15 Best Star Wars Comic Books You Don’t Want to Miss Out On

After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the entire canon storyline of Star Wars changed. That’s because new stories were introduced into the timeline, as Disney disregarded the old books and comic books by calling them “Legends.” In that regard, comic books have been hitting the bookshelves since the Disney acquisition to fill in the gaps between the different movies and shows we have.

Of course, some of these comic books expand on the stories of the different characters of Star Wars, especially those whose backstories were never really fleshed out in the movies and shows. However, some of the comic books also introduced new characters that were able to contribute to the flow of the canon storyline of Star Wars. So, if you want to expand your knowledge of Star Wars, we have a good list of canon comic books that should allow you to learn more about the events happening in this galaxy.

15. ‘Kanan: The Last Padawan’

One of the most controversial Star Wars comic books released in recent memory is ‘Kanan: The Last Padawan’ because fans weren’t exactly fond of the plot holes it created. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important comic books to understand more about Kanan Jarrus and his storyline before making his in-universe debut in ‘Star Wars: Rebels.’

As mentioned, Kanan made his first appearance in ‘Rebels,’ where he was one of the leaders of the Spectres or the crew of the Ghost. But we know he was once a Jedi Padawan that learned under Jedi Master Depa Billaba before Order 66. He survived the events of Order 66 and went into hiding after changing his name from Caleb Dume to Kanan Jarrus. And we did see part of this story getting rewritten in one of the episodes of ‘The Bad Batch,’ where we saw how Caleb escaped Order 66.

14. ‘Vader Down’

‘Vader Down’ is not a comic book series but a major comic book crossover that Marvel Comics released. This is a multi-issue comic book crossover arc that focuses on how the Rebels are now looking to kill Vader and deal a heavy blow to the leadership of the Empire. What happened was that the Rebels were successful at shooting him down on a remote planet.

However, Vader survived and killed many more people in the comic book storyline. An entire legion of Rebels couldn’t stop him as he nearly ended up getting his hands on the main leaders of the Rebels. This storyline also allowed us to see the first meeting between Han Solo and Doctor Aphra, whom we will discuss later.

13. ‘Star Wars: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith’

Fans of Darth Vader should pick this comic book series up as it expands the story of Vader himself. In ‘Star Wars: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith,’ we get to see more of the things that happened in the Sith Lord’s life during the in-between periods of the mainline Star Wars movies. Of course, the series also talks about his early beginnings as a Sith Lord and after the rise of the Empire.

The comic book series shows how Darth Vader got his legendary red lightsaber and rose to power as one of the most powerful men in the Empire. Of course, the comic book series also includes several scenes of Vader hunting down some of the remaining Jedi that survived the events of Order 66, including Jocasta Nu. In that regard, this is a compelling comic book series that seeks to let fans know what kind of man Darth Vader truly was.

12. ‘Star Wars: Princess Leia’

One of the most popular characters in the history of Star Wars is Princess Leia Organa, one of Anakin Skywalker’s twin children. As such, it is only right that she has a comic book series dedicated to her character, as this storyline is one of the best at telling her story and how she was as true a leader as anyone can be.

Set after the events of ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,’ this comic book series tells the story of how Leia organized an operation to rescue all of the different survivors of Alderaan scattered throughout the entire galaxy. The Empire was hunting the Alderaanians down to ensure that none survived after their planet’s destruction. As such, it is now up to Leia to find a way to make sure that her people find a new home under the care of the Rebels.

11. ‘Star Wars: Showdown On The Smuggler’s Moon’

The ‘Star Wars’ comic book title was the flagship comic book of Marvel Comics during the earlier part of Disney’s ownership over Lucasfilm. In that regard, Marvel revisited some of the most iconic characters of Star Wars while introducing some of their own. And ‘Showdown on the Smuggler’s Moon’ became one of the most successful storylines in this comic book line.

This comic book introduced Sana Starros, who claimed to be the former wife of Han Solo. However, it was revealed that their marriage was just a ruse for one of the heists they had worked on. Of course, there were a lot of different stories that were told in this comic book. But the relationship between Han and Sana is one of the highlights that fans could never forget.

10. ‘Bounty Hunters’

Ever since he was introduced in the original Star Wars trilogy, Boba Fett became a legend in his own right, even though he didn’t appear in many different scenes. Nevertheless, his legend grew even bigger as he got his Disney+ series. And ‘Bounty Hunters’ is a comic book series that taught us more about the mysterious and enigmatic bounty hunter.

This comic book series is set between the events of ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.’ It discusses Boba’s journey after acquiring Han Solo from Darth Vader on Bespin. On top of that, the other bounty hunters were also included in this storyline, as the likes of Bossk and Beilert Valance were featured in this comic book.

9. ‘The High Republic: There Is No Fear’

The High Republic era of Star Wars was one of the eras that Disney explored through different forms of literature. While the novels told the High Republic story in greater detail, there were also comic books that allowed us to learn more about this period of prosperity in the history of the Republic.

In ‘There Is No Fear,’ we get to meet a host of new characters that lived during the time of the High Republic and were great Jedi in their own right. Of course, they also meet a deadly new enemy that continuously appeared during the High Republic era. But this comic book focuses more on a Jedi Padawan trying to complete her training in the middle of all the galaxy’s chaos.

8. ‘Star Wars Adventures Omnibus: Vol. 1’

‘Star Wars Adventures Omnibus: Vol. 1’ is one of the most enjoyable comic book storylines. Published by IDW Publishing, this comic book is so enjoyable that even kids can read it. This comic book focuses on many different characters that kids will surely love, as it includes characters like Luke and Rey while jumping from one timeline to another.

