A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Marvel produced some of the most bizarre Star Wars comics this side of Dagobah. Loosely based on the original scripts, and then left to their own devices as to how to fill in the gaps, the teams got crazy in a way that only licensed properties in the ’70s and ’80s could. How crazy? Han Solo teamed up with a giant, wise-cracking, bipedal space rabbit. That crazy.
If you’ve never experienced this corner of Star Wars nostalgia, you’re in luck. Marvel has put its back-catalog of Star Wars comics on its absolutely must-have digital service, Marvel Unlimited. And it’s not just the original comics–Marvel now has rights to the Dark Horse library and has rebranded the entire shebang as Star Wars Legends. The Dark Horse comics were some of the best (now non-canon) modern Star Wars stories, including the excellent Star Wars: Legacy. I mean, who doesn’t want to read about the bounty-hunting, drug-addicted, Light and Dark Side-channeling grandson of Luke Skywalker?
To celebrate, Marvel is giving away a free month of Marvel Unlimited for new and returning members alike. I got hooked by a similar deal offered last year around SDCC. The service gives you access to 15,000+ digital Marvel comics, with new comics showing up as early as six months after publication. Hands down, it’s the best consistent deal in comics today. Even if you go all in for the Unlimited Plus service, it breaks down to a little over $8 a month–that would barely buy you two new issues at regular retail! It’s a good enough deal that I lament on a regular basis that DC and IDW haven’t followed suit.
You’ve got from now ’til this time next month to get in on the deal. They’ll be adding new stuff on a regular basis, including the absolutely astounding new Star Wars series this summer, so don’t wait!
