When Disney bought out Lucasfilm in 2014, that brought future “Star Wars” comics under the Marvel publishing umbrella. (Previously, Dark Horse had been the primary home of comics set in the galaxy far, far away.)
Longtime “Star Wars” fans had early reservations about new stories supplanting the old expanded universe (“Star Wars: Legends”). But the Marvel “Star Wars” comics have seen some solid hits. Kieron Gillen/Salvador Larocca’s “Darth Vader” run is especially beloved, and comics were a key part of the High Republic publishing initiative.
The latest Marvel “Star Wars” ongoing comic is “Jedi Knights.” Set before “The Phantom Menace,” this series will focus on the supporting Jedi characters from the prequel trilogy, ala “The Clone Wars” cartoons. The comic is an anthology, with each issue showing a different Jedi adventure.
The first issues at least will be written by Marc Guggenheim and drawn by Madibek Musabekov — Marvel has shared an exclusive first look at the “Jedi Knights” debut issue with /Film. The issue synopsis reads:Â
“FIRST ISSUE IN THE PREQUEL ERA! It begins here: MARVEL’S first series focusing on the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy: THE JEDI KNIGHTS! Featuring your favorite JEDI like QUI-GON JINN, OBI-WAN KENOBI, YODA, and MACE WINDU alongside BRAND-NEW JEDI sure to become fan favorites! And who is the mysterious new villain targeting Qui-Gon Jinn?”
The issue’s wraparound cover, drawn by the artist known as Rahzzah, depicts every Jedi character from the prequels worth remembering:
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See the early adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Jedi Knights
“Star Wars: Jedi Knight” #1 opens with a recap page, written in the style of the text crawls in the “Star Wars” films. Note the opening line describing this era as, “a time of relative contentment,” compared to the “It is a period of civil war” in the opening of “Star Wars.”
For all the readers who’ve spent the last 50 years in a far away galaxy themselves, the recap explains who the Jedi Knights are. This time, Chancellor Valorum (played by Terrence Stamp in “The Phantom Menace”) has sent these peaceful and just guardians to stop a war between planets Vekura and Syrinx Prime.
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The opening splash page shows the Jedi fighting Vekuran invaders on Syrinx. It’s mostly familiar faces: Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, and a still-apprenticed Obi-Wan Kenobi. There is one new character: a female Jedi named Vetna Mooncrest, described as “headstrong and fierce.”
On Vekura itself, Qui-Gon is attempting to broker a ceasefire deal with another Jedi, Berem Khana. As the general Lafco refuses to withdraw his forces, Berem attempts a Jedi mind trick that Lafco easily defuses. With negotiation and mind control out, how will the Jedi resolve this crisis?
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Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
“Star Wars: Jedi Knights” #1 is scheduled for print and digital publication on March 5, 2025.