Comics 200 + Marvel Comics - What is your opinion of the state of the line?

Last night, I was finally getting around to putting all of my Marvel comics in bags, and I was a little shocked that we are now closing in on 200 comics in the new Marvel line since launch in January 2015 (just 3 years)

Big congratulations to the authors, artists, and editorial team for helping to bring us into the new era of Star Wars with such an abundance of quality work!

Reflecting on what has come out so far - we are currently sitting at 192 comics release since launch.

Star Wars (ongoing - 41 +)
Poe Dameron (ongoing - 22 +)
Doctor Aphra (ongoing - 15 +)
Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith (ongoing - 10 +)

Darth Vader (ended - 25)
Kanan (ended - 12)
Darth Maul (mini - 5)
Obi-Wan and Anakin (mini - 5)
Jedi of the Republic: Mace Windu (mini - 5)
Princess Leia (mini - 5)
Chewbacca (mini - 5)
Lando (mini - 5)
Han Solo (mini - 5)
Shattered Empire (mini - 4)
Captain Phasma (mini - 4)

Rogue One (adaptation - 6)
Force Awakens (adaptation - 6)

Star Wars Annual (3)
Darth Vader Annual (1)
Doctor Aphra Annual (1)
Poe Dameron Annual (1)
Vader Down (one-shot)
Screaming Citadel (one-shot)
C-3PO (one-shot)
Storms of Crait (one-shot)
Droids Unplugged (one-shot)
Cassian & K-2SO (one-shot)

With what's coming in the near future (more Star Wars, Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra, Poe Dameron, Thrawn, D.J.) what are you looking forward to seeing? Story-wise, art-wise, subject wise?

 

Marvel has in my opinion been the best part of the new canon. Crazy to think that they have come out with this much already. In probably just another two or three years or so they will have come out with as much material as Darkhorse did throughout it's entire run. People can say that they feel like the art is rushed at times but they have given us a lot of good storytelling.

 

Poe Dameron, while initially appearing to move kinda slow, has been one of the best written comics of the new line. Period. So much of the character development for Poe tied directly into The Last Jedi, it really is a great series.

Shattered Empire is the best miniseries, hands down. I would say it is one of my top 5 Star Wars canon stories ever.

It's the main Star Wars line that has been the biggest disappointment to me. The art isn't anywhere as sharp as what we used to get from Dark Horse, plus the stories are just not that compelling to me. Sure, there are the occasional ones that resonate, but they feel way to much like the story of the week. Still, if the art was better, I might feel different. As comics are a medium that require talented art and writing, I can't fully enjoy one without the other.

--Adm. Nick

 

200 issues in total already

In the past three years there were comics that I loved, some that I found to be ok and others that I didn't like. The current ongoing series have (in my opinion) two fantastic titles by judging all aspects (story, subject, art) - Doctor Aphra and Darth Vader. The new Vader series is shaping up to be one of my favourite SW comic series too. Therefore, I have no complaints regarding those two titles, so keep 'em coming! The Poe Dameron series I thought was nice at the start (yes, I liked the arc with the kaiju egg), but the whole search for Lor San Tekka was such a drag that I felt like Marvel was obliged by LFL to publish a series set during the ST era. But at the same time, they were very restraint as to how much stuff to explore in that era, and eventually I dropped that one. I hear that the last few issues are good, so I might re-consider checking it out. The main Star Wars series had a pretty mediocre story during the Aaron run, and the only thing that made me read it back then was the (mostly) great art by the various artists. Once the art in the Yoda arc changed the way it did, I had no motivation in reading it. The main series is the weakest link by far IMO. Gillen's Vader series had a great story, but sadly had artwork that didn't match the story quality. That said, the storyline was really good and brought us Doctor Aphra, so I can't dislike it. Kanan was short but sweet. I still don't understand why it was cancelled after 12 issues. I think there was room for at least one more arc, and considering the overall quality of the comic, it certainly deserved more.

Regarding the minis, Lando, Obi-Wan & Anakin and Han Solo are one of the highlights of the past three years, not just in the comics, but Star Wars in general. Chewbacca, Darth Maul and Captain Phasma were good for the most part. Princess Leia and Shattered Empire were pretty meh, with the latter having great art, again by Checchetto, but a pointless story. And then there is Jedi of the Republic: Mace Windu, which is in my opinion on of the very worst Star Wars comics ever. Terrible story, terrible villain, and even worse art.

