In the decade-plus since the Disney acquisition, and the canon reboot,Star Warshas been set on a new path, both on screen and in the franchise’s Extended Universe, which comic books play a major role in. While Marvel has told plenty of great stories in the medium of comics during this period, something wonderful about the original continutiy has been lost – and I desperately miss it.
In a post-Disney acquisition world, the one thing I really miss fromolderStar Warscomicsisthe feeling that these books were telling the ‘future’ of Star Wars. With the pre-acquisitionLegendscanon now a relic of the past, it is worth talking about how the very structure of the franchise has become quite different.
Now, that there areStar Warsmovies and TV shows in development constantly; the comics can only ever do so much, and aren’t ever going to go beyond the scope of these larger projects.
I Miss When Star Wars Comics Could Be The Future Of The Franchise
In the Disney era, it often feels like the future ofStar Warsis defined by the screen, big and small, comics and books are mostly relegated to ‘backfilling’ the gaps between one movie and the next. This wasn’t always the case; in fact, there was a point when novels and comics were at theforeground of expandingStar Warslore, and preserving its legacy. This is what I miss most about the current era ofStar Warscomics, even though Marvel has managed to tell some solidStar Warsstories within the boundaries of what it can do.
I like movies and TV shows, but they just don’t have the scope or serialized format of a long-running comic series.
Among the best examples of pre-Disney comics’ impact is2006’sStar Wars: Legacy. This series was set 90-odd years after any other Star Wars story – over 130 years after the originalStar Warsfilm. Sure,it still focused on a Skywalker, but everything else had shifted. It felt like a massive swing, a promise that the franchise could do anything it set its mind to, and that the comics could lead the charge. It’s hard to imagine this happening today, andit’s unlikely that any major comic will be set post sequel trilogy until another film comes out set later.
Similarly, other comics and books went the other direction, to thevery origins of the Jedi and Sith, before the ideological battle lines of the Force had been drawn. If aStar Wars: Originstype project were make it through development, I find it hard to imagine it’d be in a comic. It would definitely be a movie or TV show; don’t get me wrong, I like movies and TV shows, but they just don’t have the scope or serialized format of a long-running comic series. TV gets close, but you don’t see series with 30 episode seasons anymore.
Disney Era Star Wars Comics Have Some Bright Spots – But They Just Aren’t The Same To Me
The Universe Used To Be More Expansive
Initiatives likeThe High Republicare the best equivalent that modernStar Warshas. AStar Warsera set in the franchise’s past (relative to the films) with no set history whichbegan with comics and novels. However, even the High Republic has only so much space to fill in theStar Warstimeline, and with series like Disney+’sThe Acolyte, the multimedia portion of the franchise is once again taking up a lot of the conversation. If push comes to shove, it’s pretty obvious which format the biggest high Republic stories will be made in, and it’s not comics.
Star Wars Legends Revealed the Sad Ultimate Fate of This Original Trilogy Character
Star Wars Tales #19 featured “Storyteller,” a look at the far-flung future of the Star Wars galaxy, featuring the final fate of a beloved character.
This isn’t to say that everything is doom and gloom.Many of the pre-DisneyStar Warsstories I look back on the fondest aren’t the “biggest"in terms of changing the trajectory of the franchise. Some were also made with huge restrictions. One ofmy favorite Star Wars comics, 2006’sKnights of the Old Republic, was designed specifically to fit snugly in the canon just before the Bioware video game of the same name.Star Warscomics still have the space to tell great smaller stories, but I can’t pretend to not miss the days they also told huge ones.
I Find It Difficult To Talk About Star Wars These Days – Which Makes Getting Into The Disney Era Harder
The Perils Of Fandom
To be honest, a part of me doesn’t even want to be writing this article. I seriously question how we can talk aboutStar Wars– especially comparing the franchise before and after the Disney acquisition – in a world where it seems that every onlineStar Warsconversation evolves into mud-slinging from those who hate everything Disney has done. I have to legitimately ask myself: How much of my disinterest in modernStar Warsat timesstems not from the post-Disney stories themselves but from the toxicity of modern fandom?
Star Wars Legends Is WAY More Important Than You Think
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, the old Star Wars Expanded Universe was given the non-canon “Legends” designation. But it still matters a lot.
Star Warsisn’t unique in its rabid fandom, but it is a potent example, especially now that the franchise is more popular than ever. All that we as fans can do is go into discussions with nuance and good faith and find whatever ways we can to ignore those who don’t.Star Warsis still pretty great at times, so just because I miss an era that was now a long time ago, doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the good stuff we still have.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
