5. Dawn of the Jedi (comic book series)
This Dark Horse title tells the story of the birth of the Jedi Order, which occurs tens of thousands of years before the films. The events of this comic take place even before the Old Republic came to be, ad much of the galaxy is ruled by the evil Rakatan Infinite Empire. Although relatively new (it premiered in February 2012) I think its safe to say this will be an influential piece of the EU for years to come. The story so far involves the arrival of a Dark side Force User from the Rakatan Empire to Tython, the home of an order of Force Users known as the Jedaii. Based on what weve seen so far, it will likely discuss the formulation of the Sith and Jedi philosophies and maybe the spread of the Jedi throughout the galaxy. This is pretty new territory for fans of the movies. Obviously, the Rebellion hasnt even been dreamed of yet. But some things stick outwe see a prehistoric Tatooine, the Jedaii are rather recognizable. These books are more important for the EU. We hear of the Rakatan Infinite and Tython in other products. And the discussion of the nature of the Force is a constant throughout the EU. But much is shrouded in mystery, and I for one can barely wait in between issues to find out more about how the Jedi formed. After dipping into the post-film EU with
The Thrawn Trilogy and the Old Republic with KOTR, moving even farther back in time with The Dawn of the Jedi is an appropriate step. Id get started soonthe third issue of the current story line comes out February 27th.