguing story, which simply does not have time to hook the reader. Events jump madly from one scene to another, not allowing any of the characters to develop properly. As a result, a group of static templates operates against colorful but poorly developed backgrounds. Even if one of the main characters was overtaken by death, it is absolutely impossible to sympathize with him

However, many people don’t read Star Wars comics to get to know a bunch of new, complex characters. So if you close your eyes to what is happening (or explain everything, for example, by the unexpected conditions in which Princess Leia found herself), then some interesting fragments and hints from the story can still be pulled out.

First, the hint that Leia has the Force is given right in the second issue. Unable to resist the temptation, the authors played on the reader’s sense of nostalgia more than once or twice. We're talking about the scene in which the Princess leans towards R2D2, clearly copied from A New Hope, and Leia's dreams of a twin. And in the second issue, Leia begins her rescue campaign from Naboo, her mother’s home planet, which she does not yet know about. Of course, one of the colorful bas-reliefs of the planet was decorated with the image of Princess Amidala. When looking at the drawing, Leia sees a short vision: the image on the wall comes to life and looks at the Princess with a sad look. What is this? Is the authors nod towards prequels or something more? After all, we shouldn’t forget that Leia is Luke’s sister, even though she still doesn’t know it. And Luke has the Force so much that he is able to resist two Sith Lords at once. This means we can assume that Leia also has the beginnings of the Force. Within the Expanded Universe, several successful stories have been written around this piece of history. But judging by the promotional materials seen for The Force Awakens, Leia has not mastered any of the techniques of the Jedi. Perhaps Force sensitivity helps her anticipate and sense more right decisions in situations where a dry set of facts and statistics ceases to help. After all, it was by relying on the Force that Luke was able to destroy the first Death Star. So it can be successful military career Will Leia be obliged, among other things, to the Force?

Secondly, let's discuss General Leia in a little more detail. If you carefully read the latest interviews with the authors, you have already come to terms with the fact that Leia Organa has lost her status as a Princess and has long been known to the Galaxy as General Organa. A clear explanation for this is given in the comic. To begin with, it is worth remembering that Leia became a princess without a state. Despite the remnants of surviving Alderaanians, her state is irrevocably lost. Moreover, having gathered all the scattered groups together, she independently abdicates the throne. Having taken a completely expected step towards democracy, Leia announces that people are now free to choose their own princess. It turns out that at the time of Episodes Five and Six, there was nothing left of the title of Princess but memories and compliments. And by The Force Awakens, they will gradually be erased.

Value to fandom: small. There are hints of Leia's abilities, the fate of the galaxy-scattered inhabitants of Alderaan, and a bit of heartbreak. Nothing that is not in other series.

Star Wars

We have already reviewed the first issue of the series, noting the talent of its authors. We decided to play it safe by giving the series with that name to real professionals in their field, so you shouldn’t be surprised at its high quality.

As we expected earlier, a feeling of nostalgia awaits the reader from the very first pages. The comic meticulously reproduces all the elements of the Original Trilogy, without allowing itself unnecessary innovations: the faces of the drawn heroes are easily recognizable, the interior design of the Empire is still as strict, and C3PO is still helpless. There is nothing to be surprised here, because the events of the series are located in the period from the Fourth to the Fifth Episodes, so the heroes will have to carry out many more missions against the Empire before it falls. It is also worth noting that this period was not very popular in the Expanded Universe, which makes the events of the series doubly interesting. But let's be honest with ourselves: the constant flow of missions to destroy military targets, copying every possible element of the Original Trilogy, would have gotten boring by the third arc, and Jason Aaron wouldn't have been himself if he had gone down this road.

On the contrary, having finished with the pleasant foreplay and hooked the readers, he begins a whole series of unexpected somersaults! Some of them, like Han Solo’s wife, don’t fit well into the already established picture of the world, but others involuntarily patch up holes (for example, you never got the feeling that Luke reached heights too quickly on the path of the Force, having a rather limited choice teachers?). It is at this moment that you understand that the series is not going to turn into a boring filler about the everyday life of the popular trio on military missions of the Rebellion, but plans to take us with a breeze to all the interesting corners of this world. Does anyone doubt that there will be enough secrets and stories in the galaxy for a good hundred issues? In addition, rare nods to the original films and even prequels have not been canceled.

