Collecting · Publishing history · Comic archive

Star Wars Comics

Start here if Star Wars comics are new to you. This archive explains who published them, how the numbering works, what Canon and Legends mean, why variants are confusing, and which series shaped nearly fifty years of Star Wars storytelling.

Star Wars and Marvel comic artwork Star Wars publishing comic cover artwork Naga Sadow from Tales of the Jedi comic art

January 2027 · Publisher verified

Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles #1

Marvel's crossover has a January 13, 2027 issue-one listing, nine solicited covers and a November 23 retailer final-order cutoff. The distributor's five-issue description conflicts with a Marvel preview describing six. The first issue's publication date is independently listed, but the total series length should be checked again before collecting a full run.

Read the cover and retailer-order report → See official Cover A listing ↗

First comic

April 12, 1977

Before the movie opened

Marvel's Star Wars #1 reached readers more than a month before A New Hope opened on May 25. The cover is dated July 1977, which is why databases sometimes show a different date.

Official history ↗

Original Marvel run

107

Main numbered issues

The original U.S. Marvel series ran through Star Wars #107 in 1986. Annuals and later reprints are separate objects, which is one reason comic totals require clear counting rules.

Marvel #107 ↗

Archive rule

NO FAKE TOTAL

How many exist?

There is no useful single number unless we decide whether variants, reprints, annuals, manga, graphic novels, international editions, and collected editions count separately. IDS will publish an exact total only after those rules are normalized.

Comics 101

Learn the language first

Most comic-book confusion comes from words that sound interchangeable but describe different physical objects.

Issue

One individual comic book, such as Darth Vader #3.

Series / title

The run the issue belongs to. There are several different series all called Star Wars or Darth Vader, so the year matters.

Ongoing

A numbered series designed to continue until the publisher concludes or cancels it.

Limited series

A planned run with a fixed endpoint, such as five or six issues.

One-shot

A standalone single issue rather than part of a continuing numbered run.

Annual

A special issue published separately from the normal monthly numbering.

Story arc

Several consecutive issues that tell one connected story inside a larger series.

Trade paperback

A book that collects several previously released individual issues into one volume.

Omnibus

A much larger collected edition that may contain dozens of issues or multiple series.

Variant cover

The same interior issue sold with a different cover. Variants are separate collectibles, not automatically separate stories.

Printing

If an issue sells out, a publisher can print it again. A second printing is still the same issue but may have a different cover or market value.

Key issue

Collector shorthand for an issue considered notable because of a debut, major event, creator, scarcity, cover, or other collecting significance.

Publishing history

It was never just one company

The license has moved and split over time. The publisher name on the cover is one of the first things to check when identifying a Star Wars comic.

1977–1986

Marvel begins it

Marvel publishes the first series. Issues #1–6 adapt the first film, then the comic develops original stories while the movie saga is still unfolding.

1991–2014

Dark Horse era

Dark Empire helps restart Star Wars comics in 1991. Dark Horse then builds an enormous Expanded Universe catalog, including Tales of the Jedi, Republic, KOTOR, Legacy, and more.

April 2014

Legends is created

Lucasfilm reorganizes the old Expanded Universe under the Legends label. That does not make the older comics disappear; it changes how they relate to the new continuity.

2015

Marvel returns

Major new canon comics return to Marvel, beginning with Star Wars, Darth Vader, and character miniseries such as Princess Leia.

2017

IDW all-ages line

IDW launches Star Wars Adventures, a monthly all-ages series with stories from across the saga.

2022–present

Marvel + Dark Horse

Dark Horse returns for new all-ages comics and graphic novels while Marvel continues its own Star Wars line. Today, more than one publisher can release Star Wars comics at the same time.

The biggest distinction

Canon vs. Legends

Both belong to Star Wars publishing history. The label tells you which continuity the story belongs to, not whether the comic is "real" as a collectible.

CANON

Current coordinated continuity

Most new story comics published under Lucasfilm's post-2014 continuity. Modern Marvel series, current Dark Horse all-ages titles, and much of the High Republic publishing program live here.

LEGENDS

Earlier Expanded Universe

Most pre-2014 Expanded Universe comics are now labeled Legends. This includes much of the classic Dark Horse catalog and the original Marvel adventures beyond the film adaptations.

