Marvel's 'Star Wars' Comics Run Is Coming To An End This Fall, But Probably Not For Good
Marvel Comics has had an impressive run of Star Wars comics since taking over the franchise. In fact, the first issue of the new series is the only comic book title in this century to sell over a million copies. But after 75 issues, the Star Wars comics from Marvel are coming to an end.
In the recent solicitations for the comics coming in November, the final issue of Star Wars comics is teased, and Marvel has confirmed that issue #75 will indeed be the end of the series and not just the end of the current story arc unfolding in the series. But is this really the end, or is it just an opportunity for Marvel Comics to relaunch Star Wars comics with a new debut issue, as they've been known to do with all their other properties?
io9 has confirmed that Marvel Comics will have the Star Wars comics ending this fall, and here's the solicitation for it:
Star Wars #75
With the forthcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker later this year, it seems like a weird time to end the primary run of Star Wars comics. Granted, there are still plenty of other Star Wars comics that will still be ongoing, including tie-ins to the new movie, the upcoming Jedi: Fallen Order video game, and spin-offs focusing on characters like Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra. That makes us think Marvel is merely preparing for a relaunch to change the trajectory of the main Star Wars comic series.
For those who aren't comic book regulars, this is something that Marvel and other comic publishers have frequently done to drum up new interest in a series. The publisher creates a "new" series with a #1 issue launch in order to draw in new readers who want to jump in from the very beginning. In the case of Star Wars, this likely means the story will pick up at a different part of the saga's timeline, especially since all the new comics are regarded as canon.
So far, the Star Wars comics from Marvel, which began in 2015 before the release of The Force Awakens, have focused on the gap of time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, revealing what Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa have been up to with the Rebel Alliance since destroying the first Death Star. Recent issues have had the Rebels looking for a new base, likely leading up to their discovery of the base on Hoth. So it would stand to reason that a relaunch could shift the action to take place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Or maybe they'll jump even further and fill in the gap between the old trilogy and the new trilogy.
The last issue of Star Wars arrives in November, and we'll let you know when we learn more.