Star Wars: Mace Windu #1

History

The series was announced at the Lucasfilm Publishing panel at New York Comic Con in October 2023, alongside companion prequel-era miniseries for Jango Fett and Thrawn — all three positioned as part of Marvel's 2024 initiative honoring the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace. Writer Marc Bernardin, whose prior credits include television work on Star Trek: Picard and The Continental as well as Marvel and DC comic work, cited the 1988 film Midnight Run as a key tonal influence on the series' odd-couple, fugitive-escort premise. Artist Georges Jeanty, known for his likeness-driven work on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic continuation, handled pencils throughout; Dexter Vines inked and Andrew Dalhouse provided colors for the issue, with a cover by Mateus Manhanini, who had previously contributed acclaimed Black History Month variant covers for Marvel's Star Wars line. A brief prequel short story featuring Windu appeared in Star Wars: Revelations (2023) #1 prior to the miniseries launch, seeding the character context.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published February 7, 2024 by Marvel Comics; written by Marc Bernardin, penciled by Georges Jeanty, inked by Dexter Vines, colored by Andrew Dalhouse, with cover art by Mateus Manhanini.
• First issue of a four-part miniseries; the complete run (issues #1–4) was collected in the trade paperback Star Wars: Mace Windu – The Twilight Run, published August 20, 2024, which also includes the related short story from Star Wars: Revelations (2023) #1.
• First full appearance of Azita Cruuz, a new canon character — a pirate/smuggler who holds the formula for a next-generation coaxium fuel called 'Coaxium Ultra,' coveted by the Hutts, the Pykes, and other criminal factions.
• The story is set before Mace Windu's ascension to Jedi Master and his seat on the Jedi High Council — canonically no later than approximately 48 BBY, making it among the earliest Mace Windu stories in the current Star Wars canon.
• Yoda appears in the issue in his role as Jedi Grand Master, briefing Windu on the Coaxium Ultra mission at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant — with the comic notably depicting Yoda with a small amount of hair, a visual cue to the earlier era.
• The series was conceived as part of Marvel and Lucasfilm's publishing program commemorating the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999), in which Mace Windu (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson) first appeared on screen.
• Marc Bernardin stated on Instagram that the 1988 comedy-thriller film Midnight Run was a primary influence on the series' tone and structure — a Jedi escorting an unwilling smuggler across hostile territory.
• The issue received variant covers including a Ken Lashley Black History Month variant, a 1:25 Taurin Clarke variant, and a 1:100 Davi Go virgin variant.

Cast · 2 characters

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Variants (4)