2022 saw Star Wars comics commit to the bit of a truly interconnected era, as Qi’ra’s schemes permeated everything set in the same timeframe, to various results, both making the case for and against more highly interlinked on-goings. With different miniseries and one-shots, along with Dark Horse’s return to the fold, plus the end and beginning of different Phases for The High Republic initiative, the comics managed to find other eras and stories to tell for fans looking for something else. But as it doubled down on more stories to intertwine, did 2022 have enough to offer to keep fans eager for more or cautious about what’s next? The answer is up to the reader, but below in my 2022 Star Wars comics year-in-review you’ll find a fair discussion of what’s worked and what’s not regarding such grand schemes, hopes for how it can proceed, and plenty of excellent reminders of why fans come back to panels year after year: Qi’ra telling the galaxy to choke on her hidden empire, Doctor Aphra possessed by an ancient AI, T’onga and Losha pivoting their purpose, the High Republic diving 150 years more into a past meant to enlighten what’s already out and what’s ahead, the Rancor Pit hosting new frightening tales to huddle around a flashlight in the dark with, Obi-Wan regaling adventures in his journal is more exciting than that sounds, and so much more. Head on below for the 2022 Star Wars comics year-in-review now!
— Spoilers for comics released in 2022 —
Here are the things I liked the most/thought worked the best from the comics in 2022:
A) Aphra Strikes Gold
Despite my love for the character, I do my best to remain impartial to Doctor Aphra and her series, but Alyssa Wong and team have consistently turned out the best comics of the year, carving its own path with humor, love, surprise, heartbreak, and more thanks to both the script and artwork firing on all hyperspace engines. Since the relaunch, there’s been something special about the series, especially with how it balanced being on the sidelines of the big crossover event of 2021, while 2022’s main focus on the Spark Eternal Saga has been one of the most memorable and continuously exciting, emotional, and intriguing stories in Star Wars comics’ history. The characters are the series’ biggest assets and Alyssa has built but such a diverse and unique collection of misfits, outcasts, and power players it has left readers like myself and others deeply attached to various beings involved, while their memorable personalities feel like they drive the plot and not the other way around, making for a organic story that finds new ways to surprise time and time again. Beyond that, Alyssa’s challenged Aphra in a deeply personal way, locking her away in her own mind, a malevolent AI roaming around her head and forcing her to confront herself and her past, while making Chelli resort to desperate measures to find a way out from being a prisoner of her own body…oh, and the whole part where the Spark initially kills her before taking over. The team of exes and frenemies arrayed to rescue her have tons of personality and tons of problems, though they put them aside and try working through them under Sana’s graceful lead; when one splinters, if even for the right reasons, it sees the group nearly left for dead. There’s wonderful reunions and familiar faces coming to the forefront, be it a momentous kiss between Magna Tolvan and Chelli (despite it being in the mind prison Aphra’s trapped in) or the hilarious murderbots of Triple-Zero and BeeTee returning to cause mayhem, mischief, and snarky comments, though these are balanced well with the new and current cast running through the series’ pages.
As entertaining as the story as been, the art here by Minkyu Jung, Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors, and Joe Caramagna’s lettering makes the wacky, funny, and emotional storyline and characters pop in a way only comics can manage. Jung seems especially suited to the tales of the rogue archaeologist and those who (she thinks) orbits around her, as he and the team have done everything from display what makes Sana Starros such a badass, conveyed the confidence Kho Phon Farrus feels as they grow comfortable in their own skin compared to when Aphra and they first meet, convey the shocking death and reanimation of Aphra that hits us in the feels (Sana’s shout still gives me goosebumps), while providing a wide range of emotion across the many characters faces that aide in sadness, happiness, or the script’s great jokes. I’ll talk more about their work in a bit, but they’ve been the dominate team for the series now and I wouldn’t want it any other way, it being so synonymous with the run now.
Another facet of the series which sets it apart is its queer representation, including a main character who is non-binary in Kho Phon Farrus (who jumped to miniseries Hidden Empire), Aphra’s various female exes, a big kiss between her and Magna, and Just Lucky and Ariole’s complicated MLM relationship. It’s not just that there’s a plethora of it, which is record-breaking in itself for the comics and most of the franchise, but it’s how well these are written and displayed throughout the series, making these aspects of the characters not the main defining feature and instead one part of their story.
It’s been one thing to keep seeing my favorite character in increasingly unique adventures, but it’s a whole other sabacc game when the quality is at such a consistent, memorable level which dances along with the larger story of the era and moves to the groove of its own beat whenever it pleases. I suspect the delightful chaos will continue for 2023.
