2021 was a unique year for Star Wars comics, as not only did they get back in full swing after the COVID-19 pandemic threw every industry off in 2020 (and is still affecting so many different aspects of our lives as people choose to ignore science), but a big new initiative was set to place the comics in the spotlight for a new era, while another concept would attempt a Marvel superhero-sized crossover story with the rest. Along the way, Qi’ra returned with galaxy-brain sized plans, Boba lost the frozen Han Solo on the way to Jabba’s Palace, the Jedi of the High Republic era battled the Drengir threat and gave out a lot of hugs, Chelli Aphra reunited with Sana Starros much to each other’s chagrin, a spooky nightmare version of young Anakin Skywalker tormented visitor’s to Vader’s Castle on Mustafar, and so much more. It was a wild, packed year for the comics, and many of its biggest swings proved there were plenty of new exciting things to come, while also showing places were improvements were still need. Without further ado, head below for the 2021 Star Wars comics year-in-review!
— Spoilers for comics released in 2021 —
Here are the things I liked the most/thought worked the best from the comics in 2021:
A) The High Republic Comic Takeover
After a delay due to the pandemic, The High Republic initiative kicked off 2021 with a jump to hyperspace for the Saga, providing exciting tales covering a fresh new era told across publishing avenues. Set 200 years before the prequels, the era would unfold across novels, comics, and even magna, with a multiple year Phase based approach to really flesh out the era and keep it focused. Comics have always contributed to canon since they officially became part of the larger story in 2015, but never have they felt as impactful and vital to the larger story of an era as they do with all the comics for the High Republic. A big part of it is there isn’t any content really told in a visual medium like film or TV, besides a few short animated videos and lots of concept art to enjoy, so these series have been important for fleshing out the era both visually and with plot, while it’s neat to see characters start in the books and show up visually in the comics (and vice versa), really selling the era’s interconnectedness. Each series of comics have been top-notch content, with engaging characters, exciting developments to the era, and some stunning art that adds so much weight and connection to the era. It’s also been a bastion of inclusivity across race and queer representation, with the comics featuring non-binary Jedi and other queer characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, while featuring many POC characters in leading/starring roles, like Keeve Trennis, Lula Talisola, and Emerick Caphtor, to name a few. In 2021 alone, there’s been four comic series and one manga: The High Republic by Cavan Scott and artists like Ario Anindito and Karl Story; The High Republic – Trail of Shadows by Daniel José Older and artist David Wachter; The High Republic Adventures also by Older, with artists like Harvey Tolibao and Toni Bruno; The High Republic Adventures – The Monster of Temple Peak, also by Scott with artist Rachael Stott; and The Edge of Balance Vol. 1 manga, with story by Shima Shinya and Justina Ireland, with art by Mizuki Sakakibara. While one could read the main adult novels and still enjoy the overall story, the comics are invaluable part of what makes the High Republic such an unforgettable initiative and it’s been a blast to see the medium make a connection with fans of all levels. And it’s only just the beginning as 2022 will see THR begin its second Phase in October while the final issues of the current runs will close out Phase 1 in February!
B) War of the Bounty Hunters Feels Appropriately Large for a Crossover Event…
The previous comic crossover events have had their entertaining moments, mainly since chaos incarnate Dr. Aphra makes appearances in two of them, but they haven’t always felt worth sidelining the main narrative of either series involved nor have they made much of an impact elsewhere in the comics. With the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover that all changed, as every Marvel comic not set in the High Republic era found itself in WotBH’s crosshairs, the story and its outcomes rippling throughout the comics and affecting one another. I’ll be talking shortly about its overall effectiveness, and if the story was worth all the issues (see the Didn’t Like section below), but there was no denying it finally felt like a proper crossover, befitting of the return of Solo: A Star Wars Story’s Qi’ra. Characters from different series weaved in and out of others, like Aphra playing her own games at the auction party or Bokku the Hutts’ true allegiances coming into play, and the ramifications of what went down still trickle into other series afterwards, whereas previous crossovers sometimes felt forgotten the moment they were over. It also had a series of one-shot issues with two being some of the best comic stories of the year, Boushh and 4-LOM & Zuckuss, which was a nice surprise from what felt like it would be bloating the story but rather added to characters/story instead. While the upcoming events in Crimson Reign and The Hidden Empire (the two remaining parts to Qi’ra’s comic return trilogy) are also supposed to be felt across all the comics, and so far neither is as far-reaching or is planned to be as all-encompassing as the WotBH event, I’d hope that if they do another big crossover like this one, they find the right story and do it at this scale again; It feels more like a big Star Wars event this way.
