Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm Publishing has unveiled the first sneak peek for Star Wars | Marvel: Hope Assembles, a 6-issue limited series Last August, the two companies announced the first ever Marvel / Star Wars crossover to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of A New Hope
According to the press release, the preview released by Marvel will be included in the back of various issues over the coming months. The preview features A New Hope’s iconic opening scene being crashed by Iron Man, making quips about looking for a Disney princess and even Captain America referring to the Star Warsmovies while bashing Stormtroopers with his shield. Hope Assembles #1 will also feature 9 different covers by superstar artists such as Alex Ross, Kaare Andrews, and Rafael Albuquerque.
This new series also has Marvel taking a new approach to their variant cover initiatives. According to the press release, “Star Wars | Marvel: Hope Assembleswill feature ongoing variant cover programs, with recurring themes across Covers A-F to bring greater clarity and consistency to the cover collecting experience. Additional variants may also be available beyond the ongoing programs.” This announcement comes hot on the heels of Marvel’s newest editor-in-chief, Stephen Wacker, delivering the keynote address at NYCC’s Retailer Day where variant covers were a prominent talking point. “I still want the unique ideas and breathtaking art that a variant cover lets us experiment with. I just want to bring a little more logic to the operation and make sure we aren’t mindlessly throwing an endless number of covers at any single book,” said Wacker. In accordance with this new approach to variant covers, covers A through G will have corresponding themes across all 6 issues.
- MAIN COVER: The main series connecting covers by series artist David Marquez.
- ALLIANCE VARIANT: Marvel heroes and villains join forces with their Star Wars counterparts in action-packed pairings.
- BATTLE VARIANT: Marvel and Star Wars collide in impossible one-on-one showdowns.
- A NEW HOPE VARIANT: Iconic moments from Star Wars: A New Hope are re-created with Marvel characters.
- CROSSOVER VARIANT: Characters wield the legendary weapons, costumes and symbols of the other franchise.
- RETRO VARIANT: New artwork channeling the unmistakable look of Marvel’s original Star Wars comic book run.
- MARVEL HOMAGE: Legendary Marvel covers are re-created with characters from both universes.
Star Wars | Marvel: Hope Assembles#1 arrives in comic shops on January 13th, with the sixth and final issue releasing in May 2027 for the anniversary. Below you can read the 3 page preview and the current lineup of variant cover artists.
STAR WARS | MARVEL: HOPE ASSEMBLES #1 (OF 6)
Cover A by DAVID MARQUEZ – 75960621652900111
Cover B by ALEX ROSS (Alliance Variant) – 75960621652900121
Cover C by KAARE ANDREWS (Battle Variant) – 75960621652900131
Cover D by CORY SMITH (Star Wars: A New Hope Variant) – 75960621652900141
Cover E by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE (Crossover Variant) – 75960621652900151
Cover F by DAN JURGENS (Retro Variant) – 75960621652900161
Cover G by TBD (Marvel Homage Variant) – 75960621652900116
Cover H by MATTEO LOLLI (Foil Variant) – 75960621652900171
Cover I by KAARE ANDREWS (Virgin Variant) – 75960621652900117
