June 2024 was the Manor’s 10th Anniversary and January 2025 marks 10 years since Marvel began its run of canon comics and when I started covering them on the site, which both feels not too long ago and somewhat exhaustingly long ago. Compared to the previous 9 years, 2024 felt the most different in the sense it was clear Marvel was setting up to close out all its current runs and stories, while Dark Horse spent 2024 solely focused on carving out their own piece of the larger High Republic storyline, and 2025’s announcements by both publishers pointing to a wider variety of timeline approaches in an attempt to bring something different to the table. Between the ending of the current era of stories and the High Republic initiative set to end mid-2025, it certainly left me thinking about the Manor, its future, and my own goals and plans going forward. While we certainly won’t be closing the Manor’s doors anytime soon (thanks everyone for making 2024 our biggest year yet!), my coverage of the comics and various content will be changing going forward, with less per issue comic reviews and more focus on arc/miniseries reviews, though the door is open for you, dear reader, to join our ranks if you want, not only for comic reviews, but other coverage and opinion pieces too. I’m still very excited for the future of the comics and Star Wars in general, even if the film part of the Saga struggles to make the jump to hyperspace like it’s the Millennium Falcon, but I’m looking to take more time for my family and myself, sitting back a bit more to simply enjoy what’s to come instead of going full critique mode. So as the comics transition into their future, and so does the Manor, let’s look back at the state of Star Wars comics thanks to, for better and worse, 2024’s output.
— Spoilers for comics released in 2024 —
Here are the things I liked the most/thought worked the best from the comics in 2024:
A) (Mostly) Wrapping It Up in Style
I bemoaned the length of this era and its main stories in my 2023 Year-in-Review, which I even titled “A Midwest Goodbye” because of my feelings, but at least when they all finally got around to their finales in 2024, they pretty much all delivered something fitting and memorable for the characters and even felt right for the era itself. For starters, the finale to Alyssa Wong’s Doctor Aphra (2020) run is an emotional roller coaster, with a clever trick to keep readers guessing and thinking almost to the very end nothing had changed for the titular character and those she cared about, so when the shoe drops, it hits like a whale falling from the sky, confirming nothing will ever be the same again. For Bounty Hunters’ finale, Ethan Sacks satisfies the beating heart of the series’ fandom (ironic since Beilert Valance doesn’t have a heart, technically, right?) with Valance and Jyala’s fates, but I was drawn to how T’onga, Losha, and other threads were touched on as well. And for Charles Soule’s Star Wars (2020), he had Luke battling an ancient Sith for his and a kyber crystal’s soul(e), wrapped up a wonderful arc for Lando Calrissian basically a decade in the making, and saw Leia face an old enemy to save the remains of her planet, leading to issue #50, which starts with a sly little bit of meta commentary and ends with a message regarding fighting evil by becoming evil is never worth the cost, a timely and evergreen point to make. Even Darth Vader #50 (2020), despite its problems, at least had a fun ending for Kitster and Wald and left Sabé out in the galaxy, ready to get into more trouble. But it wasn’t just the big on-going series which ended their runs, as we had several miniseries with successful and intriguing endings as well, like Mace Windu’s tease of its main villain returning, Jango Fett’s promise of more, or The High Republic Adventures: Saber for Hire dealing with Ty Yorrick’s story on plot and emotional levels. I realize now, after the various creative teams stuck some memorable and fitting endings, I might have been a little impatient for Marvel’s current era to end, but thankfully either way they at least went out in style.
B) Miniseries Renaissance
There have been years where a miniseries has been my favorite of the comics or where they’ve been more hit and miss overall, but 2024 felt like no year before it due to the strong showing from both Marvel and Dark Horse. 9 miniseries, not including adaptations, released all or a majority of their issues in 2024, alongside 75% of the maxiseries The Battle of Jakku, with Marvel focusing on 4 issue releases and Dark Horse supplementing the larger High Republic era in different ways. On the Marvel side, the real stand outs were Mace Windu and Jango Fett, two stories which managed to dig a little into their titular character, have some fun along the way, and tease a much bigger story could yet come, actually earning the cliffhangers they brought, while Ewoks and Inquisitors switched perspectives a bit for something different, then Darth Maul’s Black, White & Red stories brought some creepily memorable art but also showcased the character’s many faces, plus Battle of Jakku’s first two miniseries provided some big events, even if they were a little uneven. Over at Dark Horse, The High Republic Adventures’ related miniseries ranged all over, be it captivating exploration of mysteries of the past to understand the present in Echoes of Fear, then Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone allowing for check-ins with a variety of characters, while Saber for Hire (the art team made Top 3 this year) brought out an emotional conclusion to a large part of Ty Yorrick’s story, a moment which hit Top 5 for 2024. With many different flavors, creative teams, and the ability to stand on their own, 2024’s miniseries were often ones not to miss.