But besides the fact that the quality of the series is in itself a weighty argument in favor of reading these comics, the authors little by little add important details V big picture. First of all, we are, of course, talking about Luke's training. Almost immediately left without the only one who could guide him on the path of the Force, he does not agree to give up. We already know that Luke is not the only Jedi in the galaxy. And although he only crossed paths with Obi Wan and Yoda, there are many other ways to learn more about the Force. But in a world ruled by an Empire ruled by the Sith, one should not even hope that the search will go right. Instead of Luke's remaining Jedi, smugglers await him, and the Jedi Order will have to be temporarily exchanged for the gladiatorial arena.

Another important part of the story was the relationship between Han and Leia, which managed to touch many people with their joint scene in the trailer for The Force Awakens. But not much time was devoted to their relationship before! A couple of exchanges, a couple of touching moments, but is it too fast? Thanks to the comic, we will finally be able to see the entire path of this relationship: from the first major misunderstanding to the first kiss, right through a whole bunch of scenes of varying degrees of romance. And maybe due to the fact that our favorite heroes are in front of us, or maybe due to Aaron’s talent, watching this couple is a real pleasure.

Juggling completely different elements history, the authors manage to create an original and unique story. You don’t expect any revelations or surprises from the period with which readers are introduced in the series. Therefore, each of them is perceived doubly more pleasant.

Value to fandom: We have already seen how the trio of main characters gained fame and respect in the galaxy. Now we have to find out what happened between these missions. This allows you to get to know the characters much better, and therefore become even closer to them.

Is it worth reading?: Most of the Star Wars series coming out these days have good plots and quality art. But Star Wars is the leader in quality. From completely understandable and well-known ingredients, the authors were able to prepare this tasty dish It's time to think about magic.

Remnants of the Empire

“Fragments of the Empire” is so far the only comic book released that at least somehow reveals the fragments seen in the trailers. The events of the series, which included only four issues, begin with the destruction of the second Death Star and tell about the pilot Shara Bay. Shara is not only a talented and experienced pilot, but also the mother of Poe Dameron, one of the main characters of The Force Awakens. In a fleeting moment, we learn that the boy has already been born and now lives with the heroine’s father. But his life is somewhere behind the scenes.

And at the center of the story are several missions that Shara performs together with the heroes of the Original Trilogy. Left without Palpatine, the Empire refuses to believe in its own defeat, creating more and more dangers in the Galaxy. Alas, the missions are connected rather indirectly, so there is virtually no coherent plot with a beginning, development and denouement. Instead, we are given little glimpses into the lives of the beloved Trinity - Luke, Leia and Han - after the event at Endor. Together with them, Shara celebrates the victory over the Emperor, flies with Leia to Naboo on a diplomatic mission, helps Luke penetrate the secret laboratory of the Empire, where very interesting artifacts are kept. And each outing gives us new hints about the future of the characters.

For example, we are once again hinted at Leia's Force sensitivity. And again to Naboo. And although each of the comics in the series is filled with nostalgic elements, the second and third issues have the most of them. We will have time to walk along the streets familiar from the First Episode, meet the current princess, see familiar outfits, and even return to the very hangar from where young Anakin went into battle on a fighter. It is in the hangar that a new vision awaits Leia, but this time it is unpleasant and cold, because here Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon Jin.

The comic is a must-read for those who are intrigued by the future life of Luke, who never appeared in any of the trailers. The latest issue is dedicated to an attempt to penetrate a mysterious laboratory where Emperor Palpatine kept valuable artifacts. For example, his Messengers were kept here - unusual messenger droids that looked like the Imperial Guard. But the target of penetration was two small trees. These trees once grew in the Order on Coruscant, so they were saturated with the Force. Thanks to this, Luke was able to feel them. The question of why the only known Jedi in the Galaxy needed the trees of the Order already contains the answer. So numerous theories about his transition to the Dark Side are once again called into question.

Value to fandom: high! Although important elements are scattered unevenly and chaotically throughout the comics of the series, many useful conclusions can be drawn from them about the events preceding Episode Seven.

Star Wars Droids (1994) Star Wars Droids - Uprising (1995) Star Wars Droids - Time to Rebel (1995) Star Wars - Offensive Protocol (1997)

Star Wars

Star Wars is a cult and epic fantasy saga containing stories about the confrontation between planets, civilization and factions of the “Far Galaxy”.

Contains 7 the most important episodes, as well as animated television series, cartoons, films, books, Star Wars comics, video games, united by one single universe. On our website you can read Star Wars comics online for free. Created and originally portrayed in films by American director and producer George Lucas in the early 1970s. For this reason, Star Wars is, first and foremost, a movie saga and its films set the canon for other works.

