Star wars comics to read. Star Wars Comics You Should Read Before Going to the Movies

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I don’t think anyone needs to explain what comics are. An incredibly popular American game that embodies any more or less popular world. Star Wars was no exception: comics, along with books and games, have been shaping the Expanded Universe for several decades. The topics of comics are varied: essays about the lives of beloved heroes and adaptations of famous books, tales of the knights of the Old Republic and the history of the distant future. There have been cases where characters and ideas from comic books have been transferred to the screen and found new life in Star Wars movie episodes...

The popularity of comics in Russia is still gaining momentum. Alas, graphic stories based on Star Wars did not receive due attention from our publishers, and only a few were published in Russian. Today we will talk about the thorny path of comics into the open arms of the Russian-speaking fandom.

Comics were at the origins of the entire Star Wars universe. Just two months after the premiere of A New Hope, the Marvel publishing house released the first comic book adaptation of the adventures of Luke Skywalker, after which Star Wars comics hit the shelves in an inexhaustible stream. However, now Star Wars fans look at those old creations with a grin: children's plots, clumsy graphics and many inconsistencies with the films have led to the fact that Marvel comics have long ceased to be considered components canonical universe.

In the 90s, the publishing house Dark Horse, having decided to revive the Star Wars comics industry, took a completely different approach. Both seasoned writers (Michael Stackpole, Steve Perry) and well-established “narrow specialists” in comics (John Ostrander, Hayden Blackman, John Jackson Miller) are invited to play the role of screenwriters. The quality of drawing is also noticeably improving (especially with the appearance of such people as Edwin Bukovic, Doug Whitley and the queen of all Star Wars artists Jen Duursema in the publishing house). As a result, from the pen and brush of this whole fraternity come not only naive adventure opuses, but also quite serious, self-sufficient and (most importantly) significant for the Star Wars universe of history. The popularity of Star Wars comics from Dark Horse has not faded for two decades.

What do we have? Here is a brief chronology of the release of Star Wars comics from the printing press of domestic publishers. The chronology is really brief: in each case, publishers’ interest in the Star Wars universe was extremely short-lived.

1994 - in the publishing house " Style“A kind of homemade project is coming out: a 16-page comic retelling of the plot of “A New Hope”, made through the efforts of its own screenwriter and artist. An incredible rarity these days.

• 1997 - the first registered attempt to localize Star Wars comics. Publishing house " Swallowtail” releases “A New Hope” in four parts and the first part of “Empire,” but the process stalls there.

• 2002 – Kiev publishing house “ Compass publishing” ambitiously announces the upcoming release of comics based on Episodes 1 and 2, as well as several independent series like Jedi Quest and Darth Maul, but everything is limited to the release of only The Phantom Menace.

• 2004-2005 - the most famous and long-running project for the release of printed Star Wars comics. Publishing house " Prime Eurosign” presented four volumes to fans: “The Phantom Menace”, “Attack of the Clones”, “Episode 1: Adventures” and “Dark Empire”, as well as a collection of manga based on “Return of the Jedi”. The project was closed shortly after the release of Episode 3: it seems that the publisher felt that interest in the franchise should quickly dry up.

As you can see, the fate of all projects turned out to be approximately similar. But what usually happens when official companies stop providing the fandom with a show for which there is still great demand? That's right, fandom is starting to support itself. This is how Internet projects for translating comics, which are still popular to this day, appeared.

The first known attempt to localize Star Wars comics using improvised means took place in 2004. Through the efforts of comrades Grand Admiral Thrawn And Ricky Krain Online " Imperial Bastion» Russian-language versions of several comics about the adventures of brave imperial soldiers are published. The first pancake did not come out at all lumpy: judging by the results, the work on the comics was carried out with passion and love, even if the lack of serious translation and graphic layout skills is striking. However, any hobby tends to pass, and the comrades did not find any active followers. The project, unfortunately, remained a one-day project.