C) High Republic Adventures Into Our Hearts
For the last several years, I’ve spoken about the High Republic’s comics output in this positive column, but I felt like this year I needed to specifically focus on Dark Horse’s contributions via The High Republic Adventures and its various spin-off/tie-ins/one-shots. Phase II’s THRA lead to some amazing essays about the queer subtext of its run, but the subtext was replaced with front and center representation in Phase III’s THRA output as Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala navigated their feelings for one another against Lula’s commitment to the Order. Watching others in the Order support them, give them the space to make the choices they want, and eventually all come together to celebrate them in an unabashedly unsubtle shout at the wedding provided the ideal of what a found family, and even a rigid institution, should hopefully be willing to nurture instead of fire and brimstone against for something out of their considered norms. There are even messages against genocide, as the terrible act continues against the Palestinians, and even Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone‘s central conceit felt like a way to comment on the difficulties faced by those suffering and getting their message out to the world, but the comic comes with a much more hopeful and responsive listening audience on the other side of the Stormwall, which is how the world should be responding. With the Alys “Crash” Ongwa focused one-shots, her and the group of characters around her get their important moments, while the return of Phase I friend-turned-baddie Krix Kamerat gets his deadly due (maybe…) without taking away from Lula and Zeen’s spotlight. The Saber for Hire miniseries, as I already mentioned (and will focus on even more below!), built off what came before and packed an emotional punch in carrying the character’s story forward, along with those around her. And even Echoes of Fear, while it didn’t have as heady messages as some of the content, gave readers the return of a fan-favorite and insights into big mysteries. The Marvel Phase III run had big moments, like Sskeer’s return and new developments with both Keeve Trennis and Lourna Dee, but the amount and depth of content Dark Horse had overall, alongside even its main run, really gave the all-ages side of the comics the big spotlight before we head into the final few months of the era.
Here are the things I didn’t think worked and how to fix them:
A) Big Story, Little Time
Marvel covers a year or less of in-universe time across five real world years of comics and then the big maxiseries covering the year between Return of the Jedi and the Battle of Jakku only gets 12 issues? As I said before, I called my 2023 year-in-review “The Midwest Goodbye” for how long the then current comic era felt it was taking to get through its multiple big events (as fun as they were) but The Battle of Jakku maxiseries, while an enjoyable romp so far (it released up to Last Stand #1, the ninth issue of twelve, by 2024’s end), is hurtling through events to the point it feels disconnected from everything else. A lot of it has to do with the amount of telling it must do to keep readers on pace with its story, frequently resulting in characters like Luke Skywalker being a fountain of exposition instead of being themselves or short backup stories to provide context to the main bad guy’s decisions, but neither the telling or showing have really ended up being enough to give readers full context for its events. There’s also limited context for the true scale of what’s happening, to figure out when these events are happening, and how long between issues/miniseries it’s been, as while there are references to other stories in this era to try and anchor Battle of Jakku, like the Aftermath Trilogy, Battlefront II, and Alphabet Squadron, they either seem to come at opposition to what we already know (in ways big and small) or just barely fit, to the point it will be hard to imagine this series whenever reading/playing those aforementioned other stories. I’ve litigated a lot about the amount of crossovers since 2020, as while I’ve always wanted the comics to host big, important stories, but so far the mileage definitely varies on how they’ve turned out. I don’t have a magic ball answer for how long or how big they should be, but reception to the last few years’ crossovers and now this maxiseries should serve as a good gauge of how to improve going forward, as I honestly love the speed of which Battle of Jakku releases, but even an additional 4 issues probably could’ve given this just enough breadth to really work, in my opinion. As of this publishing, it looks like Marvel is telling more focused, independent stories in 2025, with Jedi Knights and Legacy of Vader, so I do hope they return to connected storytelling eventually, but hopefully it’ll be with these experiences under their belt.