C) LGBTQIA+ Representation Sparks…
Star Wars publishing has been a bastion of LGBTQIA+ representation since the canon reset and while the comics have been an important part of that push, like say Doctor Aphra and her two series so far, they weren’t always at the same level as the novels…until 2021 that is! The advent of the High Republic era and its many series brought with it a lot of representation, from non-binary Jedi (Kantam Sy, Terec/Ceret), aro/ace characters like Vernestra Rwoh and Leox Gyasi, the bi Ty Yorrick, to queer ships like Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala, while the other comics introduced several other non-binary characters, brought back Aphra’s ex, and put T’onga and her wife front and center of a male-dominated series, as well as gay representation with Ariole Yu and Just Lucky. It’s never been queerer than this and it’s refreshing to have so much added diversity to these stories so all fans have an opportunity to see themselves in the Saga they love; maybe one day on-screen rep can catch up, but at least the comics and novels can lead the charge for now.
D) Other Representation Not Far Behind
Quietly, while the live-action portion of Star Wars focuses on mainly male leads for now, the comics have built up a wider swath of representation for its main characters and supporting roles. In 2021, POC characters like Keeve Trennis, Lula Talisola, Chelli Aphra, Ty Yorrick, Sian Holt, Sana Starros, Emerick Cahptor, Lando Calrissian, and Just Lucky either lead or co-lead a comic series, a number greater than previous years’ leads, while a large majority of those were female characters. Beyond those who were POC, plenty of other female characters had lead/co-lead roles, including T’onga, Losha, and Vukorah from Bounty Hunters, Qi’ra appearing across many different series in her big return, to Leia featuring more prominently in Star Wars (Vol. 2), but the comics also put alien characters in leading roles too, from Zeen Mrala, Farzala, Qort, Ty, Sskeer, Buckets of Blood, and more. One thing is for sure, as has been the case with the comics’ aspect of the Saga’s diversity data, which I contributed to Eleven-ThirtyEight’s reports over the years, the percentage of Non-White Human Males, aka characters who are anything but a white human male, have typically had the advantage in comics’ make-up, and 2021 was no different, as 79% of all characters in the comics were Non-WHM, so therefore 21% were WHM (the way data has been collected for ETE’s reports is any character, named in the script and has a speaking line, is counted). As much as those numbers were expected, it usually shakes up worse when it comes to parity, female/non-binary characters compared to male characters, with the typical average from 2015 to 2019 being 30% F/NB and 70% M…until 2021 that is! As I mentioned earlier, the amount of female characters in leading roles or sharing more panel time felt like it had increased, but often I’ve felt this way and the data didn’t back it up, but that all changed with 2021. The results were a pretty big leap, even if the creative diversity wasn’t anything to write home about (but I did write about down below!), as out of 395 total characters, 173 or 44% were female (a 14% increase from average!), 214 or 54% were male (a 16% drop!), and 8 or 2% were non-binary (which, considering 2020 had the first non-binary comic character, not a terrible change). You can check out all the data here, but basically a 15% change both ways was quite the surprise, bringing parity closer to, at the very least, equal for once and it’ll be interesting if the comics can keep such momentum, stick closer to these numbers, or end up backtracking, the latter of which unfortunately feels more likely after the only newly announced comics for 2022 are a Han Solo & Chewbacca on-going and Obi-Wan miniseries with male creative teams. Plus, this is the first recorded year of any real change in data, but the High Republic content has seemed to shift things and it feels like the creatives working in the space are actively trying to make a difference…I just won’t hold my breath for 2022 holding this increase for non-male characters, though things are maybe looking up! {Editor’s Note: I didn’t take data for 2020, as ETE ended their Minority Reports in 2019 and I took a hiatus on compiling data, but I will take it now due to this change, as I’m curious if it was another good year or not. I’ll update here or in a separate article when I have it!}
Here are the things I didn’t think worked and how to fix them:
A) …Though the Crossover Had Its Problems As Well
Remember how I said I liked the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover? Well, it wasn’t all positives, but plenty can be gleaned from the missteps to help any future mega endeavors. Focusing on Boba Fett felt like its biggest questionable decision, not because he’s returned in live-action in a big way but that he barely starred in much of the WotBH miniseries and his whole crusade to get his bounty back, the frozen Han Solo, felt tertiary and trivial in the grand scheme of things like Qi’ra’s return. I get wanting to save the surprise of her return and use Boba Fett’s popularity to rope readers in, but his part didn’t quite live up to the hype and felt like the wrong place to focus, so maybe the next story like this could find a bigger focus. Next, it left several series spinning their wheels either waiting for the story to catch up or trying to catch up (especially Bounty Hunters and Darth Vader), so I don’t know if some better coordination was needed but hopefully an upcoming crossover could try to make it easier on all the creatives and series involved to link up with the story with more graceful fluidity. I enjoyed it overall, but it’s important to address some of its shortcomings if they want to go for a big crossover again.
