Fans of Star Wars will soon have a new way to enjoy the adventures of some of their famous heroes, now that Manga adaptations of both Star Wars Rebels and Princess Leia’s origin story are confirmed to be on the way from Yen Press.
The news arrives just as a large chapter of the Star Wars timeline is being closed, with the final season of Clone Wars coming to an end and, along with the later animated adventures of Star Wars Rebels, filling in most of the years of the movie’s events. Now fans looking to dive back into the galaxy far, far away have English versions of both Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars Leia, Princess of Alderaan to choose from. Both were previously released in digital-first format through the LINE Manga App, as part of an original slate of LINE Star Wars Comics, but according to Yen Press, will now see physical release.
Now officially titled Star Wars Leia, Princess of Alderaan, fans of the wide world of Star Wars novels will already be familiar with the events of the Manga since it is adapting the beloved YA Star Wars novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray, with new artwork by Haruichi Furudate. The original novel was published by Disney–Lucasfilm Press in 2017 as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi series, with the Manga adaptation making its debut on the LINE Manga app on May 4th, 2019.
Like the novel upon which it’s based, Leia, Princess of Alderaan tells the never-before-told story of how young Leia Organa comes to join the rebellion against the evil Empire. as Leia prepares herself to be named the heir of the throne, she becomes aware of the growing distance between her and her parents, who behind closed doors are leaders of the newly-formed Rebellion. Upon learning her parents’ secrets, Leia must now make a choice between her responsibility to the people of Alderaan and her responsibility to save a galaxy crushed by the rule of the Empire. Claudia Gray is also the author of Star Wars: Lost Stars, another YA novel previously adapted into manga form and published by Yen Press.
In addition, the Star Wars Rebels manga isn’t adapting any expanded universe story, but the animated series itself, with story and art by Akira Aoki. Airing from 2014-2018 the series originally starred Kanan Jarrus, a former Jedi Padawan (and star of his own novel and comic book series) and his fellow Rebel heroes as they recruit a Force-sensitive boy named Ezra into their cause. But as fans know, the series would eventually explore crucial elements of the Star Wars mythology, featuring returns and cameos from beloved Star Wars heroes.
The official announcement from Yen Press doesn’t specify exactly which stories or parts of the series will be adapted first, or how long the Star Wars Rebels series is planned to be ongoing. The same is technically true for Leia, Princess of Alderaan. But even if it isn’t yet clear what this new deal means for more LINE Manga being brought to English audiences in print, the announcement is sure to be good news for fans of both the property and medium.
