Lucasfilm just unveiled its latest Star Wars collector's item: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (A Collector's Classic Board Book).
CBR has an exclusive first look at Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (A Collector's Classic Board Book)'s cover which sports an illustration of Luke Skywalker dueling Darth Vader by comic book artist Al Williamson. Williamson's artwork also adorns the interior of the book itself and is taken directly from his legendary Marvel Comics adaptation of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi with writer Archie Goodwin. Lucasfilm and publisher Abrams describe Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (A Collector's Classic Board Book) as perfect for fans of all ages, thanks to its high-quality design (including four gatefold spreads). The book's announcement is timed to coincide with Lucasfilm's "Bring Home the Galaxy" holiday gift-giving campaign, although fans will have to wait until May 2023 to get their hands on a copy.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (A Collector's Classic Board Book) isn't the only high-profile piece of Star Wars merchandise hitting shelves in 2023, either. Hasbro recently expanded its Force FX Elite line to include Luke Skywalker's lightsaber. The Star Wars: The Black Series Luke Skywalker Force FX Elite Electronic Lightsaber is modeled on the green laser sword wielded by Luke on the big screen in Return of the Jedi and (briefly) Star Wars: The Last Jedi, as well as Disney+ shows The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. It boasts a variety of sound effects and a removable LED blade, and is currently available for pre-order ahead of its Spring 2023 release date.
Star Wars Merchandise Embraces the Expanded Universe
Hasbro's announcement regarding the Force FX Elite Luke Skywalker lightsaber arrived hot on the heels of another addition to the line: Darth Revan's lightsaber. Announced in August 2022, the Star Wars: The Black Series Darth Revan Force FX Elite Lightsaber sports the same high-end features as the Luke Skywalker model, with one key difference. In deference to Darth Revan's shifting moral alignment in 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the blade of his Force FX Elite saber can switch between red and purple color settings. Alongside Revan's lightsaber, the Star Wars Black Series range of collectibles is set to include Knights of the Old Republic action figures based on Darth Malak and Bastila Shan in Summer 2023, as well.
Adding Darth Malak and Bastila to the Black Series line reflects Hasbro's increasing willingness to embrace the Star Wars Expanded Universe, now referred to by the "Star Wars Legends" label. Other non-canonical Legends characters getting their own Black Series figures in 2023 include Mara Jade Skywalker, which is sure to make fans of the saga's legacy continuity happy.
Source: Lucasfilm