Vol. 1 of this omnibus includes issues 0 to 11 of the series, which means that it has a lot of different stories to tell regarding some of the most important characters in the storyline of Star Wars. And the best part about this comic book series is that it is one of the best for getting younger audiences hooked on Star Wars comics.

7. ‘The High Republic Adventures’

As mentioned, Disney returned hundreds of years to create stories focused on the High Republic era of Star Wars. In that regard, there were a lot of different excellent comic book series released during this run, as ‘The High Republic Adventures’ by IDW Publishing stands as one of the better High Republic comic books released.

As an all-ages comic book, ‘The High Republic Adventures’ should be entertaining for many people, including kids. The story focuses on a group of Padawans that are on an adventure with Yoda during the time of the Great Disaster. In that regard, their worlds are changed forever as they now need to find a way to survive in the middle of one of the biggest events during the era of the High Republic.

6. ‘Poe Dameron’

As one of the main characters of the sequel trilogy of Star Wars, Poe Dameron deserves his own story, and that’s why there is a comic book series entitled ‘Poe Dameron,’ which focuses on his journey as a member of the Resistance.

Written by the talented Charles Soule, ‘Poe Dameron’ is a well-loved comic book series that has been around since 2016 and was able to explore more on Poe’s story after he made his canon debut in 2015’s ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens’ as the best pilot in all of the Resistance. And the comic book also introduces the Black Squadron.

What makes this comic book so intriguing is that it allowed us to see a more interesting time in the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order, as there weren’t a lot of different battles. Instead, the conflict was more like a cold war that showcased how both sides hated each other but not to the point that they went to war. As a standalone series, it is a very entertaining comic book that has hooked fans, especially in its follow-up storyline, ‘Resistance Reborn.’ It is best to read this book with the ‘Aftermath’ trilogy.

5. ‘Jedi Fallen Order: Dark Temple’

‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’ is one of the most popular Star Wars video games ever, especially because it introduced a new Order 66 survivor in the form of Cal Kestis. However, the video game series also explored other characters, including Cere Junda and Eno Cordova. And ‘Dark Temple’ is a storyline that should tie to the famous video game if you want to learn more about the characters.

The story of ‘Dark Temple’ focuses more on Cere Junda, who we met in ‘Fallen Order.’ She was still a Padawan in this comic book and worked alongside her master, Eno Cordova. The story continues to her days as an impulsive Jedi Knight. It ends right before she eventually shuts herself off from the Force when her own Padawan, Trilla, becomes an Inquisitor when she falls to the dark side.

4. ‘Galaxy’s Edge’

Mainly created to promote the Galaxy’s Edge theme park in the Disneyland parks found all over America, the ‘Galaxy’s Edge’ comic book storyline was one way that fans could learn more about this Disneyland attraction. The comic book allows fans to journey through the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu.

Created by writer Ethan Sacks and artist Will Sliney, this comic book series focuses on the scum and villains of the Outer Rims of the galaxy. As such, it allows fans to learn more about those who operate well outside of the Rebels, Resistance, First Order, and Empire. And the comic book series is also a good way for fans to know more about the Galaxy’s Edge theme park before visiting it. 

3. ‘The High Republic: Trail of Shadows’

The last High Republic comic book that we have on this list is ‘The High Republic: Trail of Shadows,’ which is part of Phase One of the High Republic storyline and is the comic that acts as the bridge between ‘The Rising Storm’ and ‘The Fallen Star,’ which are both popular High Republic novels. Created by Daniel José Older, this is more of a noir mystery comic book that allows us to see the unlikely pair between the Jedi named Emerick Caphtor and a private investigator named Sian Holt.

Unlike all of the other High Republic comic books on this list, ‘Trail of Shadows’ seems more adult-oriented because it can be quite serious compared to the other storylines. It is five issues long and is connected to the novels directly. And that’s why some fans recommend reading this comic book series if you want to understand some of the events happening in the books, especially because it covers events that are important in the grander scheme of things in the High Republic era.

2. ‘Doctor Aphra’

The original Doctor Aphra comic book series was released in 2016. So, if you haven’t read that one, it might be best to read it before diving deep into this ‘Doctor Aphra’ comic book series released in 2020. Nevertheless, this is still a good comic book you can read regardless of whether or not you read the original series. It is just easier for you to understand Aphra’s character if you read the 2016 comic book.

Set after the events of ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ ‘Doctor Aphra’ is one of the best for building a strong supporting cast, as this series allows us to see more of the people that Aphra works with. There is better individuality in this series as the characters are all well-developed because Aphra’s character was already developed well enough in the original series. In that regard, it should be a comic book that will allow you to learn more about Doctor Aphra and the different adventures she goes through regularly.

1. ‘Vader: Dark Visions’

The last book on this list is ‘Vader: Dark Visions,’ another comic book exploring Darth Vader’s storyline as a character. It is also one of the best comic books Marvel Comics has released regarding the Star Wars universe. And ‘Dark Visions’ is one of the books that should allow fans to understand just how deep of a character Darth Vader is.

The storyline of ‘Dark Visions’ paints Vader as a character that the Empire sees as a hero instead of as a dark figure that strikes fear into the hearts of the different people living in the galaxy. In that regard, we get to see the other side of the coin here as not all things are black and white in Star Wars, even though Vader is clad in all-black. And it is an alternate take on the character that was executed well in this comic book series, especially when you relate just how some people in real life can view fascist governments as heroes in their eyes, especially when they benefit from them.

What is your favorite Star Wars comic? Let us know in the comments!

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