Marvel is ending its Star Wars and Darth Vader comics, but they’re relaunching in a new era of the Saga later this year

Marvel’s current main Star Wars titles will both come to an end this fall, with plans to relaunch them in a new era of the Star Wars Galaxy later this year. The current volumes of both Star Wars and Darth Vader will end at #50 with oversized issues that tie off the ongoing plotlines of the titles and set the stage for a move into a totally different setting for what comes next.

For the last several years, Marvel’s main Star Wars titles have been set in the time between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, filling in some of the previously unseen adventures that took place away from the eyes of moviegoers. 

Marvel hasn’t revealed when the upcoming relaunched titles will take place, but the publisher’s larger Star Wars line also includes titles set during the High Republic era, at the height of the Jedi Order.

Artist Leinil Francis Yu will provide the main covers for both issues, while Giuseppe Camuncoli has created a pair of connecting variant covers for Star Wars #50 and Darth Vader #50. Here’s a gallery of all three covers:

Here’s how Marvel describes Star Wars #50:

“In Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov’s STAR WARS #50, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker must teach his student Ben Solo a powerful lesson about the true balance between Light and Dark! He offers up a tale from the days of the Rebel Alliance that touches on multiple eras of Star Wars history, and brings this epic run to a thrilling, incredible climax!”

And here’s the publisher’s description of Darth Vader #50:

“Acclaimed writer Greg Pak closes out the longest-running Darth Vader comic series ever alongside artist Raffaele Ienco and more in STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #50. Pak’s run reaches its stunning conclusion as the Dark Heart of the Sith comes full circle! Darth Vader finally unleashes the unfathomable power he’s accumulated through the Schism Imperial against the only person in the galaxy he hates more than he hates himself – Emperor Palpatine!”

Both Star Wars #50 and Darth Vader #50 will be 50 page issues, and Marvel promises “the final twists in the saga for key characters like Luke, Leia, Sabé, Ochi, the droid ZED-6-7, Sly Moore, the members of the Schism Imperial and more!”

We’re assuming that means the “final twist” in the sense of the current story being told in comics, as we know that there’s much more to come for Luke and Leia after Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars #50 goes on sale September11, followed by Darth Vader #50 on September 18. Marvel promises more information about what’s next in the weeks to come.

These are our picks for the best Star Wars comic book characters.