- "It's silly not to explore the idea of a guy who grew up steeped in the Rebellion and the older Republic and all of those myths and legends. If you think about it, he grew up the way we did, hearing all of these stories."
- ―Charles Soule
Star Wars: Poe Dameron is a comic book series written by Charles Soule and drawn by Phil Noto that focuses on the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Published by Marvel Comics, the series focuses on the events prior to the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, and events before and after the film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. It also features the astromech droid BB-8 and centers around the Resistance's struggle against the First Order. The series was first announced on January 14, 2016 in advance of Marvel's regular April 2016 solicitations. The first issue was published on April 6, 2016, and it concluded with its thirty-first issue in September 26, 2018.
Development
- "…to see people reacting to him so strongly now just feels like we're hopefully in a great position."
- ―Charles Soule
Star Wars: Poe Dameron was announced in a USA Today exclusive on January 14, 2016. It was announced as an ongoing title written by Charles Soule, with art by Phil Noto. The comic, set before the events of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, focuses on the character of Poe Dameron during the events preceding his mission to Jakku as depicted in The Force Awakens. Because of Dameron's status as one of the breakout characters of the film, Soule said that Marvel Comics was well-positioned to tell a story about a character that people responded so well to—which does, of course, bring with it a pressure for him and Noto to ensure that they deliver a story worthy of the fan hype.[1]
Character sketches of Poe Dameron by Phil Noto
The story itself would explore Dameron's status as the best pilot in the Resistance while serving under the command of General Leia Organa. His personality will also be fleshed out more, while the comic will explore locations that are both new and familiar, as well as bring in legacy characters and new characters alike—BB-8 included. Writing Dameron proved to be an interesting challenge for Soule, who also worked on the comic miniseries Star Wars: Lando. Unlike Lando Calrissian, who Soule had been familiar with for thirty years, Dameron was someone new and someone he had only thought of for a few months, so writing about Dameron was not "as instinctive in some ways as writing a story about" Calrissian. Soule likened the comic to a Dameron-centric Mission: Impossible film.[1]
Noto's approach to the art for the series included looking at X-wing reference material in order to develop the series' space battles, as well as looking at the films of Oscar Isaac, who plays Dameron. By studying how Isaac acts in The Force Awakens and in other films, Noto is able to better "act that part out" in his head while drawing. He would ask himself, "How would Oscar Isaac act in this situation as Poe Dameron?"[1]
During the events of the comic, Dameron leads a squadron with an important mission and must contend with the threat of the First Order, along with a new nemesis who intends to stop Dameron and find the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. For Soule, the new era represented in The Force Awakens offered an opportunity for new archetypes and allowed him to create a villain who "is going to feel fresh and cool." Soule did not anticipate there being a lot of flashback scenes, such as to Dameron's childhood with his parents, Shara Bey and Kes Dameron, who were introduced in the comic miniseries Star Wars: Shattered Empire. Instead, Soule's goal was to explore the story of Poe Dameron, who grew up with the legacy of the Rebel Alliance and the Old Republic, through Dameron's approach to situations and his interactions with other characters.[1]
After penciling issue 7, Angel Unzueta later took over as series artist with issue 14. Phil Noto continued to provide cover art for every issue of the series. The series was originally intended to conclude with the 25th issue, the end of the Legend Found story arc, however it was extended due to strong sales and reader support.[5]
Media
Issues
| Color code key: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Collected (TPB) issue | Released issue | Future issue | Story arc |
Sources
Poe Dameron Takes Flight on Marvel Comics' official website (original link is obsolete)- "Blaster" — Star Wars Insider 164
- Go Inside Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 with Artist Phil Noto - Exclusive Commentary! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Who Is Poe Dameron? on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "Blaster" — Star Wars Insider 165
- What BB-8's Really Saying in Marvel's Poe Dameron Comic - Exclusive Interview! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "Putting Poe to Paper" — Star Wars Insider 166
- Poe Dameron Soars into 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- Charles Soule on the Resistance's Best Pilot and What's Next in Marvel's Poe Dameron on StarWars.com (backup link)
- SDCC 2018: Queen's Shadow Revealed and More from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Bucket's List #1.20: "The Descent" on the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel (original link is obsolete) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- Star Wars Resistance: Complete Season One
- Bucket's List "Rendezvous Point" on the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel (original link is obsolete)
- SWCA 2022: 8 Things We Learned from the Marvel Star Wars Comics Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
- As His 100th Star Wars Comic Hits Shelves, Charles Soule Looks Back on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "Worldwide" — Star Wars Insider 223
- Watch the Trailer for ILM's Star Wars: Beyond Victory - A Mixed Reality Playset, On Meta Quest this October on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references
External links
- Poe Dameron's Quest is Getting More Dangerous on Marvel Comics' official website (original link is obsolete)
- Exclusive: 'Star Wars: Poe Dameron' comic book debuts in April on USA Today (January 14, 2016) (backup link archived on July 26, 2020)
