Star wars read comics online. Chronicle of Russian Star Wars comics. Trilogy - sequel

The Force Awakens on our site are expected more than the New Year. We count down every day to the premiere and have booked tickets for the very first sessions long ago. We are actively discussing theories built by fans around the film, and also trying to get as much information as possible even from the music track list for the film. But in order for the picture to take shape completely, you need to use the maximum of the available information. Therefore, today we offer you a tour of the comics that were released in the outgoing year by the publishing house. In fact, they contain a lot of details and hints about the future of the galaxy. Be careful, the material contains a lot of spoilers and shamelessly points out those fragments that cannot be passed by without focusing attention!

Kanan

Chronologically, this series about a galaxy far, far away is located earlier than others released this year by the publisher. For those who watch Star Wars Rebels, it will not be difficult to figure out that the main character of the series will be Keinan Jarrus - one of the main characters of the series, a former Jedi and mentor of young Ezra. The events described in the first issues of the series, as expected, unfold before those shown in the series. Readers will see Kanan right after Order 66 went into effect, and in front of the Padawan's eyes, former associates killed his teacher.

The young Jedi, who has not yet finished his studies, will have a hard time in the new world: the pursuers of the "traitor" of the Empire will constantly hang on the tail, and the skills of independent survival in the real world are not included in the mandatory program of the Order. Reading the series, it becomes easy to mentally draw the route that Caleb Dume made (this is what Kanan was called before the sad events) by Kanan Jarrus. Readers will be able to understand both the reasons for his hatred of the clones, and his reluctance to get involved in major conflicts that could attract the attention of the Empire.

But the series is written so well that pleasant impressions await even those who are not yet familiar with the character and decided for some reason to ignore the series. The authors of the comic did not chase the scale, but focused their efforts on revealing the characters. Yes, most of the heroes that have appeared on the pages of the comic are basically formulaic and predictable. But release after release, they show more and more depth. But Caleb was not the subject of many surprises, because the fans had already met him. But the smugglers, whose society the young man got into, turned out to be colorful and not always simple characters. There are both heroes and villains here, because not only the Jedi were forced to hide from the forces of the Empire.

It's also worth noting that additional fun awaits those who yearn for Expanded Universe comics. And the story itself, and the manner of presentation, and even the painting more than once or twice will remind readers of the comics of the Dark Horse publishing house. If you have read all the comics released under the license, then no doubt appreciate the significance of this compliment.

If you are impatient to continue your acquaintance with the character, and you are watching the series in ongoing mode, then you can turn your attention to the bookANewDawn. It was the first to be published within the framework of the new canon. Its events unfold six years before the start of the series and tell about the acquaintance and the first joint mission of Kanan and Hera. They will have to unite their efforts to confront the industrialist Count Vidian. The book turned out to be much more interesting than it might seem from the annotation. In addition to meeting favorite characters, it sheds light on the economic situation in the Empire, which requires more and more resources to create a weapon of intimidation. Yes, even though it is not said directly, John Miller - the author of the book - managed to convey the feeling that the construction of the Death Star is already underway. But these are not all the strengths of the book.

Fandom value: A standalone add-on to Star Wars: Rebels. Like the series, the comic strives to expand the known boundaries of a galaxy far, far away, without using characters that have long been familiar from films, thanks to which it can afford more than other series.

Princess Leia

The Princess Leia mini-series, which includes five episodes, kicks off immediately after Episode Four. Having awarded the heroes of the Uprising, Leia nevertheless decides to take care of the fate of her native people. In the Original Trilogy, there was no place for Leia's suffering over the loss of her homeworld, where her parents and her people were at that moment.

So, moving away from the affairs of the Rebellion for a while, Leia decides to unite the surviving Alderaanians and find them a new home. The situation is complicated by the reward for her head, for the sake of which even friends are ready to betray, and the nasty character of some of the survivors. You can understand them, because the Empire decides to take the chance and exterminate the remnants of the intractable people.

Unfortunately, something went wrong. Among comic book readers, it is not customary to scold a drawing just because the character bears little resemblance to himself from the previous issue, on which another artist was working. The development of the industry over many decades has instilled in readers that the conditional preservation of the basic elements of the image is enough. This work falls not only on the artists, but also on the screenwriters. It’s unpleasant to know that a good creative team has failed perhaps the most important part of their job. It will hardly be possible to find out in Leia from the comic strip Kerry Fisher, but it's not only in external similarity. Leia Dodsonov is sometimes even prettier, and numerous outfits emphasize this favorably. Throughout all five episodes, Leia acts as a Princess, and not as the leader of the Rebellion on a dangerous mission. But this determined person has little in common with the Ice Queen Leia was portrayed in the Original Trilogy. She is more reckless and gentle.

Unfortunately, the authors failed to create an intriguing story, which simply does not have time to hook the reader. Events jump madly from one scene to another, not allowing any of the characters to reveal themselves properly. As a result, a group of static templates acts against the background of colorful, but poorly developed backgrounds. Even if one of the main characters is overtaken by death, it is absolutely impossible to empathize with him.

However, many people read comics about "Star Wars" not at all in order to get acquainted with a bunch of new complex characters. So if you close your eyes to what is happening (or explain everything, for example, by unexpected conditions in which Princess Leia fell), then some interesting fragments and hints from history can still be pulled out.

