After Disney blew up the Star Wars Expanded Universe, disintegrating the countless contributions to the franchise made by numerous writers and artists, it left a gaping hole in the hearts of fans everywhere. Along with Star Wars Rebels, Marvel’s comic book lines have helped to heal that wound and paint in the corners of the galaxy as we await the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December.
The four series (Star Wars, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Kanan: The Last Padawan) have offered a fresh take on the galaxy and the characters we love while seamlessly introducing new aspects to the franchise (although not without some controversy). Each series stands out on its own, whether it’s the dread-laden, horror-film atmosphere of Darth Vader or the splashy, storybook look of Princess Leia.
The writers behind the series have also juggled the somewhat tangled timelines well, with the new plots and characters locking in perfectly with the existing canon. Kanan takes place during Episode III, following the immediate aftermath of Order 66. Princess Leia kicks off immediately after the final scene of A New Hope. Meanwhile, Star Wars and Darth Vader run concurrently, with the two plot threads dovetailing occasionally.
Aside from a few bumps and hiccups (giant space whales?), the comics have been an unqualified success. With two of the lines, Princess Leia and Darth Vader, returning this week after Marvel took a sabbatical from the universe, let’s take a look at the most important new canon characters introduced in the comics.
WARNING: This post contains spoilers for the Marvel Star Wars comics.
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