B) …But Dampens In Certain Aspects
Remember how I cheered on the LGBTQIA+ representation in Star Wars comics? There unfortunately was a misstep when Lucasfilm and Marvel choose the characters for the Pride Month variant covers. The crew they assembled was Doctor Aphra, Sana Starros, Terec & Ceret, Yrica Quell, Rae Sloane, and Lando Calrissian. Of these characters, Lando’s inclusion is the most glaring, as while a writer of Solo: A Star Wars Story said he’s pansexual, there’s been no on-screen/in canon representation of it, so having him on these covers feels like a stretch until they actual show him be what they claim. Likewise, Rae Sloane, a favorite character of mine, has one line mentioning her ace tendencies but there’s once again no meaningful representation of this on screen or the page with her either. As I’ve already shown there are so many other queer characters who could easily fit the bill, as they are visibly queer in their appearances, so while it was great to have these covers and an acknowledgment of Pride Month, it comes off as the bare minimum effort here, only laid more bare and hallow after the growing silence on the fiasco that is Lucasfilm Games’ partnership with Quantic Dreams and their bigoted CEOs to make Star Wars Eclipse.
C) Lack of Non-Male Creatives, Part 5000
In previous years, I’ve had this critique viewed through a far too narrow lens, so I’ve decided to change it up this year to cover the full spectrum of the problem: there’s a continued severe lack of non-male, marginalized genders creatives, a problem felt most in on-screen content, but also continuously in the comics. In previous years, I only said there was a lack of female creatives, but that ignored non-binary and other LGBTQ+ communities, so I’ve broadened the search for disparity and of course still had the same results, which seemed foregone due to history and the fact Alyssa Wong was the only non-male lead creative for Marvel’s many comics. As mentioned above, I’ve contributed the comics’ character diversity data to Eleven-ThirtyEight’s informative Minority Reports, with the norm level coming up roughly 70% Male to 30% Female/Non-Binary year in and year out (besides 2021, also mentioned above!). One thing I’ve never done, and Mike Cooper at ETE suggested to me previously, was take the diversity data for the creatives, so when talking about the lack of non-male creatives in 2021, I decided to start the process. When collecting the data, I didn’t count creatives double (so Charles Soule writing Crimson Reign, Star Wars, and War of the Bounty Hunters only nets him one credit), and I ended up with 123 creatives (writers/artists/colorists/letterers/editors) across IDW and Marvel’s issues, while the percentiles roughly mirrored the usual comic character data: 72% male creatives and 28% non-male. IDW at least had one non-male creative on every single issue of their comics, as the editors were an all-female group, while Marvel wasn’t even close to that consistency (though was when Heather Antos was assistant editor), but 2021 still was a banner year for parity in comic characters as I mentioned above. There are several factors that contribute to such a year, including Alyssa Wong’s marginalized gender characters and the High Republic comics focusing on female leads and featuring non-binary characters as well, but it’s clear where they made progress there’s still a stark miss on a parity for creatives, an unfortunate normal at the moment. I’m gathering the data this year and I’ll update this once I have some findings, be it in a full fledged article or a quick tidbit here if the overall data is much the same, but with two new series featuring all male creative teams for 2022 is anything to go by, I don’t think the data will come out much better. In fact, with IDW losing the license I’m a little worried about the findings going forward, as IDW often led due to their series’ make-up of short stories and editing teams, so it’ll be interesting to see if Dark Horse will manage to help or if they’ll be much like Marvel. {Editor’s Note: I don’t have a document to share for this data set as I took it all in a notebook and didn’t have time to convert it to digital, but I’ll make sure I have visible data for the upcoming update!}
2021 Series Quick Hits:
Here are some snappy reviews of the series released during 2021, so while you can still read my usual lengthy review articles, these will sum up the content succinctly as I can, helping you make a decision on what you might like to read. Check them out below, where I kick off with the High Republic output this year!
