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6 underrated Star Wars comics worth dusting off your Kindle for


With a new Star Wars movie day approaching, The Mandalorian and Grogu is the perfect time to dive into the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Even with 11 movies, 7 live-action Disney+ shows, and numerous animated titles, there are plenty of adventures to be found off-screen. And across its 49-year history, the franchise’s best stories have sometimes not been found on screen but in the pages of its comic book offerings.

From conclusions to lingering plot threads, tie-ins to ongoing storylines, and legends from long ago, here are six Star Wars comics worth reading:

War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign, The Hidden Empire

Star Wars’ most underrated heroine gets her moment

Star Wars Hidden Empire Credit: Lucasfilm

In 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story dived into the hidden past of Han Solo, introducing audiences to Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra, his childhood friend and love. While Han would find himself joining the Rebellion, Qi’ra saw herself as too connected to the criminal underworld of the galaxy to be with him without putting him at risk, leading to her disappearing into the shadows of the galaxy. However, beginning in 2021, Qi’ra will step out of the shadows in a trilogy of comic storylines that solidifies her place as one of Star Wars‘ most important characters.

Penned by Charles Soule, War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign, and Hidden Empire saw Qi’ra enact a plan to crush the Empire once and for all through the criminal connections she inherited in the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Not only does the storyline connect to the ongoing comics of the time, but it is also tied into both the prequel era and sequels, particularly thanks to a surprising appearance by a certain group of villains. Despite these connections, the Qi’ra comic trilogy stands on its own merits and offers a perfect conclusion for the character.

Star Wars: Republic

Begun, the Clone Wars has.

Star Wars Republic. Credit: Lucasfilm

One of Star Wars‘ most thoroughly explored periods is the Clone Wars. The three-year conflict between the Republic and the Separatist has been explored across two animated series and countless books and novels across both canon and Legends continuity. Despite this thorough exploration, fans are still eager to see more of the conflict. However

Released from 2002 to 2006, Star Wars: Republic was one of the more extensive explorations of the time period before the release of The Clone Wars, not only Anakin and Obi-Wan’s story but also the battles of other fan-favorite Jedi like Quinlan Vos. These conflicts dived into the complexity of War on the Jedi and the Republic, as well as the early backstories of several fan-favorite villains. While the release of The Clone Wars would retcon the project even before Disney acquired the franchise, Star Wars: Republic is still a fascinating retelling of this fan-favorite period.

Age of Star Wars

Celebrating the key players of the galaxy

Age of Star Wars. Credit: Lucasfilm

As Lucasfilm prepared to bring the Skywalker Saga to a close in 2019, Lucasfilm and Marvel built up to the conclusion with Age of Star Wars maxi-series. The key characters of the universe were given a chance to shine across 27 issues that were divided across three major eras of the Star Wars galaxy. With the saga coming to a close, Lucasfilm wished to celebrate the characters that fans had come to love across 42 years of storytelling.

I feel that the Age of Star Wars maxi-series is a highly underrated element of Star Wars canon that truly gets to the essence of each character. Whether it’s Boba Fett’s code of honor, Kylo Ren’s desire to shape his own legacy, or Luke contending with the pressures of being the hero, each issue is a perfect summarization of these characters’ stories. Whether you’re familiar with Star Wars‘ extended canon or a newcomer, Age of Star Wars is a must-read.​​​​​​​

Star Wars : Vector

A multi-generational horror

Star Wars Vector. Credit: Lucasfilm

For Star Wars gamers, the Rakghoul plague is a memorable piece of lore that became a mainstay of the Old Republic era. The product of an ancient Sith Lord’s attempt to cheat death, the plague turned its victims into horrific mutants that would pass on the virus in a zombie-like manner. And in 2008, the plague became the center of the galaxy in the 12-issue comic book crossover Vector.

In Vector, the ancient Jedi Celeste Morne attempts to track the source of the Rakghoul curse, leading to her following the device for several millennia, from the Old Republic to the age of the Empire. During this time, several characters are faced with the horrors that the Rakghoul plague offers, as Vader is forced to turn on his infected legions while Luke and the Rebels are caught unaware by the plague. While the series ties into several ongoing stories from the time, Celeste’s tale can be read as a standalone story and is a fascinating twist on horror in the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Darth Maul

The Apprentice Menace

Star Wars Darth Maul 2017. Credit: Lucasfilm

With Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord currently airing, Darth Maul is the center of the franchise at the moment. The latest animated series has shone a light on the former Sith Lord’s training under Palpatine, but it is far from the first time that Star Wars canon has tackled Maul’s history before The Phantom Menace. Released in 2017, Cullen Bunn’s Star Wars: Darth Maul sees Maul go behind his master’s back to hunt down a stray Jedi Padawan before the battle of Naboo, leading to him having to contend with his desire to prove himself with his master’s highly secretive plot.