First, the hint that Leia has the Power is given right in the second issue. Unable to resist the temptation, the authors more than once or twice played on the reader's sense of nostalgia. It's about the scene in which the Princess leans towards R2D2, clearly copied from A New Hope, and Leia's dreams of a twin. And in the second issue, Leia begins her rescue campaign from Naboo - her mother's home planet, which she does not yet know about. Of course, one of the planet's colorful bas-reliefs was adorned with the image of Princess Amidala. Looking at the drawing, Leia sees a short vision: the image on the wall comes to life and looks at the Princess with a sad look. What's this? Are the authors' vengeance towards prequels or something more? After all, do not forget that Leia is Luke's sister, although she still does not know this. And Luke possesses the Power so much that he is able to resist two Sith Lords at once. So it can be assumed that Leia also possesses the rudiments of the Force. Within the framework of the "Expanded Universe", several successful stories have been written on this fragment of history. But judging by the Force Awakens promo materials she saw, Leia hadn't mastered any of the Jedi techniques. Perhaps Force sensitivity helps her anticipate and feel better decisions in situations where a dry set of facts and statistics no longer helps. After all, it was by relying on the Force that Luke was able to destroy the first Death Star. So maybe Leia will owe her successful military career to the Force as well?

Second, let's discuss General Leia in a little more detail. If you have carefully read the last interviews of the authors, you have already come to terms with the fact that Leia Organa has lost her Princess status and has long been known to the Galaxy as General Organa. A clear explanation for this is given in the comic. To begin with, it is worth remembering that Leia became a princess without a state. Despite the remnants of the surviving Alderaanians, her state is irrevocably lost. Moreover, having gathered all the scattered groups together, she independently abdicates the throne. Taking the expected step towards democracy, Leia announces that now people are free to choose their own princess. It turns out that at the time of the Fifth and Sixth Episodes, nothing was left of the title of Princess, except for memories and compliments. And to the "Awakening of the Force" and they will gradually wear off.

Fandom value: small. There are hints of Leia's abilities, the fate of the inhabitants of Alderaan scattered across the galaxy, and a bit of mental anguish. Nothing that is not in other series.

Star Wars

We have already reviewed the first issue of the series, noting the talent of its authors. decided to play it safe by giving the series with this name to real professionals in their field, so you shouldn't be surprised at its high quality.

As we assumed earlier, a feeling of nostalgia awaits the reader from the very first pages. The comics scrupulously reproduces all the elements of the Original Trilogy, without allowing themselves unnecessary innovations: the faces of the characters drawn are easily recognizable, the interior design of the Empire is still strict, and C3PO is still helpless. There is nothing to be surprised at, because the events of the series were located in the interval from the Fourth to the Fifth Episodes, so the heroes still have to complete many missions against the Empire before it falls. It is also worth noting that in the "Expanded Universe" this gap was not very popular, because the events of the series are doubly interesting. But let's be honest with ourselves: the constant stream of missions to destroy military facilities with copying all possible elements of the Original Trilogy would have gotten bored by the third arc, and Jason Aaron would not have been himself if he had gone down this road.

On the contrary, having put an end to the pleasant foreplay and hooked the readers on the hook, he begins a whole series of unexpected somersaults! Some of them, like, for example, Han Solo's wife, do not fit well into the already existing picture of the world, but others unwittingly patch holes (for example, you never had the feeling that Luke too quickly reached heights on the path of the Force, having a rather limited choice teachers?). It is at this moment that you realize that the series is not going to turn into a boring filler about the everyday life of the popular trinity on the military missions of the Uprising, but plans to take us with a breeze to all the interesting corners of this world. Someone doubts that there will be enough secrets and stories in the galaxy for a hundred issues? In addition, the rare curtsies in the direction of the original films and even the prequels have not been canceled.

But besides the fact that the quality of the series is in itself a powerful argument in favor of reading these comics, the authors gradually add important details to the big picture. First of all, we are talking, of course, about Luke's training. Almost immediately left without the only one who could guide him on the path of the Force, he does not agree to give up. We already know that Luke is not the only Jedi in the galaxy. Although his paths only crossed with Obi Wan and Yoda, there are many other ways to learn more about the Force. But in a world ruled by an Empire ruled by the Sith, one should not even hope that the search will go right. Smugglers are waiting for Luke to replace the remaining Jedi, and the Jedi Order will have to be temporarily exchanged for the gladiatorial arena.

Another important part of the story was the relationship between Han and Leia, which managed to touch many with a joint scene in the trailer for The Force Awakens. But after all, not much time was devoted to their relationship before! A couple of skirmishes, a couple of touching moments, but isn't it too fast? Thanks to the comic, we can finally see the whole path of this relationship: from the first major misunderstanding to the first kiss right through a whole bunch of scenes of varying degrees of romance. And maybe thanks to the fact that we have our beloved heroes, or maybe thanks to the talent of Aaron, watching this couple is a sheer pleasure.

Juggling completely different elements of the story, the authors manage to create an original and unique story. You don't expect any revelations or surprises from the period that readers are introduced to in the series. Therefore, each of them is perceived twice as pleasant.

Fandom value: We've already seen the three main characters gain fame and respect in the galaxy. Now we have to find out what happened between these missions. This allows you to get to know the heroes much better, and therefore get even closer to them.

Is it worth reading: Most of the Star Wars episodes coming out now have a good storyline and quality artwork. But Star Wars is the quality leader. From completely understandable and well-known ingredients, the authors were able to prepare such a delicious dish that it is time to think about magic.

Shards of the Empire

"Fragments of the Empire" is so far the only comic book released that somehow reveals the fragments seen in the trailers. The events of the series, which included only four episodes, begins at the time of the death of the second Death Star and tells the story of the pilot Shara Bay. Shara is not only a talented and experienced pilot, but also the mother of Poe Dameron, one of the main characters in The Force Awakens. In passing, we learn that the boy has already been born and now lives with the heroine's father. But his life is somewhere behind the scenes.

