One of my favorite characters from the Marvel days of the “Star Wars” Expanded Universe was Jaxxon. Jaxxon was a Lepi and a scoundrel originally hired by Han Solo to help some moisture farmers fend off space pirates in what was one of the first “Star Wars” stories ever told outside the confines of the original film.
It was a charming (if not ham-fisted) homage to Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai.”
Since then, Jaxxon has made small appearances here and there, most recently as a skeleton on an episode of “The Clone Wars.”
From the official press release:
This January, the iconic Star Wars franchise returns to the House of Ideas in grand fashion with the first can’t-miss ongoing series kicking off in STAR WARS #1! Today, Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm Ltd. are extremely proud to unveil artist John Tyler Christopher’s STAR WARS #1 Party Variant – featuring none other than the return of Jaxxon! Only available at Star Wars #1 Launch Parties, don’t miss your chance to get your hands on this one-of-a-kind variant cover to one of the biggest issues of the year!
“We couldn’t be happier to have Star Wars comics back at Marvel,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Star Wars has always been an important part of Marvel’s history and we knew we wanted to honor that legacy with a callback to the original Marvel Comics Star Wars series. We think old and new fans alike will be just as excited as we are to see Jaxxon, even if it’s only for this fun variant cover.”
From the star studded creative team of writer Jason Aaron, artist John Cassaday and colorist Laura Martin comes a brand-new series spotlighting beloved characters from the original trilogy. Taking place immediately after the events ofStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, follow the continued adventures of Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Darth Vader and more as the growing Rebel Alliance battles for freedom against the Imperial Forces of the Galactic Empire!