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Darth Maul is a fascinating dive into Maul’s psyche at the height of his devotion to the Dark Side, but shows just how capable he could be on his own. Maul’s choice of target establishes him as just as talented a schemer as his master, while his future ties to the underworld of the galaxy are foreshadowed with some fun The Clone Wars cameos. If Maul –Shadow Lord whet your appetite for more of the Sith Lord, this series is a perfect side story.

Star Wars Tales

The galaxy at its most surprising

Star Wars Tales. Credit: Lucasfilm

Between 1999 and 2005, Dark Horse began to publish Star Wars Tales, a comic book series that offered several one-shot stories focused on a selection of fan-favorite heroes and lesser-known characters from across the galaxy. When developing the majority of the series, continuity was not a priority for the writers, giving them the freedom to tell the kinds of Star Wars stories they wanted. This lack of oversight led to some astounding tales.

Star Wars Tales is an anthology series that is truly unbound by canon. Even in the days when Star Wars‘ continuity was sorted by varying tiers, Star Wars Tales‘ one-shots varied from touching tales to hilarious hijinks. One issue will feature an emotional reunion between Vader and C-3PO during The Empire Strikes Back, only to be followed up by a Pulp Fiction parody featuring Mace Windu and Yoda. If you are open to Star Wars in any form, no matter how wild, Star Wars Tales is a wonderful mystery box that will continue to surprise you at every turn of the page.

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Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.




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Recent Reviews

3 gritty Prime Video shows to watch this weekend (May 1


When it comes to content, there’s little I love more than a good, gritty crime drama. From their dark, cynical, often realistic portrayals of criminal underworlds, violence, and justice systems to their heavily flawed, obsessed, anti-hero protagonists and intense, gritty tones, it all sucks us in, and it’s why we can’t look away. These types of criminal shows have carved out a powerful space in television by refusing to glamorize the worlds they depict and being willing to confront uncomfortable truths.

This weekend on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., we’re exploring three immensely popular, critically acclaimed criminal shows that will hook you from the get-go with their honesty, and my top pick is a must-see that reinvented the police procedural genre.

3

City on a Hill

A Wire-like look at corruption, race, and justice

Based on a story by Ben Affleck and author Charlie MacLean, the underrated crime drama City on a Hill revisits a charged moment in Massachusetts history known as The Boston Miracle. For 18 months in the mid-90s, gang-related violence dropped 63% as the result of a community-wide initiative developed in collaboration with the Boston Police Department, street workers, juvenile corrections officers, churches, and neighborhood programs. Kevin Bacon (Footloose), Aldis Hodge (Cross), and Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) headline the cast.

Set in early 1990s Boston, corruption, violent criminals, and racism are normal parts of life, and to make matters worse, they’re backed by local law enforcement agencies. The series focuses on an unlikely alliance between hardened, corrupt, charismatic FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon) and idealistic Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge) as they work together to navigate the city and take down a family of armored car thieves, aiming to overhaul the broken criminal justice system.



















Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge

Prime Video movies
Trivia challenge

From thrillers to tearjerkers — see how well you know these Amazon Prime Video films.

DramaThrillerTrue StoryComedySports

In Crime 101, what profession does the main character use as cover while pulling off elaborate heists?

That’s right! The protagonist poses as a real estate agent, using the job’s access and mobility as a convenient front for criminal activity. The film plays with how ordinary professions can mask extraordinary deception.

Not quite — the correct answer is real estate agent. The film uses this cover cleverly, showing how a respectable-seeming profession can provide the perfect camouflage for a career criminal operating in plain sight.

In Saltburn, which prestigious English university does protagonist Oliver Quick attend when he befriends Felix Catton?

Correct! Oliver and Felix meet at Oxford, where the stark class divide between scholarship student Oliver and the aristocratic Felix is immediately established. That university setting is crucial to the film’s themes of privilege and obsession.

Not quite — it’s Oxford where Oliver and Felix first cross paths. Director Emerald Fennell deliberately chose Oxford’s world of old money and social stratification to set up the film’s exploration of class envy and manipulation.

In The Tender Bar, based on J.R. Moehringer’s memoir, who plays Uncle Charlie, the bartender who becomes a father figure to young J.R.?

Spot on! Ben Affleck plays the warm and charismatic Uncle Charlie, earning considerable praise for the role. Affleck’s performance was seen as one of the film’s greatest strengths, bringing real depth to a man who shapes a fatherless boy’s entire worldview.

The correct answer is Ben Affleck. His portrayal of Uncle Charlie was widely praised as a career highlight, capturing the rough charm of a bartender who becomes the most important male role model in J.R.’s life.

In the 2024 Prime Video remake of Road House, who plays ex-UFC fighter Elwood Dalton, the new bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse?

That’s right! Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the role made famous by Patrick Swayze, playing a disgraced MMA fighter hired to clean up a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys. Gyllenhaal underwent intense physical training to prepare for the action-heavy role.

The correct answer is Jake Gyllenhaal. He took on the iconic role previously played by Patrick Swayze in the 1989 original, with the remake shifting the setting from Missouri to the Florida Keys and updating the protagonist’s fighting background to MMA.