The High Republic (On-going; 2021-Present)
Focusing on the trials of young Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis and her former Master Sskeer helps ground the series’ exploits in relatable drama in this new era, as the Jedi deal with threats like the carnivorous plants the Drengir and later try to sneak into the Nihil’s ranks (the villains of the era so far) to locate their leader. Centering on Keeve and Sskeer results in plenty of emotional moments, while Cavan Scott is a master of cliffhangers that leave you aching for the next issue. The stellar art by Ario Anindito and team fleshes out the era and adds to the emotional wallops (and nearly made me puke once). It runs into some problems with it speeding through some stories to match up with the era’s timeline, but it’s not to be missed if you want to dive into the era.
For Mynocks who enjoy: emotional wallops; lots of relatable swearing; propulsive story
Not for Mynocks who dislike: quick arcs at times; artist switching; Drengir bursting out of a Hutt’s stomach
The High Republic – Trail of Shadows (Miniseries; 2021-2022)
Noir isn’t something we get mixed into Star Wars very often, but with this fresh era and fresh ideas, its injection is a revelation, resulting in one of year’s best: The High Republic – Trail of Shadows…and I’m saying before the miniseries ends, its final two issues out in 2022! The creative team is firing on all Paths, Daniel José Older mixing aspects of the larger story of the era into the story of the comic in intriguing ways and providing an opening issue that gave me nightmares, while the art team soaks the series in a noir-vibe that only adds to the mystery, scares, and tone drawing you in panel after panel.
For Mynocks who enjoy: Noir at its finest mixed with Star Wars; scary lullabies; emotional vulnerability
Not for Mynocks who dislike: Bosovir’s bathwater; nightmares; great creative teams
The High Republic Adventures (On-going; 2021-Present)
Focusing on a small group of Padawans and two friends turned enemies, the biggest heart of the High Republic era can be found in Older’s The High Republic Adventures, as the all-ages comic really hammers home how different with attachments and friends the Jedi Order of the era can be. From exciting usages of the comic medium, book characters crossing over, a delicious emotional core, and Qort’s coming-of-age tale, THRA will bring warm feelings to your heart whether you’re reading the rest of the era or not.
For Mynocks who enjoy: HUGS FOR DAYS; friendships; Qort cuteness
Not for Mynocks who dislike: Hugs, somehow; having friends
The High Republic Adventures – The Monster of Temple Peak (Miniseries; 2021)
Dealing with some adventures of Ty Yorrick, a monster hunter-for-hire and ex-Jedi first introduced in the era’s The Rising Storm novel, The Monster of Temple Peak is best enjoyed all at once thanks to its layered story by Scott and intriguing glimpses of Ty’s Jedi life before she left. It doesn’t answer everything, but it does expand on Ty’s life for those who are fans of the character, while Rachael Stott’s art is simply gorgeous throughout.
For Mynocks who enjoy: Ty Yorrick; monster hunting; flashbacks
Not for Mynocks who dislike: side-stories; Ty Yorrick (really?!)
Star Wars (Vol. 2) (On-going; 2020-Present)
The Rebellion still struggles to reunite its fleet after the events on Hoth as Star Wars (Vol. 2)’s 2021 output gets swept up in the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover. It still contains plenty of stellar Lando and Lobot content, but Luke’s interesting journeys so far get sidelined, a special Starlight Squadron barely flies, and Commander Zahra disappears from the picture. Leia gets a layered meet and greet with Qi’ra and Luke begins his journeys again before the year is over so things are looking up for 2022, but not reading the main miniseries for WotBH means there’s a little less enjoyment out of this series in 2021.