B) What’s Gold is Blue or How The High Republic Continues to Deliver
2021 saw the start of the mega publishing initiative The High Republic, where its first Phase took place 200 years prior to The Phantom Menace, the story of which wrapped up at the beginning of 2022. And now towards the end of 2022, Phase II kicked off the next part of the initiative, which takes place 150 years prior to Phase I. There’s a reason my 2021 year-in-review took time to praise THR’s comic output and, despite the truncated showing in 2022, there’s still plenty of reasons to sing the many teams’ praises. To start, the ending of Phase I not only had pivotal moments in the comics, but they revealed more about the enigmatic villain Marchion Ro while bringing forth his latest plan, only adding to the Phase’s cliffhangers. We learned more about the Nameless in a noir-ish way. Keeve Trennis stepped up. There was a bake off. And a burgeoning queer relationship exploded in multicolored awesomeness across the pages of an all-ages comic. And as Phase II kicked off at the end of the year, a glimpse into Sav Malagan’s past presented a bounty of goodies. Jedi struggling with their past died, or did they? And Porter Engle’s past was even more impressive than imagined. The breadth and depth on display, from what it meant for the era and its characters, as well as the larger commentary on our world, was as impressive as a full year’s worth of stories. There’s plenty of arguments to be made about the cost of reading everything to get the full context, how little context you might get just focusing on the comics, and the confusing decision not to subtitle the same titled content in Phase II (besides for the trade paperbacks), but the quality within the High Republic panels have been some of the most exciting, surprising, and profound work in the comics.
C) Queer Representation Expands
As dependable as it is, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of Doctor Aphra’s queer rep throughout its run, and it’s even more impressive it wasn’t the only place to find queer rep in the comics: the one focused on bounty hunters, of all beings, has a married lesbian couple as its current and on-going leads are, while more was found in an all-ages story as part of The High Republic era. To have multiple on-goings and stories carrying forward representation like this is an important moment for Star Wars’ comics, as the visibility for LGBTQIA+ fans has never been better within its panels, and elsewhere in the books, even if the more visible medium of TV continues to fall behind (mostly, but praise to Andor though!). And while the publishing side has been pushing the queer representation these past few years, it’s really the depth, variety, and quality that’s made 2022 so memorable. The relationship between T’onga and Losha ebbed and flowed as they dealt with revenge and new bosses, a realistic take on a relationship as they pulled apart but found ways to pull back together, and pull each other up, making for a healthy, believable union amongst a series at first glance wouldn’t be made to carry such a tale. Kho Phon Farrus’ non-binary identity is handled with a care and personalization that it both gives us a brief glimpse at what those who identify in such a manner deal with (and how easy and humane it is to be an ally), and makes it just a part of Kho’s identity, not their defining feature. Kho only scratches the surface of rep in the Aphra series, from Sana, Aphra, Magna Tolvan, Lucky, Ariole, and Lapin, to name a few, producing the queerist series in Star Wars comics history…and having a fun time doing it. All-ages comics from Daniel José Older, Phase I & Phase II of The High Republic Adventures, put rep front and center, from Jedi Knight Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala’s budding relationship to the queer-coding in Sav Malagán’s jaunt with Maz Kanata and the pirate crew, an important space to help young fans see themselves early and often in the content they enjoy, but also a space for any fan to enjoy stories that better represents them as well. Seeing more than Aphra and those around her carrying the torch put 2022 in the spotlight in a big way, giving us hope it’ll continue even into 2023.
D) Hyperspace Is Better With Friends
There were only 3 issues in 2022 for Dark Horse’s maxiseries Hyperspace Stories, but the way writers Amanda Deibert and Cecil Castellucci have brought to life a few key dynamics across the eras has left quite the impression. Focusing on character pairs as they tell loosely connected stories prevents the proceedings from feeling like another throwaway tale designed to feature familiar characters and not much else. Obi-Wan and Anakin sound like the brothers we expect them to be. Luke and Leia strengthen their kinship without realizing it. And Stormpilot shippers can rejoice with the glee when Castellucci writes Poe and Finn on a supply mission for the Resistance. The previous all-ages comics were enjoyable, but they were growing a bit thin, and Hyperspace Stories reads like the answer to all the previous problems, focusing itself with only 12 issues and weaving through it a connected story instead of sort of aimlessly exploring the eras. Knowing the series will switch its focus to villains for its latter half, a rarity beyond Vader comics, I can’t wait to see what this team will do for them as well and who the pairs will be, as even the villains deserve some nuanced treatment too. If the opening few issues are anything to go by, it’ll be a wicked good time to help pass a trip through hyperspace.
