February was one of the last normal months for comics last year, as the pandemic halted many things as it swept through the nation, and while it still rages, in some cases worse than it was earlier in the year, it looks like comics won’t be stopping again anytime soon. However, February is a quieter month for Star Wars comics, as Doctor Aphra takes a month-long break, but otherwise the adventures of Starlight Squadron, with Wedge Antilles and Shara Bey in charge, continue, as does the earliest issues of Marvel and IDW’s entries in The High Republic initiative! Head below for the February 2021 Star Wars comics solicitations!
MARVEL
Star Wars #11 (on sale 2/03/21)
Charles Soule (Writer), Jan Bazaldua (Artist)
Cover by Carlo Pagulayan | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover by Chris Spouse | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher | Variant Cover by Dan Mora
OPERATION STARLIGHT GOES SUPERNOVA!
- The mission to reunite the REBEL FLEET is countered by a deadly trap sprung by the cunning COMMANDER ZAHRA!
- How will WEDGE ANTILLES, SHARA BEY, and the other elite pilots of STARLIGHT SQUADRON survive?
- And then there’s LANDO CALRISSIAN…forced to choose between THE REBELLION and one of his oldest friends!
I was a little curious in the January solicits if Commander Zahra was still around and thankfully she is, once again showing her shrewdness with another deadly trap! I’m really liking Zahra, from how Soule’s built up her background to her constant ability to mess with the Rebels (and her intriguing methods to get to Leia), so the longer she can cause trouble, the sweeter it’ll be once they take her down! But I am beginning to hope, even when they defeat her, she might return again…Anyways, Starlight Squad should be a blast to watch, with Shara and Wedge at the lead, and I’m sure they’ll come up with quite the plan to escape whatever Zahra has cooked up for them. As for Lando, I think we all know he’s going to choose the Rebellion, but what will that mean for Lobot?! Sure, Lobot’s still alive post-ROTJ, but will he remember all he and Lando have been through, or Lando has put him through, if/when they get those cybernetic implants off?
The High Republic #2 (on sale 02/03)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Ario Anindito (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Ashley Witter
ALL-NEW SERIES CONTINUES!
WHO DESTROYED ONE OF THE JEDI’S DEADLIEST ENEMIES?
- The NIHIL strike! A ship found adrift in space, the crew brutally slaughtered and cargo stolen.
- What terror awaits THE JEDI OF STARLIGHT BEACON as they explore the wreck?
- Newly knighted KEEV TRENNIS must overcome her insecurity in the face of new teammates, but can she trust her closet ally?
It’s weird to think we’ll be two issues into The High Republic comic by February! Been waiting so long to even get to the first one, and the opening novels, it’s hard to imagine being in the middle of it finally! We’ve got some previews before, but the most recent came alongside an interview with writer Cavan Scott, where he teased Sskeer and Keeve have some dark times ahead, so when the solicit asks if she can, “…trust her closet ally,” I do believe it references Sskeer. What are she and him up to that holds so many secrets?
Darth Vader #10 (on sale 02/10)
Greg Pak (Writer), Raffaele Ienco (Artist)
Cover by Aaron Kuder | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover by Chris Spouse
THE RED HORROR!
- After passing the test of THE EYE OF WEBBISH BOG, DARTH VADER has learned the route to the hidden location of THE EMPEROR’S greatest secrets!
- But in THE RED NEBULA along the way, can Vader survive the onslaught of the greatest predator in the galaxy? Especially if the monster’s most brutal attack transcends the physical?
- And what horrors await the Emperor if a transformed Vader makes it to his dark door?
Sounds like a fun one!! Well, the most recent issue (as of this posting) had Vader meeting the Eye of Webbish Bog, and I didn’t think their time together would last for this many issues, but I’m here for it! But what secrets and what location has Vader uncovered?! When the above solicit mentioned the Red Nebula, I though it meant the one in The Rise of Skywalker, on the way to Exegol we see Kylo Ren traverse, but I think this is a far more specific, and older reference: the Red Nebula of Legends lore, seen recently in the one-off Legends continuation comic last year. It seems more likely to be a place where such strange and bizarre monsters might lie, as in Legends there was a weird race of beings who protected their home with jewels or something. How this monster attacks Vader psychologically should be a sight to behold, especially with how this series has already been handling its often breathtaking and intriguing deep dives into his psyche, with red-tinted panels of memories or altered memories of the past.
No new Doctor Aphra as I said before, but like we mentioned in November’s solicits, the big Aphra omnibus arrives February 24!
IDW
We’ll update this as soon as they arrive, but it should include at least The High Republic Adventures #1 solicit!!
The High Republic Adventures #1 (on sale 02/03)
Daniel Jose Older (Writer) Harvey Tolibao (Artist/Cover Art)
An all-new ongoing series! In the glory days of the Republic, two hundred years before the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca, the Jedi stand as guardians of galactic peace—until a powerful new adversary called the Nihil arrives. Now a group of young Padawans, training under Master Yoda, must protect the Republic while learning the lessons that will one day lead them to become powerful Jedi in their own right.
Writer Daniel José Older, bestselling author of Star Wars: Last Shot, and artist Harvey Tolibao bring IDW into The High Republic, a massive publishing crossover spanning comics and prose!
The solicit isn’t much beyond the details we got in the preview article from the official site a few days ago, but it’s still reassuring to see it on the list and know it’s on the way!
Star Wars Adventures #3 (Vol. 2) (on sale 2/3) (Moved from November 2020)
Michael Moreci, Sam Maggs (Writers), Megan Levens, Ray-Anthony Height, Davide Tinto (Artists)
Cover by Francesco Francavilla | Variant Cover by Davide Tinto
Join the Wookiees of Kashyyyk for part one of a special Life Day celebration! Then, follow Kylo Ren as he learns what it means to be the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
Life Day is seeing a resurgence, as we’ll get to celebrate it with the Wookiees in this issue of Star Wars Adventures‘ second volume and The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+! I’ll be curious to see about this Kylo Ren backup story in this issue too. There are three artists mentioned in this issue’s solicit, but I’m not quite sure why/how it all works out. UPDATE: It seems the second issue isn’t coming out until December but yet this is still solicited for November, but we’ll keep you updated once that changes! UPDATE: The second issue is now set for early November and this looks to be fine at late November….glad this is all finally working out! UPDATE 3: Well, on Previews, which is where I’m getting these dates, this issue is now out…January?! And the #4 issue is still saying December on Previews though? Things aren’t getting much calmer at IDW, unfortunately. HOPEFULLY FINAL UPDATE: Well, IDW seems to be trying to work out their release schedule finally and are trying to hit two issues a month for the first few months of 2021, but that feels optimistic due to all the updates you can already see I’ve had to make to this issue’s release.
Star Wars Adventures #4 (Vol. 2) {on sale 2/24} (Moved from December 2020)
Michael Moreci (Writer), Megan Levens (Artist)
Cover by Francesco Francavilla
Join the Wookiees of Kashyyyk for part two of a special Life Day celebration! Plus, an exciting adventure featuring a beloved bounty hunter!
The IDW schedule for their Star Wars Adventures relaunch has been all over the place, but in October they started nailing down what looks to be final dates for each issue. This issue will be a continuation of the 3rd’s Life Day-focused fun, which is out late November. HOPEFULLY FINAL UPDATE: May the Life Day celebrations truly begin and end in February 2021; fingers’ crossed!
2021 Comic Solicitations: January
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.