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Dark Horse to release 2-volume manga set in summer 2026; Kickstarter launched on Tuesday




On Wednesday, ANN was given a sneak peek by Dark Horse Comics of a five-page excerpt from their upcoming English hardcover release of Star Wars: A New Hope - Manga Edition . This edition showcases the art boards from Hisao Tamaki 's original Star Wars manga series, which was the first Star Wars manga ever published. Additionally, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched for this project. ( link ) campaign to fund the project launched on Tuesday.

Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics if (!hs.hasOwnProperty('slideShowLoaded')) {
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The Kickstarter offers multiple versions of the release including:

The set includes two volumes in a hardcover format, featuring an exclusive cover from Kickstarter and a new translation into English.
The Tamaki variant is a special edition of the Collector's Edition that features a unique artistic interpretation of its design. It is limited to only 260 sets.
- The Collector's Edition with a custom black slipcase
- . A limited Deluxe Signed Collector's Edition with only 250 sets produced exclusively for Kickstarter backers
The Masterpiece Edition is a deluxe version of the film that includes high-quality prints of the original artwork at full size (10.85" x 15.05"), a faux leather case, and a 104-page companion book featuring a new translation of the Japanese text from the film's alternate language dub, which is only available through Kickstarter.
- The Signed Masterpiece Edition with special enhancements, limited to only 250 sets worldwide.
The limited edition of 25 sets worldwide of the combined Masterpiece Edition with Darth Vader-inspired features is called the Signed Darth Vader Masterpiece Edition.


The full list of sets is available on the Kickstarter page.

In summer 2026, the standard edition of The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope - The Manga will be available in retail stores. However, Kickstarter backers will receive their copies before the official release date.

The upcoming book will showcase Tamaki's sketches without any changes, including his "blue pencil marks," "captions," and "editorial notes." It can be bought at regular stores, but Dark Horse is launching it first through their Kickstarter campaign. ( link ) Dark Horse Comics is launching their first Kickstarter campaign for a two-volume collector's edition and a three-volume masterpiece edition of their upcoming project. These editions will feature exclusive covers, variant formats, and signed versions.

In Japan in 1997, MediaWorks and Shufunotomo released a manga version of the Star Wars film from 1977, which later became known as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope . This manga was then released in English by Dark Horse in 1998. It received recognition with an Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material in 1999.


Sources: Email correspondence, press release