For Mynocks who enjoy: Lando, Lobot, and L3-37 drama; Leia leading the boys
Not for Mynocks who dislike: heavy plot armor; storylines wrapping around crossover takeover
Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2) (On-going; 2020-Present)
The ex has entered the chat and it’s honestly one of the best things about 2021’s issues of Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2), as writer Alyssa Wong makes Sana Starros’ return accessible to new readers and a damn delight to longtime fans. Whereas most other series felt like they were spinning their wheels throughout the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover, Aphra’s misadventures kept their own footing and felt like an enjoyable romp you wouldn’t even need to read the rest of the crossover to enjoy. With more of Lucky and Ariole’s struggles in the underworld, the continued blush-inducing presence of Domina Tagge, the advent of a new creepy, ancient cult to explore, and another person from Aphra’s past causing trouble, 2022 looks to only continue this series’ stellar streak of irreverent disaster adventures.
For Mynocks who like: Yeah, she’s a rocket ship on her way to Coruscant, on a collision course, a satellite out of control; boss ladies; disasters, as always
Not for Mynocks who dislike: Dealing with ex’s; humor
Darth Vader (Vol. 3) (On-going; 2020-Present)
Darth Vader (Vol. 3) opened strong, but 2022 was a year of misfires for the series, as either certain storylines were drawn out and then resolved too quickly, stopped before they got started, were confusingly told with weird inconsistencies or unclear meanings, or downright skipped over big moments (Qi’ra and Vader’s duel doesn’t get a single panel in this series). I at least went from lamenting Ochi of Bestoon’s part to actually enjoying it, but not even his Deadpool-like antics were enough to save the series for me this year, but the return of Sabé (again) holds some promise for 2022, as well as it not needing to be sidetracked by a crossover.
For Mynocks who like: Meme-ing a hand in a jar, Ochi of Bestoon
Not for Mynocks who dislike: LOTS of red; LOTS of anger; unclear story ideas
Bounty Hunters (On-going; 2020-Present)
As well documented on the Manor, especially in my year-in-review for 2020’s comics, I haven’t been reading Bounty Hunters for reasons, but ahead of its involvement in the WotBH’s crossover and the return of the character once feared dead, I reevaluated the situation before wading back in. With T’onga and her wife coming to prominence by the end of the year’s output, I was happy I did, as seeing her take center stage and put together quite the deadly crew has been the series’ highlight for me, while Beilert Valance’s new situation has sort of made me curious about what will happen to him next…for the most part, so we’ll see next year.
For Mynocks who like: Valance’s continued canon presence; LGBTQ+ character in a main role now; deadly nexu
Not for Mynocks who dislike: More Valance; aggressive action; violence
War of the Bounty Hunters (Miniseries/crossover event; 2021)
For the Cool Hand Luke version of Boba Fett, look no further than the main miniseries of the crossover event, War of the Bounty Hunters, which distilled the giant story about Fett’s quest for a frozen Han Solo and Qi’ra’s return to five issues. It’s best read alongside all the content for a full understanding of what all went down behind the scenes of its panels, as it often leaves actions by certain characters or moments unclear or obtuse, but it does a good enough job of exploring the main moments of the event that one can still see what chaos Qi’ra has in store for the galaxy and how Boba tries to make his way through the galaxy as a simple man. The one-shots are the real special sauce here, with 3 being truly stellar entries.
For Mynocks who enjoy: Lando telling Chewie to beat Boba’s ass; Qi’ra getting a big return
Not for Mynocks who dislike: Being left hanging on multiple parts of the story; not knowing all the details
Star Wars Adventures (Vol. 2) (On-going; 2020-Present)
IDW relaunched their mainline Star Wars Adventures late 2020 with much of the same content: fun, easy, and mostly well-written/drawn stories accessible to fans of all-ages. The villain starring/focused back-up stories provided writers a chance to offer a unique lens to see the bad guys while maintaining the series’ accessibility, though its Annual without any Jaxxon this year fell a little short of previous entries. The publisher’s distribution/printing problems spread out many of these stories, highlighted the series’ shortcomings with the format of short, quick tales told in two-parters, while quality swung too wildly to justify waiting for the tales to be released. As far as final years go, as it’s over for IDW and the Star Wars license after Dark Horse was brought back in the fold for 2022, it wasn’t always the brightest, but it was a nice part of the franchise to have for younger fans.
