Everyone is talking about Star Wars #1 by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday (read our review here) and all these discussions got our staff talking about great Star Wars books from the Dark Horse era. Sure, they have been erased from continuity, but that doesn’t mean these stories don’t kick more ass than a deranged horde of Ewoks hell-bent on destruction. With that mental image haunting you, we present our favourite Star Wars comics (in no particular order) from the past couple decades:

STAR WARS: LEGACY

Written by John Ostrander

Art by Jan Duursema, various

Number of issues: 56 (50 initially and a 6 part mini-series afterward)

Debut year: 2006

Set 137 years after the Battle of Yavin, Star Wars: Legacy featured a descendant of Luke Skywalker, Cade Skywalker, having to take on the Sith…as seems to be the family burden. Ostrander and Duursema handled the majority of this series that has solidified itself as one of the most celebrated Expanded Universe comic titles during the Dark Horse reign. It’s got everything you can want from a Star Wars book: lightsaber battles galore, Jedi, Sith, smugglers, The Empire, galactic civil war….it’s all right here.

DARK EMPIRE

Written by Tom Veitch

Art by Cam Kennedy

Number of issues: 6

Debut year: 1991

This one came from a few different voices on the staff, and it takes place quite a bit earlier in the Star Wars timeline. Set 10 years after the Battle of Yavin, Dark Empire focuses on a new Empire rising up to give the Rebel Alliance grief…in the name of World Devastators. This one features your favourite classic characters throwing down in an old-school way.

STAR WARS

Written by Brian Wood

Art by Carlos D’Anda, various

Number of issues: 20

Debut year: 2013

A relatively new title, and one that was cut off by the license transfer, Brian Wood’s Star Wars is a very similar concept to the issue released by Marvel last week. Star Wars is set in the time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and features a big focus on Princess Leia. While the current Marvel title is not expected to follow the same trajectory this book took, if you are a fan of stories set between films, this one is waiting for you in brand new trade paperbacks!

CRIMSON EMPIRE

Written by Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley

Art by Paul Gulacy

Number of issues: 18 (across three volumes)

Debut year: 1997 (subsequent volumes released in 1998 and 2008)

Crimson Empire focuses on Kir Kanos, a member of the elite Imperial Guard, those kickass warriors in the red garb that we never really got to see throw down in the films. Set 11 years after the Battle of Yavin, the Crimson Empire Saga focuses on Kanos’ time working against the Empire in a quest to stay loyal to the Emperor and bring down a corrupt new regime.

KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC

Written by John Jackson Miller

Art by Brian Ching, Travel Foreman, various

Number of issues: 52

Debut year: 2005

Take a trip back in time, 3964 years before Episode IV to be precise, to the world of the Old Republic. If you are a gamer and remember the KotOR games, this is the series for you. Set in the world established by the BioWare games, Knights of the Old Republic focuses on Zayne Carrick and his crew attempting to bring justice to a galaxy that is sadly lacking. This series references the events of the game often while also forging it’s own path, and is one of the most successful Star Wars comics Dark Horse published.

VADER’S QUEST

Written by Darko Macan

Art by Dave Gibbons

Number of issues: 4

Debut year: 1999

It isn’t the longest run by any means, but this 4 issue mini features pencils by Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame. Set 2 months after the Battle of Yavin, Vader’s Quest focuses on the Sith Lord hunting down the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star. His obsession with the young Skywalker takes flight here.

REBEL HEIST

Written by Matt Kindt

Art by Marco Castiello

Number of issues: 4

Debut year: 2014

This mini was one of the final ones solicited by Dark Horse before the license reversal, and features Matt Kindt and Marco Castiello showing readers the heroes of the Rebel Alliance through the eyes of new characters. All your favourite characters and the myths associated with them in one contained four issue story.

INFINITIES

Written by Chris Warner, Dave Land, Adam Gallardo

Art by Drew Johnson, Davide Fabbri, Ryan Benjamin

Number of issues: 12

Debut year: 2001

The “what-if” comics of the Star Wars Universe, Infinities focuses on the characters you know….heading down new timelines! What if Luke’s torpedo malfunctioned? What if Han didn’t save Luke on Hoth? Find your answers in Infinities, which has conveniently been collected in an omnibus!

Special thanks to Michael Hale, Keith Callbeck, Scott Berry, Jessica Boyd and Roderick Ruth for contributing to this article.

What great Star Wars comics did we miss? Let us know in the comments – we’ll be reading the new #1 while the soundtrack blares in our headphones!