In 2005, an Internet portal was opened Star Wars Timeline– a large-scale archive of scans of English-language Star Wars comics. For many fans who know the language, this has become a huge help: interest in comics is growing in the fandom. After some time, translation of comics into Russian will also start on the portal. However, the implementation of this process turned out to be very original and, to put it mildly, not controversial: the comics were laid out page by page (and not as an entire archive), and the Russian text was not drawn into the balloons on top of the original; instead, when you hover the cursor over a “cloud” with English text, a mini-window with Russian text appears. This approach, of course, had its advantages, but in reality there were more disadvantages: the text format of the translation was visually inferior to the graphic one, and it was only available online. The online translation project (due to lack of reader attention) was closed.

In the summer of 2006, a team of St. Petersburg enthusiasts launched the first serious project on graphic translation of comics - “ Diary of the Whills" Already the first results of their activities were attractive with bright graphics and the opportunity to see in Russian the main novelties of the foreign comics industry. One of its founders and leading translators will tell you in detail about the life of this project. Sithoid.

Tell us how the comic book translation project started for you.

S.: I’ve always had the idea of ​​translating Star Wars comics – I remember, even before the premiere of Episode III, I tried to redraw “Obsession” in Comic Sans font. So when Peter Great started translating Issue 0 of Legacy and asked me to do a couple of pages, I happily pitched in. This, one might say, was the last project of the St. Petersburg Star Wars Fan Club - around the same time, regular meetings ceased, and soon only a group of translators remained from the club. The zero issue was translated at an accelerated pace and literally by the entire team, and then gradually the responsibilities were divided. Issue after issue, series after series - and so it went.

What was the most difficult part of the process?

S.: I participated in the project as a translator and editor, but for some reason it seems to me that the hardest part was the layout - no matter how much we looked for a second layout designer, nothing came of it. In my work, difficulties began when I came across an unsuccessful translation - oddly enough, editing a clumsy text is much more difficult than translating it yourself from scratch. But the individual gems of the translators lifted the spirits of the entire team.

How many people worked on the team?

S.: At first we attracted everyone who at least somehow knew how to translate. As a rule, the translator made one issue, on the basis of which we decided whether to give him a whole series - that’s why there are so many different names in the first issues. Some translated worse, some better, some simply had little free time. So towards the end we had a clear core of four people - Peter, Rayla, Toss and I. Peter was the editor-in-chief and the only layout designer, so all issues went through him. This, by the way, was the main reason for our slow pace, and ultimately the closure of the project: everyone knew how to translate and edit, but only Peter could do typesetting. Therefore, even in the best of times, we released a maximum of 4 comics per month.

How were the comics selected? What comics do you like?
S.: From the very beginning, we focused on the most recent series - “Legacy”, “Uprising”, “Knights of the Old Republic”... Of these series, I liked “Legacy” the most, which combined the magnificent art of Jen Duursema with an exciting plot and in the light, colorful language of John Ostrander. Therefore, I took over the translation of “Legacy”, and in the remaining series I gradually took on the role of editor. As for the older comics, I always liked the Clone Wars series by the same authors, Quinlan Vos is still my favorite character. It was because of this that we took on the translation of “Republic”, but overestimated our strength - starting with the first, uninteresting issues, we would have gotten to the Clone Wars no earlier than two or three years later. The SWEU team turned out to be more resourceful - having started the series from the middle, they have already translated all the issues by now.

So, in total, The Diary of the Wills lasted a little less than a year and produced about three dozen comics. Gradually, the creativity of its creators dried up, and the project was closed. But a start had been made. A clear example has appeared: how to Russify comics in graphics, what to strive for and how to exceed this bar.

In January 2007 the project “ SWEU Comics” - at that time an inexperienced competitor of “The Diary”, and now - the largest localizer of Star Wars comics on the Internet (more than 100 issues have already been translated). Initially, the project was engaged in the graphic processing of old online translations from Timeline, and it included only two people: Gilad(i.e. me) as editor and Arey as a graphic designer (the latter was the one who suggested the idea collaboration above the first comic – “Obsession”). Slowly but surely the team grew: there were four full-time layout designers, and more than twenty translators worked through the project. Comics are translated into completely different eras, but the priority has always been the Clone Wars and the era of the Empire (the “Dark Times” series, “Darklighter”, etc.), as well as all kinds of humorous sketches. The quality bar gradually increased: the design team masterfully mastered the Photoshop technique, and the translators were relatively well trained in the specifics of working with comic texts. The SWEU project is alive and well and preparing translations of comics to this day.