The official date of the creation of the Star Wars project is May 25, 1977 - this is the date when the Star Wars movie (now Episode IV) appeared on the big screen. Nevertheless, the main creation in the universe - the novelization book of the same name - appeared back in 1976, because the producers were afraid of failure and the enchanting failure of the film at the box office. This episode was followed by successful sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).

These three films make up the true Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV-VI). Prequel trilogies (Episodes I-III) were released later, between 1999 and 2005. This trilogy received more mixed reactions from critics and fans compared to fan reactions to the original trilogy.

Most recently, the continuation of the trilogy (Episodes VII-IX) began with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
All seven films were nominated for Academy Awards, and were commercially successful, with combined box office receipts of $6,460 million, making Star Wars the fourth highest-grossing film.

Additional films outside of the main saga include the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and the upcoming anthology film series that will begin with the release of Star Wars: Rogue One (2016).

Hierarchy of the Star Wars saga

Today the hierarchy of the saga can be depicted this way:

"Star Wars" is a single number of all materials that were filmed under the official license of Lucasfilm. This includes canonical and non-canonical works that make up the history of the Star Wars universe, films, literature, video games, toys, theme parks, merchandise, and more.
The Star Wars Universe (SWU) is the collection of all data and documentation on the subject of Star Wars, which was published under an official license, containing biographies fictional characters, descriptions of events, fictional documents, chronologies.

Within its framework there is a division according to the canonical:

Authoritative, G-canon - these are works whose canonicity is confirmed by George Lucas (film epics, radio plays, novelizations) and to the creation of which he was directly involved. Later works in it may overlap older ones with a retcon.
T-canon consists of some television series and events that took place next to the epic films.
C-canon consists of Star Wars comics, novels, board games, video games, and TV series that have separate canonical elements.
S-canon - works released in film epics, and secondary works, later partially became part of the G-canon.
The N-canon is not canonical at all, describing alternative or proven false events by Lucasfilm.
D-canon formed humorous works by Star Wars. The database of all works, divided according to the canonical order, is the so-called Holocron.

The film epic "Star Wars" - seven film episodes (1977 - 2015), the plots of which are the basis for the entire franchise.
The Star Wars Expanded Cinematic Universe serves as an expansion to the old trilogy, but it does more to expand the boundaries of the universe for audiences. Telling the story from ancient and distant times to the year 137 following that film "A New Hope".
The project features a considerable number of fresh characters, stories, models technical progress and technology, different races of humanity and animals. After the release of the seventh part of the epic, it is considered non-canonical and belongs to the N-canon. However, some, relatively rare, of its elements are included in the canon of the highest ranks.

Universe of the "Far Galaxy"

The opening line in all Star Wars films is “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...” (Once upon a time, in a very, very distant galaxy). The saga tells about the life of different civilizations and factions of this galaxy, among which there are both people and various other thinking beings, highly developed and primitive, numerous fantastic animals and plants. The story spans thousands of years from antiquity to “present” times, depicted primarily in films.

Most of the galaxy different times controlled any state: the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the New Republic or the Galactic Alliance. These states spanned thousands of planets with different populations and levels of development. Numerous species in the galaxy include people who, like those on Earth, differ in facial features and skin color. Human speech is the basis for the Basic Galactic Language.

The galaxy is divided, depending on the device and meaning, into regions. Those, in turn, into sectors planetary systems and individual planets. The main regions are the Core, Core Colonies, Inner Rim Expansion Region, Middle Rim, Outer Rim, Tingel Arm, Wild Space, and Unknown Regions.

A key concept in the Star Wars universe is the Force—the energy or field that binds all life in the galaxy. Many thinking beings can use the Force to gain magical-like capabilities.
Light and Dark side, around whose confrontation many Star Wars events revolve. Whereas the Light Side is about controlling thoughts and channeling power to protect the world. The dark side is following your emotions, channeling the Force to achieve personal power. Traditionally, the Light side is professed by the Jedi, and the Dark side by the Sith.

The calculation is traditionally carried out from the battle over the planet Asor, in which the Galactic Empire suffered a key defeat from the rebels. The dates are respectively written BBY (before the Battle of Jabin) and ABY (after the Battle of Jabin).

Cinematic cycle "Star Wars"

The Star Wars cinematic series includes six episodes, which were filmed in two stages. In stages, the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes were initially filmed, and only sixteen years later the main first, second and third were filmed.
The seventh was released in 2015. This episode marked the beginning of a completely new trilogy. Read Star Wars comics on our website right now!

