FORMAT: TRADE PAPERBACK | RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 10TH

When Marvel announced they were resetting the numbering of their Star Wars series back to #1 less than five years after relaunching with their million-selling return to the franchise, many fans understandably asked “Why?” Indeed, as this new era delves into the post-The Empire Strikes Back narrative, surely using that title would have made more sense? Perhaps, but these are mere details as we tackle head-on the aftermath of the greatest of all sequels, writer Charles Soule wasting no time in taking us back to familiar locations.

Within the first four issues we have already travelled to Tatooine with Lando as he hunts for clues regarding coffee table Han Solo’s whereabouts, while Luke zips back to Bespin to search of his lost lightsabre. It’s an odd decision – arriving on Tatooine in Return of the Jedi always felt like the final stop on a long, circuitous galactic journey, while returning to Bespin so quickly feels off somehow, despite our heroes all having valid reasons to be there. So it’s when Luke’s search eventually leads him to the world of Serelia following a vision where the real ‘beyond the movie’ story starts, as we head away from the familiar and into new worlds and situations.

The art from Jesus Saiz is crisp and solid, and Soule has consistently proven he knows these characters well, so Marvel’s flagship Star Wars title is certainly still one to keep up with.