After the demise of Diary of the Whills, SWEU was left as the only comic book localizer, but it didn't stay that way for long. Alone, the project could not carry all the popular series, and the soil turned out to be quite fertile. Thus, already in the summer of 2007, Russian-language comics were published on the site Yaga Minor: Sleipnir, Min And Quelle r translate the “Legacy” dropped by The Diary of the Wills. And in the spring of 2008, he opened his comic project and “ Guild of Archivists» the well-promoted Jedi Council portal: a large team of workers under the leadership of the editor-in-chief SNDP takes on the release of the Knights of the Old Republic series, as well as comics about the Empire and the early adventures of Quinlan Vos. The creative process in the “Guild” stood out for its innovations: translations were carried out with the help of a joint “ brainstorming"in Skype, and everything was subject to graphical Russification, including "sounds". However, subsequently it was decided to abandon both practices and switch to traditional methods. What definitely benefited the team: the quality of translations has increased, and the pace has noticeably accelerated.

There were a few other comic projects that (unlike the previous four) didn't last very long. One way or another, the potential reader slowly began to get confused in the whole variety of resources that dealt with the Russification of comics. The idea of ​​mass unification had been brewing for a long time, but all sorts of disagreements (where would we be without them?), as well as technical difficulties, did not allow it to be realized at once. Finally, in the summer of 2008, at the ninth StarCon, interested parties concluded a kind of “agreement” (sealed with a glass of beer), and already in September the United Project saw the light of day.

Portal SWComics– an extensive database containing all Star Wars comics (or links to them) ever published in Russian. The first sign of the project (as a seed) was the conceptual work The Force Unleashed - a 130-page comic based on the video game of the same name, on the Russification of which representatives of all major comics projects worked together. Comics from completely new teams can also be accepted into the database (of course, if they pass quality control).

Chief creative officer, administrator, engine of progress, and also responsible for the technical and graphic side of the combined project - Queller. Let's talk to him...

Why did you decide to get into comics?

Q.: At first I didn’t even know about the existence of comics based on the Star Wars universe... And when I found out, there were only a few of them in Russian. Therefore, what I managed to find, I began to translate and typeset, and in August 2005, a graphic translation of two comics “The Mutiny of Freedon Nadd” appeared on one modest website. It must be said that the translation was not the best, and the layout was even worse. But a start had been made, although the release of graphic translations was postponed for a long time. And when the SWEU website began publishing comics translated into graphics, I offered my help. Here, one might say, it all really began - the layout of comics for SWEU, then own projects, over time, the idea of ​​​​creating a united project for translating comics based on already existing teams appeared.

Well, that was the story. Let's return to the question "why". Because I like the universe, I like it in free time do something not only interesting, but also useful. Plus practice in mastering the language and Photoshop.

What is the most difficult and interesting thing about working on a website and layout of comics?

Q.: Difficulties exist in order to overcome them. The most difficult thing is to please everyone, but I assure you that we are working on it. Another difficulty is that everyone works with the same enthusiasm and in their free time, although there is a plus here - we try to do everything with high quality and with love. And the website is the next step in the development of our business. One thing is to carry out the translation, the other is to convey it to readers, so that they want to read it, so that people unfamiliar with the Star Wars universe find it and are also inspired. This means that the site itself must also be of high quality and interesting. Therefore, it contains not only translations, but also useful materials for translators, layout designers and simply comic book lovers.

What are the prospects for the SWComics project, and what should we expect in the future?

