While we got a preview already of August’s comics back at Celebration Europe 2023 in Marvel’s panel, the Star Wars comic solicitations for August 2023 offer additional details. So head below to hear all about the upcoming Dark Droids crossover, how Jango Fett’s past haunts the present, Doctor Aphra is rebounding with WHO?!, and Yoda’s latest lesson, to name a few!
MARVEL
Dark Droids #1 (on sale August 2)
Charles Soule (Writer), Luke Ross (Artist)
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant Cover by Jim Cheung | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher | Scourged Variant Cover by Rachael Stott | Foil Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
“SCOURGE OF THE DROIDS!” A STAR WARS EPIC LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
- Who or what is THE SCOURGE, and why is no droid safe?
- As a corruption spreads from one droid to the next THE REBELLION and THE EMPIRE face chaos!
- What role does AJAX SIGMA play in all of this? And whose side is he on?
- Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away!
Charles Soule continues his legendary run on STAR WARS with the most ambitious event in STAR WARS comics history! Joined by his WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS collaborator Luke Ross, the superstar teams carves a new path for the future!
Advanced solicited in last month’s release, here is the Dark Droid’s run-down once again. I’ll still reiterate I’m not totally convinced this was the right place and time for another event, but if it remains monthly then we’re looking at this wrapping up before 2024, which is enticing because I have a good feeling this will be the last event of the era and the comics will finally jump into a new one sometime after this ends. Either way, I quite enjoy the potential of the crossover sticking to a horror theme and how it looks to be more personal in the other series roped into it. We’ll find out for sure in August.
Star Wars #37 (on sale 8/9)
Charles Soule (Writer), Madibek Musabekov (Artist)
Cover by Stephen Segovia | The Clone Wars 15th Anniversary Obi-Wan Kenobi Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli | Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | Variant Cover by Luciano Vecchio | Variant Cover by Phil Noto
LOBOT LOST – A DARK DROIDS TIE-IN!
- Something has gone horribly wrong with LOBOT, putting the REBELLION at terrible risk!
- LANDO CALRISSIAN will do anything to save his friend, even if it means betraying the REBELS.
- Will the SCOURGE OF THE DROIDS destroy any chance to cure Lobot, or will he be lost forever?
Interestingly enough, this currently has the same solicit as Dark Droids #1 so I don’t know if that’s an error or on purpose. Hopefully we’ll get an updated one it this was in error, as I’m curious how this series looks to be dealing with the crossover’s events/Soule will be balancing this and the main miniseries for it.
Now that we have an updated solicit, I almost don’t want it, because why does Soule think he needs to keep putting us through so much Lobot and Lando heartbreak!!??! Why must you keep doing this to us?! And why do we keep enjoying it?! Once again, this is the type of stuff which makes me feel a little better about this crossover, as the stakes seem more personal for sure.
Yoda #10 (on sale 8/2)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Ibriam Roberson (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
THE FINAL LESSON!
- After years in exile on DAGOBAH, legendary JEDI MASTER YODA is visited by a ghost of his past.
- Plagued by painful memories, he must enter the CAVE OF EVIL to face his ultimate fear.
- But will the Jedi’s greatest teacher recall the most important lesson of all?
Really intrigued to see Yoda’s trip through the Cave of Evil, as if there’s one Jedi whose past will be full of things for it to bring back to trip him up, it’s someone who has been around as long as Yoda! Scott teased at the Marvel panel that we’ll see some High Republic stuff, but I hope we’ll get other teases along the way, like a reference to Grogu, something far more ancient than anything we’ve ever seen, and a little more Dooku (he is on the cover, so it’s a safe bet).
Bounty Hunters #37 (on sale 8/30)
Ethan Sacks (Writer), Davide Tinto (Artist)
Cover by Marco Checchetto | Jango Fett Variant/Virgin Variant Cover by Alex Maleev | Kligson Variant Cover by Ryan Brown | Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | The Clone Wars 15th Anniversary Aurra Sing Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
THE HAUNTING SECRET MISSION OF JANGO FETT! A DARK DROIDS TIE-IN!
- The BOUNTY HUNTERS must content with the looming shadow of the sins of BOBA FETT’S father!
- What is the secret thatlurks on the mysterious droid outpost, THE HAVEN?
- Who is TARR KLIGSON and what is his connection to Jango Fett?