Original trilogy

1977 - Star Wars. Episode IV. New Hope / Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
1980 - Star Wars. Episode V. The Empire Strikes Back / Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
1983 - Star Wars. Episode VI. Return of the Jedi / Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

The original or, as people also call it, the “classic” trilogy consists of Episodes IV, V, VI. This numbering was chosen due to the significant length of the original script. Lucas decided to film from the inside the best option, which he could adhere to, since he placed there the most interesting, in his opinion, events.

The events of this trilogy take place during the era of the dominance of the Galactic Republic-Empire. Events revolve around the rebels' struggle against the Galactic Empire, which is ruled by the Sith Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Focuses on the adventures of the crew of the Millennium Falcon, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

The Original Trilogy begins with the Galactic Empire and builds to the end of the Death Star space station. This station will allow the Empire to crush the Rebel Alliance, organized by the resistance, formed to battle Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine the Sith, under Master Darth Vader, captured Princess Leia. A member of the rebellion who stole the plans for the Death Star and hid them in the droid R2-D2.

R2, along with his droid colleague C-3PO, goes to the remote planet Tatooine. There, the droids meet the boy Luke Skywalker and his half-uncle and aunt. Just as Luke was clearing R2, he inadvertently called up a message containing a message from Leia. She asks for help from the legendary Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Luke later assists the droids in searching for the exiled Jedi, who given time was an old hermit under the pseudonym Obi-Wan Kenobi. When Luke asks about his dad, whom he has never met, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells him that Anakin Skywalker was a great Jedi who was betrayed and killed by Vader.

Obi-Wan and Luke team up with Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca to take them to Alderaan, Leia's home world. So that they will eventually find and destroy the Death Star.
Following aboard the space station, Luke and Han rescue Leia while Obi-Wan allows himself to be killed during a light duel with Vader. His sacrifice allows the group to leave with plans that help the Rebels destroy the Death Star.

Luke himself, guided by his power, fired a fire shot that destroys the deadly space station during the battles of Yavin.
Three years later, Luke travels to find Jedi Master Yoda, who is now living in exile. Luke wants to find him to begin his Jedi training. However, Luke's studies are interrupted when Vader lures him into a trap, capturing Han and his friends in Cloud City.

During a nasty lightsaber duel, Vader reveals that he is the very father Luke was so desperate to find. Vader took advantage of the moment and tries to drag him to the dark side of the Force. Luke escapes and, after rescuing Han, returns to Master Yoda to complete his training.

Luke found the 900-year-old Jedi Master Yoda on his deathbed. Before he dies, Master Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke's father. Moments later, Force ghost Obi-Wan informs Luke that he must confront Darth his father one more time before he can become a Jedi, and that the Princess Leia they are trying to find is his Native sister- twin.

As the rebels attack the second Death Star, Luke engages Vader in another lightsaber duel. The Sith Lords intend to pull Luke to the dark side and accept him as their apprentice.
During the duel, Luke succumbs to anger and brutally overpowers Vader, but controls himself last minute, realizing that he is going to kill his father. He spares Vader's life and proudly declares his loyalty to the Jedi.

Enraged Palpatine - The Sith Lord attempts to kill Luke using the power of lightning. Vader, noticing this, turns and kills the emperor. Thanking Luke for bringing him back to the light side, Anakin Skywalker dies in his son's arms while the rebels manage to destroy the second Death Star. Find out more if you start reading Star Wars comics on our website!

Trilogy - prequel

1999 - Star Wars. Episode I Hidden threat/ Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
2002 - Star Wars: Episode II. Attack of the Clones / Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2005 - Star Wars. Episode III. Revenge of the Sith / Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

After his divorce in 1987, George Lucas lost most his condition and did not want to return to Star Wars, and unofficially canceled filming of the sequel trilogy. But after Star Wars became popular again, Lucas saw that it still had a lot of fans. In 1993, he announced that he would make prequels. He began to create a story centered around Anakin Skywalker - the future Darth Vader - and the transformation of the Galactic Republic into an authoritarian empire. In 1994, Lucas began writing the script for the first film, which was called Episode I: The Beginning. And at the same time he began work on the second film (Episode II).

The episode aired in May 1999 and grossed $924,317,558. Episode AI was released in May 2002 and grossed $649,398,328. Episode III was released in May 2005.
The prequel trilogy begins 32 years before original film. The Sith Lord Darth Sirius secretly planned the blockade to discourage his alter ego Senator Palpatine from deposing and replacing the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

At the request of the Chancellor, the Jedi knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his student, the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, go to Naboo to negotiate with the Federation. However, the two Jedi are forced to break out of the blockade and plead with her before the Republic Senate on Coruscant instead of helping the Queen of Naboo. When their spaceship is damaged during the escape, they land on Tatooine for repairs, where Qui-Gon discovers nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker.