Q.: We have room to develop - there are still a lot of untranslated comics, and they continue to come out, so there will be something to do. Plus, other sections of the site will be developed. Now more and more people are joining the work on comics (which is good news), and I hope that this will continue. We are trying to create all the conveniences for this work and share our experience with those who have recently come to us. For this purpose, the site has a complete chronology of all comics, a table of creative plans (to coordinate the work of various teams), sections with instructions for translators and layout designers, with fonts and blanks, with covers cleared of text. Information for readers is slowly appearing: articles about the main characters, reviews and other materials.

The project is indeed developing very rapidly. With the parallel work of several teams at once, it is possible to publish up to ten full-fledged issues per month (and the total number of translated comics has already exceeded two hundred). Both old, classic series are being translated, as well as completely new ones, only recently launched by Dark Horse: The Old Republic (a prelude to the multiplayer game of the same name) and Star Wars Invasion (about the notorious Yuuzhan Vong invasion). The most popular ones have not been forgotten either. this moment series: “Knights of the Old Republic” and “Legacy”. Will it be possible to maintain the current pace, and what future awaits the United Project? Well... we'll wait and see.

“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 are actively discussing theories built by fans around the film, and also trying 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, they contain many details and hints 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 on his tail, and the skills of independent survival in the 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 was not 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 it might seem from the summary. In addition to meeting beloved characters, it sheds light on the economic situation in the Empire, which requires more and more resources to create a weapon of terror. 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 become concerned about the fate of her 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 of the basic elements of the image is sufficient. 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 her sensitivity to the Force helps her anticipate and feel better 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 maybe Leia will also owe her successful military career 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. Taking 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 stream of missions to destroy military targets, copying all possible elements of the Original Trilogy, would have become boring by the third arc, and Jason Aaron would not have been himself if he had gone down this road.

On the contrary, having finished with the pleasant foreplay and hooking 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 powerful argument in favor of reading these comics, the authors little by little add important details to the overall 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 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.

By juggling completely different elements of 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 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 there are numerous theories about his transition to the Dark Side in Once again are being questioned.

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 - Time for a Mutiny (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 major 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 depicted 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:

1. "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, souvenir products and etc.
2. The Star Wars Universe (SWU) is a collection of all data and documentation on the subject of Star Wars, which was published under an official license, containing biographies of 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 the epic, and secondary works, later partially became components of the G-canon.
• N-canon is not canonical at all, describing alternative or proven false events by Lucasfilm.
• The D-canon is formed by humorous works based on 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 of 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 covered 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 abilities.
The Light Side and the Dark Side, around which much of Star Wars revolves. 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

1. 1977 - Star Wars. Episode IV. New Hope / Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
2. 1980 - Star Wars. Episode V. The Empire Strikes Back / Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
3. 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 calls 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 at this time was an old recluse under the alias 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 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, the Force ghost Obi-Wan informs Luke that he must confront his father Darth one more time before he can become a Jedi, and that the Princess Leia they are trying to find is his twin sister.

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 at the 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

1. 1999 - Star Wars. Episode I: The Phantom Menace / Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
2. 2002 - Star Wars: Episode II. Attack of the Clones / Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
3. 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 of his fortune and was reluctant to return to Star Wars, and unofficially canceled production on 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, 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 the original film. The Sith Lord Darth Sirius secretly planned the blockade to dissuade 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, instead of helping the Queen of Naboo, the two Jedi are forced to break out of the blockade and plead with her before the Republic Senate on Coruscant. 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

1. 2015 - Star Wars. Episode VII. The Force Awakens / Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2. 2017 - Star Wars. Episode VIII / Star Wars: Episode VIII
3. 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 a small effort backed by the Republic and led by the former Princess of Alderaan, General Leia, 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 comes 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 despised slave from childhood, he never had a father, and soon he was separated from his mother, the subsequent tragic death could not stop him. 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 him in order to satisfy their own desires and possession of omnipotence, which turns out to be illusory.

Good and Evil in Star Wars are clearly presented, but that doesn't mean the world is black and white, even the Jedi (including Yoda) have their weak sides. Even Vader is not very bad, he is an ordinary person who has evil spells.

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 inspired primarily by Frank Herbert's novel Dune and the science fiction comic Valerian (both released in the 1960s). 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) is an 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.