The Jedi Council: Who and What Would You Like to See in a Marvel Star Wars Comic?

With Marvel doing a smashing job with their Star Wars comic runs, our Jedi Council ponders who or what should be focused on next. The parameters are simple. Your choice must be a character, a place, or a thing from the Star Wars universe that isn’t already being featured by Marvel Star Wars. Let the fun begin, and may the Force be with you.

David Razor Harris: When Dark Horse had the Star Wars line, they began a run from The Old Republic timeline. I would love to see Marvel take up that story and run with it. The beginnings of the Jedi Order on the planet Tython, the fracture of the Jedi into the Dark Jedi who eventually became the Sith, and the war between the two factions is a story that has always held my fascination.

I would love to see this story progress to the point of the seeing the Dark Jedi find the planet Korriban where the native species the Sith were eventually subjugated by them and the Dark Jedi took the name Sith for their Order. This could also lead to the amazing Revan story-line and the Jedi Civil War. Revan’s decimation of the Mandalorians, and his search with Malak for the secret Sith Empire. This would eventually lead to his and Malak’s turn to the Dark Side, and Revan’s eventual redemption to the Light Side of the Force.

There are so many, many stories to be told here that I sincerely hope Marvel grabs hold of this, makes it canon, and tells all these amazing stories, rich in Star Wars lore.

Kyle Warnke: The Marvel Star Wars comics have slowly evolved during their short rebirth to serve two functions. One, they fill in the corners of the universe by expanding on little-seen or little-known aspects of its internal chronology. And two, they offer character studies of both major and minor players in the galaxy.

While it’s fun to see various writers connect the dots in between the films with clever and captivating plotting, the comics are at their best when they focus on the latter objective. And while we get minor-key adjustments on characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, I find myself most looking forward to the issues that focus on the second tier castmembers, like Lando and Chewbacca, who’s getting his own comic in October.

Since the fan favorites like Han and probably Boba Fett are being reserved for their own feature film spinoffs, the comics will serve as the afterlife for characters who Disney has no interest in investing in. That’s why I’d love a comic about the Emperor. Although his story is all but finished when it comes to the present Star Wars timeline, there’s an infinite amount of possibilities if we time travel back to the glory days of the Empire.

Hell, we could even get an origin story of Senator Palpatine, and follow him as he ascends the ranks of the Naboo political sphere and eventually into the Galactic Senate. That’s not even mentioning his relationship with Darth Plagueis and his acceptance of the Dark Side.

Such a comic would risk mitigating the aura of menace that comes with Palpatine’s mysterious past, but if done the right away, it could add to the character’s mythical power.

Wish we could do something about that first name, though. Sheev Palpatine? Really?

Elaine Tveit: When thinking of a character I would like to see get their own Star Wars comic, the first one that comes to mind is really a no-brainer for me. Even though he is getting his own standalone issue with Star Wars #7, I would love to see Obi Wan Kenobi get his own series detailing his life during his nineteen-year exile on Tatooine. With that many years to fill, there are a lot of adventures that the Jedi Master could find himself on. In Star Wars #4, Jabba the Hutt told Darth Vader how “that old wizard” had been a thorn in his side, so I’m guessing that Ben wasn’t idle and alone for all of Luke’s childhood and teenage years. Though we had an entire Legends book dedicated to Obi Wan, the popular standalone entitled Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, I think it’s time he got more canon stories told about him, in comic book, novel, and/or Anthology film form.

If I had to choose someone else to receive their own series, however, I think I might choose Evaan Verlaine. Evaan is a new character and original to the Princess Leia miniseries that just wrapped up with its final issue a few weeks ago. By the end of that series, Evaan has been thrust into an important new position that I think has a lot of potential for interesting adventures. She is also a strong and wise persona, and I think she would prove dynamic enough to play the lead in her own story.

A comic featuring Evaan would also provide Marvel with an opportunity to develop original plot lines and original casts of characters, and taking a step away from the main heroes of the saga. I hope, after Marvel explores secondary saga characters like Lando and Chewbacca, that they will branch out and forge new paths in the fresh ground the rebooting of the canon has given them.

Of course, someone I know (who is a huge fan of Evaan) suggested that Evaan and Obi Wan could star in a spinoff movie together. The best of both worlds, perhaps?

Michael Valverde: I am extremely interested in seeing Boba Fett in his own comic series. The one commonality that most comic stories get is the back story treatment. Most people including myself are tired of it, which makes the Fett series that much greater, there not need to be one. The series can launch right from any point it chooses. Also, if it wants to add a detail of background it can through the storyline. For example, if a Hutt contracts Boba Fett out, the writer can reveal how the first time he ever encountered Jabba or his first contract kill.

Also, there is the aspect of good storylines. Many fans crave the unknown style narrative. Nothing better than to have Fett running around on an assassin mission while having readers wondering how he will accomplish his goals and can he make it through another terrifying mission.

Gadgetry is also exciting. It’s a key reason why we love James Bond and Batman. With Fett, his gadgets are regulated in only the writers mind. Creative weapons that can do many things should open up an excitement to the reader, and bring out the computer nerd who just can’t seem to be willing to crack open a novel.

The Star Wars world is open to anyone that can fly. Meeting the hard core characters that we enjoy watching on the big screen or reading about in any book can be in contact with Boba Fett at any moment. Bringing in Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, or any other cool type character we dig on.

There is so many different ideas and worlds that Boba Fett can explore, and with cool gadgets and interactions with a never-ending storyline can only be a perfect setting for the next comic book.

Joe Prescott: The recent success of the revamped Marvel Star Wars comics is a great step forward for continuing and elaborating on specific characters and story arcs in the Star Wars universe. It’s cool to see that after the acquisition of the Marvel rights during the Disney buyout a swell of interest and imagination was created to consider reprints and new publications of Star Wars comics, and the focus on certain characters with their own arcs has made for some resurgent intrigue in our beloved ensemble.

I wasn’t brought up with Marvel comics so to speak, certainly not the actual publications but I have a small and treasured collection of various graphic novels and certain characters that I pay vetted interest in. I enjoy the Marvel Inhuman arcs and have a deep love for the Dark Knight in his various adventures, so I feel I steer more towards the graphic novel end of comics. The grittier, edgier works from Vertigo and Dark Horse are superb in both writing and artwork, and I have some of the original Star Wars Dark Horse graphic novels which I find fascinating.

So for me, I’d like to see something along these lines; something with a bit of panache, a certain derring-do. Something not afraid to be bold and raw, a Graphic novel that relishes the Graphic title. I adored the trailer for 1313 and was a little crushed when it didn’t come to fruition, so maybe a graphic novel that explores this side of the galaxy. Not necessarily seedy or violent, but one that stands out as a grimier exploration of the galaxy, but that retains that level of pop fun and heroics that we expect from Star Wars. Maybe with new characters that somehow interact with or become embroiled in the actions of the main heroes. Think Star Wars Rebels meets Firefly (Tell me that doesn’t sound good!).

It stands to reason that whatever Marvel decide to do with the future of Star Wars will be successful so there’s no real reason not to expect anything from them. The sheer possibilities of the current Saga and EU will only become more dense as the Episodes continue, as well as the forthcoming Anthology series offering excitement and a broader range of opportunity for exploration and development, so whatever arises from the good folks at Marvel will stand proud amongst the comic fans.

Next: Star Wars Episode VIII: What Villainous Role Will Benicio del Toro Play?