Only a day before publishing this article, Bounty Hunters experienced its shake-up in issue #34, which sees the team ready for some new members and taking a job with Boba Fett. Anything that allows Jango Fett to be involved, even if it’s through flashbacks, has me intrigued, so I am totally signed up for this storyline. And of course the team happens to be going to a droid outpost during the Dark Droids event; good luck!
Darth Vader #37 (on sale 8/16)
Greg Pak (Writer), Raffaele Ienco (Artist)
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant Cover by Bjorn Barends | Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | The Clone Wars 15th Anniversary Anakin Skywalker Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
CURSE OF THE JEDI – A DROID DROIDS TIE-IN!
- KILLER DROIDS have taken over DARTH VADER’S flagship Super Star Destroyer, the EXECUTOR!
- Will the lessons of JEDI MASTERS QUI-GON and OBI-WAN save him from the SCOURGE – or make him a tool for its galactic conquest?
With the storyline with Sabé seemingly over and Aphra’s little crossover done by the time this issue releases, I like how we’ll get to dive into Anakin’s past a little and see some training moments with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan! I mean really, any additional Qui-Gon we can get, the better.
Doctor Aphra #35 (on sale 8/23)
Alyssa Wong (Writer), Minkyu Jung (Artist)
Cover by Junggeun Yoon | Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | The Clone Wars 15th Anniversary Asajj Ventress Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli | 75th Legacy Homage Variant Cover by Salvador Larroca
LEGACY ISSUE #75! A DARK DROIDS TIE-IN!
- Sent by DOMINA TAGGE to investigate a series of strange droid malfunctions, DOCTOR APHRA faces a deadly enemy from the past.
- A horde of CLONE WAR-ERA PROTOTYPE BATTLE DROIDS designed by Domina herself!
Fresh off one of the best issues in Star Wars comics to date, the Doctor Aphra series has all the potential in the world to go wherever chaos may call. After a few issues of coercing Luke Skywalker to work with her again, it looks like the series will brings us back to Domina Tagge, so to answer my question at the top of this article…could she be rebounding from the double whammy of Magna and Sana leaving with Domina?! It was in the cards, per the visions presented to Vader in last year’s Revelations one-shot…so we’ll see. Otherwise, I love Aphra getting back to some basics, dealing with droids like when we first met her! And also….congrats on the only original character getting her own on-going series to make it to 75 issues between this and the previous iteration! What a big milestone!
Return of the Jedi – Max Rebo #1 (on sale 8/9)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Paul Fry (Artist)
Cover/Virgin Variant Cover by Ryan Brown | Connecting Variant Cover by Lee Garbett | Variant Cover by Valerio Giangiordano
WHO IS PLOTTING TO KILL JABBA THE HUTT?
- Wait…someone ELSE is plotting to kill one of the galaxy’s most infamous gangsters? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!
- When you’re JABBA THE HUTT, you make a lot of enemies…and sometimes, they’re under your employ!
- MAX REBO and the band have their own plans on how to deal with a mobster like Jabba…
- This issue bookends our JABBA’S PALACE one-shot and leads directly into the RETURN OF THE JEDI film!
I am SO glad this solicit immediately confronted my confusion, as it started off just like the first one-shot with a Jabba murder plot. The tongue-in-cheek referential nature of this sounds decidedly like Older, and this is all I need to know before reading it since I know he’ll put us through a unique, wild ride. Also, I like how this will lead us directly into RotJ, which I hope the other comics get to do in their own way sometime maybe next year?
The Mandalorian Season 2 #3 (on sale 8/30)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Georges Jeanty (Artist)
Cover by Steven Cummings | Concept Art Variant Cover Also Available | Variant Cover by David Baldeon | Variant Cover by Terry Dodson
“THE HEIRESS”!
- THE MANDALORIAN braves high seas and meets unexpected allies.
- Introducing BO-KATAN KRYZE, KOSKA REEVES, and AXE WOVES!
It’s neat to think Bo-Katan will finally make it into comics thanks to this issue, alongside first appearances for Reeves and Woves, but I’d love it way more if it was an original tale digging into her exploits on-screen during this era. Or even the past, like how it all went down with Moff Gideon, as she told us about in The Mandalorian’s third season. Otherwise, this issue might be worth getting alone for the Frog Lady and Frog Man hug!
DARK HORSE
It wasn’t made quite clear, but it could be at least Hyperspace Stories issues #7 and #8.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.