Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is getting a prequel comic miniseries. This December, the iconic Skywalker saga comes to a close with Star Wars 9, which looks to wrap up not only the sequel trilogy, but the whole nine-movie arc that kicked off with the original film back in 1977. As has become typical practice for Lucasfilm, The Rise of Skywalker plot details are hard to come by, though fans do know Sheev Palpatine is making a surprise return, becoming the villain that ties the saga's three trilogies together.
Whereas The Last Jedi took place immediately after the events of The Force Awakens, there will be a time jump (of about one year) between The Last Jedi and Star Wars 9. This means other canon mediums, such as novels and comics, will have an opportunity to explore this period and tell more stories featuring fan-favorite characters like Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. Back in May, the tie-in book Resistance Reborn was confirmed, and now there will be a comic prelude to Star Wars 9 as well.
According to Comics Beat (hat tip Star Wars News Net), the four-part miniseries Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance by Ethan Sacks and Luke Ross was announced during this year's San Diego Comic-Con Diamond Retailer Launch. No further details were shared at that time, but promo art was unveiled. Check it out in the space below:
While an Allegiance synopsis isn't public yet, one can garner that it'll chronicle a high-stakes confrontation between the Resistance and the First Order. Looking at the artwork, several familiar faces from the film are poised to have key roles in the miniseries, including Rey, Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren, and General Leia Organa. There also look to be some newcomers, such as a new Mon Calamari ally of the Resistance. At first glance, fans might mistake that for Admiral Ackbar, but the Rebellion icon died during the events of The Last Jedi. It'll be interesting to see how these new characters factor into the narrative. And much like Resistance Reborn, Allegiance will likely provide a snapshot of the current state of the galaxy in the post-Last Jedi world. Kylo Ren is now Supreme Leader of the First Order and there isn't a governing Republic, so things might be very chaotic as the grueling war continues.
Lucasfilm is smart about the way they handle Star Wars canon materials; none of the non-movie content is treated as homework that's required to understand plot points in the films. Casual fans who have only seen the movies will be able to follow The Rise of Skywalker with no problems, having only Force Awakens and Last Jedi as context. However, for those interested, the Star Wars books typically are strong supplements to the films, adding to one's appreciation of their events by fleshing out character dynamics and the universe at large. With that in mind, it might be worth picking up The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance when it drops later this year to see what revelations it has.
Source: Comics Beat (via SWNN)
