This week in Star Wars Comics: A 25th special, Free Comic Book Day, Mando, and more!

This is a weird week for Star Wars comics—not because of the books coming out! This is a fantastic selection to kick off the first week of May. It's a weird week because there are three different release dates. The first is the normal Wednesday release. Saturday is May the Fourth, AKA Star Wars Day, but it's also Free Comic Book Day, with two titles of its own. Follow that up on Tuesday, which has two manga volumes coming out.

So, instead of breaking this down by title like I normally do, I'm breaking it down by release date This Week in Star Wars Comics.

May 1, 2024

Only one title drops today for the normal Wednesday release, but it's a special one! Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special #1 is a special one-shot celebrating Episode I. Written by Greg Pak with the illustrator being Will Sliney and the cover by Phil Noto, we're going to get new stories with Shmi Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Jar Jar Binks, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and more.

Also don't forget that The Phantom Menace returns to theaters this week too!

May 4, 2024

Yes, comics don't usually drop on Saturday, but this isn't any normal Saturday. It's Free Comic Book Day, which happens to fall on Star Wars Day this year. Which means it's a perfect time to pick up the two titles. And did I mention they're free?

Young Jedi Adventures Free Comic Book Day 2024 by writer Daniel José Older and illustrator Andy Duggan is the all ages comic. The gang from the Emmy Award-winning series Young Jedi Adventures meets the team of padawans from The High Republic Adventures. Jedi Youngling Nubs and Padawan Qort team up for the "Sky Parade Rescue!"

The older title is Star Wars/Darth Vader #1 by writers Greg Pak and Charles Soule, with illustrators Ibraim Roberson and Ramon Rosanas. This double feature has Luke and Leia searching for possible missing rebel soldiers on Hoth for the first story. The second is all about Darth Vader and a fateful meeting with the Naboo handmaiden, Sabé.

Check out your local comic book store on Saturday and grab them while you can!

May 7, 2024

No trade paperbacks are out this week, but we do have a double dose of manga! Both are adaptations of some of our favorite shows and characters. First up is Star Wars: The Mandalorian Vol. 2, written and illustrated by Yusuke Osawa. This is an adaptation that's been running for a few years now, and this compiles chapters 5-9, which covers events of Season 1.

However, the release I'm most excited about, and I've waited YEARS for it to come to the States, is the Star Wars: Visions manga anthology. This collects the manga adaptations of "The Elder," "Lop and Ocho," "The Twins," and "The Ninth Jedi." I adore Star Wars: Visions and always want more of these stories. While this is just a straight-up adaptation of the shorts, I'm hoping we get more stuff like this with new stories in the future. Heck, "The Duel" has had multiple one-shot comics and a novel. And I like "The Duel," but I'm ready for the other shorts to have more too.

That's it for This Week in Star Wars Comics! Check back each Wednesday to see what's next!