Important: a character can exist in both. Naga Sadow is recognized in current canon, while the detailed Golden Age of the Sith biography on his IDS page comes primarily from Legends comics.

How often were they released?

One monthly book became many overlapping books

Then

The original Marvel title behaved like a normal ongoing comic: a regularly numbered series, generally released on a monthly schedule, with occasional annuals and special publications.

Now

Several series can run at once. A single month can include a flagship Star Wars issue, a Darth Vader issue, a character miniseries, a High Republic title, and a Dark Horse all-ages book.

What that means for collecting

You do not need to collect "all Star Wars comics." You can collect one series, one character, one era, one publisher, first appearances, favorite cover artists, or only collected editions.

IDS Comic Archive · Research build

Search the series library

Browse 117 indexed Star Wars series and series families plus 57 unique researched milestone issues. Series cards now include representative covers, expanded summaries, publication context, collecting notes, direct character links, and full IDS dossiers.

Amazon disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links in the comic archive are paid affiliate searches for the series or issue shown. Because comic editions, variants, and collected formats change frequently, IDS uses search links unless a specific edition has been verified.

Showing 117 of 117 researched series / series families

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Showing 57 of 57 researched milestone issues

Legends · Marvel

Star Wars (1977) #1

1977

April 12, 1977 · Original trilogy

The first Star Wars comic book issue, released more than a month before the film opened in theaters.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Dark Empire #1

1991

1991 · New Republic

A major 1991 Dark Horse launch that helped revive Star Wars publishing during the pre-prequel era.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Tales of the Jedi — Dark Lords of the Sith #1

1994

October 1994 · Old Republic

Naga Sadow appears in a historical flashback; later Tales of the Jedi stories substantially develop and revise that ancient-Sith history.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Tales of the Jedi — The Golden Age of the Sith #2

1996

November 13, 1996 · Old Republic

Places Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh's succession conflict directly into the Golden Age of the Sith narrative.

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Legends · Dark Horse

X-Wing Rogue Squadron #1

1995

July 11, 1995 · New Republic

Launch issue for the long-running Rogue Squadron comic series.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Knights of the Old Republic #1

2006

2006 · Old Republic

Launches Zayne Carrick's 50-issue Old Republic-era run.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Star Wars: Legacy #1

2006

2006 · Legacy era

Launches the far-future Legacy setting and the Cade Skywalker era.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Star Wars: Darth Maul (2000) #1

2000

September 6, 2000 · Prequel

Launch issue of the four-part pre-The Phantom Menace Darth Maul limited series.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Star Wars: Darth Maul — Death Sentence #1

2012

July 25, 2012 · Clone Wars

Launch issue of the Clone Wars-era Death Sentence limited series.

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Canon · Dark Horse

Star Wars: Darth Maul — Son of Dathomir #1

2014

May 21, 2014 · Clone Wars

Launch issue of the four-part canon story adapted from unproduced The Clone Wars material.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars (2015) #1

2015

January 14, 2015 · Age of Rebellion

Marvel's flagship return to Star Wars comics under the new canon publishing program.

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Canon · Marvel

Darth Vader (2015) #1

2015

February 11, 2015 · Age of Rebellion

Launch issue for Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's first modern-canon Darth Vader run; it also introduces Krrsantan, later seen in live action in The Book of Boba Fett.

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Canon · Marvel

Darth Vader (2015) #3

2015

March 25, 2015 · Age of Rebellion

Introduces Doctor Aphra to the Star Wars story world.

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Canon · Marvel

Princess Leia #1

2015

2015 · Age of Rebellion

Begins Marvel's five-issue Leia miniseries in the first year of the canon relaunch.

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Canon · Marvel

Poe Dameron #1

2016

2016 · Rise of the First Order

Launch issue for the 31-issue Poe Dameron series.

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Canon · Marvel

Doctor Aphra #1

2016

2016 · Age of Rebellion

Launches Doctor Aphra's first solo ongoing series after her introduction in Darth Vader.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Darth Maul (2017) #1

2017

2017 · Prequel

Begins the five-issue canon miniseries focused on Maul before The Phantom Menace.

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Canon · Marvel

Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #1

2017

2017 · Reign of the Empire

Begins Charles Soule's 25-issue exploration of Vader immediately after Revenge of the Sith.

