The biggest news in the comic book market during the first four months of 2015 was the hyper-successful launch of Marvel Comics’ line of Star Wars comics.  Not only have these new Star Wars series sold well initially, they have continued to sell on reorder, and the flagship Star Wars title has settled in well over 150,000 copies after four issues, putting it consistently in the top two or three slots month in and month out (see "Eleven Titles Over 100K in April").

Comic retailers are at a bit of a loss to explain why the Marvel Star Wars titles are selling so much better than the ones Dark Horse Comics published last year.  "It’s not as if the Marvel books are that much better than what Dark Horse did," retailer Brian Hibbs of Comix Experience in San Francisco told ICv2, "it’s more a combination of the Marvel name and excitement generated by the coming release of the first Disney Star Wars movie."  Hibbs pointed out that Watchmen books sold the best during the months between the release of the trailer for the film and the movie’s release (see "New 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer").

The first collection of new Star Wars material from Marvel is due in September.  Star Wars, Vol.1: Skywalker Strikes ($19.99) collects the first six issues of the flagship Star Wars series written by Jason Aaron and drawn by John Cassaday in a 144-page, full color trade paperback that has immense sales potential during the months leading up to release of Disney’s new Star Wars film in December.

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Also due in September is the Star Wars: Princess Leia Vol. 1 ($16.99), which collects the first six issues of the Princess Leia comic book series written by Mark Waid and drawn by Terry Dodson.  The Princess Leia collection will be followed in October by the release of Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 ($17.99), a 136-page, full color collection of the series about the Dark Lord of the Sith written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Salvador Larroca.

The fourth Marvel Star Wars volume, Star Wars: Kanan The Last Padawan ($17.99) is based on the Star Wars: Rebels animated series and follows the adventures of the cocky renegade Kana Jarrus.  Since this 112-page, full color volume features a character from the new Star Wars cartoon series and not the films, it has not sold nearly as well in the direct market as the other three Star Wars comics, and this pattern will likely hold in the bookstore market as well - though the Kanan’s series’ ties to the Star Wars: Rebels TV series should be a positive in the long run, since that series will stay on the air long after the first Disney Star Wars film has left the theaters.