For Mynocks who like: Easy to digest comics; fun villainous-starring tales
Not for Mynocks who dislike: Incoherent release schedule; swings in quality
Ghost of Vader’s Castle (Miniseries; 2021)
The grand finale to the Vader’s Castle series, a yearly spookfest from IDW comics and the dementedly fun mind of writer Cavan Scott, this final entry is a tighter, focused package while taking the biggest swings it can thanks to its nightmare conceit. Chewie vs Jaxxon kaiju battle? Creepy young Anakin Skywalker? Zombie droids? If you want over-the-top, goofy spooky Star Wars fun, you can’t go wrong with Ghost of Vader’s Castle, while its ending might be worth the price of admission alone for some.
For Mynocks who like: Ghosts; sharing nightmares; frights and fun
Not for Mynocks who dislike: Kaijus (really?!); scary things
Top 5 Moments (in no particular order):
Qi’ra Returns (War of the Bounty Hunters #1):
After a lackluster opening month to the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover, it was unclear why Star Wars comics felt it needed to go all in on Boba Fett losing the carbonite frozen Han Solo, but all concerns were wiped away due to the main miniseries’ first issue ending on a reveal it had been building to since its opening page: Qi’ra is back!! Not only did the character, last seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story making a sacrifice to spare Han from Maul’s gaze by doubling down her commitment to Crimson Dawn, come back for the first time since the film, but she was the one who stole Han and now ran the Dawn herself! Even though the resulting months of issues kept her largely in the background, beyond a short but epic toe-to-toe with Darth Vader (and the artists’ parallels only making the moment larger), it was soon revealed this was just part one of a three part comic trilogy focused on Qi’ra and her plans upon returning to the galactic stage, with the story continuing in Crimson Reign and later The Hidden Empire. It’s disappointing that at this moment Qi’ra’s return hasn’t been part of any Disney+ efforts, which would mean the stellar Emilia Clarke returning to further the character’s story, but having any Qi’ra back at all has been invaluable to canon. Let’s hope the upcoming miniseries deliver and leave the option for more Qi’ra i.e. a chance for Clarke to come back somehow too.
Nightmare Nursey Rhyme (The High Republic – Trail of Shadows #1):
Never have I felt so thoroughly unsettled by a comic, or really any other form of media (I do stay away from horror movies/games for the most part, so that’s on me), than I did Trail of Shadows #1. The nursery rhyme/lullaby Older introduces to the era permeates every panel of the opening issue of the miniseries, which is investigating Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm’s shocking death, becoming one of creepiest ear-worms I’ve ever had the delightfully unfortunate hazard of knowing. Before Older revealed the spooky tune it was set to or fans began to sing and create their own versions, it leapt off the panels and into my ears thanks to the eerie lettering by Joe Sabino, all scraggly in the margins and corners, all the shadows and noir-vibes by David Wachter & Giada Marchisio, and Older’s script capitalizing how unsettling he knew this would make us all. I initially heard the rhyme as if it was a song from my favorite band, Lacuna Coil, but the fan creations and Older’s version are how I heard it for days afterwards and even now, some months out. I know it wasn’t just me though, from the way it seemed to take over Star Wars Twitter, to some extent going viral, showing how effective the creative team’s work was, touching so many so vividly. The whole time I’ve been writing this out, it’s wormed its way back in, and I’m sure it has for you too…Shrii Ka Rai Ka Rai…
Lando’s Choices Come to Roost (Star Wars #14 {Vol. 2}):
In one of the Saga’s longest dramas, what’s another notch in the gut-punch category at this point? For the story of Lobot and Lando, where the entrepreneur’s self-interests continue to get in the way of his friends’ lives, it hurts a whole damn lot ever since writer Charles Soule added tragedy to the life of such a seemingly innocuous character like Lobot. There’s a reason why Lobot’s sacrifice, saving Lando and Chanatha Cha, made it to the top spot of my Top 10 Star Wars Comic Moments so far, and the way Soule continues to add new wrinkles to Lando’s attempts to pay it back only strengthens the original and adds so many layers to the new additions. In Star Wars #14 (Vol. 2), Lando’s self-interests and schemes backfire spectacularly: he jettisons an ancient droid with the Rebellion’s new secret codes out the airlock due to a deal with Jabba the Hutt, only to learn it’s the only droid able to reverse the implants’ control on Lobot. He nearly risks revealing his subterfuge to get the droid back, but fate gets in the way of course. Even after Return of the Jedi, as far as we’re aware, Lobot is still lost to the implants, though that only serves to make this all the more tragic, knowing one of the closet chances Lando had to save his friend and repay his debt flew out into space due to the exact choices Lobot warned him about. I hope Soule has the opportunity to resolve this thread for Lobot and Lando, and hopefully in the very near future, but until then these instances will still punch me in the gut.