And in the center of the story are several missions that Shara performs together with the heroes of the Original Trilogy. Left without Palpatine, the Empire refuses to believe in its own defeat, creating more and more new dangers in the Galaxy. Alas, the missions are connected rather indirectly, so there is practically no integral plot with the beginning, development and denouement. Instead, we are gradually shedding light on the life of the beloved Trinity - Luke, Leia and Han - after the event at Endor. Together with them, Shara celebrates the victory over the Emperor, with Leia flies to Naboo on a diplomatic mission, helps Luke get into the secret laboratory of the Empire, where very curious artifacts are kept. And each outing gives us new hints about the characters' future.

For example, we are again hinted at Leia's Force sensitivity. And again to Naboo. And although each of the comics in the series is filled with nostalgic elements, the second and third numbers have the most of them. We will have time to walk through the familiar streets of Episode One, meet the current princess, see familiar outfits, and even return to the very hangar from where young Anakin went to battle on a fighter. It is in the hangar that Leia awaits a new vision, but this time unpleasant and cold, because here Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon Jin.

The comic is definitely worth reading for those who are intrigued by the future life of Luke, who never appeared in any of the trailers. The latest issue is dedicated to an attempt to infiltrate a mysterious laboratory where Emperor Palpatine kept valuable artifacts. For example, his Messengers were kept here - unusual messenger droids, outwardly reminiscent of the Imperial Guard. But the target of penetration was two small trees. These trees once grew in the Order on Coruscant, so they managed to be saturated with the Force. Thanks to this, Luke was able to feel them. The question of why the only known Jedi in the galaxy needed the Order's trees has already been answered. So numerous theories about his going to the Dark Side are once again being questioned.

Fandom value: high! Although important elements are scattered unevenly and chaotically in the comics of the series, many useful conclusions can be drawn from them about the events leading up to Episode 7.

Funny pictures

I suppose there is no need to explain to anyone what comics are. Incredibly popular American fun, in which any more or less promoted world is embodied. Star Wars is no exception: comics, along with books and games, have been shaping the Expanded Universe for decades. Comics have a wide range of themes: essays on the lives of favorite heroes and adaptations of famous books, legends about the knights of the Old Republic and the history of the distant future. There are cases when characters and ideas from comics were transferred to the screen and found new life in the Star Wars movie episodes ...

The popularity of comics in Russia is still gaining momentum. Alas, graphic stories based on "Star Wars" did not receive due attention from our publishers, and only a few were printed in Russian. Today we will talk about the thorny path of comics into the open arms of the Russian-speaking fandom.

Comics were at the origin of the entire SG-universe. Just two months after the premiere of A New Hope, Marvel published the first comic adaptation of the adventures of Luke Skywalker, after which the comic strips on SG were drawn to the shelves in an inexhaustible stream. However, now fans of "Star Wars" look at those old crafts with a grin: children's stories, clumsy graphics and many inconsistencies with films have led to the fact that Marvel comics have long ceased to be considered integral parts of the canonical universe.

In the 90s, the publishing house Dark Horse, having decided to revive the Star Wars comics industry, takes a completely different approach. Both venerable writers (Michael Stackpole, Steve Perry) and well-established "narrow specialists" in comics (John Ostrander, Hayden Blackman, John Jackson Miller) are invited to play the role of screenwriters. The quality of drawing is also noticeably improving (especially with the appearance at the publishing house of such people as Edwin Bukovich, Doug Wheatley and the queen of all SG artists, Jen Duursema). As a result, not only naive adventure opuses come out from under the pen and brush of all this fraternity, but also quite serious, self-sufficient and (most importantly) stories that are significant for the Star Wars universe. The popularity of Star Wars comics from Dark Horse has not faded for two decades.

And what about us? Here is a brief chronology of the release of comics from the ZV from the printing press of domestic publishers. The chronology is really short: in each case, publishers' interest in the Star Wars universe did not last long.

1994 - at the publishing house " Style"A kind of samopal comes out: a 16-page comic-retelling of the plot of" A New Hope ", made by the efforts of its own scriptwriter and artist. An incredible rarity these days.

• 1997 - the first recorded attempt to localize Star Wars comics. Publishing house " Swallowtail"Releases" New Hope "in four parts and the first part of" Empire ", but this process stalls.

• 2002 - Kiev publishing house " Compass Publishing"Ambitiously announces the upcoming release of comics for Episodes 1 and 2, as well as several independent series like Jedi Quest and Darth Maul, but everything is limited to the release of only one" The Phantom Menace ".

• 2004-2005 - the most famous and long-running project for the release of printed Star Wars comics. Publishing house " Prime-Eurosign"Presented four volumes to the fans:" The Phantom Menace "," Attack of the Clones "," Episode 1: Adventures "and" Dark Empire ", as well as a collection of manga on" Return of the Jedi ". The project was closed shortly after the release of Episode 3: it seems that the publisher considered that interest in the franchise should rapidly dwindle.

As you can see, the fate of all projects turned out to be approximately the same. But what usually happens when the official houses stop providing fandom with a show that is still in high demand? That's right, fandom is starting to support itself. This is how the popular and to this day Internet projects for the translation of comics appeared.

The first known attempt to localize Star Wars comics with improvised means took place in 2004. Through the efforts of comrades Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ricky Krain on the site " Imperial Bastion»Published Russian-language versions of several comics about the adventures of the gallant imperial soldiers. The first pancake came out by no means lumpy: judging by the results, the work on the comics was carried out with enthusiasm and love, even if the lack of serious translation and graphic layout skills is striking. However, any hobby tends to pass, and comrades did not find active followers. The project, unfortunately, remained a one-day project.