The Doctor Aphra annual is the best of the annuals so far, with the Darth Vader annual being ok. The C-3PO one shot was surprisingly good however, and I think it is very underrated. Vader Down was fine, but the Screaming Citadel ...pretty much in the same league with the Mace Windu mini series. The Cassian & K2SO and the Storms of Crait were pointless. I feel like Marvel was, again, forced to publish something to tie in to Rogue One and TLJ. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe Marvel genuinely wanted to tell those stories. In any case, I didn't enjoy them.

Overall, there are a lot of positives, but there is also room for improvement. I'd like to see more original stories with original characters ala Doctor Aphra. And some of the writers and artists from the old Dark Horse days to come back to the SW comics. You know who I'm talking about

 

I'm hoping that Marvel is going to be allowed to start really filling in the time gap between the Battle of Jakku and TFA now instead of having to wait until IX comes out. Even at the very earliest we probably wouldn't see anything until next year once shooting for IX is done and they know what movie they have on their hands. Based on what TLJ did I don't really see much getting in the way of them starting an ongoing series set after the Battle of Jakku prior to IX's release. I guess the only thing that we might still learn a lot about in IX is the Knights of Ren.

 

This time last year I would probably not praise Marvel as much as I shall at this point. During that time, my favourite ongoing, Poe, has really picked up (eg, gone beyond weird egg monsters and prison planets) and has been thrilling as well as a much needed source of consistent quality. Also in this time, Darth Maul came out. Fantastic in every way and for me probably the highlight of the Marvel era so far (along with Han Solo). These two miniseries on their own almost justify and balance out everything else. They're up there with my hallowed favourites from the Dark Horse era. I also liked Dr Aphra much more than I expected, though confess that the first arc has been much stronger than the subsequent ones.

It hasn't all been good, Screaming Citadel turned out to be a non-event and the Yoda arc started the downard trend in quality for the flagship ongoing (both in writing and artwork). And this here is my only big criticism of the Marvel run. Comics are a visual medium and art is a vital piece of the storytelling. I have to like what I'm seeing but I also have to understand what I'm seeing. You all know my thoughts on Larocca. It's not just that he's tracing and the artwork looks inconsistent panel to panel, it's also that I find his panels to be ugly, distracting and muddled. In a year of Larroca dominance, however, it was Mace Windu that was the worst.

Moving forward, I'd like to at least have Larroca given a break and other artists to be brought on board. Maybe then I would be able to read and enjoy a Gillen story. As it stands, I confess my irritation with the art on the series is making me irritated with the writing, which then reflects back on the art etc. so it's a sort of downwards spiral of negativity.

I suppose my second main criticism is the treatment of the main heroes and the recent Crait one-shot really drove this home for me. They're just not very likeable at the moment. There seems to be too much angst. I've heard a lot of fans complaining about TLJ Luke lately, and I have to wonder what they make of Marvel's Luke.

In terms of the future, story-wise I'm eager and delighted that we are potentially moving into a contemporary or post-ESB period. It's the one area where I don't think we've ever seen much content. I'd like to know how Luke copes with the loss of his hand and how he wrestles with having his target of revenge revealed to be the father that he sought to avenge. Beyond Luke, I'd like to see how Leia deals with the loss of Han and how she ultimately reconciles her absolute devotion to the rebellion (she sacrificed her planet after all) with her taking a leave of absence from the rebellion to plan and then rescue Han from Jabba.

And finally, I'd like to see some sort of coverage of the ROTJ to Jakku period and the Battle of Jakku itself. Both rebel and imperial perspectives on this would be really neat.

 

I wonder what a mavel star wars comic would look like if they were let off the leash and given a time and place away from what we know to make all their own or would that be a bad idea ?

 

I genuinely loved the Gillen Darth Vader series, it's one of my favourite parts of the new canon to date. Not only the new characters, but the GREAT job which it did with Vader's own character development from ANH towards ESB, redeeming himself in Palpatine's eyes and becoming obsessed with Luke.

The main SW has been very inconsistent... I wasn't crazy about the second arc and the Yoda one is incredibly tedious, but I've liked some of the others, including Aaron's last few one-shots and now Gillen's stuff, art issues aside. SCAR Squadron and Sana Solo are both interesting concepts but they haven't quite clicked the way Aphra, BT etc did- yet. Still room to do good things with them!