Qui-Gon begins to believe that Anakin is the "Chosen One". Qui-Gon predicted a Jedi prophecy to bring balance to the Force, and helps free the boy from slavery so he can train as a Jedi.
The Jedi Council, led by Master Yoda, suspects Anakin of having too much fear and anger within him, but reluctantly makes a promise to Obi-Wan to train the boy after Qui-Gon is killed by Palpatine's first apprentice, Darth Maul, during Battle of Naboo.

Ten years later, the Jedi Order would participate in the Clone Wars between the Republic forces and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which Palpatine secretly created to destroy the Jedi Order and lure Anakin into his service.

At the same time, Anakin and Padmé fall in love and get married in secret, and Padmé eventually becomes pregnant. Anakin has a prophetic vision in which Padmé dies during childbirth, and Palpatine convinces him that the dark side of the Force can save Padmé's life.

Desperate, Anakin submits to Palpatine's Sith teachings and Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader - the greatest villain in the world of Star Wars.

While Palpatine reorganizes the Republic into a tyrannical empire, Vader participates in the destruction of the Jedi Order. And in a climactic lightsaber duel between himself and Obi-Wan on the volcanic planet Mustafar, Obi-Wan defeated his former student and friend, tearing off his limbs and leaving him to burn on the banks of a lava flow.

Palpatine arrived soon after and rescues Vader by placing him in a mechanical black mask and armor that serves as a permanent life support system. At the same time, Padme dies giving birth to twins Luke and Leia.

Obi-Wan and Yoda are now the only two Jedi left alive. They agree to separate the twins and keep them hidden from both Vader and the Emperor until the time comes when Anakin's children can be used to help overthrow the empire.

Trilogy - sequel

2015 - Star Wars. Episode VII. The Force Awakens / Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2017 - Star Wars. Episode VIII / Star Wars: Episode VIII
2019 - Star Wars. Episode IX / Star Wars: Episode IX

The third trilogy is based on Episode VII. Its events take place 20 years after Episode VI. The plot tells about the fate of the heroes of the two previous trilogies and the struggle of the Resistance and the New Republic against the Supreme Order - an organization that continues the traditions of the Galactic Empire.

About 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi, disappeared. The First Order has risen from the fallen empire and seeks to destroy Luke and the New Republic, while the resistance and small effort is supported by the Republic and led by former princess Alderaan, Leia's general, opposes them.

On the planet Jakku, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron receives a map that leads to Luke's location. Stormtroopers under the command of Kylo Ren, son of Han Solo and Leia, captured Poe Dameron.

His droid BB-8 leaves with the map and encounters the Absorber Kylo. Ren tortures Edgar and recognizes BB-8. Stormtrooper FN-2187 concludes that it cannot kill and frees Poe Dameron. Two exits into a TIE fighter, Poe dubs FN-2187 as "Finn". But still, after the accident on Jakku, Poe dies.

Finn encounters Rey and BB-8, but the first encounter places them in such a way that they escape the planet in a stolen ship, the Millennium Falcon. After leaving Jakku, the Falcon would be recaptured by Han Solo and Chewbacca, who had abandoned the resistance and resumed their lives as smugglers.

Five companions on a trip to Takodana meet the pirate Maz Kanata. While they are visiting her, Rey finds a lightsaber that previously belonged to Anakin and Luke Skywalker. And after her hand touches the sword, she is overcome by the Force.

At this moment, the MAZ castle is under attack of the first order. Finn, Han and Chewbacca are saved by a group of Resistance pilots led by Poe, who survived the crash on Jakku, but Rey is captured by Kylo Ren and taken to Starkiller Base.

After reuniting with Leia and the resistance on D'Kaur, Han, Finna, and Chewbacca traveled to Starkiller to free Rey and disable the planet's shields, allowing the resistance pilots to destroy it.

Rey is tormented by Kylo Ren, but her Force sensitivity allows her to resist him. She escapes using a mind trick and is reunited with Han, Finna, and Chewbacca. But the group encounters Kylo Ren.

Han confronts his son, calling him by his birth name, Ben Solo, and asks him to return home. Ren appears to return to the light side for a moment, but then ignites his lightsaber and kills Han.