Thirteen Lives depicts the dramatic 2018 rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in which country?

Correct! The film recreates the harrowing rescue of the Wild Boars youth soccer team from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. The real-life operation captivated the world and involved expert cave divers from across the globe.

The answer is Thailand. The real rescue took place in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province, where 12 boys and their coach were trapped for 18 days before a multinational team of divers managed to bring them all out safely.

In Manchester by the Sea, what unexpected event forces Lee Chandler to return to his hometown and become guardian of his teenage nephew?

That’s right! Lee’s brother Joe dies suddenly from congestive heart failure, pulling Lee back to a town filled with painful memories. Casey Affleck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the grief-stricken, emotionally closed-off Lee.

Not quite — Lee returns because his brother Joe dies of congestive heart failure. The film, written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, won two Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, and is celebrated for its unflinching portrayal of grief and guilt.

In American Fiction, what pen name does frustrated author Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison use when he writes a satirical novel pandering to racial stereotypes?

Correct! Monk writes his outrageous satirical manuscript under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, a name that itself plays on stereotypes. The film, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, won Cord Jefferson the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The pen name Monk uses is Stagg R. Leigh. The choice of pseudonym is itself part of the satire — a name loaded with cultural baggage. Jeffrey Wright received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his nuanced portrayal of Monk.

In Air, the film about Nike signing Michael Jordan, which actress plays Jordan’s mother Deloris, who plays a pivotal role in negotiating his landmark deal?

That’s right! Viola Davis plays Deloris Jordan with commanding presence, portraying her as the savvy negotiator who helped secure the revolutionary contract that gave Michael unprecedented royalties. The real Deloris Jordan is widely credited with shaping the deal that changed sports marketing forever.

The correct answer is Viola Davis. She received widespread praise for capturing the intelligence and determination of Deloris Jordan, whose behind-the-scenes negotiations were instrumental in creating the Air Jordan brand that would go on to generate billions of dollars.

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Expect a thick atmosphere of 90s Boston authenticity, compelling power dynamics, character-driven narratives, and exceptional acting, particularly from Bacon, who gives a career-best performance. The show offers a serious, slow-burn exploration of one city’s criminal justice system while blending police corruption with family drama and social issues. Though fictionalized, it’s a fascinating look at Boston’s transition from a corrupt era to a new system and is executive produced by Affleck and Matt Damon.

2

River

A traditional “whodunit” investigation

Boasting a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, River is a six-part British police procedural and psychological crime drama about a haunted detective investigating his partner’s murder while also struggling with his mental health. Stellan Skarsgård (Good Will Hunting) and Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) star.

Detective Inspector John River (Skarsgård) is brilliant at what he does, but his fractured mind keeps him trapped between the living and the dead, haunted by “manifests,” or visions of murder victims, including his recently deceased partner, Stevie. Under enormous pressure from the media and psychiatric evaluation for his hallucinations, River works hard to navigate his guilt and, in the process, discovers the shocking truth about Stevie’s death.

Unlike typical crime shows, River focuses heavily on its protagonist’s mental states in the wake of his criminal experiences. The slow-burn, dramatic crime thriller is characterized by intense psychological scenes, a traditional “whodunit” investigation, and a masterful performance from Skarsgård. Expect a deeply human study of loss with smart writing, a genuinely creepy atmosphere, and a unique, emotional take on the police procedural drama.

1

The Shield

One of the best cop shows ever made

One of this century’s best crime dramas, The Shield is a multi-Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award winner. Michael Chiklis (The Commish), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Kenny Johnson (Ray), and Michael Jace (The Replacements) star alongside an enormous cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, CCH Pounder, Glenn Close, Benito Martinez, and more.

The hit FX show follows the corrupt activities of rogue cop Vic Mackey (Chiklis) in an experimental criminal division task force of the Los Angeles Police Department. He’ll go to any lengths to take down the criminals he and his team are chasing, including breaking the law and working with other criminals, and eventually he ropes his team into doing the same. Everything is set in a district rife with gang-related violence, drug trafficking, and prostitution.

Highly regarded for reinventing the police procedural and setting the standard for modern anti-hero dramas, the show paved the way for “prestige” television on basic cable with its raw, unflinching tone full of twists and thrills that explores the fine line between right and wrong. Over the course of 88 episodes, you’ll experience fast-paced action, moral ambiguity, high-stakes tension, and more riveting, gritty crime drama in one continuously solid storyline than you can stand. When viewing turns to obsession, don’t say I didn’t warn you. This one is a true gem.

Each of these hit criminal shows stands out for its realism and complexity, offering a much darker, thought-provoking take on crime storytelling that burrows into our brains and leaves us craving more. The platform has plenty of excellent crime dramas to choose from, so once you finish these three, stick around and see what else is there to transport you to the criminal underworld. Before you leave, though, be sure to check out everything coming to Prime Video in May 2026.

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