Dark Horse Comics has revealed an exclusive preview of The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope – The Manga, offering fans a never-before-seen look at the original art boards from Hisao Tamaki’s Eisner Award-winning adaptation. The highly anticipated deluxe book, which showcases Tamaki’s reimagining of Star Wars: A New Hope through the unique lens of manga, is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign providing exclusive editions ahead of its retail release in summer 2026.
A Deep Dive into Tamaki’s Legendary Manga
Hisao Tamaki’s manga adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope first captivated audiences in 1997, coinciding with the film’s 20th anniversary. The work earned Tamaki the prestigious Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material, solidifying its place as a unique and beloved interpretation of the iconic space opera. Nearly three decades later, Dark Horse Comics and Lucasfilm are bringing a faithful reproduction of Tamaki’s original art boards to fans, allowing an unprecedented glimpse into the creative process.
Mike Richardson, President, Founder, and CEO of Dark Horse, emphasized the distinctiveness of the project, stating, “This is Star Wars like you’ve never seen it”. He added that the edition not only showcases the art but also “offers an unprecedented glimpse into the creative process behind it”.
Preserving the Original Vision
The upcoming book meticulously reproduces Tamaki’s artwork using high-resolution scans of the original art boards. This commitment to authenticity means fans will experience the manga in its original right-to-left reading order, complete with blue pencil marks, pasted captions, and editorial notes, offering a true window into the creation process. The standard Collector’s Edition will feature a new English translation printed in the margins to preserve Tamaki’s original artwork and lettering.
Kickstarter: Early Access and Exclusive Editions
While a retail edition of The Art of Star Wars: A New Hope – The Manga is slated for release in summer 2026, Dark Horse Comics has launched its first-ever Kickstarter campaign to offer fans early access and exclusive versions. The campaign, which was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan, has already been fully funded, demonstrating significant fan excitement.
Backers of the Kickstarter campaign have access to several unique tiers and collectibles not available in stores. These include:
- Collector’s Edition: A two-volume hardcover set featuring Kickstarter-exclusive covers and a new English translation. These exclusive covers are distinguished by bold red and blue, symbolizing the light and dark sides of the Force.
- Collector’s Edition – Tamaki Variant: An art-forward reinterpretation, limited to 260 sets.
- Deluxe Signed Collector’s Edition: Limited to only 250 sets, exclusively for Kickstarter backers.
- Masterpiece Edition: A large-format, premium release that faithfully presents Tamaki’s unaltered art at its original size (10.85” x 15.05”). This edition comes with a faux-leather clamshell case and a separate 104-page companion book with a new translation of the authentic Japanese lettering.
- Signed Masterpiece Edition & Signed Darth Vader Masterpiece Edition: Further limited editions with special enhancements, with the Darth Vader variant limited to only 25 sets worldwide.
Additional offerings include a Tamaki Art Print Set featuring six full-size prints of select pages, and a large-format, three-panel Tamaki Art Triptych Folio.
The campaign provides a unique opportunity for enthusiasts to own a piece of Star Wars and manga history, celebrating Tamaki-sensei’s acclaimed adaptation and the intricate artistry behind it. The crowdfunding initiative allows fans to secure these special editions and receive them before the general retail release.