Resistance pilots begin bombarding the base. Finn and Rey escape to the base and encounter Kylo Ren. Finn draws Anakin's lightsaber, only to severely wound Ren. Rey's power pulls her lightsaber towards her and she fights Ren.

Rey, Finn and Chewbacca escape the exploding planets on the Falcon and manage to return to the resistance. The wounded Finn remains on D'Kaur. While Rey, Chewbacca and R2-D2 use the map to find Luke Skywalker on the planet Ahch-To, where Rey introduces the quiet Luke with his old lightsaber.

Expanded Universe

The Star Wars Expanded Universe or Star Wars Legends is a collection of materials depicting a universe outside the film saga. Including books, animation, toys, video games released before April 24, 2014. Since 2014, the expanded universe has been declared non-canonical and works behind it are released under the Star Wars Legends brand. Start reading Star Wars comics now on our website for free!

Main themes and interpretations

Star Wars shows the self-destructive nature of anger and hatred. Yoda's definition of the word: Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred, suffering leads to hatred, suffering leads to the dark side of the Force. Evil has a psychological basis, and hatred is born in a person as a result of the suffering that a person experiences.

Darth Vader was a slave despised from childhood, he never had a father, and he was soon separated from his mother, the subsequent tragic death couldn't make him stop. At the same time, the young man is tempted by evil (in the person of the dark figure of Darth), who treats his ambition and leads them to ultimately enter into a "Satanic pact" - to surrender to it in order to satisfy their own desires and the possession of omnipotence, which turns out to be illusory.

Good and Evil are clearly presented in Star Wars, but that doesn't mean the world is black and white; even the Jedi (including Yoda) have their weaknesses. Even Vader isn't very bad, that's a common person who has an evil spell.

Star Wars is a story about the power inherent in love: what the greatest and most powerful of the Jedi could not do - defeating the Sith - is done through the love of a son for a father and a father for a son. The story also juxtaposes two kinds of "love": selfish, pushing Anakin to embrace the dark side, and altruistic, which leads to his eventual survival.

Star Wars is an analysis of the mechanism of birth of authoritarian and totalitarian systems. The republic is experiencing a deep crisis and is no longer fulfilling its function. The Senate raises taxes, which provokes opposition from the trade federation, which is met with a corrupt system. This leads to a war that aims to overthrow the regime.

Anakin Skywalker, standing on the side of the Jedi Order, begins to understand that it is the law that holds power in the name of democracy. Exorbitant ambition to mix it with a sincere desire to help, who becomes Darth Vader to save people from disaster.

Inspiration from George Lucas

As for the original saga, George Lucas was primarily inspired by Frank Herbert's novel Dune and science fiction comic valerian (both were released in the 60s of the twentieth century). Great importance and influence also came from the writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, who wrote the famous epic novel The Lord of the Rings and samurai films (such as those directed by Akira Kurosawa). Don't know where to read comics about Star Wars? On our online comics website you can read Star Wars comics in Russian for free and without registration!

Cultural influence

There are many fan communities around the world. There is a large audience in the United States and Great Britain. In the United States, mass fan gatherings often take place, including costume festivals and parades of the 501st Legion (an international fan association whose goal is to gather dressed as stormtroopers, Darth Vader, and other antagonists). In the UK, 300,000 fans have declared a desire for the concept of the Force to be recognized as the basis of their religion.

Movies

A Star Wars Christmas Episode (1978) is a non-canon TV movie and Christmas special.
Caravan of Courage Ewok Adventure (1984) is a TV movie set between episodes five and six.
Ewoka: The Battle for Endor (1985) is the sequel to Caravan of Courage.
The Great Heep (1986) - A special episode prior to the animated series Star Wars: Droids.
Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick (2005) - animated short film, based on Episode III.
Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 (2009) is a parody based on Episode II.
Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace (2011) is a comedy special based on the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012) - Comedy special based on the original trilogy.
Rebel One. Star Wars. History (2016) - the expected prequel to the sixth episode.
Untitled Gana Solo movie (2018).
Untitled Boba Fet film (2020).

TV serials

Star Wars: Droids (1985) is an animated series based on the adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO between the events of Episode III and Episode IV.
Star Wars: Ewok (1985) is an animated series about the adventures of the Ewok creatures several years before the events of Episode VI.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2003-2005) is an animated miniseries set between Episode II and Episode III.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2013) - animated series.
Star Wars Rebels (2014) is an animated miniseries set between the events of Episode III and Episode IV.
Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles (2013) is an animated comedy mini-series.
Star Wars Lego Droid Tales (2015) - animated comedy mini-series.