In 2005 the Internet portal was opened Star Wars Timeline- a large-scale archive of scans of English-language Star Wars comics. For many fans who know the language, this has become a huge help: in the fandom, the interest in comics is growing. After some time, the translation of comics into Russian also starts on the portal. However, the implementation of this process turned out to be very original and, to put it mildly, controversial: comics were laid out page by page (and not a whole archive), and the Russian text was not drawn into balloons over the original; instead, when hovering over the "cloud" with English text, a mini-window with Russian appeared. This approach, of course, had its advantages, but in fact there were more disadvantages: the text translation format was visually inferior to the graphic one, and it was only available online. The online translation project (due to lack of reader attention) was closed.

In the summer of 2006, a team of St. Petersburg enthusiasts launched the first serious project for the graphic translation of comics - “ Will's Diary". Already the first results of their activities seduced with bright graphics and the opportunity to see the main novelties of the foreign comics industry in Russian. One of its founders and leading translators will tell in detail about how this project lived - Sithoid.

Tell us how the comics translation project started for you.

S .: I have always had the idea to translate comics according to the ZV - I remember, even before the premiere of Episode III, I tried to redraw in the Comic Sans typeface "Obsession". So when Peter Great started translating Legacy Zero and asked me to do a couple of pages, I happily jumped in. This, one might say, was the last project of the St. Petersburg Star Wars Fan Club - at about the same time regular meetings ceased, and soon only a group of translators remained from the club. Zero release was transferred at an accelerated pace and literally by the whole team, and then responsibilities were gradually divided. Issue after issue, series after series - and it rolled.

What was the most difficult part of the process?

S .: I participated in the project as a translator and editor, but for some reason it seems to me that the most difficult thing was to typeset - no matter how much we looked for a second layout designer, nothing came of it. In my work, difficulties began when I came across an unsuccessful translation - oddly enough, editing a clumsy text is much more difficult than translating it myself from scratch. On the other hand, individual gems of the translators cheered up the whole team.

How many people were in the team?

S .: At first, we attracted everyone who somehow knew how to translate. As a rule, the translator made one issue, on the basis of which we decided whether to give him a whole series - that's why there are so many different names in the first issues. Someone translated worse, someone better, someone simply had little free time. So towards the end, we have formed a clear backbone of four people - Peter, Raila, Toss and I. Peter was the editor-in-chief and the only layout designer, so all issues went through him. This, by the way, was the main reason for our slow pace, and ultimately, the closure of the project: everyone knew how to translate and edit, and only Peter could typeset. Therefore, even at the best of times, we released a maximum of 4 comics per month.

How were the comics selected? What comics do you like most?
S .: From the very beginning, we were guided by the latest series - "Legacy", "Rebellion", "Knights of the Old Republic" ... Of these series, I liked "Legacy" the most, in which the magnificent drawings by Jen Duursema were combined with an exciting plot and in the light, colorful language of John Ostrander. Therefore, I took over the translation of "Heritage", and in the rest of the series I gradually switched to the role of editor. As for the older comics - I've always loved the Clone Wars series by the same authors, Quinlan Vos is still my favorite character to this day. It is because of this that we took up the translation of The Republic, but overestimated our strength - starting with the first, uninteresting issues, we would have reached the Clone Wars no sooner than in two or three years. The SWEU team turned out to be more resourceful - having taken on the series from the middle, by now they have already translated all the issues.

So, in total, "The Will's Diary" lasted a little less than a year and produced about three dozen comics. Gradually, the creative enthusiasm of its creators dried up, and the project was closed. But a start was made. An illustrative example has appeared: how can comics be Russified in graphics, what to strive for, and how can this bar be surpassed.

In January 2007 the project “ Comics SWEU"- at that time still an inexperienced competitor of" Diary ", and now - the largest localizer of Star Wars comics on the Internet (more than 100 issues have already been translated). Initially, the project was engaged in graphic processing of old online translations from Timeline, and included only two people: Gilad(i.e. me) in the role of editor and Arey as a graphic designer (the latter suggested the idea of ​​joint work on the first comic - "Obsession"). Slowly but surely, the team grew: there were four full-time layout designers, and more than twenty translators passed through the project. Comics are being translated for completely different eras, but the priority has always been the Clone Wars and the era of the Empire (the series "Dark Times", "Darklighter", etc.), as well as all kinds of humorous sketches. The quality bar was also gradually raised: the design team masterfully mastered the Photoshop technique, and the translators were relatively well able to teach the specifics of working with comic texts. The SWEU project is alive and well and prepares comic book translations to this day.

After the closure of The Will Diary, SWEU remained the only comic book localizer, but did not stay as such for long. Alone, the project could not pull all the popular series, and the soil turned out to be quite fertile. Thus, in the summer of 2007, Russian-language comics are published on the site. Yaga minor: Sleipnir, Ming and Quelle r translate The Legacy dropped by The Will's Diary. And in the spring of 2008 his comic book project opens and “ Guild of Archivists»Promoted portal Jedi Council: a large team of workers under the leadership of the editor-in-chief SNDP takes on the production of the Knights of the Old Republic series, as well as comics about the Empire and the early adventures of Quinlan Vos. The creative process in the "Guild" was distinguished by innovations: the translations were carried out using a joint "brainstorming" in Skype, and everything, including the "sounds", was subjected to graphic Russification. However, later it was decided to abandon both practices and switch to traditional methods. That definitely benefited the team: the quality of translations improved, and the pace accelerated noticeably.

