Back to Batuu: ECHOES OF THE EMPIRE

Well, I guess the Loth-cat is officially out of the bag.

Marvel announced today that I’ll be returning to Batuu and I’m bringing the biggest stars in the Star Wars galaxy with me - Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C3PO, R2D2, and Darth Vader.

I’ll be writing the five issue mini-series: STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE – ECHOES OF THE EMPIRE. A major new era is dawning at the popular Galaxy’s Edge park in Disneyland this April: Disney is shifting the narrative setting from the Sequel Trilogy to the Original Trilogy era. Consider this series your Holocron containing the secret story behind that seismic change to the storytelling.

While I’m sad I won’t get to have my brother-from-another mother, artist Will Sliney, as co-pilot again as on GALAXY’S EDGE and HALCYON LEGACY, the art crew Marvel assembled is top notch. Artists Roi Mercado and Jethro Morales are true Jedi (drawing) masters.

Call it the second biggest news to come out of Star Wars today.

The first issue drops on April 22, a week before Vader drops his reign of (fun and) terror. So you can visit the new-look park with a new copy of ECHOES OF THE EMPIRE #1 in hand.

The plot details are going to remain secret under the threat of Trandoshan bounty hunters nibbling on my liver, but I can reveal that it’s going to be an epic time-spanning adventure. The official synopsis:

“Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Chewbacca head to Batuu in search of important intel and stumble upon a dangerous relic – one that puts them on a collision course with the Empire!” 

And while you can’t usually judge a book by its covers, wait until your eyeballs behold the covers by Phil Noto, Leinil Francis Yu, and E.M. Gist, who is drawing Mandalorian & Grogu variant covers on Star Wars comics in April and May in honor of the upcoming film.

Let your local comic shop know you want to reserve your own copy.

As a fan of both Star Wars and the Disney parks, helping usher in Galaxy’s Edge in 2019 with the official tie-in comic in 2019 was one of the highlight of my career and I’m honored to visit that magical place of bright suns and rising moons once again.