Here are the things I didn’t think worked and how to fix them:
A) Getting Lost in the Bigger Picture/Let’s Do the Time Warp Again
Unlike the first 5 years of Star Wars comics, since 2020 the main four on-going series set within the post-The Empire Strikes Back/pre-Return of the Jedi timeline have been connected as events in marquee miniseries about Qi’ra’s big return have rocked the era. There’s something fun to be had in interlinking these stories, like favorite characters mingling with those from another series, but the resulting efforts haven’t felt homogeneous or always coherent, as we first saw in the too big War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event in 2021. 2022 saw the majority of Qi’ra’s Crimson Reign and the start of her Hidden Empire, big events that played across the other on-goings to various levels of importance, but the frequent feeling of disconnect or spinning their wheels until the larger story pushed forward remained. During the 2015-2019 runs, when the majority of the series were allowed to play in their own corner of the galaxy and only the Star Wars mainline seemed to push the era’s story forward, the resulting crossovers or intermingling felt surprising and exciting, and that was over 5 years of content, but at 3 years already, the heavily connected nature of the era sort of feels exhausting and holding many of the series back, a feeling which grows exponentially every year. There have been mini/maxiseries and the aforementioned High Republic content which have brought a good variety to the comic stories people can enjoy, but 2022’s Revelations one-shot that foretold SW comics’ many potential futures was a stark reminder if the current connected mindset isn’t working for you, avoiding it will remain next to impossible. Combine in the fact this period of time is very compact, technically 6 months or so, the continued story and hints even more is yet to come produces a disconnect with how all this is supposed to happen while still allowing for what we already know to also happen, meaning moments like the Rebellion learning of the second Death Star’s existence only to take a vacation afterwards gives such a big reveal a lack of tension, stakes, or urgency despite what we know about the ticking clock around these events (which I understand the characters don’t know about, of course, but the point stands) and events we already know also have to happen.
Not all the series have found themselves spinning in place or lacking their own urgency, especially Doctor Aphra as I mentioned earlier and even Bounty Hunters, but the way the rest of the era has leads to exasperation at the current desire to keep putting more in this condensed timeframe and brings forth a hope we’ll switch eras sooner rather than later. I have a sense the comics will finally jump past RotJ no later than 2024 (or at least that’s my most optimistic hope) and some of the teases in Revelations could lead into a story for when they do, as hopefully Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau’s Mando-verse stranglehold on said era has loosened enough more stories can begin to explore there as well, but it doesn’t guarantee things will be better by doing so. I won’t mind if they want to continue keeping a few main stories connected in the next era, but allowing for far more wiggle room will help keep each series feeling distinct and garner the impression they have their own agency, not waiting on the agency of others, which would make resulting crossovers and big events embody the pomp and circumstance the current stories are aiming for with Qi’ra’s return and plans to take on the Sith; 5 issues per miniseries, without her being the main focus often, has meant the story’s felt wanting in its exploration of Qi’ra’s mindset, motivations, and feelings on her plan and how it’s all playing out (though I’m still glad she’s back and just an integral part of the story!).
I sometimes wonder if the writers of the many connected series feel like they are forced to work with a larger story masterminded by someone else, but there’s a distinct impression online each and every writer is enjoying their time, regardless of how myself and other fans might feel about the results, and they are actively collaborating in these connected events. I think if they were feeling the same way we did, this would only compound the issue, but it does makes me happy at least they all want this at the moment, while it leaves me hopeful and glad they will all continue to tell stories and, maybe in the future, keep them a little more separate and spread their wings more on their own, when and if they want.
B) Marginalized Again
Each year I make sure to include a discussion on the diversity both on and behind the panels, as it’s important to consider these factors when discussing the comics so far. Normally the discussion is strictly limited to contributions to Eleven Thirty-Eight’s Minority Reports and smaller segments in my year-in-reviews, but since he’s been done with the series since 2020, I’ve been focusing on the discussion more and more in these yearly reviews. When the character data made a big change in 2021, I set out to make a Minority Report, if you will, of my own, and the results were “Behind the Panels: Star Wars Comics and Diversity,” which dives into how important diversity behind the panels is for driving up character metrics, with Alyssa Wong’s contributions and The High Republic era moving us the closet to 50/50 in character parity for the first time since 2015. There was a direct causation between an increase of marginalized creatives, even the minor one of Alyssa on an on-going comic, and an increase in marginalized characters, though it matters what role those creatives are in.
This key takeaway highlights the need for more marginalized creatives—mainly in Editor, Writer, and Artist roles since they directly affect the content within the panels—to help continue these unprecedented numbers, though unfortunately without even finishing the character data yet for 2022, the creative data already tells me enough due to aforementioned causation I found: 2021’s character data will be an aberration, not a trend. 2022 saw the start of 12 different comics (14 if you count returning High Republic series), from special one-shots, miniseries, to on-goings, like Hidden Empire, Yoda, Halcyon Legacy, Obi-Wan, Hyperspace Stories, to name a few, and of those 12 new entries, Hyperspace Stories had two marginalized writers and one artist in 2022 and Obi-Wan had one marginalized artist (out of 5 issues). Take these new comics and combine them with existing ones, like Bounty Hunters and Doctor Aphra, and there’s only one other marginalized writer, Alyssa Wong, and 4 artists, meaning overall 2022’s 22 different comics only had 11 in Editor, Writer, or Artists roles aka having direct control of the content on the panels (whereas it had 49 male creatives in said roles). This isn’t to underplay colorists or letterers, mind you, Rachelle Rosenberg continues to be excellent across her various series contribution, but those roles unfortunately don’t dictate who appears in a panel.