As for Poe, I was excited for it when it came out but I actually stopped following it after a while because it just seemed too disconnected from the ST era stuff I wanted to see, and was very plodding. But I picked up the 'Legends Lost' TPB and LOVED it; the funeral issue is one of my favourite SW comics ever and since then it's had far more interesting stories. I will watch its post-issue 25 career with great interest...

 

I like the Marvel comics overall, probably my favourite part of canon. I just wish they would do more stuff with original characters, like Aphra. I think it would sell, and I would be much more interested (like with Dark Horse). However, I still enjoyed almost every single issue so far, with a few exceptions which I found boring. (But that happens in every comic line.) I look forward to buying more soon in the future.

 

Only the Lando series was good. I gave up on comics.

 

I haven't read a ton of the new era Marvels but of what I have read:

Main Star Wars title: I only read the first half dozen or so issues but it was not good at all. The ultra-hyped first issue was so hilariously cliched and hackneyed that it really soured by view of the new Marvel series. I did really like the Diary of Old Ben flashback issues, though - I picked those up even after bailing on the overall series.

Shattered Empire: Laughable, not even really a single story but about half dozen vignettes squeezed together into four issues, but at least gave the BF2 campaign something to make sense out of.

Leia mini: Completely forgettable, but good art. And it introduced Evaan Verlaine, a character who I hope gets fleshed out more, and deserves to have more of a presence, but seems to generally languish in the NEU.

Phantom Limb: Genuinely great. Wish more were like this.

Poe: Ho-hum on average, but agree with the above that the current storyline is quite enjoyable. If the entire series had been this quality, then we'd be talking.

Phasma: Decent, neither bad nor great. I do think it's funny that the series was heavily hyped as "find out how she escaped the trash compactor!" and the first issue begins with her already having escaped from it. Also her complete joke of an appearance in TLJ kind of undercuts it.

 

The BF2 campaign didn't really need Shattered Empire to make sense of anything. They could have introduced the Emperor's Messengers and Operation Cinder for the first time in the game and it would have been fine.

This.

I like TLJ quite a lot, but I do have some issues with the film, Phasma's portrayal being one of them. I have to agree with you on that too - the Phasma mini is now largely inconsequential because of TLJ. I do believe Marvel did the best it could with it though.

 

It would be pretty silly of me to create a thread and then not give my own opinion. Firstly @HeatherAntos, @Jordan D. White, and to all the other artists, authors, colorists, inkers, editors, and marketing or administrative personnel who may be reading this - thank you. For the overwhelming majority of the ride so far, it has been fun and enjoyable. While we may have complaints or issues with some of the titles, there are way more positive experiences that go unsaid.

I have loved that your dedication and care of the brand has given us such a trove of content over the past three years, and I am excited for where the brand can go after the movie handcuffs have been removed. Probably to my own detriment of space and money - but I have been able to pick up every issue and trade paperback that Marvel has released.

My favorite (authors):
Kieron Gillen has provided great story arcs on both Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra. I am excited to see a more Rebellion focused main line after the Ashes of Jedha arc wraps up.
Simon Spurrier has also been able to keep the momentum going with the current Doctor Aphra arc alongside Kieron. Please keep up the great work and art in the Doctor Aphra book. It is one of my favorite things in Star Wars right now.

Charles Soule has to be on the Marvel Rock Star staff right now. Darth Vader, Poe Dameron, Lando, and Obi-Wan & Anakin. I have thoroughly enjoyed the current Darth Vader run, Lando was a fun story that gave a deeper characterization to Pre-ESB Lobot, and I enjoyed Obi&Ani. Poe Dameron was tough to get through at the beginning and I think it would have benefited not being tied to Lor San Tekka right from the start. Like others have said, the current arc is actually pretty enjoyable, and I hope it can keep the momentum going past the TFA/TLJ timeframe.

Marjorie Liu nailed the characterizations of Han and Leia in her mini. Please give her more to work on. I would love to see a mini (or ongoing) that explores the characters that were introduced in Han Solo.

Greg Weisman rocked the Kanan story. Please consider giving him a Hera title.

Jody Hauser's work on the Rogue One adaptation is exactly what I want to see when I am reading material that was already published/developed. I am looking forward with excitement for the Thrawn mini. I would also support Jody getting original content to develop as well.