Keeve Trennis Finds Another Way (The High Republic #8):
A common refrain from the Jedi across the entire High Republic era and Cavan Scott’s The High Republic comic book is their phrase: “For Light and Life!” The Jedi of this era aren’t soldiers, aren’t caught up in some galaxy-wide war, but are protectors out in the galaxy, fighting for light and life, which means all life, even those of who would do them and others harm. Through most of Phase I, we see Jedi contemplating having to take the life of even the Nihil, the marauders causing chaos in the galaxy with the Great Hyperspace Disaster, but when the threat of the Drengir approaches, a species of meat-hungry plants, they don’t have as much trouble cutting down the unstoppable forces, but the question remains, shouldn’t their life be just as important as any other? Eons ago, the Drengir were once trapped by the Sith, so as the Jedi looked to stop the meat-thirsty creatures, would they find a way to preserve life like their polar opposites did years ago? It’s been interesting to see how the luminous authors have positioned the Jedi of this era, as they question their place in the fight with the Nihil and even Drengir, with many debating if they are still listening to the Force, the Jedi Order and the Council’s interpretation, or what the Republic wants, and/or if those are all the same things; it’s clear how we could eventually end up with the Jedi of the prequels, essentially doing the Republic’s bidding rather than going out on their own, but for now these Jedi are still operating as they wish, for better or worse. With the Drengir, does the Force will these creatures to be struck down to save light and life, or is it what the Jedi Order thinks will look good for the galaxy to see the Order stop them, or what the Republic is asking them to do? Is there another option, an option the Force would actually point towards? Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis, the main character of the series, has often found her attachments to her fellow Jedi have helped her with the mission of light and life, and her unorthodox attachment to her Master Sskeer and his time under the Drengir’s influence allows her to think up an alternative solution that seems more fitting for the Jedi than trying to kill the Drengir’s Great Progenitor, which connects the blight together. While Jedi Master Avar Kriss, Starlight Beacon Marshal, led forces for the attack on the Progenitor, things aren’t going good, but Keeve’s plan changes everything, using Kriss’ ability to connect the Jedi (which is why she’s the Hero of Hetzal) to bring those assembled together, blocking out the Progenitor’s connection to the blight, and then they capture it in a stasis field. This might piss off the Jedi’s alliance with the Hutts, but it saves the Jedi’s souls, preventing them from losing themselves in the effort to secure the frontier alongside the growing Republic and proving it really is all about light and life for them. It was also exciting to have such a major development in a larger story to be saved for the comics, proving how vital they were to the synergy of the era.
