By George & Josh Bate
Lucasfilm Publishing recently announced a collaboration with Mad Cave Studios that will yield two new original graphic novels set in a galaxy far, far away. One of these graphic novels is particularly exciting as it will introduce a Legends character into canon for the very first time.
Tales from the Outer Rim: The Legend of Beggar’s Canyon, written by Greg Pak with art by Brent Schoonover, tells a story with womp rats, T-16s, krayt dragons, and a haunted canyon.
The publisher’s summary for the comic is as follows:
“Like most kids his age, Luke Skywalker longs for adventure, but growing up on the distant desert planet of Tatooine, he feels more than a little stuck. And with Luke’s best friend, Biggs Darklighter, already daydreaming about leaving to enroll in the Imperial Academy, Luke feels like he’s sinking into a Sarlacc Pit! So he decides it’s time to embark on an unforgettable summer adventure of his own and brave the legendary Beggar’s Canyon!
Some Tatooine locals say Beggar’s Canyon is haunted by terrifying spirits. Others say it’s home to ferocious beasts. Luke, Biggs, and their friends are determined to conquer this mysterious abyss. But will they discover the truth behind the tall tales, or be lost in the harsh desert sands forever?!”
Of particular interest for Star Wars geeks like us is the fact that Tales from the Outer Rim will feature the first appearance of Tank (aka Janek Sunber). Tank was first mentioned in the original Star Wars as a friend of Luke Skywalker who left Tatooine to join the Academy. Despite this namedrop, however, Tank was conspicuously absent from all EU / Legends story for 27 years until the 2004 comic Star Wars: Empire: To the Last Man. After this, Tank appeared in Empire: The Wrong Side of the War and continued to appear as the Empire comic became Star Wars: Rebellion, after which Tank featured in Star Wars: Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy.
Tank’s introduction into canon is yet another example of how recent Star Wars stories have integrated elements from Legends / EU into canon. Of course, there’s Grand Admiral Thrawn, the antagonist who first appeared in Heir to the Empire before making his canon debut in Rebels. But there’s also Teräs Käsi, the hand-to-hand combat from Shadows of the Empire that Q’ira used in Solo, there’s cortosis from the Darth Plagueis novel in The Acolyte, and so much more.
You can read all about Tank’s first canon appearance when Tales from the Outer Rim: The Legend of Beggar’s Canyon debuts on October 13, 2026.
