Illustration by Nick Wanserski

The Force Awakens may or may not be as great as the trailers make it look, but the upcoming addition to the Star Wars franchise reminds both die-hard and casual fans how great the 38-year-old space opera is. So while we eagerly await the 2015 addendum to the galaxy introduced in 1977, The A.V. Club presents a week of content dedicated to the films and the outsize influence they have on pop culture. Today we present an Inventory of the spin-offs we’d like to see, from a brave little space slug to Lando Calrissian’s backstory; contributor Jesse Hassenger writes a convincing defense of the prequels; and we read the kid-lit versions of the original trilogy so you don’t have to. This week’s Watch This posts are dedicated to films inspired or influenced by Star Wars, while our Hear This feature shares an eclectic bunch of songs with references to the space saga. Stay tuned for an examination of the George Lucas-produced Red Tails, a Star Wars Run The Series, and our picks for the most regrettable losses from the Star Wars canon.


Finally, practice voting for the 2016 presidential election with our far more important ballot: Star Wars Wars. Pitting the best Star Wars vehicles against one another in a suburban setting, we start out the daily poll by asking readers to decide the superior vehicle for the restless suburban teenager: podracer or landspeeder?