Since the 2015 comic series collaboration between Marvel and Star Wars, fans have had the pleasure of reading more about the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. Marvel announced today the official release date of the milestone issue, Star Wars #50, will be July 4th. The story will focus on the Rebels who have been secretly building their fleet and trying to remain hidden from the Empire. Kieron Gillen wrote the issue with artwork by Salvador Larroca and cover design by Mike Mayhew.
Gillen shared his thoughts on the process and storyline of writing such a significant issue for the much loved series:
When I was asked to take over the book, having a big story for the magical issue #50 was very much in my goals. As such, I’ve spent the first twelve issues building up to this, which is basically the biggest story I’ve told in Star Wars. It’s an event-level tragedy on an epic scale, and it’s designed as the key bridging piece between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. I also haven’t written Darth Vader in ages, so now’s the time to start having my lightsaber fun again!
While the artwork is not finalized for the cover, it appears that Mayhew is going for a combination of the Rebellion’s heroes, as we can see elements of Luke, Chewbacca, and Han on the figure of Leia.
Star Wars #50 will be available in comic shops on July 4th.