2023 looks to offer us some hope for a modicum of change, as Justina Ireland pens Sana Starros’ miniseries (off to an excellent start!) and, of all places, the next Darth Vader miniseries, where its first issue alone will have Peach Momoko on writing and art duties (she’s also making the inspired Women’s History Month variant covers), while Torunn Grønbekk joins as writer as well. Add in the two marginalized writing creatives behind Hyperspace Stories and Alyssa Wong’s continued bright light of a presence, and while it’s still outweighed by the male creatives, the potential of all these marginalized creatives in these panel-controlling roles is worth getting ones hopes up for…
Maybe we won’t be let down for once, but history isn’t on the side of hope here.
C) Let the Sith Lord Die
Beyond the Vader miniseries I try not to talk about, even if I find something negative, I try to give most comics the benefit of the doubt or look for the positives. And while that still holds true for the current Darth Vader run, I particularly love Sabé and the handmaidens’ resurgence in the story, and what it means for them and Vader, while Ochi’s Deadpool-esque humor has grown on me, its overall impressions sure leave one hoping Vader can hang up his suit when it comes to comics for awhile. Once the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event started proliferating its way through the comics, the Vader series seemed to have the toughest time, diving into an overall complicated plot that ended with more questions than answers. When the next Qi’ra stories took a less aggressive approach to the shared era story, I had my hopes the series could find its own footing again, but it stumbled once more, as it continued to be overly complicated or set on answering questions that don’t feel like they need to be answered.
In fact, after two issues of Hidden Empire and the Revelations one-shot to close out 2022, the Vader series feels like it’s not even connected to those events despite it happening at the same time. Like I said before, Vader’s struggles with the handmaidens and what their return means for his dark heart, helping nudge it in the right direction when Luke comes emotionally knocking in the Emperor’s throne room aboard the Death Star II have been an enjoyable aspect of the series, as well as seeing characters like Wald and Kitster return leading the Sith Lord to podrace once again, but it hasn’t been as introspective nor given the impression it’s leading anywhere specific for Vader’s journey like the previous two series. At times it feels listless, spinning webs for the sake of having story, and other times it moves past what seem like important moments without looking back. With the comics eventually moving past RotJ, it means the likelihood of another Vader comic series is very slim (never count him out though…UPDATE: I started writing this before 2023 and only 12 days in we got the announcement of a Vader miniseries, so imagine my ‘surprise’), and this run has only proven, even with its more memorable and interesting parts factored in, it will be for the best to let the Sith Lord lie.
D) Fan Yells at Continuity Cloud Again
Luke Skywalker, after rescuing the Crimson Dawn-aligned family that flees the construction of the Death Star II, brings their message of the new, terrifying weapon to the leaders of the Rebellion in Star Wars #28 (Vol. 2), though after a recent rewatch of Return of the Jedi, according to the film’s opening crawl…he doesn’t know about it all! Maybe the comics have all been a dream of Han Solo’s in carbonite? Maybe we’re following Luuke and we didn’t know it? Or maybe he’ll get a nice bonk on the head and totally forget? In the end, I only point this out because I found this funny and don’t quite see it as that big of a deal, as there are ways to handwave it away/Luke knowing or not knowing doesn’t really change anything he does in the film anyways. Look, I’m still more miffed by Aphra and Bossk acting like they didn’t know one another, while TV has had a habit of ignoring comics lately so why not let the comics do it back at them?!
Top Creatives:
The last two years I did a run down of the year’s comic series, detailing who might like them and a brief description on what’s happened in them, but I’ve decided to switch up the format to instead honor the hardworking creatives behind the comics we all love and enjoy. To do so we have two categories to honor: Top Three Writers and Top Three Artist Teams. So read on why these are the talent to look out for (I mean, all teams basically are, but here’s the Aces of the Colossus, if you know what I mean!):
Top Three Writers:
Alyssa Wong: Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2)
At the risk of sounding like I’m beating a dead Thakwaash, Alyssa Wong’s work on Doctor Aphra has been nothing short of fantastic; and you don’t even have to take my continued word for it, Alyssa and the team have been nominated in the 34th Annual GLAAD Awards for Outstanding Comic Book! One of my favorite aspects (which I haven’t already talked about!) has been their careful balancing act of writing for new and returning fans alike while bringing in ‘legacy’ characters from Aphra’s life alongside providing new ones for us to enjoy. As a long-time Aphra fan, I of course enjoy seeing many favorites from her previous series, but I’m never disappointed if we focus on new characters, and somehow Alyssa has walked across the tightrope of bringing in new and old characters alike as if they could do it on one hand, upside down, with a rathtar at their backs. Sana Starros has been one of the biggest returns of the series, the shared history between Aphra and her conveyed through Minkyu Jung’s art and what Alyssa’s script does and doesn’t say, so hopping into the series now wouldn’t leave those readers out, and the same has been for Magna Tolvan’s shorter return as well. And then on the new side of things, Kho Phon Farrus is the clear standout, their change from antagonist to co-conspirator for Aphra’s freedom to leaving for the Dawn again, all while Alyssa explores Kho’s history with identity and Aphra in a way which is both hilarious and seriously impactful, means more Farrus the better. It’s with Farrus we see another of Alyssa’s strengths, which pops up across their run through others like Domina Tagge, Just Lucky, and more: nuanced characters who aren’t necessarily good or bad, but surviving the way they know how from the circumstances around them. In a franchise with very clear good and bad lines often, it’s refreshing to have a host of characters easy to root for, even if they’re putting the boot heel to our favorites’ faces. Hitting issue #27 by the end of 2022 and keeping up the same quality leaves me more than confident we’ll be singing Alyssa Wong’s praises in 2023, even if it means tons of (more) pain from whatever they put Aphra and the other characters through.