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Canon · Marvel

The High Republic (2021) #1

2021

January 6, 2021 · High Republic

Launches Marvel's first High Republic ongoing comic series and centers comic-created Jedi Keeve Trennis and Sskeer at the beginning of the line.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Darth Maul — Black, White & Red #1

2024

April 24, 2024 · Prequel

Launch issue of Marvel's four-part Darth Maul Black, White & Red anthology.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars (2020) #50

2024

September 11, 2024 · Age of Rebellion

The 50th and concluding issue of Charles Soule's 2020 flagship run.

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Canon · Marvel

Darth Vader (2020) #50

2024

September 18, 2024 · Age of Rebellion

The concluding 50th issue of Greg Pak's Darth Vader run.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Darth Maul (2017) #4

2017

June 21, 2017 · Prequel

Cover A / regular Rafael Albuquerque cover. Written by Cullen Bunn with art by Luke Ross and colors by Nolan Woodard. Barcode 759606083725 00411.

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Legends · Dark Horse

Jango Fett: Open Seasons #1

2002

2002 · Prequel

Begins the four-part Jango Fett origin miniseries that became a major Legends source for his Mandalorian background.

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Canon · Marvel

Lando #1

2015

July 8, 2015 · Age of Rebellion

Launch issue for Marvel's five-part Lando caper.

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Canon · Marvel

Thrawn #1

2018

February 14, 2018 · Reign of the Empire

Begins the six-part comic adaptation of Timothy Zahn's canon Thrawn novel.

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Canon · Marvel

The Rise of Kylo Ren #1

2019

December 18, 2019 · Rise of the First Order

Launches the four-part account of Ben Solo's fall and the rise of Kylo Ren, and introduces Ren, the previous leader of the Knights of Ren.

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Canon · Marvel

Bounty Hunters #1

2020

March 11, 2020 · Age of Rebellion

Launch issue of Marvel's long-running bounty-hunter ensemble series.

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Canon · Marvel

War of the Bounty Hunters #1

2021

June 2, 2021 · Age of Rebellion

Core launch issue of Marvel's first large modern Star Wars crossover event.

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Canon · Marvel

Crimson Reign #1

2021

December 8, 2021 · Age of Rebellion

Begins the second chapter of the Qi'ra crossover trilogy.

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Canon · Marvel

Hidden Empire #1

2022

November 16, 2022 · Age of Rebellion

Launches the final chapter of the War of the Bounty Hunters / Crimson Reign / Hidden Empire trilogy.

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Canon · Marvel

Dark Droids #1

2023

August 2, 2023 · Age of Rebellion

Core launch issue of the 2023 droid-horror crossover.

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Canon · Marvel

Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising #1

2024

October 2, 2024 · New Republic

Begins Marvel's 12-issue Battle of Jakku trilogy, bridging the post-Endor era into the New Republic.

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Canon · Marvel

Legacy of Vader #1

2025

February 5, 2025 · Rise of the First Order

Launch issue of Charles Soule and Luke Ross's Kylo Ren series examining Vader's influence on the Supreme Leader.

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Canon · Marvel

Jedi Knights #1

2025

March 5, 2025 · Prequel

Launches Marvel's first ongoing-style team comic focused specifically on the prequel-era Jedi Knights.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars (2025) #1

2025

May 7, 2025 · New Republic

Relaunches Marvel's flagship after Return of the Jedi and the Battle of Jakku.

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Canon · Marvel

Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent #1

2025

June 18, 2025 · New Republic

Brings Doctor Aphra into the New Republic era in a new series.

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Canon · Marvel

Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon #1

2025

September 3, 2025 · Rise of the First Order

Begins Han and Chewie's search for the missing Millennium Falcon before The Force Awakens.

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Canon · Marvel

Boba Fett — Black, White & Red #1

2025

September 17, 2025 · Various

Launches the four-part Boba Fett entry in Marvel's black, white, and red anthology line.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Jar Jar #1

2026

February 11, 2026 · Reign of the Empire

Standalone Jar Jar Binks issue co-written by Ahmed Best and featuring Kelleran Beq.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #1

2026

March 4, 2026 · Reign of the Empire

Launches the five-issue Shadow of Maul prequel comic tied to the 2026 Maul television era.

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Canon · Marvel

Rogue One — Cassian Andor #1

2026

May 6, 2026 · Age of Rebellion

A Rogue One 10th-anniversary character one-shot centered on Cassian Andor.

