Marvel’s long-delayed adaptation of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will finally see print almost five years after the film originally debuted.
The miniseries by Jody Houser and Will Sliney was originally intended for release in June of 2020, a year marked by the COVID pandemic and related shutdowns. It was a tragic and tumultuous year for everyone, and the comic industry was no exception. The Rise of Skywalker was one of several comics Marvel delayed or cancelled when Diamond went into shutdown mode as a result of COVID, and I never expected for it to see the light of day.
But now that Marvel is shifting their Star Wars timeline from the post-Empire Strikes Back period to a post Return of the Jedi period, set before the most recent trilogy, maybe it felt like a good time to dust this one off. It’ll also have scenes that weren’t in the film’s final release.
“There’s a resurgence of interest in these characters, especially Kylo Ren, Darth Vader’s blood heir,” Editor Mark Paniccia said. “Jody’s script captures the impact of these iconic moments between the film’s heroes and villains, while the art by Will Sliney and dazzling colors by Guru-eFX give a visually unique experience of this epic finale.”
If you haven’t seen the original film, here’s a description of what to expect from the comic:
As the Resistance struggles against the First Order’s dominance, Poe Dameron discovers an unthinkable threat on the horizon. As the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance, Rey must find a way to the hidden Sith hideout, putting her on a collision course with Kylo Ren! With only hours to act, will our heroes avert the devastation of the FINAL ORDER?
Phil Noto did the main cover, shown above, while Jodie Muir and Brian Stelfreeze provide variants (along with a movie photo variant featuring Rey Skywalker):
And here’s a look inside:
The first issue arrives Feb. 26. Now when are we going to see the similarly cancelled New Warriors series?