The legendary saga in a unique collection of books " Star Wars. Official Comics Collection" Publishing house DeAgostini.

Beyond the films that birthed the Star Wars legend, the power of the saga has lived on in other forms of art for decades, illuminating the history of the universe. Comic books have always played a leading role in the development of the history of the universe: since 1977, after the premiere of A New Hope, when the first Star Wars comics appeared, many works have been created with exciting stories.

Collection

In the world of comics, Star Wars characters appeared back in 1977, when Marvel released the first book. Since then, the events of the famous film have been supplemented by other stories, characters and situations that fans of the space saga have never seen on screen. Best comics about Star Wars are collected in this exclusive collection of books.
Where did the Force come from? How did the Dark Side come about? Who created the Jedi Order? What happened during the Clone Wars? What happened to Luke, Han Solo and Leia after the Emperor died? You will find answers to these and many other questions in the books in the collection!

When George Lucas allowed other authors to develop the story of the Star Wars universe, he could not imagine the scale of it. creative potential, which was shown by few, but very famous people in the field of comics. Comics are the perfect, flexible visual medium for bringing the saga to life: writers like Kevin J. Anderson, Randy Stradley or John Ostrander; Illustrators such as Jen Duursema, Rick Leonardi or Fred Blanchard have been able to create stories and characters that will remain in the memory for a long time.

The most complete collection of comics about the Star Wars universe, contains the best stories created over more than 40 years of the legendary Space Saga - from the first graphic novels published in 1977 to the comics of recent years.
The collection consists of graphic novels united in a series that allow you to go on exciting adventures with the heroes of the saga.
Additional materials at the end of each book: information about the authors and the history of comics, original covers, chronologies key events Star Wars, character portraits, information about spaceships and planets.

Star Wars comics first appeared back in 1977, when Marvel published the first book. Since then, the events of the legendary cinematic universe have been constantly updated on the pages of comics, and now the De Agostini publishing house is releasing in Russian a complete official collection of comics based on the famous space saga. And we already know what will be included in it.

When Disney bought the rights to the Star Wars universe in 2014 and rebooted the canon, many longtime fans were unhappy with the decision. The reasons were obvious - the new bosses were erasing not only the bad stories from the old canon (now known as Legends), but also many of the good ones. For the most part, this concerned books and just comics. And although several years have passed since then, and the new canon has been replenished with a number of successful works, many still continue to be interested in the old stories.

And now there is a good reason to go back to 1977, when the rights to publish comics based on the Star Wars universe belonged to the same Marvel, but it looked completely different.

Cover of the first issue of the complete Star Wars comic book collection. For the first time in Russian, in hardcover and with exclusive additional materials.

The company produced the main comics in the universe from 1977 to 1986 (“Ewoks” and “Droids” were published until 1987). During this period, the main series, Star Wars itself, accumulated 107 issues. Quite a good result, taking into account the fact that the franchise, although it has become extremely popular in cinema, has not yet acquired the scale that it has today. From a financial point of view, comics about a galaxy far, far away turned out to be very successful and helped improve the situation of the publishing house, which at that time was not in its best condition. According to editor Jim Schuter, who served from 1978 to 1987, “Star Wars single-handedly saved Marvel... and helped us stay afloat.”

The printing of comics was carried out, among other things, by the Marvel imprint - Star comics, whose products were aimed at a younger audience. By and large, they were responsible for the release of two series - “Ewoks” and “Droids”, both of which were based on the animated series of the same name and quickly fizzled out - only 14 issues of “Ewoks” were published (not counting special issues) and 8 “Droids” "

The main series opened with a novelization of “A New Hope,” which fit into the first six issues. Its author was screenwriter Roy Thomas, who later worked on other projects under the auspices of Marvel. Despite the fact that he was in the series for only 10 issues, his work turned out to be the most difficult and significant during that period, because it was he who had to fill the first gaps between George Lucas' films.

It is worth noting that the comic novelization of A New Hope included deleted moments and even characters from the original film.

For example, the way Luke sees the space battle from the beginning of the film from the surface of Tatooine. Or young Skywalker's friend Biggs Darklighter, who wants to join the Resistance. And since at the time of the comic’s release not everyone knew about this universe, one of the pages talked about the creators and production of the film.

Thomas used the space reserved for reader letters to talk about exactly how Marvel got the rights to this universe. A reasonable decision, taking into account the fact that at that time there was simply no one to write letters - the series did not yet have readers.