B) Vader’s Legacy, Indeed
As I said in my review of Darth Vader (2020)’s final issue, I always strive to be critical in my assessment of content, especially if I don’t like it, as no one wants to read anything that’s slamming the work just out of spite (but they will watch YouTube videos about it, I’m sure). I won’t go over the series much more here, as I’ve about exhausted what I wanted to say about it, but I will say its 2024 output certainly proved my point of how it needed to end, as the finale brought basically all its characters back to where it started, didn’t explain or explore certain aspects enough, felt like it was going in circles, and definitely left one wondering how much tighter and enjoyable it could’ve been when limited to 25 issues like the previous runs. Looking into 2025, Marvel potentially heard the response, as instead of presenting another comic about Vader by going somewhere else in the timeline, since post-Return of the Jedi he’s obviously dead (and Dave Filoni is using Anakin’s Force Ghost as he pleases), they announced the upcoming Kylo Ren focused Legacy of Vader, written by Charles Soule. However, in a way it feels like Marvel didn’t learn considering, much like how the character Kylo Ren feels he’s in the shadow of his grandfather, they couldn’t make a series without Vader’s name in it. But it thematically makes sense and I’m very excited to see Kylo Ren’s journey, I just really hope, even if they pull the technicality this technicality of a ‘Vader’ series again, the helmeted Sith Lord truly rests and someone else shines.
C) Diversity Update: Stagnancy
As expected, there was nothing really shocking about the data for diversity and parity in the comics for 2024, which is not a good thing, but at least it didn’t hit some new low, rather remaining about average i.e. stagnant. It’s unfortunate we’re better off celebrating stagnancy over rising levels for marginalized creatives and characters, but it’s all we can hope for at this point, as it’s clear the comic book industry nor the companies/editors behind the Star Wars comics outputs are attempting any real work towards changing the norms. Just look at 2025’s currently announced output, as it’s largely all male identifying individuals: Jedi Knights written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Madibek Musabekov; Legacy of Vader written by Charles Soule with art by Luke Ross; The Bad Batch: Ghosts Agents written by Michael Moreci with pencils by Reese Hannigan and inks by Elisabetta D’Amico; Hyperspace Stories: Codebreaker written by Ethan Sacks, with pencils by Marc Yarza and inks from Jose Marzan Jr; A New Legacy one-shot written by Soule, Kieron Gillen, and Jason Aaron, with art by Ramon Rosanas, Salva Espin, and Leonard Kirk; and The High Republic: Fear of the Jedi written by Cavan Scott with art by Marika Cresta. There’s two marginalized creatives among all these new series, that’s it. As we’ve seen in the data, there’s a direct correlation between the amount of marginalized creatives and the overall parity level, so the above list does not bode well for 2025’s data. So here’s a look at how stagnant 2024 was and some short thoughts on what stood out below:
With Alyssa Wong only behind two issues of comics this year, it was mainly up to Daniel José Older to push the parity numbers into the normal level, with his works getting close to even, achieving a true 50/50, and even having more marginalized characters than not (he’s the only writer besides Wong to do so in 2024, and they managed it with only one issue of Doctor Aphra {2020}). Delightful surprises came from Cavan Scott’s High Republic Marvel series and Ethan Sacks’ Bounty Hunters, hitting a 60/40% mix, the best outside of Older’s output. As always, more parity or diversity doesn’t automatically make a story better, and the quantity doesn’t always mean quality representation, but over the past 10 years, there’s only been one year where things looked good and that sounds like a failure to me.