My favorite (artists):
Please do whatever it takes to keep giving Marco Checchetto work. I understand if timelines may be an issue with giving Marco an on-going due to the level of detail in the art, but I would love to see it happen.

The same goes for Mark Brooks and the work Mark did on the Han Solo mini. If Marvel Star Wars is shooting for "realistic" art, then this is what it needs to look like. The designs and models that Mark was using just ooozed Star Wars to me.

Giuseppe Camuncoli and Kev Walker are also killing in on Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra respectively. Please do what it takes to keep both of them on their respective titles. Even if this means issues get delayed by weeks or a month - personally I will forgive a delay over crappy art.

I think that this point was made earlier, but excellent art can hide a sub-par script. But sub-par art can really tarnish an A+ script to the point that it subconsciously makes the script sub-par as well. (I am having a little of this occurring right now with Ashes of Jedha).

Phil Noto and Angel Unzueta deserve accolades as well for their work on Poe Dameron (and in Phil's case Chewbacca). This is an instance where I feel the art is keeping me reading more than the script is. Although like I said earlier, the current issues of Poe are really starting to pick up. I don't think I would have made it all the way through the Chewbacca mini if it weren't for Phil's work.

Pepe Larraz did great work on the Kanan series. I hope to see Pepe come back on another title.

Enjoyable:
Artists: I have liked what Alex Maleev, Jacopo Camagni, Marc Laming, Nicole Virella, and Luke Ross have all done on the line. I would enjoy seeing more of what they can do.

Writers: I would like to see more work from Cullen Bunn and Kelly Thompson. I liked Cullen's Maul story, but it felt "too small" it was a very personal story for Maul, but I felt it had zero impact overall in the current line. Just very in and out. I liked what Kelly did on SW Annual 2, and I also liked her characterization of Phasma. Even though the Phasma mini ended up as more filler than anything with TLJ failing to give Phasma little more than a paper thin character arc, I still enjoyed the adventure of Phasma and Pilot. I would be excited to see either Cullen or Kelly announced for a new ongoing or mini.

The Balance:
As with the Force, there are two sides to everything. Most of the discussion in the Discussion/Criticism thread has to do with the use of photo-realistic tracing and unbalanced coloring. I hope that Marvel is done with this style of art, and can either give the artists using the technique new direction or more time to work on art that doesn't have to rely on this style. It really killed my enjoyment of the later arc in the original Vader run, and it is starting to impact my enjoyment of the current SW line. It absolutely destroyed the Screaming Citadel arc.

I also want to address the characterizations of the main three in regards to how they interact with each other. In the films - there is a warmness to their barbs. In the comics, I don't see how the big three can stand being in a room together for more than 10 minutes. I really hope there is still a lot of story to go between now and Empire, because I do not buy that Han is ready to face death on the frozen plains of Hoth to save Luke; nor do I feel that Han and Leia are ready to give their epic exchange of "I Love You/I Know" to each other. Please warm up the relationship between the three.

Also - please bring in more Legacy characters from the Clone Wars timeline. I want to see planets pledging support for the Rebellion as the Empire grows in power. Show me Lurrmen that want to joint the cause of the Rebellion. Give me Umbarrans that are under the Empire's control. Start spreading some spiderwebs between eras with the Church of the Force pledging support for the Rebellion with a young Lor San Tekka.

Finally, give us some new eras to play in. I don't care if we go back to the Old republic, but give us an ongoing from 300 years ago. Show us something completely different that takes place in another corner of the galaxy that is not connected to the Empire/Rebellion but the mysteries of the Force (without being hampered by the constraints of the current main characters like Luke).

In Summation:
Thank you again for a great first 200. I am looking forward to a bright future for Marvel Star Wars.

 

For what arrives in Brazil, marvel state now it's good, but could be better.
- Stop put SW comic between IV and V, that's enough
- The art
- The one shot comics didn't impress me,

But we have the Solo, Lando, Kanan and the DV comics, that both are excellent.

 

Well, I haven't read everything.
But from what I've read, I think it's mixed.

There's a lot of really good stuff, my favorites are:
- Lando
- Han Solo
- Shattered Empire
- The first two arcs of the main Star Wars comic (Skywalker Strikes and Showdown on Smuggler's Moon)
- Everything Vader so far.
- Kanan

There's the good but not that great:
- Princess Leia
- Chewbacca
- Vader Down

There's the bad:
- Most of the Main ongoing Star Wars comic
- Screaming Citadel

That's what I've read so far. I Still need to get my hands on the Poe Dameron and Dr. Aphra series.

