On September 4th, publisher Dark Horse Comics will be launching a new 8-issue mini-series called The Star Wars. Just as The Facebook preceded Facebook, The Star Wars predates a little film from the ’70s known as… Star Wars.

The Star Wars is based on a 1974 rough draft screenplay by George Lucas before he dropped the The. But that’s not all that’s different. In The Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is an old bearded Jedi general, lightsabers are “lazer swords,” Han Solo is a 6-foot tall alien lizard, Darth Vader is just another Imperial general and Anakin Skywalker is named “Annakin Starkiller.”

[pullquote]Eight issues is barely enough to contain this entire epic. The plot to this story is wildly different from Star Wars: A New Hope. It really has no connection in terms of the structure. Imagine if the action from all six movies happened to Luke, Obi-Wan, and Leia in Episode IV. That starts to give you an idea of how this story is so action packed and intricate.  -Mike Mayhew[/pullquote]

The mini-series is written and adapted by J.W. Rinzler, author of the excellent Making of Star Wars book series, and illustrated by Mike Mayhew, who has worked on various comic properties from Vampirella to The Avengers. In the grand tradition of superhero comics, The Star Wars plays like a parallel universe of the Star Wars world that audiences are intimately familiar, mixed with elements taken from samurai movies, fantasy and westerns. It’s still a world populated by Jedi Knights and Sith Knights, Padawans and droids.

George Lucas apparently gave his blessing to this unique comic book project, which may or may not be a good thing… depending on your point of view. The series will run from September through April 2014, and it’s certain to whet the appetites of fans looking forward to the next installment of the movie series, scheduled for summer 2015.

You can already pre-order the first two print editions of the series from TFAW.com (owned by Dark Horse Comics). The pre-order links are below, plus a sneak peak at some interior art from issue #1:

Pre-order The Star Wars #1, Nick Runge cover for $3.19 + shipping (9/4/13)

Pre-order The Star Wars #1, TFAW Exclusive Variant Cover Edition for $3.99 + shipping (9/4/13)

Pre-order The Star Wars #2, Nick Runge cover for $3.19 + shipping (10/2/13)

Interior Art from The Star Wars #1

Shut Up and Take My Money: The Star Wars Comic Book Mini-Series