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Canon · Marvel

Rogue One — Jyn Erso #1

2026

June 3, 2026 · Age of Rebellion

A Rogue One 10th-anniversary one-shot exploring Jyn Erso before the events of the film.

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Legends · Marvel

Star Wars (1977) #16

1978

1978 · Original trilogy

First appearance of Beilert Valance, a comic-created bounty hunter later reintroduced into current canon.

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Legends · Marvel

Star Wars (1977) #42

1980

1980 · Original trilogy

Boba Fett's first appearance in Marvel's Star Wars comic series and a long-recognized collecting key.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars (2015) #6

2015

June 3, 2015 · Age of Rebellion

First official appearance of Sana Starros, introduced as Han Solo's supposed wife.

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Canon · Marvel

The High Republic (2022) #10

2023

May 24, 2023 · High Republic

Final issue of Marvel's ten-issue High Republic Phase II flagship.

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Canon · Marvel

The High Republic — Shadows of Starlight #4

2024

January 3, 2024 · High Republic

Final issue of the four-part bridge into High Republic Phase III.

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Canon · Marvel

Galaxy's Edge — Echoes of the Empire #1

2026

April 22, 2026 · Age of Rebellion

Launch issue of the four-part 2026 Batuu series.

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Canon · Marvel

Galaxy's Edge — Echoes of the Empire #4

2026

July 15, 2026 · Age of Rebellion

Final issue of the four-part Echoes of the Empire miniseries.

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Canon · Marvel

Rogue One — Saw Gerrera #1

2026

2026 · Age of Rebellion

Rogue One 10th-anniversary character one-shot centered on Saw Gerrera.

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Canon · Marvel

Jedi: Fallen Order — Dark Temple #1

2019

September 4, 2019 · Reign of the Empire

Launch issue of the five-part Jedi: Fallen Order prequel comic.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Revelations #1

2022

November 23, 2022 · Various

Giant-sized one-shot designed to set up the next phase of Marvel's Star Wars line.

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Canon · Marvel

Star Wars: Revelations #1

2023

December 20, 2023 · Various

Second Revelations one-shot, previewing new characters and future storylines across Marvel's line.

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Canon · Marvel

Dark Droids — D-Squad #1

2023

September 20, 2023 · Age of Rebellion

Launches the four-issue D-Squad tie-in to Dark Droids.

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Canon · Marvel

Obi-Wan Kenobi #1

2023

2023 · Reign of the Empire

Begins Marvel's six-issue adaptation of the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

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Canon · Marvel

The Acolyte — Kelnacca #1

2024

September 4, 2024 · High Republic

Standalone High Republic-era comic centered on Kelnacca from The Acolyte.

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Real-world examples

Two different things you already own

These are a useful way to learn the difference between a single issue and a collected edition.

SINGLE ISSUE

Star Wars: Darth Maul (2017) #4

Your Maul comic is one individual issue from Marvel's five-issue canon miniseries. It was released June 21, 2017. The copy in your photo is the regular Cover A by Rafael Albuquerque. Cullen Bunn wrote it, Luke Ross drew it, and Nolan Woodard colored it. The barcode ending 00411 identifies issue #4, cover/printing code 1/1.

Collector lesson: if you wanted the complete story as original singles, you would collect issues #1 through #5. Variants of #4 are alternate covers of this same interior issue.

Marvel series reference ↗
COLLECTED EDITION

Darth Vader — Black, White & Red Treasury Edition

Your large Vader book appears to be Marvel's oversized 2024 Treasury Edition, not one numbered comic issue. It collects Darth Vader — Black, White & Red (2023) #1–4 into one book. Marvel lists the Treasury Edition as published January 3, 2024; its ISBN is 978-1-302-95214-3.

Collector lesson: owning this book gives you the stories from all four issues in reading form, but collectors still distinguish the Treasury Edition from owning the four original 2023 single issues.

Marvel Treasury Edition ↗

Why the total keeps growing

Spin-offs are normal, not exceptions

Star Wars comics branch by character, faction, era, adaptation, event, and audience. That branching is why "How many Star Wars comics are there?" is harder than it sounds.

Character books

Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra, Poe Dameron, Princess Leia, Maul, Thrawn, Mace Windu, and many more.

Era books

Tales of the Jedi, Knights of the Old Republic, The High Republic, Legacy, and other books built around a historical period.