 

Overall I’ve really liked it a lot.

Main Star Wars Line - While I think this started off well leading up and into the Vader crossover, lately they’ve been kinda ‘eh’. Not horrible, but you also are reading them with an understanding that nothing drastic is going to take place. The main stops (the OT films) of this line are set in deep stone, and these stories start to feel like what happened in the car ride from point A to point B. I don’t have a problem with the artwork when it’s a large or zoomed out shot, but the smaller ones that try to zoom in on something are hard to get a perspective on.

Vader - both the 2015 series, and the new DLOTS line have probably been my favorite. The movies don’t show a lot of the Vader/palpatine relationship, and these do a good job of showing the master/apprentice dynamics. They also introduced one of my favorite non-film characters in doc aphra (not to mention the murder droids).

Poe - these a probably my favorite after Vader. Does a good job of really showing the first order/resistance power struggle. When I watched TFA originally I didn’t really get the separation between the republic and the resistance. I think that this line has done a good job of defining the separation of the two entities, while providing some quality battle arcs along the way. It also reinforces just how savvy Poe is. Not to mention it incorporates another favorite character of mine in Snap (Aftermath)

Aphra - I enjoy these as well. I’m glad to see SW expanding the canon reach of content introduced in non-film medium. A lot of novels, and comics are a single branch from stories/characters introduced in the movies. So it’s encouraging to see the story board isn’t opposed to letting the non-film canon build on its own introductions (rather than introducing characters at the start only to have them die at the end).

Kanon - an alright line. If you follow rebels then I’d advise it. I also like that it explores the post order 66/pre ANH time span.

Mini Series - I really like all these for the most part (phasma and chewy we’re not as hi on my list. I think the art is incredible for the most part (Han and Lando I specifically enjoyed). They provide insight to their title characters without dragging out story arches that start to feel like fillers (Star Wars main title struggles with this).

Adaptions - honestly these and the graphic novel adaptions are the last on my list of ‘need to read’. I tried one and it was basically exactly like the film. If you want deeper insight to film characters, I’d recommend the novelizations over the comic adaptions. But even those I’d only suggest if you’d read all the other novels and we’re just finishing up all the publications.

Annuals - annuals are annuals no matter what comic in my eyes. They’re hit or miss. Star Wars have been alright. Nothing groundbreaking, but interesting mini stories.

One-shots - ehhhh. So far these have been used to explain obscure details from movies (3POs red arm, how K2SO was acquired). They’re worth reading bc you’re kind of like “oh, ok that’s neat”. But they also tend to seem like a long walk for a short drink of water to me. I will say that the art is usually very appealing. The storms of Crait one shot art was incredible. The first picture of Han that was used I thought was some picture of him on set in the 70s.

So to wrap up. With the comic lines I basically look for two things. First of all that it’s adding to the overall storyline of Star Wars and not just filler stories. I don’t want to see them over burden a cramped area of a timeline just to pump out material. That’s my biggest worry with the Star Wars main title. Second I look for intriguing story arches that don’t make me feel like I’m just logging time reading for the sake of staying up to date. I think they’ve done that for the most part. But I also feel like it’s about time for them to jump to the post ESB story with the Star Wars Line. After that artwork is an added bonus, but not a detriment (for me personally) as long as the story is well done. And finally I like to see new areas of the timeline explored. Example: the obiwan and ani mini series was cool for me because it gave some insight to what was previously unexplored time in canon.

Overall I really like the direction it’s heading. I will say I wouldn’t advise for the comic adaptions instead of novels. Read novels like Thrawn first and use the adaptions after to add images to characters and what not. But don’t expect to read the adaptions as a replacement for the novels without the understanding that you’re getting watered down content (to a varying degrees).


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Star Wars (Aaron)- I was not the biggest fan of most of Aaron's run. It was solid for sure, but it did not really grab my attention till the end. I felt there were a lot of places with missed potential, namely that final Threepio plot point. However the art for the first 2/3rds was fantastic.

Star Wars (Gillan)- Already head over heels for this run. More direct tie-ins to the films as well as a focus on the Rebellion as a military force. I hope the Rogue Squadron gets formed soon.