Saphra Drama (Doctor Aphra #13 {Vol. 2}):
2021 was almost the first year without Doctor Aphra gracing the Top 5 moment category, but this screech-inducing exchange between Sana Starros and Chelli Lona Aphra aboard Crimson Dawn’s flagship the Vermillion managed to make the cut/maybe got past my bias filter towards her. Its spot here has as much to do with the almost kiss after so much history between the two as it does writer Alyssa Wong’s deft hand weaving the characters’ history into the scene/the art team of Mikyu Jung, Victor Olazaba, Rachelle Rosenberg, and letterer Joe Caramagna. Since Wong began Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2), there’s a clear sense of respecting the series’ and characters’ histories, but always making it accessible to new readers. Chelli’s history with Sana Starros is long, complicated, and full of strife, something Wong catches everyone up on when she’s introduced in series in issue #7, and the complicated working relationship these two fall into offers plenty for fans to enjoy, from how they begin to refresh the broken link between them thanks to a slightly less selfish Aphra/more forgiving Sana to references to the audiobook’s glimpse of their university past. All the groundwork they laid in the writing comes to head in issue #13, as Sana pulls Aphra out of her PTSD from seeing Darth Vader, her whiskey voice Aphra loved so much pulling her back to the here and now, while Sana’s love for the good person buried in Chelli somewhere allowing her to detect the truth as Chelli fills her in on how she messed with Vader last they saw each other. To cap off this understanding between the two, born from their past with one another, the moment brings them perilously close to one another, close like they used to before everything went bantha-up, and Sana plays with Aphra’s expectations (and ours) of the approach as she reaches for the mic to hear what’s happening with their latest mark. Sana’s testing how Aphra feels, and shit lost it, leaving the moment hanging ever since saying they’d talk about it. The art team delivers on all fronts to bring these moments to life, from the startling PTSD-imbued artwork and how it clears as Sana talks to Chelli, to how Aphra’s lips and sweat can’t help but betray what she really feels in as Sana closes in, aiding the writing to build us up to the potential kiss and the shared history between them. There are plenty of big, important moments in most of the memorable happenings for 2021’s Star Wars comics, but the little things always bring me the most delight and the exchange between Sana Starros and Chelli Lona Aphra is the best highlight
Honorable Meme-able Mention – Pickled Hand Luke (Darth Vader #11 {Vol.3}): While the nursery rhyme from Trail of Shadows took off online, nothing spawned more clickbait articles on all the clickbait-loving sites and more memes than the mysterious hand in the jar on Exegol as Darth Vader finds out the true extent of his Master’s plans and schemes. In my original review of the issue, I barely even mentioned it, as I laughed it off as an Easter Egg of sorts and let it be, but it took on a life of its own shortly after, as the clickbait exploded while fans had tons of fun with the new meme format thanks to Star Wars Twitter’s Tim Owens. In the context of the issue and the arc, it’s just one of many moments of disorientation and information overload to cue Vader in on his Masters grand planning, and for readers it’s just disorientation as the arc crams too much into the final issue of the Exegol arc, highlighting the story’s weaknesses up until then. Is it Luke’s hand? The next hit sandwich from Dex’s Diner? Does it actually matter? No, but for some sites it did and for others it was a fun meme to help combat all the clickbait.
Also, this legendary line:
Final Thoughts
2021 is another year where it often feels weird to concern oneself with thinking back on it and only focusing on Star Wars comics, as the year started with a deadly insurrection, the COVID pandemic roiled on, and justice still wasn’t served in the cases of many marginalized people, among many other things in the larger world. It’s always good to keep perspective and thinking critically about the media we consume, while I always try to mention items related to the content I’m reviewing, be it controversies or otherwise in the real world that should be considered despite what we’re enjoying. 2021’s comics, largely via The High Republic initiative, were one of the first times it felt like Star Wars comics was attempting a narrative with some connections and connotations with the current situation in the world, slogans like “We are all the Republic” driving the image of unity we’ve been losing a little bit in hopes of rekindling it, while the burst of LGBTQIA+ characters reveled in the world’s unique and exciting mixture of viewpoints and identities often pushed back on in larger, visual mediums, going so much further than background characters kissing. In attempting these bigger narratives, 2021’s Star Wars comics had its hits and misses, largely some of the spinning wheels put out by the crossover’s expansive, time-sensitive story, while letting comics tell important aspects to the new initiative showed they aren’t just to fill in background moments. As for how 2022 will go? With THR closing early 2022 and returning in October, it’ll be interesting to see if Qi’ra’s Crimson wrath propels the comics’ side of things forward and if the new series can offer exciting new panels for fans to devour, as less of a sure thing like THR means there are big shoes to fill while it has its hiatus. I don’t suspect much of what I’ve had issues with will change, but hopefully progress won’t be reset, though if the past few years have taught us anything, expect the unexpected.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
All comic images are credited to Marvel/IDW/Lucasfilm
Comic Years-In-Review:
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2022