Here's Why You Should Be Reading Marvel's 'Star Wars' Comics

This was a very steady week for comics, as DC Comics continues to roll out their Rebirth-branded books and Marvel’s midway through Civil War II. Around the edges of both of those events hide great little comics, and though they’re not included on this week’s roundup, readers looking for big action and want to clue into the big tentpole events should check out DC’s Action Comics #962 (that’s a Superman comic) and Marvel’s Captain Marvel #8. This week in the roundup: Star Wars; a New York-centric indie comic; a tech-obsessed reintroduction to a great DC hero; and a wonderfully weird anthology.

This Star Wars comic series from Marvel attempts to fill in the gaps between the original trilogy and today's films. At this point, the events of A New Hope have already taken place, and readers get to see Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, and a few new characters continue to stick it to the empire. It’s interesting to read a Star Wars adventure in as short a burst as a comic book, but the pacing is perfect, and the character interactions all feel true to the series. This issue sees the heroes trying to attack an imperial star destroyer, and it feels classically hopeless for the protagonists. This Star Wars series is recommended reading for anyone feeling like they need their SW fix.

Dean Haspiel's comic about the struggle, grind, and weirdness of New York will absolutely hit close to home for anyone living in the five boroughs. But his character work and storytelling make this tale about a guy trying to get out from a bad situation truly universal: Haspiel’s a prolific creator in the indie/creator owned comic scene, but he’s also well known for creating illustrations for HBO’s Bored to Death. Though this book came out last year, it's worth revisiting (and deserves a spot on this list) now that it's available digitally on comixology.

The Blue Beetle, a technology-clad superhero powered by a mysterious mechanical scarab, is one of the best "hero doesn't know what he's doing" heroes around. Of all the stoic, sometime cardboard DC superheroes, Blue Beetle (along with his pal Booster Gold) is one of the most relatable. Jaime Reyes, a teenager from El Paso, TX, shows that DC can make characters human—they’re not all multimillionaires or aliens or ancient goddesses. This new Rebirth first issue is a great place to jump into this fun character.

Comic anthologies are a great way for companies to show off their artists and writers, but they’re often also used as a proving ground for new creators. And while readers will often see anthologies from a comic company itself, collections that aren’t directly affiliated, like Island, can show off more diverse, experimental works. This issue, which is wonderfully large, features bite-sized works of experimentation, genre bending, and envelope pushing. More a work of art than the type of comic one feels they have to grind through for plot, Island #10 is a must for serious fans of the medium.

What were your favorite comics of the week? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @CreatorsProject.

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