Ethan Sacks: Bounty Hunters and Halcyon Legacy
My history with the Bounty Hunters series has been rocky, and even after coming back to it I’m still not interested enough in Beilert Valance or his story, but I did find two characters, and later their larger crew, to latch onto and help pull me in. 2022 was the year T’onga, thankfully back from the dead, and Losha, her wife, took center stage of the series, while Vukorah and her quest to save her clan also featured heavily during Valance’s story taking a bit of a backseat. Sacks’ writing of the couple is what really drew my interest, as while them leading a deadly crew of bounty hunters (go figure!) to rescue the daughter of two warring clans from Crimson Dawn’s clutches was a fun ride, the natural way he wrote the pair, lows and highs both, added a nuance I had been missing when Valance was at the helm. Vukorah’s quest started a bit too violence-heavy for my tastes, but the way her encounter with Losha after the team captured her shook her, as well as the reality Crimson Dawn was just using her, has put her on a path I’m curious to see the results of. Elsewhere, a team of hunter-killers like Bossk, Tasu Leech, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM doesn’t quite excite me, but the banter and growing connection of the pseudo-family as Sacks wrote it actually made me like most of these characters, so more time with them didn’t drag like I feared it might. By the end of 2022, I was invested in the series again, looking forward to where it could go in 2023, and it’s all thanks to how Ethan Sacks has steered the ship.
Daniel José Older: The High Republic Adventures – Phase I, The High Republic Adventures – Phase II, The High Republic Adventures – Trail of Shadows
Who else could provide heartfelt relationships, queer-coded stories full of care for all-ages to enjoy, a bake-off spectacular, a noir-dripping mystery, and a giant Chagrian Jedi prone to shouting “Buckets of Blood” in only underwear rushing into the fray of Starlight Beacon to buy others time? If you didn’t guess Daniel José Older, then you’ve not been reading one of the most versatile writers in Star Wars, especially comics, who jumps between genres, tones, and characters with a grace like Yoda spinning and hopping around in his battle against Count Dooku. His Phase I and Phase II runs of The High Republic Adventures, the former wrapping up in 2022 and the latter only beginning, are enjoyable character-focused romps that tell important and intriguing stories for the era while also easily include anyone reading, the all-ages moniker a rallying cry for readers who want plain good Star Wars with relationships between friends, (found) family, and romantic-leaning individuals which feel authentic, all while throwing in queer-coded stories so fans who don’t normally get to see or hear themselves in their favorite media have a new home. Dipping his toes into the adult realm with Trail of Shadows, the final few issues never strayed from the intriguing pair at its center while diving into the era’s mysteries, while also finding room for the aforementioned shirtless Torban Buck. And the Galactic Bake-off Spectacular, before the devastating Wave III for Phase I of The High Republic began, was a really refreshing break for not only the characters who got great food and better stories, but for readers as well. In an era focused on revealing what scares a Jedi and breaking readers’ hearts by killing many favorites (or showing them melt into dust all over again), having an issue to allow readers to refresh and recharge, all while conveying the importance of stories in our lives, certainly puts Older a cut above the rest. I’ll be curious how else he’ll perform a comics ballet across the panels in 2023 to delight us all.
