Melissa Villy 
IDW’s Star Wars Adventures makes comics accessible to younglings in Heroes of the Galaxy
Announced at Star Wars Celebration Orlando in 2017, IDW’s Star Wars Adventures is a new series of comics aimed at younglings. Featuring short stories by various authors and illustrated by various artists, this series is sure to please young fans. C-3PO and R2-D2, introduce the series and what’s to come: stories of bravery, daring rescues, heroism, and more.
Better The Devil You Know
In the first short story, Unkar Plutt is kidnapped and Niima Outpost is taken over by an even worse junk dealer. Rey decides that the only way to fix things is to save Unkar. He might not be very nice, but better the devil you know than the one you don’t in this tale of Rey saving the day.
Rey is front and center in this tale that expands on her backstory. It’s always nice to get more backstory for this character. It also shows life on Jakku and the harsh realities its residents deal with. Plus, it teaches the lesson that sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Stop, Thief!
In this Tale from Wild Space, young Emil Graf tells the tale of a Pa’lowick that steals from Obi-Wan Kenobi while he’s eating at Dex’s Diner. With the help of Dex, Obi-Wan tracks down the Pa’lowick and puts an end to their exploits.
It was a fun surprise to see a tale about Obi-Wan! Plus, more Dex’ Diner! This was the first in a series of tales Emil tells that were told to him. This brings the oral storytelling tradition to Star Wars, which was a big part of how myths and legends were told. Since Star Wars is rooted in myth, this is a great choice for telling new stories.
“Better the Devil You Know” and “Stop, Thief!” are written by Cavan Scott, one of the authors of the Adventures in Wild Space Middle-Grade series. The character of Emil Graf, who tells the “Tales from Wild Space” shorts is the grandson of Milo Graf from the Adventures in Wild Space series. A Resistance era character, Emil tells the tales his grandfather and great aunt told him of the heroes of the past. The artists for these were Eisner Award-winning illustrator Derek Charm, and Jon Sommariva respectively.
The Flat Mountain of Yavin
In this second tale told by Emil, Evaan Verlaine saves the day on a mission with the Rebels. When none of the men will listen, Evaan takes matters into her own hands to stop a Star Destroyer from firing on the base. As a result, the top of a mountain gets sheared off!
I enjoyed seeing Evaan again. She was originally introduced in Marvel’s Princess Leia miniseries and I’ve been wanting to see more of her ever since. Evaan was a great addition to the Star Wars canon as an Alderaanian mentored directly by Queen Breha and a female Rebel pilot who befriended Princess Leia. She’s also Blonde, which gives her a special place in my heart as a potential cosplay character.
“The Flat Mountain of Yavin” is written and drawn by Elsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet. Charretier is a French writer and Comic Book artist. She’s been the artist on Marvel’s Unstoppable Wasp since 2017. She’s also the illustrator for the Star Wars: Choose Your Destiny series. Pierrick Colinet is a French comic writer known for IDW’s Infinite Loop.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, this series is a great addition to the Star Wars comics canon and to the children’s books Disney has been publishing. It’s so important for kids to have their own Star Wars stories, and doing them in comics form gives kids a chance to get into a different kind of visual storytelling that’s just for them.
Star Wars Adventures Vol. 1: Heroes of the Galaxy by Cavan Scott (Author) • Derek Charm (Artist, Cover Artist) • Elsa Charretier (Artist) is published by IDW Publishing and is available to buy from all good comic book stores now.
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I’m Mina, the Jedi Librarian. I’m a Program Specialist Librarian, lover of all the books, and a lifelong Star Wars fan. I’m also secretly a Jedi.
This does look good! I might take it to work next term to see what Year 2 (6-7yr olds) make of the stories! (And to have that joyous moment of sharing Star Wars stuff in class!)
I think they’d like them. They are perfect for young fans, especially reluctant readers.
Cool, I think I’ll buy a few and give it a try.