{For full transparency on my data collection, you can see the raw numbers and data sets for 2022, 2023, and 2024. The link to my diversity article contains more}
Top Creatives:
Top Three Writers:
Daniel Jose Older: The High Republic Adventures – Phase III (#2-13) | The High Republic Adventures: The Wedding Spectacular | The High Republic Adventures: Crash Landing / Crash and Burn | The High Republic Adventures: Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #1
It’s wild to think, after next year’s twentieth issue of The High Republic Adventures – Phase III, we don’t know when or if we’ll see writer Daniel José Older again and that’s a pretty gloomy proposition. There’s a reason this will be his second visit to the Top 3 since I started this section of my year-in-reviews in 2022, and he could always make it again in 2025, but 2024 at least was one of his best yet. The long simmering love story between Jedi Knight Lula Talisola and Force-sensitive Zeen Mrala got a fresh jolt at the end of 2023, but in 2024 it absolutely dazzled, not only in the main series, but in a Wedding Spectacular issue which felt like a love letter to the many characters he’s worked on and a love letter to fans, leaving this particular one with tears of happiness. It’s revelatory he was able to bring this LGBTQIA+ storyline to life, not only for its immutable queerness, but how natural the progression felt from 2021 all the way until 2024, and then celebrating it in such a vivid style with a wonderful team of artists with contributions big and small. Elsewhere in his main series, by taking a side trip to Valo despite the series’ focus on Eriadu, Older brought in a pointed message about the Palestinian resistance against the genocide by Israel they unfortunately continue to face, something he frequently and unwaveringly covers on social media. Older also took time to focus on other characters he’s created, like Alys “Crash” Ongwa, in two special one-shots, which gave her more of a due than the main series allotted, and revisiting the love-to-hate-him Krix Kamerat. On top of that, he was also involved in other spinoffs, like Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone, where side characters like Qort got his moment and we checked in on Emerick Caphtor dealing with the Nihil scientist Niv Drendow Apruk to surprising results. To end the year with a triple-threat punch of THRA #13, Dispatches #3, and the Wedding Spectacular, and all three to work so damn well, is the icing on the cake. To share so much about all these beloved characters to fans only cements them in fans’ eyes and is a testament to Older’s breadth of skill and commitment to his story and his characters, which is why THRA ending next year and his next project unknown (if he’s coming back, hopefully!) is one of many gloomy things about 2025.
Ethan Sacks: Jango Fett | Bounty Hunters #42
As I said earlier, getting an ending right, especially after years of story and bigger crossovers, can be a daunting task, but Ethan Sacks was able to give his Bounty Hunters series the finale it, and the fervent #ValanceNation, deserved. He’d already turned my opinions on the series around throughout the years, landing him a spot in 2022’s Top Writers, and even as someone who still isn’t connected to Valance or his relationship with Jyala Haydenn, I found satisfaction and closure with how he wrapped everything up. But that’s a single issue and what really brought Sacks to the forefront in 2024 was his work on the Jango Fett miniseries, which I consider as one of the best miniseries for Marvel’s Star Wars output since 2015. A lot of that is due to the story and tone Sacks expertly mixes together, an action-packed romp with old-school action film humor, paced so well it’s hard to put down, as it leads you on a string to its logical yet still surprising conclusion. Jango himself is done right, as Sacks homes in on the character’s planning and tactical mindset over his physical prowess, as he does take some beatings, proving why Jango’s such a revered bounty hunter and a prime clone candidate. And then Sacks even manages to not only sneak in some fitting references to his Bounty Hunters series, giving new insight on one of its inciting early characters, but also has hints of what’s to come for Jango in the prequel trilogy. The miniseries’ punchy humor, action, and pacing were all brought vividly to life by the art team of Luke Ross, Nolan Woodard, and Joe Caramagna, which balanced a modern sensibility with an old-school feel, while they made the battles and fights pack a ton of punch. From how he steered Bounty Hunters to its end and gave us such a delightfully fun and packed Jango Fett miniseries, I’m glad we’ll get to have more work from Ethan Sacks in 2025 with his Hyperspace Stories: Codebreaker, a miniseries starring Poe Dameron and BB-8, which seems like a fitting next step after the work he did here. Hopefully he’ll be jumping into X-wings and blowing up our minds with more fun stories to come.