There were also several comic projects that (unlike the previous four) did not last too long. One way or another, the potential reader slowly began to get confused in all the variety of resources that were engaged in the Russification of comics. The idea of ​​mass unification has been brewing for a long time, but all sorts of disagreements (where can we go without them?), As well as technical difficulties did not allow it to be implemented at a snap. Finally, in the summer of 2008, at the ninth StarCon, the interested parties concluded a kind of "agreement" (sealed with a beer mug), and in September the Joint Project was released.

Portal SWComics- an extensive database, which contains all the comics by ZV (or links to them) that have ever been published in Russian. The first sign of the project (for seed) was the conceptual work The Force Unleashed - a 130-page comic strip based on the video game of the same name, on the Russification of which representatives of all major comic projects worked together. Comics from completely new teams can also be accepted into the database (of course, if they pass quality control).

Chief creative, administrator, engine of progress, as well as responsible for the technical and graphic side of the joint project - Queller... Let's talk with him ...

Why did you decide to get into comics?

Q .: At first I had no idea about the existence of comics in the Star Wars universe ... And when I found out, there were only a few of them in Russian. Therefore, what I managed to find, I began to translate and typeset, and in August 2005, a graphic translation of two comics "Freedon Nadd's Mutiny" appeared on one modest site. I must say that the translation was not the best, and the layout was even worse. But a start was made, although the release of graphic translations was postponed for a long time. And when the SWEU website started publishing comics translated in graphics, I offered my help. Here, one might say, it all really started - the layout of comics for SWEU, then our own projects, over time the idea of ​​creating a joint project for the translation of comics on the basis of already existing teams appeared.

Well, that was history. Let's go back to the question "why". Because I like the universe, I like doing something not only interesting, but also useful in my free time. Plus practice in mastering the language and photoshop.

What is the most difficult and interesting part of working on a website and comic book layout?

Q .: Difficulties exist in order to overcome them. The most difficult thing is to please everyone, but I assure you that we are working on it. Another difficulty is that everyone works on the same enthusiasm and in their free time, although there is a plus - we try to do everything efficiently and with love. And the site is the next step in the development of our business. One is to make a translation, the other is to convey it to the readers, so that they want to read it, so that people unfamiliar with the pollutant universe will find it and also be imbued with it. This means that the site itself must also be of high quality and interesting. Therefore, it contains not only translations, but also useful materials for translators, layout designers and just comic book lovers.

What are the prospects for the SWComics project, and what should be expected in the future?

Q .: We have a lot to develop - there are still a lot of untranslated comics, and they continue to come out, so there will be something to do. Plus, other sections of the site will develop. Now more and more people are joining the work on comics (which cannot but rejoice), and I hope that this will continue. We try to create all the conveniences for this work, share our experience with those who came to us recently. To do this, the site has a complete chronology of all comics, a table of creative plans (to coordinate the work of various teams), sections with instructions for translators and layout designers, with fonts and blanks, with covers cleaned from the text. Information for readers is slowly emerging: articles about the main characters, reviews and other materials.

The project is indeed developing very rapidly. With the parallel work of several teams at once, it is possible to post up to ten full-fledged issues per month (and the total number of translated comics has already exceeded two hundred). Both the old, classic series and completely new ones, only recently launched by Dark Horse: The Old Republic (a prelude to the multiplayer game of the same name) and Star Wars Invasion (about the infamous Yuuzhan Vong invasion) are being translated. Not forgotten and the most popular at the moment series: "Knights of the Old Republic" and "Legacy". Will the current pace be maintained and what is the future of the Joint Project? Well ... wait and see.

Star Wars Droids - Time to Rebel (1995) Star Wars - Offensive Protocol (1997)

Star Wars - Star Wars

Star Wars (eng. Star Wars) - a cult and epic fantasy saga, containing a narrative about the confrontation of planets, civilization and factions of the "Distant Galaxy".

Contains 7 most important episodes, as well as animated television series, cartoons, films, books, Star Wars comics, video games, united by one single universe. On our site you can read Star Wars comics online for free. Invented and originally depicted in motion pictures by American director and producer George Lucas in the early 1970s. For this reason, Star Wars is, first of all, a cinematic saga and films with it set the canon for the rest of the works.

The official date of the creation of the Star Wars project is May 25, 1977 - this is the date the Star Wars movie entered the spacious screen (now it is Episode IV). Nevertheless, the main creation in the universe - the novelization book of the same name - appeared back in 1976, because the producers were afraid of failure and the enchanting breakdown of the film at the box office. This episode was followed by the successful sequel to The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).

These three films make up the true Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV-VI). The prequel trilogies (Episodes I-III) were later released between 1999 and 2005. This trilogy received a more controversial response from critics and fans when compared to the fan reactions to the original trilogy.

More recently, the sequel to the trilogy (Episodes VII-IX) began with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
All seven films were nominated for Academy Awards, and were commercially successful, with a combined box office income of $ 6,460 million, making Star Wars the fourth highest grossing film.

Additional films outside of the main saga include the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and the upcoming film anthology series, which will begin with the release of Star Wars: Rogue (2016).

Star Wars saga hierarchy

Today the hierarchy of the saga can be depicted as follows:

1. Star Wars is a single number of all footage that has been filmed under an official license from Lucasfilm. This includes canonical and non-canonical works that make up the history of the Star Wars universe, films, literature, video games, toys, theme parks, merchandise, and more.
2. Universe "Star Wars" (English Star Wars Universe - SWU) - a set of all data and documentation on the subject of "Star Wars", which was published under an official license, containing biographies of fictional characters, descriptions of events, fictional documents, chronology.