Faction / occupation books

X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Bounty Hunters, TIE Fighter, and similar books follow organizations rather than one central hero.

Adaptations

Films and television stories can be adapted into comic form, creating collectible publications even when the story originated on screen.

Anthologies

Star Wars Tales, Star Wars Adventures, and Hyperspace Stories can move across characters and eras from issue to issue.

Events & crossovers

Large stories can spread across several ongoing series and special issues, so reading order and collecting order are not always identical.

Scale

So how many Star Wars comics are there?

Enough that the answer depends on what you count.

By 2015, Marvel's digital library alone was already advertising more than 500 older Star Wars Legends issues. The High Republic publishing initiative later produced 139 comic-book issues in four years by itself. Add the modern Marvel canon era, IDW's all-ages books, Dark Horse's return, one-shots, annuals, manga, adaptations, and new 2025–2026 series and the franchise is now on the order of a thousand or more individual comic issues.

IDS will not turn that into a false precision number. Our future total will state exactly what is included: U.S. single issues, annuals, specials, one-shots, manga, reprints, variants, collected editions, and international editions will each be counted by an explicit rule.

High Republic publishing count ↗

Where to start

Six useful reading paths

You do not need to read the entire comic history in publication order. These paths group the archive by the characters and periods most likely to matter to a Star Wars fan or collector.

Darth Maul

Start with Darth Maul (2000) for Legends, then move to canon with Son of Dathomir, Darth Maul (2017), Black, White & Red, and Shadow of Maul. Your 2017 #4 belongs directly in this path.

Darth Vader

The three major modern runs each cover a different period: Darth Vader (2015) after A New Hope, Dark Lord of the Sith (2017) after Revenge of the Sith, and Darth Vader (2020) after The Empire Strikes Back. Black, White & Red is an anthology companion.

Ancient Sith & Old Republic

Use Tales of the Jedi for Exar Kun, Naga Sadow, and early Sith history, then Knights of the Old Republic, The Old Republic, Knight Errant, and Dawn of the Jedi.

Underworld & bounty hunters

Follow Doctor Aphra, Bounty Hunters, War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign, and Hidden Empire for the criminal side of the galaxy and the major Qi'ra storyline.

New Republic

Battle of Jakku closes the Galactic Civil War. Marvel's Star Wars (2025) then moves Luke, Leia, and Han into the early New Republic, while Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent brings Aphra into the same period.

Legends essentials

A strong sampler is Dark Empire, X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Republic, Knights of the Old Republic, and Legacy. Together they show why the Dark Horse period remains important even after the 2014 continuity reset.

Current archive · 2026

What is new right now

The comic archive now includes the major 2025–2026 additions instead of stopping with older Marvel and Dark Horse material.

Shadow of Maul

Marvel launched Star Wars: Shadow of Maul on March 4, 2026. The five-issue series is now indexed beside Maul's earlier comic runs.

Rogue One at 10

Marvel's 2026 Rogue One character one-shots include new Cassian Andor, Jyn Erso, and Saw Gerrera stories. They are grouped as a one-shot program in the archive.

Jar Jar

Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 arrived February 11, 2026, co-written by Ahmed Best and Marc Guggenheim and guest-starring Kelleran Beq.

High Republic: Pathfinders

Dark Horse returned to the High Republic with The High Republic Adventures — Pathfinders, following Republic Pathfinders investigating the death of a Jedi Master.

Hope Assembles

Lucasfilm and Marvel announced the five-issue Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles crossover in August 2026. Issue #1 is scheduled for January 2027, so IDS lists it as an announced crossover rather than a 2026 release.

The post-Endor line

Star Wars (2025), Legacy of Vader, Jedi Knights, Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent, Boba Fett — Black, White & Red, and Hunt for the Falcon are all now represented.

Connected IDS archive

Characters now lead back to comics

Character pages now include a Comic appearances link. It opens this archive with that character already searched, connecting lore research directly to collecting.

Research method

How IDS will count the archive

Phase 1 prioritizes series identity, continuity, publisher, era, and verified milestone issues. The next expansion can normalize every individual issue, then add cover variants and collected editions as separate object types instead of mixing them into one inflated number.

Primary references used

StarWars.com · first Marvel issueStarWars.com · Marvel license returnStarWars.com · Legends continuityStarWars.com · Dark Horse returnMarvel · series catalog