Interestingly, the original Howard Chaykin poster was used for the cover of the first issue, making a couple of legendary mistakes: Darth Vader was painted in green color, and Obi-Wan and Luke's swords suddenly turned red.

At the same time, the first issue of the series still remains in the top comics with the largest number reprints and updated versions. The point here, of course, is not about correcting any errors, but simply about the popularity of this issue.

After issue 6, the story completely stepped beyond the boundaries of cinema and began to tell its own stories. The first thing the reader was told was not the state of the Resistance after the Death Star explosion - instead, the story focused on the adventures of Han Solo and Chewbacca, who fought against space pirates and monsters. By the way, some characters who appeared in old Marvel stories were a little reminiscent of heroes from the new canon. The difference is that if now in the Star Wars line it is customary to write more or less mundane heroes (within the universe, of course), then in 1977 no one even thought about such trifles, and the authors could have a blast.

For example, the librarian Hess Corrin from the planet Obroa-skai, whom Han and Chewie meet, may remind a little of the explorer Lor San Tekka from the new canon. But unlike the latter, Hess, although interested in the Force and the Jedi, does not continue to explore the galaxy, but gradually “goes crazy” and begins to imagine himself as a Jedi knight nicknamed Don-Wai Kihotay. I think, obviously, an allusion to what literary hero there was this character.

And it was precisely this mixture of canonical elements of the universe, mixed with a sense of fun madness and adventure, that made those stories special. Around the corner, anything could be waiting for you - literally, because this was a galaxy of unlimited potential.

Starting with issue 11, the story was helmed by legendary screenwriter Archie Goodwin, familiar to many comic book fans, including through his work on Star Wars. During his time there were more than 30 issues of the main series, and in addition, it was he who wrote the comic adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The events of “Empire” began in the 39th issue of the series and were tightly integrated into what was happening, but the adaptation of “Return” was published separately and was not included in the main thread.

The Goodwin era featured tighter connections between different events than subsequent stories, especially in the post-Endor period, which began with issue 81. The overall core of the story told of the heroes' constant clashes with the Empire, brought them back to places from the films, and simply boasted a great atmosphere space adventure. One moment the characters could be exchanging fire with stormtroopers, and the next they could find themselves on the Wheel space station, where Chewbacca had to fight in the gladiatorial arena. Some plots, like the characters, also resembled the stories of the new canon - for example, Vader's search for the name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star.

Big question regarding the universe, many readers arose after the plot had passed the sixth episode, and the Empire was defeated. There were no plans for new films at that time, which means that books and comics were to become the main source of knowledge about the events of the universe. The situation in the galaxy was outlined as follows: the Empire was still present in the form of military units and governors on different planets, and in order to finally crush the remnants of the military machine, the main characters of the saga decided to create the Alliance of Free Planets.

At first, the post-Endor stories themselves focused on individual plots in which heroes traveled to different planets in search of allies. At the same time, as has been said more than once, creative energy could create absolutely different stories. These issues had a rather interesting side arc about Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma - how they decided to take the reins of the Resistance for themselves, since they could not always count on the legendary trinity. There was an interesting idea in this story: Luke, Leia and Han were excellent heroes, bright personalities, but they were completely unsuitable as managers. That is why they were sent on missions to gather “allies.”

At the same time, such political games could easily be interrupted by a story about the Ewoks’ war with their neighbors or an extremely surreal plot in which Luke found a machine capable of destroying the entire galaxy. With time, common line The plot began to line up more smoothly, telling how the Empire united with the aliens of the Nagai race, invading the Galaxy again - it was this long turn that completed the main series.

After 1986, the license to publish comics in the universe went to Dark Horse, which often produced drawn stories based on licenses from films, TV series, games and literary works. Then the rules and the last restrictions on the universe collapsed completely, allowing the authors to go into completely different corners and periods of the galaxy.

However, subsequent comics practically did not have that feature that is inherent in more early stories- feelings of a bright adventure that can give the reader absolutely crazy emotions. This rare quality and flavor of those times was preserved in the “Golden Age” of superhero comics and in the first stories of the classic “Star Wars”.

And now the classic is back in fashion thanks to DeAgostini, which will release the entire series, starting with the novelization of A New Hope. Moreover, the collection will also include comics about Ewoks and Droids, as well as individual issues from old stories. Everything is the same as in the original editions, but also in hard cover!

In other words, we are waiting for a complete collection of classics, which many readers in Russia will become acquainted with for the first time. Of course, it will not be limited only to the early Marvel era - it will also include comics from the Dark Horse period, which we will talk about in more detail in our next article.