In a lot of ways, the holidays are about tradition. Everyone’s got ’em. It might be a family latke recipe, or getting together to watch Die Hard, or arranging the Christmas tree ornaments so the cats don’t knock them off the lowest branches. Here at Multiversity, we have an annual tradition of looking at shared comic book universes and politely ask them to do something differently. It’s one part new years resolution, one part gift giving- to us, every one!
Today, we’re looking at the comics from a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars comics have come and gone over the past 40 years, but right now, there are a ton of books, at a few different publishers, telling stories set in this universe. What do we want to see from these comics in 2023? Find out!
Enough with the crossovers!
‘Crimson Reign’ felt off. The first modern “Star Wars” crossover comic, ‘Vader Down,’ was cool. It matched up the heroes from one book, and the villains from another. We’re talking characters like Han Solo and Darth Vader. ‘Crimson Reign’ tried to weave together a much bigger line around a much less established character. I actually love Qi’ra, and I’m excited she now has her own series to mess around in. But ‘Crimson Reign’ completely stalled the momentum of the “Star Wars” books like the worst events do. I had to follow up on series I had decided to drop, like “Bounty Hunters,” for little payoff. Once the main books got back to business as usual, things picked up again, but this oversized story definitely had a negative impact for me following all the “Star Wars” comics I like.
Vital stakes
It’s tough to get readers to care about your story when you have to tell it in the margins. That’s the challenge with a lot of “Star Wars” books. (And movies too come to think of it. And TV shows.) How do you assign gravitas to a, action adventure when the fate of the characters is already known? It’s kind of surprising how successful these comics have been in this regard. The relaunch of the “Star Wars” main series under Charles Soule is a great example of this; finding plenty of space to explore emotions and relationships of characters like Luke and Lando. But too many “Star Wars” comics feel like a disposable cartoon episode. I’m sure there’s a market for stories where Han and Chewie steal a thing, almost get caught, then don’t get caught, but these are comics created by some of the top names in the biz, people like Charles Soule, Phil Noto, Greg Pak, Alyssa Wong, and Jesus Saiz. Their “Star Wars” comics should hit just as hard as any of their other comics.
No Republic Higher
When it was announced, the High Republic sounded like a pretty cynical cash grab. An interconnected multimedia series, drawing but distinct from Knights of the Old Republic? From the Disney company? It’s true! But the High Republic has quietly been the best corner of “Star Wars” in 2022. It helps that Charles Soule (who I swear must own a time turner) has become the biggest creative voice in the comics and the novels. That dude is crazy talented. But it’s also because High Republic can take a step outside of our usual cast of characters, centuries old green puppet-man notwithstanding. Instead of a vague story implying murky secrets between Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke we get… a murder mystery. And an environmental crisis, but the environment is space! And also, trippy sci-fi pirates pushing the boundaries of lightspeed travel. And hostile planet people! The lesson here is obvious. Carve out a little corner of the galaxy or the timeline and let loose your finest creators. We will all be happier for it!
