You doubtless need no reminder there is a new Star Wars film out this December. Prime yourself with Marvel’s latest comic tie-in, Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire…
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is just over a month away from hitting UK cinemas and excitement is at a fever pitch. To tide any Star Wars fans over who simply cannot wait, as part of their new line of Star Wars titles, Marvel is presenting a new series set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens from multi-award winning writer Greg Rucka (Gotham Central, Detective Comics, Whiteout) and fan favourite artist Marco Checchetto (Punisher, Daredevil, Avengers World).
Emperor Palpatine’s twenty-year reign of terror came to an abrupt and fiery end in the skies above the forest moon of Endor. A decisive victory for the Rebel Alliance, to be sure, but even with the loss of its leadership, the Empire’s Moffs and regional governors retained their hold on important systems from the Core to the Outer Rim, thanks to the might of the Imperial Starfleet. Now, with a power vacuum atop the Empire, those Moffs will jockey for position and control, and the heroes of the Rebel Alliance will soon discover that a wounded and fractious Empire may be more dangerous than any threat they faced before!
Whilst Marvel’s other Star Wars series have focused on building on the universe established in the first three films and are mainly aimed at already familiar fans, Rucka and Checchetto’s story is a perfect jumping on point for those looking for a primer to the state of the Star Wars universe leading up to The Force Awakens. Rucka perfectly handles the classic Star Wars characters people know and love while also creating strong new protagonists in A-Wing Pilot Shara Bey and her husband Lt. Kes Dameron. Each chapter sees these characters fighting alongside legendary characters such as Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker and provides a strong image of the aftermath of the Empire’s defeat that for years has been limited to fan’s imagination. These images are of course assisted by Checchetto’s superb artwork as he nails every aspect of the Star Wars universe from the iconic character designs to the legendary machine designs such as the AT-AT Walkers.
Marvel’s Star Wars line has been highly popular with its usage of the series’ most popular characters and some of Marvel’s most popular creators. However, this entry is arguable the most important as fans have been longing for a proper sequel since 1983 and the upcoming new film from J. J. Abrams is looking to be the undisputed biggest film of the year.
This is the tie-in that will be a must-buy for all Star Wars fans and any newcomers or casual fans looking for a refresher course before the world goes Star Wars crazy.
Posted by Leo Sutherland
Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire is available from November the 17th at £12.99