Cavan Scott: The High Republic – Phase III #3-10 | The High Republic Adventures: Saber for Hire | The Acolyte: Kelnacca #1
If the Top Creatives section for these year-in-reviews would’ve been around from the start, Scott easily would’ve made the list earlier, and while he’s still got some magic in store for us next year, his 2024 output deserved recognition. As for why, look no further than The High Republic – Phase III and The High Republic Adventures: Saber for Hire, two stories which rely on his past work with characters to really land, and holy saber’s grace does he do their stories justice in the best ways possible. In fact, not only have I mentioned Ty Yorrick’s story a few times already, her big moment and Keeve Trennis’ story make up two of the Top 5 Moments this year, and not too many writers manage such a feat. With his Marvel work, the series isn’t just about Keeve Trennis, but also Sskeer, Lourna Dee, and even Tey Sirrek from his Phase II work, continuing their stories while pushing the era forward at the same time. With Keeve, Scott builds up what makes her so special, as she saves Lourna again and again plus helps bring back Sskeer from the brink of madness, Lourna goes through a transformation as well, deciding to do good as she looks after a young Yacombe girl, Terec and Ceret’s bond being broken creates some interesting tension, and Tey gets to help out the gang against the dastardly Children of the Storm and Baron Boolan, all while we get explicit confirmation of his and Vildar Mac’s relationship, finally. The series might’ve felt truncated in the end, but its 10 issues did a lot for these characters and their stories, and it’s stronger given Scott’s already put in some hard work cultivating their personalities and their arcs in previous High Republic entries (and look how this comic, and all that’s come before, built into Tempest Breaker’s rather emotional and exciting events). Same goes for Ty Yorrick and Drewen’s adventures in Saber for Hire, as the monster hunter finally must face her past to move forward, and her consistent running from the past in previous entries serves to make her breakdown such an effective moment. Scott often responded to fan questions with the same GIF with the words “Time Will Tell” and as he’s shown a lot in his 2024 work, time certainly has, in the most interesting and often fitting ways, whether we like the outcome or not. We’ll gladly always have patience with him telling us more stories for years to come.
Top Three Art Teams:
Artist Harvey Tolibao, Colorist Michael Atiyeh, Letterers Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt: The High Republic Adventures – Phase III #2-3 (with Nick Brokenshire), #6-8, The High Republic Adventures: The Wedding Spectacular
Much of what has delighted fans and endured them to characters like Lula Talisola, Zeen Mrala, Farzala, Qort, and more isn’t just Daniel José Older’s multi-layered scripts, it’s the overly packed with details big and small, all worth searching for like a Where’s Waldo page, artwork by Harvey Tolibao. Tolibao has been there from the start and while he’s been on it less in both Phase II and even Phase III, though still providing excellent covers with his brother Kevin, there’s no doubting the impact he’s still able to make when he takes back over The High Republic Adventures. Alongside Nick Brokenshire, they produced some of the best comic art of the year, with the memorable and intriguing “shift” of sorts, where the flashback part of an issue was in Brokenshire’s harsher, in a good way, style and the present-set parts were in Tolibao’s, giving us the push and pull of Lula’s memories in a such a visceral way, transcending Older’s writing to a whole different level. On his own though, Tolibao is the kind of abundance, stuffing each page and panel with details big and small, from putting tons of characters together into one panel, making it feel like a real scene with more than just 2-4 people at a time, and somehow giving them all an unique expression and purpose to be there, so it’s not just stuffing for stuffing’s sake. And even when he does, it’s done in a such a loving way for all the characters, readers are left glad he can cram so much into so little. While Tolibao is not alone for The Wedding Spectacular, he contributes the biggest moments, which like I said earlier, include a giant two-page spread of the girls finally marrying, packed from corner to corner with characters from all across Older’s work, including Older himself, in all sorts of neat new outfits and looks for the occasion. But it’s the heart which forms from Lula and Zeen’s hair, earlier in the issue, when they hold one another, talking about the future, which will stick with me forever, a sweet little moment you could easily miss but was put in their with all the sincerity Older brings to his stories. Tolibao is going to pull out socks off likely with his coverage of the big Battle of Eriadu moment in 2025, though I’m not sure if he’ll help close out the final three issues of the series afterwards or not. Either way, we’re going to miss such a talent once the series ends, as much like Older, there’s no certainly when and if we’ll get to see Tolibao’s work again.