Within its framework, there is a division according to the canonical:

• Authoritative, G-canon - these are works, the canonicity of which was confirmed by George Lucas (film epic, radio drama, novelization) and to the creation of which he was directly involved. Later works in it may overlap older ones with retcon.
• T-canon is made up of some television series and events that took place alongside epic films.
• The C-canon is made up of Star Wars comics, novels, board games, video games, TV series that have separate canonical elements.
• S-canon - works released in the epic and secondary works later became part of the G-canon.
• The N-canon is not canonical at all, describing alternative or Lucasfilm false events.
• D-Canon is formed by humorous works on Star Wars. The database of all works, divided according to the canonical, is the so-called Holocron.

Epic Star Wars - seven episode films (1977 - 2015), the plots of which are the basis for the entire franchise.
The expanded cinematic universe of "Star Wars" - serves as an addition to the old trilogy, but it further expands the boundaries of the universe for the audience. Telling a story from the most ancient and distant times to 137th year after that film "New Hope".
The project has a considerable number of fresh characters, stories, models of technological progress and technologies, different races of humanity and animals. After the release of the seventh part of the epic is considered non-canon and belongs to the N-canon. However, some, relatively rare, elements of it are included in the canon of the highest ranks.

Universe of the "Distant Galaxy"

The opening phrase in all Star Wars films is "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ..." (Once upon a time in a very, very distant galaxy). The saga tells about the life of different civilizations and factions of this galaxy, among which there are both humans and various other thinking creatures, highly developed and primitive, numerous fantastic animals and plants. The history spans thousands of years from antiquity to the "present" time, depicted primarily in films.

Most of the galaxy at different times was controlled by some state: the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the New Republic, or the Galactic Alliance. These states covered cover thousands of planets with different populations and levels of development. Many species of the galaxy are people who, like on Earth, differ in facial features and skin color. Human speech is the basis for the Galactic Primary Language.

The galaxy is divided, depending on the device and meaning, into regions. Those, in turn, into sectors, planetary systems and individual planets. The main regions are Core, Core Colonies, Inner Rim Expansion Region, Middle Rim, Outer Rim, Tingel Arm, Wild Space, and Unknown Regions.

The key concept for the Star Wars universe is Force - the energy or field that binds all life in the galaxy. Many thinking beings are adept at using the Force to gain magic-like powers.
The Light and Dark Side, around the confrontation of which many events of "Star Wars" revolve. Whereas the light side is the control of thoughts and the direction of power to protect the world. The dark side is following your emotions, directing the Force to achieve personal power. Traditionally, the Light side is practiced by the Jedi, and the Dark side is by the Sith.

The reckoning traditionally comes from the battle over the planet Hazor, in which the Galactic Empire suffered a key defeat from the rebels. The dates are respectively recorded in BBY (before the Battle of Javin) and ABY (after the Battle of Javin).

Cinematic cycle "Star Wars"

The Star Wars cinematic cycle includes as many as six episodes, which were filmed in two stages. In stages, the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes were originally filmed, and only sixteen years later - the main first, second and third.
The seventh came out in 2015. This episode marked the beginning of a completely new trilogy. Read Star Wars comics right now on our website!

The original trilogy

1. 1977 - Star Wars. Episode IV. New Hope / Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
2. 1980 - Star Wars. Episode V. The Empire Strikes Back / Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
3. 1983 - Star Wars. Episode VI. Return of the Jedi / Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

The original or, as the people call it the "classic" trilogy, are Episodes IV, V, VI. This numbering was chosen due to the size of the original scenario. Lucas decided that filming from the inside was the best option to stick to, since he had put the most interesting events in his mind there.

The events of this trilogy unfold during the era of the reign of the Galactic Republic-Empire. Events revolve around the rebels' struggle against the Galactic Empire, ruled by the Sith Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Concentrates on the adventures of the Millennium Falcon crew, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

The original Trilogy begins with the Galactic Empire and nears the end of the space station's Death Star. This station will allow the Empire to crush the Rebel Alliance, organized by the resistance, formed to fight Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine Sith captured Princess Leia under Master Darth Vader. The member of the rebellion who stole the Death Star's plans and hid them in the R2-D2 droid.

R2, along with his fellow droid C-3PO, leaves for the remote planet Tatooine. There, the droids meet the boy Luke Skywalker and his half-uncle and aunt. The moment Luke is clearing R2, he inadvertently triggers a message that contains a message from Leia. She asks for help from the legendary Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Luke later assists the droids in their search for the exiled Jedi, who was now an old recluse under the alias Obi-Wan Kenobi. When Luke asks about his dad, whom he has never met in his life, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells him that Anakin Skywalker was a grand Jedi who was betrayed and killed by Vader.

Obi-Wan and Luke recruit Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca, to take them to Alderaan, Leia's homeworld. So that they ultimately find and destroy the Death Star.
Following on board the space station, Luke and Khan are rescued by Leia, while Obi-Wan allows himself to be killed during a light duel with Vader. His sacrifice allows the group to get away with plans that help the rebels destroy the Death Star.

Luke himself, guided by his strength, fired a fire shot that destroys the deadly space station during the fighting at Yavin.
Three years later, Luke travels to find Jedi Master Yoda, who now lives in exile. Luke wants to find him in order to begin his Jedi training. However, Luke's studies are interrupted when Vader lures him into a trap, trapping Han and his friends in Cloud City.

During a malevolent lightsaber duel, Vader reveals that he is the very father Luke was trying so desperately to find. Vader seizes the moment and tries to drag him to his dark side of the Force. Luke escapes and, after saving Han, returns to Master Yoda to complete his training.