Vader (Gillan)- I adore this book. It is part of what sold me on the new canon. It felt really welcoming toward PT era stuff and really got the most out of all of the canon. The art is the only major problem I have with it.

Shattered Empire- Decent. Not really much to say about this one. The art is good and the story is simple but fun.

Lando- Really really fun and a great breath of fresh air

Poe Dameron - I came out of TFA obsessed with Poe, and so the idea of a Poe comic was so exciting for me. However I have been very mixed on it sadly. There are some things I love, Like Jess Pava, but also plenty of cases where plots were meandering. The art was great at first bu has honestly wen down a bit imho. However the book overall has jumped in quality the past few issues.

Maul- I did not finish Maul, but from the first few issues I loved the PT era references and getting to live in hat era again.

Obi Wan/ Anakin - Really enjoyed this. I always love seeing nice basic missions for the Jedi. Gave great insight into both characters, and made a really unique world.

Aphra - so much fun, Gillan has sold me on letting Aphra live past Vader. It's so much fun, and really fascinating to see ancient Jedi stuff.

Han Solo - Mark Brooks is the best; don't @ me. Seriously this book was amazing. It reminded me of the old Han novels, and really just felt like a fun adventure in the GFFA with great characterization.

Phantom Limb - Beautiful. I mean no other way to put it. Then again what does one expect from James Robinson and Tony Harris.

Cassian and K2SO - a let down. Not bad but really standard.

 

Marvel has given a decent go out at it, but I've said it before and will say it again. Dark Horse Comics gave me the best Star Wars stories since the Original Trilogy. My favorite series under Marvel has been both Vader titles and Kanan. The both of which felt similar to the Dark Horse stuff. Star Wars started out really great, but quickly became forever decent, safe, and somewhat boring focusing on the same characters we have already seen stories about. I haven't read anything post Aaron's run though and I have yet to fully read Poe or Aphra minus a few issues and will get to them eventually. I think that is my biggest problem with the new canon and the spinoff films is the "safe" factor of some of the stories. I really wish Disney was not allowing all these non-Saga/Episode movies to happen and focus on Saga films and let the books, comics, and video games do crazy stuff with the characters they create instead of safe stories with characters that probably will be getting a movie later.

I'm not a hater of Marvel or the new canon at all though, I just thought what came before was better is all. I already buy so many comics as it is it's hard for me to justify picking up the Star Wars titles in addition, wasn't the case in the Dark Horse days. I do look forward to eventually catching up the past 50 or so issues I've missed but the overall score right now is "meh."

 

Personally, I look forward to reading the new comics every week. However, one main gripe that I have is the placement of the main run. Can we please move past the time in between ANH and ESB, I get it that it's a three-year gap, but this is getting a little ridiculous. I would like an official placement for the Han Solo and Lando comics, I know that fans are speculating that they happen near the end of the three-year gap, but I would like to know for sure where they take place, we know where the Leia comic takes place, so why not the other ones?

 

The Han comic has to be toward the start of the gap though right? I thought the final scene with Han and Leia was on Yavin IV

 

I always thought it was at the end of the gap. The list I was using placed it near ESB.

 

Nevermind you are right. Looking at that scene again it seems we have not seen this base yet.

 

I’ve thought about this too. Why don’t they just have an official timeline for fans to reference? The only solution I’ve been able to think of is that they don’t even know the exact placement at the time of some releases. Obviously stuff like the main Star Wars comic title has placement, but that’s because it was literally created to fill in that time. As for smaller stories, they don’t want to set something in stone and then limit possible directions later. I’ve basically accepted that for some short stories/comics they just have a general time span they aim for, and then let the other stories box it in to a concrete time as they fall into place.

I get the strategy but it’s a little frustrating when trying to mentally catalogue everything you read.


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Back when Marvel first took over the license in 2015, I thought it was funny that their initial titles were all essentially continuations of what Dark Horse was doing at the end:

Star Wars - pretty much no difference from Star Wood
Darth Vader - DH was pretty regularly putting out Vader minis
Kanan - Conceptually similar to Dark Times
Princess Leia - felt very similar to Rebel Heist

 

On the topic of the timeline: I don’t have a problem with the main Star Wars comic being set between ANH and ESB. Eventually they’ll have to move on, but there’s still so many stories to tell in that time period.