This is a big year for the Star Wars franchise for several reasons, but arguably the biggest non-screen related one is that the Star Wars: Galaxy Edge attractions are finally opening in Disneyland and Disney World. First announced on August 15, 2015 (though it was unnamed at the time), construction on these themed areas began in April 2016, and fans will get to enjoy this immersive experience starting in the fall. However, those of you eager for a sneak peek of Galaxy's Edge can turn to Marvel Comics in a few months to scratch that itch.
The main hub of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will be the Black Spire Outpost, located on the planet Batuu. This April, Marvel Comics will publish a five-issue miniseries, also simply called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, that's set on the Black Spire Outpost, where denizens from all across a galaxy far, far away come to either sell their unique items or look for a score. Written by Ethan Stacks and illustrated by Will Sliney, the Galaxy's Edge comic book series will introduce readers to Dok-Ondar, the Ithorian collector of rare antiquities who operates out of this black market. When the First Order starts reaching the edges of wild space, the key to saving Black Spire Outpost from the regime's tyrannical rule could involve a job pulled way back when by Han Solo and Chewbacca.
You can head over to StarWars.com to see what Dok-Ondar looks like, but here's what Ethan Stack had to say about how he approached adding to the black market:
Our series will give fans the chance to visit Black Spire Outpost months ahead of voyaging to Batuu in person. Armed with top-secret sketches and information from Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm, we are keeping this authentic to the spirit of this rich new setting. I'd tell you more, but I already have the death sentence on 12 systems....
It should be noted that the Black Spire Outpost first appeared in the novel Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances, and the Black Spire organization itself was mentioned in Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will be placing the Black Spire Outpost front and center, and whether you're able to visit the attraction at Disneyland and/or Disney World or not, this comic book series will provide more information about this special location for those curious.
The Star Wars franchise's history with the Disney parks stretches back to 1987 with the opening of Star Tours, but once Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, it was expected that the space opera mythology would be prominently represented at the parks. As far as Galaxy's Edge goes, along with exploring Black Spire Outpost, attendees will also be able to check out Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and much more.
You can reserve your copy of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge #1 digitally or at your local comic book store. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates about the Star Wars franchise, which also has Episode IX, The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars Season 7 coming in 2019.