Luke found 900-year-old Jedi Master Yoda on his deathbed. Before his death, Master Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke's father. Moments later, the Force ghost Obi-Wan informs Luke that he must confront Darth, his father, one more time before he can become a Jedi, and that Princess Leia they are trying to find is his twin sister.

As the rebels attack the second Death Star, Luke engages in fighting Vader in another lightsaber duel. The Sith Lords intend to pull Luke to the dark side and accept him as their apprentice.
During the duel, Luke succumbs to anger and brutally overpowers Vader, but controls himself at the last minute, realizing that he is going to kill his father. He spares Vader's life and proudly proclaims his loyalty to the Jedi.

Enraged Palpatine - The Sith Lord attempts to kill Luke with the power of lightning. Vader notices this, turns and kills the emperor. Thanking Luke for bringing him back to the bright side, Anakin Skywalker dies in the arms of his son, while the rebels manage to destroy the second Death Star. Find out more if you start reading Star Wars comics on our website!

Trilogy - prequel

1. 1999 - Star Wars. Episode I. The Phantom Menace / Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
2. 2002 - Star Wars: Episode II. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
3. 2005 - Star Wars. Episode III. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

After his divorce in 1987, George Lucas lost most of his fortune and did not want to return to Star Wars, and unofficially canceled the filming of the sequel to the trilogy. But after Star Wars became popular again, Lucas saw that they still have a lot of fans. In 1993, he announced that he would be filming the prequels. He began to create a story centered on Anakin Skywalker - the future Darth Vader - and the transformation of the Galactic Republic into an authoritarian empire. In 1994, Lucas began writing the first film, Episode I: The Beginning. And at the same time he began work on the second film (Episode II).

The episode was released in May 1999 and grossed $ 924,317,558. The AI ​​episode aired in May 2002 and grossed $ 649,398,328. The III episode was released in May 2005.
The prequel trilogy begins 32 years before the original film. The Sith Lord Darth Sirius secretly planned a blockade to provide an excuse for his alter ego Senator Palpatine to overthrow and replace the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

At the Chancellor's request, Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, travel to Naboo to negotiate with the Federation. However, instead of helping the Queen of Naboo, the two Jedi are forced to break out of the blockade and plead with her before the Republic Senate on Coruscant. When their spaceship is damaged during their escape, they land on Tatooine for repairs, where Qui-Gon discovers nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker.

Qui-Gon begins to believe that Anakin is the "Chosen One." Qui-Gon prophesied a Jedi prophecy to bring balance to the Force, and helps free the boy from bondage so he can train as a Jedi.
The Jedi Council, led by Master Yoda, suspects Anakin of having too much fear and anger within him, but reluctantly promises Obi-Wan to train the boy after Qui-Gon is killed by Palpatine's first apprentice Darth Maul during battle of Naboo.

Ten years later, the Jedi Order will participate in the Clone Wars between Republic forces and the Confederation of Independent Systems, which Palpatine secretly created to destroy the Jedi Order and lure Anakin into his service.

At the same time, Anakin and Padmé fall in love and secretly get married, and Padmé eventually becomes pregnant. Anakin has a prophetic vision in which Padmé dies in childbirth, and Palpatine convinces him that the dark side of the Force can save Padmé's life.

Desperate, Anakin obeys the teachings of the Sith Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader - the greatest villain in the Star Wars world.

While Palpatine reorganizes the Republic into a tyrannical empire, Vader is involved in the destruction of the Jedi Order. And in a climactic lightsaber duel between himself and Obi-Wan on the volcanic planet Mustafar, Obi-Wan defeated his former apprentice and friend by severing his limbs and leaving him to burn on the banks of a lava flow.

Palpatine arrives shortly thereafter and rescues Vader by placing him in a mechanical black mask and armor that serves as a permanent life support system. At the same time, Padmé dies while giving birth to the twins Luke and Leia.

Obi-Wan and Yoda are now the only ones left among the Jedi. They agree to separate the twins and keep them for cover from both Vader and the Emperor until the time comes when Anakin's children can be used to help overthrow the empire.

Trilogy - sequel

1. 2015 - Star Wars. Episode VII. The Force Awakens / Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2. 2017 - Star Wars. Episode VIII / Star Wars: Episode VIII
3. 2019 - Star Wars. Episode IX / Star Wars: Episode IX

The third trilogy is based on Episode VII. Its events unfold 20 years after Episode VI. The plot tells about the fate of the heroes of the two previous trilogies and the struggle of the Resistance and the New Republic against the Supreme Order - an organization that continues the traditions of the Galactic Empire.

Approximately 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi, disappeared. The First Order has risen from the fallen empire and seeks to destroy Luke and the New Republic, while resistance and a small effort, backed by the Republic and led by the former Princess of Alderaana, General Leia, oppose them.

On the planet Jakku, Resistance pilot Po Dameron receives a map that leads to Luke's location. The stormtroopers under the command of Kylo Ren, son of Han Solo and Leia, captured Poe Dameron.

His droid BB-8 leaves with the map and meets Kylo the absorber. Ren tortures Edgar and recognizes BB-8. Stormtrooper FN-2187 concludes that he cannot kill and frees Poe Dameron. Two exits in a TIE fighter, Poe dubs FN-2187 as "Finn". But still, after the accident at Jakku, Po dies.

Finn confronts Rey and BB-8, but the first encounter places them in such a way that they avoid the planet in a stolen ship, the Millennium Falcon. After leaving Jakku, the falcon will be repulsed by Han Solo and Chewbacca, who withdrew from the resistance and resumed their lives as smugglers.

