For decades, Star Wars fans have revisited A New Hope through remasters, special editions and countless re-releases. According to CBR, next month, Dark Horse is opening another door into the franchise’s past with a project many fans may not even know exists.
The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope — The Manga, Vol. 1 arrives June 16, collecting restored artwork from the 1997 manga adaptation of the original film. A second volume is scheduled to follow on Aug. 18.
The new hardcover gives readers a close look at the original work of artist Hisao Tamaki, who adapted George Lucas’ 1977 film into manga form two decades after the movie reshaped science fiction and launched one of entertainment’s biggest franchises.
Rather than simply reprinting pages, Dark Horse says it reconstructed Tamaki’s original art boards and paired them with a new translation pulled directly from the Japanese lettering on the source material.
The release arrives at a notable moment for the franchise. Star Wars approaches its 50th anniversary next year, with plans already underway for the original film’s return to theaters.
The first volume runs 184 pages and carries a US$49.99 price tag. Fans looking to revisit the original film before diving into the manga adaptation can stream Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope on Disney+.
A Different View Of A Familiar Story
While Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia became household names through film, the manga adaptation offered fans a different interpretation of the story through Tamaki’s art style.
Dark Horse said the restored collection presents high-resolution reproductions of the original artwork in its unaltered form. The release also preserves the original right-to-left reading format used in Japanese manga.
According to the publisher, the translation itself was inspired by the Japanese dub of A New Hope.
The collection also includes an extensive sketchbook section and additional behind-the-scenes material.
Volume 2, arriving in August, will complete the story and include an in-depth interview with Tamaki.
There is no indication yet whether Dark Horse plans similar releases for other Star Wars manga adaptations. The original trilogy and The Phantom Menace later received manga versions through other creators.
For longtime fans, the project offers a chance to revisit one of the franchise’s lesser-known chapters just before Star Wars reaches another major milestone.
