This December we will see the first ever Star Wars movie that isn’t about a character named Skywalker. Star Wars: Rogue One is the first in what is expected to be a very long line of spin-off films that deal with parts of that galaxy far, far, away that we’ve never seen before. Because the film is so unique, interest in it is very high. Now it looks like we may not have to wait until December to get a peek into Rogue One as Lucasfilm’s cousins over at Marvel Comics will publish a prequel series in October that will lead into the movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the three issue mini-series was announced by Marvel at an industry event as part of Chicago’s C2E2 convention over the weekend. Marvel’s planned run will contain four total books. There will be a three-issue series that will begin publishing in October, followed by a one-off book that will follow at an undisclosed later date. We don't have any details regarding who will be handling the creative side, as far as writers or artists.
Say what you will about the fact that Disney, at this point, owns nearly everything that ever mattered to your childhood, but it does make it easier when they’re looking to do some cross-media promotion of their various projects. The Star Wars: Rogue One comics are just the latest in a series of Star Wars related titles that are a major part of creating a "new expanded universe" over at Marvel, to replace the one that Disney disavowed after it purchased Lucasfilm. There was also a prequel comic series which preceded Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and a new series following Poe Dameron is expected to launch next month.
As Star Wars: Rogue One takes place immediately preceding the original Star Wars, and the new comics are set to take place immediately preceding that, these two will fill in much more of the currently existing gap between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope. So little is known about the plot of Rogue One at this point that it’s difficult to guess what issues the comic may deal with as opposed to the film. It could be an entirely separate adventure, meant only to introduce us to the characters that we’ll be following in the movie. Or, it could deal more directly with the Death Star itself.
Will you be picking up these comics when they hit starting in October? What do you think of Marvel’s recent work in the Star Wars universe? Let us know if we should be hitting our local comic shop in the comments below. Star Wars: Rogue One hits theaters on December 16.
