Lucasfilm and publishing company IDW announce a new comic anthology series, Star Wars Adventures, aimed at a younger demographic. Since George Lucas' Star Wars franchise rose to popularity in the late '70s, the Expanded Universe looked to tell more stories set in a galaxy far, far away. Though much of the original EU was established as non-canon when Disney and Lucasfilm revived Star Wars a few years ago, the companies continue to put out more and more additional content.
With Star Wars Celebration underway this weekend, die-hard fans of the franchise are being treated to a wealth of news and announcements about the past, present, and future of the series. One such announcement is the unveiling of a new collaboration between Lucasfilm and IDW.
LA Times is reporting Lucasfilm and IDW announced a comic book anthology series titled Star Wars Adventures. Though plot details have yet to be revealed, IDW will be working closely with Lucasfilm to create stories that are set to span the entire film franchise, from the prequels, the original trilogy, and the current slate of films. The monthly line will also introduce new stories that will be considered canon within the Star Wars film world, and is set to launch in the Fall of 2017, just ahead of the next film installment, Star Wars: The Last Jedi as part of an upcoming series of tie-in comics, novels, and non-fiction books. So who is this new comic line geared toward?
Teaser art [above] reveals that Star Wars Adventures is intended to be for all-ages, hoping to capture a younger generation of readers between the ages of 7-10. The teaser art ties in all of the iconic imagery and fan favorite characters from the film series while offering a more fun, youthful art style that looks to entice a new generation of Star Wars fans. Considering the tie-in to the main film series and the allure of new, canon stories, long time fans will likely find themselves subscribers to the monthly series in this comic book collaboration as well.
IDW proves to be the perfect partner for Lucasfilm in attracting youthful readers, having previously built great relationships with both Marvel and Disney. Though this isn't the first project together; IDW will also be releasing a series of old Star Wars newspaper comics. Previously, Marvel has had exclusive license for Star Wars comic books, which has been a high seller for the popular comics publisher. This collaboration between IDW and Lucasfilm marks the first licensing deal with Lucasfilm outside of the Marvel Star Wars comics.
Though currently slated to launch in the fall, plot details and a creative team have yet to be announced. We'll keep you updated as development continues.
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Source: LA Times