Top Three Art Teams:
Artist Minkyu Jung, Colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, and Letterer Joe Caramagna for Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2):
Aphra and those around her being such dynamic characters, and Alyssa Wong’s script flexing just as much for all sorts of scenarios, you need an artist that can deliver on chaos at all sorts of levels: Minkyu Jung has been that exact person. Last year’s PTSD moment was a memorable and considerate way to draw how someone might feel in that moment, while this year Jung has found a lot of flexibility with Aphra’s possession by the Spark Eternal, from glimpses of Sith fighting Ascendant cult past or Aphra’s own murky memories, as well as through Kho Phon Farrus and their antagonistic-to-ally turn, their own past and journey conveying so much about what makes them a complicated, yet intriguing character. Through the Spark Eternal possession, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg has had quite the task ahead of her, the swirling red of the Spark itself and the overbearing amounts of it overtaking any given panel as we peer inside it’s hold on Aphra’s mind has led to some eye-catching decisions, like when Aphra finds a way to take back over her body, ghostly images of her sneaky plan with a virus tinted with reds and reddish oranges that are creepier than normal images, per anything to do with the Spark. Jung draws Sparkra, my name for when the Spark controls Aphra, with a clearly unhinged smile at all times, an unnerving look that feels like it should be on some creepy ghoul in The Ring franchise or something, meaning it’s hard to tell if anyone is having any effect on the Spark because, when it’s down, it looks like it. One of my favorite little panels with the Spark is when it melts down into the mind prison it put Aphra into, red and black tendrils snaking down around her, a demented god parting the clouds and coming down to the plebeians. Caramagna’s been a comics stalwart, but he always delivers, especially in Aphra’s “death” (see below), the word bubble breaking, nearly panel destroying scream by Sana as Aphra lies dead on the Ascendant altar, alongside the SFX of the “thud” as her body unceremoniously falls to the altar, left me with my mouth hanging open (and sort of laughing at the cold SFX choice of the thud). The dynamic action sequences, the eerie interactions with the Spark, and a hilarious panel of the returning murderbots creating sand castle people to shoot up since they are so bored, Minkyu Jung and team are the right type of chaos for the rogue archaeologist and friends.
And special shout-out to Natacha Bustos, who assisted for issue #22, drawing one of the more intriguing panels at the time that sticks with me today: the image of 7 different Aphras, wearing various outfits from her past (including from the previous series), reaching out towards some ancient find, which we only see because the Spark’s rummaging around Aphra’s memories to find more Ascendant tech but this core elation of finding some hidden treasure and touching it for the first time is unending in Aphra’s mind. It tells you a lot about her, how focused she is on that high, and all the trouble its caused her already and obviously caused her this time, as the object she most recently found killed her before possessing her body. Might be time for a new core memory.
Artist Steven Cummings, Inker Victor Olazaba, Colorist Guru-eFX, and Letterer Travis Lanham for Crimson Reign and Hidden Empire:
There’s something about the work of Cummings and Olazaba which feels like the most natural extension of what we seen in live-action, be it the dimensional characters, rich expressions, and an ability to convey epic scale and intimate scope, all done without ever veering into tracing or other shorthand methods. It’s meant Qi’ra’s return has some of the best art to go along with Soule’s writing, capturing the ex-White Worm’s quest to eradicate the Sith and give the galaxy a chance, unlike what happened to her, with some fierce expressions, especially in her big speech at the end of Crimson Reign (as seen in the Top 5 Moments section below) or her chat with Palpatine in Hidden Empire #2, but also hinting at the tragedy about to befall her and how she knows it, as she puts on a good face around those who believe in her and her mission even when we’re being told, from some unknown time in the future (and what we know from the films), it all ends badly. Providing these little nuances in Qi’ra’s expressions tells us a lot about the character in series which don’t always take the time to keep her in focus for long, torn between telling big moments and develop many characters at the same time. As much as Cummings and team can produce the smaller details, the scale and scope are also impressive, making for big, splashy panels and unique visuals, from the Vermillion crashing into a Star Destroyer, Qi’ra’s hidden fleet in a base under a waterfall, to the creepy trek the Knights of Ren take to secure the Fermata Cage from its spooky prison. Guru-eFX’s colors make it hard to look away from the destruction or the creepy traps, while Lanham’s lettering never takes away from the beautiful scenery, instead drawing us along to the next big moment, while he makes Qi’ra’s shouts of defiance all the more visceral with his word bubbles. Tragedy though it may ultimately be, at least Qi’ra’s comic trilogy will go out with this excellent art.
Artist Takashi Okazaki, Letterer Joe Caramagna for Star Wars Visions #1:
Matching the work of Kamikaze Duga’s exceptional style and making it his own, Takashi Okazaki provides a dazzling, memorable, and beautiful issue exploring Star Wars Visions’ “The Duel” and its protagonist in a prequel (the sequel novel is not to be missed). There’s a simplicity to some of Okazaki’s work, pausing to draw our eyes down from the moon hanging into the sky to the hot baths below, which slows down the pace of the issue and relaxes us, much like those in the hot baths are feeling, while it ensures we’re caught off guard for sudden acts of violence or dark memories engulfing the pages. There’s beauty throughout the planet and Okazaki makes sure we see it, the sun rising after a night of drinking sake in the baths or the snowy, yet beautiful mountain side views and the calm little village just out of sight, making any violence, even if it’s Ronin’s droid dressed up in an AT-ST head as armor and taking, an ugly thing, something both the Ronin and Okazaki seems to want to end swiftly and with little mess. When Ronin remembers all the Sith he’s killed so far, the normally white background of the panels gives way to merciless black, drenched in the red light of the many Sith blades, a unique blend of intriguing faces with stories you immediately want to hear. And as Ronin and the Shogun duel, which I’m still not clear if it’s in their minds or not, the panels once again turn black, their red and purple blades framing the quick and precise motions of the trained combatants; mirroring the short’s reserved usage of color allows these moments to strike us with their brevity and fierceness, one part of many making the comic feel like a fitting extension. And come on, there’s cute little Ewoks playing dice with a droid, what more could you want!?