Five companions on a trip to Takodana meet the pirate Maz Kanata. While they arrive at her place, Rey finds the lightsaber that had previously belonged to Anakin and Luke Skywalker. And after the touch of her hand with the sword, she is overcome with the Force.

At this moment, the MAZ castle is under attack of the first order. Finn, Han, and Chewbacca are saved by a group of Resistance pilots led by Po, who survived the crash of Jakku, but Rey is captured by Kylo Ren and taken to Starkiller Base.

After reuniting with Leia and resisting on D'Kaur, Han, Finna, and Chewbacca traveled to Starkiller to free Rey and disable the planet's shields, allowing the resistance pilots to destroy him.

Rei tortures Kylo Ren, but her Force sensitivity allows her to confront him. She escapes using a mind trick and reunites with Khan, Finna, and Chewbacca. But the group runs into Kylo Ren.

Han confronts his son, calling him by his birth name - Ben Solo, and asks him to return home. Ren appears to have returned to the light side for a moment, but then sets fire to his lightsaber and kills Han.

Resistance pilots begin to bombard the base. Finn and Rey kill off to the base and face Kylo Ren. Finn pulls out Anakin's lightsaber, only to severely injure Ren. Rei's power pulls her lightsaber towards her, and fights Ren.

Rey, Finn and Chewbacca escape the exploding planets on the Falcon and manage to return to the resistance. The wounded Finn remains on D'Caura. While Rey, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 use the map to find Luke Skywalker on the planet Ech-To, Rey introduces the quiet Luke with his old lightsaber.

Expanded universe

The Star Wars Expanded Universe, or Star Wars Legends, is a collection of material depicting a universe outside of the movie saga. Including books, animations, toys, video games released before April 24, 2014. Since 2014, the expanded universe has been declared non-canon and the works behind it have been released under the Star Wars Legends label. Start reading Star Wars comics now on our website for free!

Main themes and interpretations

Star Wars reveals the very destructive nature of anger and hatred. Definition of the word Yoda: Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred, leads to hatred of suffering, suffering leads to the dark side of the Force. Evil has a psychological basis, and hatred is born in a person as a result of suffering that a person experiences.

Darth Vader was despised by a slave from childhood, he never had a father, and soon he was separated from his mother, the subsequent tragic death could not stop him. At the same time, the young man is tempted by evil (in the person of the dark figure of Dart), which refers to his ambition and gives them to ultimately enter into a "satanic pact" - to surrender to him in order to satisfy their own desires and possession of omnipotence, which turns out to be illusory.

Good and Evil are clear in Star Wars, but that doesn't mean the world is black and white, even the Jedi (including Yoda) have their weaknesses. Even Vader is not very bad, he is an ordinary person who has an evil spell.

Star Wars is a story about the power inherent in love: what the largest and most powerful of the Jedi cannot do - defeating the Sith - is done through the love of a son for a father and a father for a son. The story also juxtaposes two kinds of "love": the selfish, pushing Anakin to the dark side, and the altruistic, which leads to his ultimate survival.

Star Wars is an analysis of the birth mechanism of authoritarian and totalitarian systems. The republic is going through a deep crisis and is no longer fulfilling its function. The Senate raises taxes, prompting opposition to the trade federation, which faces a corrupt system. This leads to a war that is aimed at overthrowing the regime.

Anakin Skywalker, standing on the side of the Jedi Order, begins to realize that this is the law that holds power in the name of democracy. An exorbitant ambition to mix him with a genuine desire to help, who becomes Darth Vader to save people from disaster.

Inspiration by George Lucas

As for the original saga, George Lucas was inspired primarily by the novel by Frank Herbert Dune and the science fiction comic Valerian (both were released in the 1960s). Great importance and influence was also on the part of the writer John Ronald Ruel Tolkien, who wrote the famous epic novel "The Lord of the Rings" and films about samurai (for example, director Akira Kurosawa). Not sure where to read Star Wars comics? On our website comics online you can read Star Wars comics in Russian for free and without registration!

Cultural influence

There are many fan associations around the world. A large audience manifests itself in the United States and Great Britain. Mass gatherings of fans often take place in the United States, reaching the costume festivals and parades of the 501st Legion (an international fan group whose goal is to gather, disguised as stormtroopers, in Darth Vader and other antagonists). In the UK, 300,000 fans have declared a desire to recognize the concept of the Force as the basis of their religion.

Films

• Star Wars Christmas Episode (1978) - Non-canon TV movie, Christmas special.
• Caravan of Courage Ewok Adventure (1984) is a TV movie set between episodes five and six.
• Ewoka: The Battle of Endor (1985) is a sequel to Caravan of Courage.
• The Great Heep (1986) - A special episode prior to the animated series Star Wars: Droids.
• Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick (2005) is an animated short film based on Episode III.
• Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 (2009) is a parody based on Episode II.
• Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace (2011) is a comedy special based on the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
• Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012) is a comedy special based on the original trilogy.
• Rebel One. Star Wars. History (2016) is the anticipated prequel to Episode 6.
• An unnamed film about Gana Solo (2018).
• An unnamed movie about Bobu Feta (2020).

TV serials

• Star Wars: Droids (1985) is an animated series based on the adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO robots between Episode III and Episode IV.
• Star Wars: Ewok (1985) is an animated series about the adventures of Ewok creatures a few years before the events of Episode VI.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2003-2005) is an animated miniseries set between Episode II and Episode III.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2013) is an animated series.
• Star Wars Rebels (2014) is an animated miniseries set between Episode III and Episode IV.
• Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles (2013) is an animated comedy mini-series.
• Star Wars Lego Droid Tales (2015) is an animated comedy miniseries.