Comic Review: Marvel Free Comic Book Day – Looking to the Future

Writers: Marc Guggenheim, Alex Segura, Charles Soule

Artist: Madibek Musabekov, Phil Noto, Stefano Raffaele

Colors: Luis Guerrero, Phil Noto, Nolan Woodard 

Publisher summary:

CELEBRATING THE NEW ERA OF STAR WARS COMICS! LUKE SKYWALKER finds himself in a wretched hive of scum and villainy facing off against pirates! JEDI KNIGHTS QUI-GON JINN & TENSU RUN are on the hunt for the villainous CORLIS RATH! Who is the mysterious VANEE and what is his connection to DARTH VADER & KYLO REN?

Marvel Comics

Why it matters: Marvel is jumping into a new wave of Star Wars comics with books taking place all over the timeline. Get your first look at these epic books here!

Key moments:

• Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master: Alex Segura finally brings the mainline Star Wars run to the post-Return of the Jedi era. Luke Skywalker is on full display here as the calm and confident Jedi Master we’ve been waiting to see.

• Vader’s best friend: Legacy of Vader is already off to a strong start, and the ever-creepy Vaneé has been the breakout star. Charles Soule gives him the spotlight here with an interesting backstory to show readers how he got his new appearance in LoV #1.

• Golden age of the Jedi: Right out of the pages of the thrilling Jedi Knights series, Marc Guggenheim continues the story of Qui Gon’s hunt for his would-be assassin. The quick, exciting adventure is perfect for any fan of the Prequel era.

The big picture: Free Comic Book Day and May 4th on the same weekend? I’m not sure it gets any better than that. This year, we celebrate with a Marvel Comics offering that brings us previews of this year’s slate of ongoing comics (minus, sadly, Doctor Aphra’s new book).

The issue begins with a quick adventure from Alex Segura featuring a post-Jedi Luke Skywalker on the search for pirates. It seems like a cold open to the upcoming Star Wars #1, so it’s just a quick taste. But it sets a nice tone, and most importantly, it’s our first look at Phil Noto’s triumphant return to Star Wars interior art. His work here is just as fantastic as always - prepare for one of the best-looking Star Wars books you’ve ever seen.

We then see a short look into Legacy of Vader’s Vaneé. Written by Charles Soule, this serves as a standalone prologue of sorts to that series, giving more insight into Kylo Ren’s creepy new assistant. Legacy of Vader has been terrific so far, and this is no exception. Stefano Raffaele fills in for Luke Ross on art, fitting right in with the ongoing comic’s aesthetic.

Finally, Marc Guggenheim brings a story from the pages of Jedi Knights. Unlike the other two preludes, this is a direct bridge between issue #2 and the upcoming #3. Qui Gon is paired up with our new favorite Jedi, Tensu Run, in an effort to hunt down a mysterious assassin. Jedi Knights has been the highlight of 2025 so far, making it no surprise that Guggenheim and Musibekov are just as outstanding in short form.

As expected, Marvel’s FCBD Star Wars issue is more of a sampler than a must-read epic. But all three stories are great reads, and there are some helpful character descriptions in the back of the book, making this a perfect place for new readers to jump in.

Our rating: Incredible

What’s next: Follow these stories in three upcoming issues: Star Wars #1 (May 7), Jedi Knights #3 (May 14), and Legacy of Vader #4 (May 21).

For a deeper discussion of this issue, be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Cosmic Force podcast!