Honorable Mention: Juan Samu’s art for Dark Horse’s Tales from the Rancor Pit
Top 5 Moments (in no particular order):
Doctor Aphra Dies For Real This Time…Sort Of (Doctor Aphra #20 {Vol. 2}):
Another Top 5 list, another appearance by Doctor Aphra, though while it shouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve been reading these, it’s always for good reason. While her first time on the list was due to faking her death to keep Darth Vader off her back, this latest one is when she ACTUALLY DIES…and then is immediately brought back and possessed by a malevolent AI, trapped within her own mind!! Flipping the pages of issue #20 as these series of events unfolded was an emotional roller coaster I wish had guardrails (Star Wars never does, unfortunately), as the wild ride of watching her die, even from her POV at one point, with Sana screaming her name in horror, hit all the damn feels thanks to Minkyu Jung and team’s creepy, expressive art, and nearly panel shattering scream. And while her coming back to life very shortly after was a damn relief, being possessed by the Spark Eternal, an AI created by an ancient cult trying to fight the Sith, didn’t make it as joyous. It’s a moment which has launched what has proven to be the lengthiest and most entertaining storyline yet for Aphra and the series itself, as Aphra tries to free herself from inside the prison the AI built within her own mind, while a group of her exes, led by Sana Starros, try to free her as well. There’s never a dull moment when you’re chaos.
Keeve Trennis Finds the Hero Inside (The High Republic #15 – Phase I):
In the explosive, fast-paced 15-issue run Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito’s The High Republic – Phase I, Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis took center stage and rightfully so, finding ways to pacify a horde of meat-hungry plants and helping her Master through a disease robbing him of the Force, but it’s her character arc which elevated everything in the end. After preventing Jedi Master Avar Kriss from giving into her worst impulses of vengeance and letting Sskeer go so he can save them from the Nameless, Keeve and Avar band together to escape the falling Starlight Beacon. When they crash-land on the surface, Avar’s broken by the events, but it’s Keeve who’s left standing tall, Avar’s support system when Keeve thought Avar would be hers. All series long she’s been dealing with confidence issues, thinking she needed to be like the Jedi she looked up to, but as it all burns down she comes to realizes she can be the Jedi the Order, and light and life across the galaxy, needs right now, taking control of her role and choosing to be herself. As a big fan of the character, it was refreshing to see her take this big step, and overall it’s amazing to see a POC main character have such a fulfilling arc, especially since it means many fans who might normally not see themselves in the franchise have someone to look up to. Regardless of this great arc, as we wait for Phase III in November 2023 to return us to her story, the looming potential she’s one of the Lost Twenty of the Jedi Order hangs over everything, so hopefully her story will continue to receive the care and love it has so far.
Luke Skywalker Goes Back to the Future to Chat with…Elzar Mann?! (Star Wars #20 {Vol. 2}):
Charles Soule’s landmark 100th issue is quite memorable, but I found Luke Skywalkers chat with High Republic Jedi Elzar Mann the more impressive (but both are worth your time!). Now there’s no time travel happening here, instead Luke stumbles into a living planet which captures the imprints of all those who visit, hence how he and Elzar can talk. Interesting and unique conceit aside, the contents of their conversation is what really sticks out, as the Elzar in front of Luke and the Luke in front of Elzar are at the right parts of their lives to meet. Luke is disillusioned with the Force and his place in it and Elzar was struggling with a haunting vision of the future, but whereas Elzar took an inward journey to understand what he saw, he still had others to fall back to while Luke is all alone. As Elzar tells him of the struggles of learning and growing in the Force, glimpses of past and future collide, but an important note is given to Luke to stay strong in what might seem an impossible quest: be the Jedi who you want to be, that the Force needs right now, as regardless he’ll be the last candle holding up light against the darkness. It’s a great callback to the Revenge of the Sith novelization (which Brotherhood had a few as well), but also a lesson for the future, a reminder to Luke he’s always going to be learning and can fail, no matter how much he knows, he just needs to pick himself back up again and be the Jedi the Force needs him to be, regardless of how he feels. And decades later he will, after what seems like his darkest moment, so the light can continue even after he’s gone. Past, present, and future collide in this wonderful issue, marking the second time Soule’s writing of Luke has helped the writer and the character make the Top 5 list.
You Know What They Say When You Assume…(The High Republic #1 – Phase II):
Using a medium to its full advantage can provide some resplendent, thought-provoking moments (think the ending to The Last of Us: Part 1, for example) or allow some fun twists to land with full shock value intact. Writer Cavan Scott is no stranger to playing into expectations, and with the help of Ario Anindito, Mark Morales, Frank William, and Ariana Maher, the team landed an excellent little twist at the closing of the first issue of The High Republic – Phase II: the narrator, omnipresent sounding, was actually the character who we see “kill” Jedi Master Vildar Mac in the closing moments, Tey Sirrek. This one’s a little hard to write about, as it really lands thanks to the reading experience, but the team’s way of helping guide our expectations with putting Vildar front and center, making us assume who or what’s talking, which puts us even more in Vildar’s shoes since he does a lot of assuming as well, under the guise of his particular skills and power. We leave the issue with a stark lesson not to rush to conclusions, curious if Vildar will learn the same…if he comes back from the dead after the issue or not (which he does, of course).
Blinded by the Light (Obi-Wan #2):
A picture can tell a thousands words and a comic can show us a picture without that many words, its reliance on the art team to carry the story giving the writer an almost director-like role at times, the artists the actors doing wonders with the script. In Obi-Wan #2, the art team of Luke Ross and Nolan Woodard, with Joe Caramagna lettering, present Christopher Cantwell’s script and its deeper themes in an unforgettable way. I went into this issue excited to have Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon together again (fresh off seeing them in live-action together again!), but found something else entirely, as the pair find themselves on a mission where somehow light is fading from a planet, darkness only growing. Lightsabers barely light a scene and modified binocs don’t help, all this conveyed by Ross’ art and Woodard palette of blacks and greys, dulling the light of the Jedi in what feels like small ways but serves a larger message. The issue even seems to get darker the longer it goes on, but it’s a testament to the team’s work you’re not squinting to see what’s happening, as the depth of Woodard’s interactions with Ross’ lines manage to make everything visible, the swirls of darkness and touches of color setting the mood and tone. In the end, the overwhelming darkness paves the way to trick readers’ eyes, so when Obi-Wan finds a solution his actions produce a shocking blinding white light, something that comes so sudden to readers it hurts our eyes, leaving Obi-Wan temporally blind as well. It’s a neat trick, even better than spinning, as it also helps reveal Cantwell’s intentions on how, even in the darkness, always strive towards the light because it’s more powerful than you might even realize. My eye doctor agreed.
Honorable Mentions: Clothes Edition…or the Lack Thereof:
Last year fans had Jedi Master and noir-centric Emerick Caphtor take off his shirt, but thirst went through the stratosphere (opposite of Starlight Beacon’s path) in 2022 when “Buckets of Blood” himself undressed down to his undies and charged into the fight against the Nameless to give others time; eyes couldn’t look away and minds couldn’t forget, especially since the lovable oaf of a Master’s fate has been in limbo ever since. But it wasn’t just undressing that caught fans’ eyes: how about Darth Vader reaching out like he’s about to choke then Imperial lackey Beilert Valance…only to use the Force to adjust the cyborg’s uniform so it’s up to code instead; affection from a Sith Lord should be the first sign you’re doing it wrong, but it certainly gave us a good laugh. From fixing clothes to having a need to tear them off, sometimes memorable moments just wanna have fun.
Legendary Line of the Year:
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to read headlines these days that don’t immediately leave one wanting to escape reality, if just for a moment, as Ukraine stands against a tyrant, the fallout from Brexit only seems to worsen, the United States walked back women’s rights in a devastating way that threatens to take us back to the stone age, while it also does nothing about gun violence, police brutality, and the corrupt seem to skate by still, no accountability for their actions. These comics have been one place I’ve escaped to before returning to reality, as ignoring it forever is just as bad, and in those pages, no matter how I felt about the stories within, it’s hard not to notice the many writers offering a message the franchise is known for: hope, even in the wake of tragedy and failure. This was led by The High Republic output, which saw the mighty Starlight Beacon fall, a light going out in the galaxy, but there was a resounding message the light could prevail in the darkness despite the destruction, a common refrain amongst the other comics too, from Obi-Wan’s sunsetting journals promising hope was on its way, Qi’ra’s confidence in her quest despite insurmountable odds, to Elzar Mann telling Luke Skywalker the Jedi’s role is to be that one light still standing against an overwhelming darkness. It’s a message to take to heart and helps one head back out into the world, face what’s out there in the time between the next escape. And the comics continued to help push open the doors of acceptance, setting records and offering new representation, assuring LGBTQIA+ fans and their allies were wanted despite a minor but vocal conservative white supremacist rhetoric crossing the US and other parts of the world, though the comics still failed in allowing said fans be the ones telling those tales…for now. With 2022 testing the limits of a connected storyline, 2023 has a lot to unpack and hold up: unpacking what the comics want to do going forward and paying off all these stories revolving around one another, while holding up the legacy of hope and acceptance, though hopefully finding ways to bring more creatives into the fold to help with those goals. Not a ton has been announced for 2023 which offers anything different than what 2022 brought us, though little glimmers of hope like the Sana Starros miniseries and the continued presence of the High Republic (Phase II ending but Phase III beginning in 2023), are what we can cling to that this year might just be different.
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 | 2021