Artist Rachael Stott, Colorist Nicola Righi, Letterers Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt: The High Republic Adventures: Saber for Hire #1-4
While writer Cavan Scott navigated Ty Yorrick through a rather emotional story, it doesn’t hit quite as hard without Rachael Stott and team’s work, as watching Ty through Stott’s lens over the years, only to see the character actually cry for once, only made the floodgates open up more for me. Through the series, Stott has a rich record of capturing Ty’s resting monster hunter face, a look of determination and indifference, as this is all part of the job, so that when she ever switches out of her default, it’s very, very noticeable, like the gleeful abandon she has when blasting her ship through Nihil scav droids with devil-may-care attitude or how she really truly means her hug of Drewen towards the end (despite putting a tracker on him). And her double-page spreads always leave a mark, either for the shear scope and scale of the monster before Ty or the unique way to depict a mind meld between Master and Apprentice in issue #2, with swirling currents giving a sense of togetherness. All along it’s Righi’s colors which help these pages and panels stand out, with clear, simple color-schemes yet hitting a more complex mix when emotions get involved or violence must be taken. As memorable as all their work ends up being, there’s a moment in issue #4 (which made the Top 5 Moments below) which cemented, without a doubt, the incredible work this team had done. As Ty is confronted by her old Master, who was twisted by Nihil mad scientist Baron Boolan, Ty first uses their old mind meld ability to see what horrors had been done to him, a big one-page production which starts with a violent red as Cibaba is overwhelmed, then goes to a sickly green as Boolan twists his mind, and falls into a blue-ish purple so he and his actions match with the body of the Nameless, showing they are one, all while Ty’s big head sits in the middle of everything, piercing these memories. Then Lene Kostana bridges them, allowing Cibaba in and Ty’s hidden emotions out, and after Ty let’s out her tears, it’s a fierce looking little Lene, with an echo of a young Ty behind her, which takes the broken look of Cibaba and gives us a glimpse of the good being he used to be, resulting in Cibaba’s return to normal. It’s such a powerful moment for these characters and it could only hit as much on an emotional scale as it did thanks to Stott and team’s work.
Artist Madibek Musabekov, Colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, and Clayton Cowles Lettering: Star Wars (2020) #44-47, #50
Star Wars (2020) has had many teams over its 50-issue run, and while Ramon Rosanas was my initial favorite, it’s Madibek Musabekov, with Rachelle Rosenberg and Clayton Cowles on colors and lettering respectfully, which ended up being my final pick. They almost got a spot on this list last year after the way Musabekov drew some truly deranged and creepy art for the Dark Droids event, but that same expressive ability was key to making the list in 2024, as while a courtroom drama might not be the first or even twelfth thing fans might think about when wanting Star Wars, and as dazzling as the Trial of Lando Calrissian was written, it’s this team’s work which made it all the more memorable. One standout moment is in issue #46, where we see Mon Mothma with her captor, and while Mon is bloodied and disheveled, tied up and looking harmless, there’s an almost dark, sinister look to her as she begins to whittle down her captor with her most powerful weapon, words, and it shows she’s not as vulnerable as her situation would make it seem. And during the trial itself, when Lando comes back into his own, from the mixture of Billy Dee Williams and Donald Glover Musabekov’s style allows to the big gesture of his hands spread out wide with a glimmer in his eye, and the glittering lights behind Lando thanks to Rosenberg, the man who certainly seemed at rock bottom looks anything but in his big final speech. And in issue #50, I loved everything about the moody Ben Solo he brings to life, the grumpy Chewbacca as he makes a big decision over everyone’s incessant debating, to the slyness of the clerk Lando deals with, all which show he can make any era work. While the Star Wars (2020) series may be over, Musabekov will thankfully return, working alongside Marc Guggenheim for the upcoming on-going series, Jedi Knights, which will likely see him shoot up to the top of the list again for 2025 (and this preview of 5 unlettered pages already impresses!).
Honorable Mentions: Takaski Okazaki (Star Wars: Visions – Takaski Okazaki #1) | Carlos Nieto (Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #2)
Top 5 Moments (in no particular order):
Ty Yorrick Stops Running (The High Republic Adventures: Saber for Hire #4):
Ty Yorrick’s a hard nut to crack, having run from the Jedi Order and any meaningful connection since the loss of her friend, Kilas Teradine. However, little fault lines have been assembling since we first met her, but throughout most of Saber for Hire, it felt like there wouldn’t be a strong enough hammer to break through, to the point I was beginning to wonder when the next miniseries or story starring Ty would be announced to wrap everything up. Ty has spent most of her life running, running from a past of trauma after losing her friend by her own hands, and hoping the constant movement and lack of attachments will prevent her from ever feeling such pain again. But when Ty is faced with how her actions have affected others, as her former Master had his own emotional response to Ty leaving the Jedi Order it left him vulnerable to the machinations of the Nihil’s mad scientist Baron Boolan, she has to learn to accept the pain of the past, stop running, and help those she hurt from her selfish actions. It’s incredible arc for the character and an emotionally packed moment, as her initial use of the mind meld between her and her Master reveals the dark truth of what’s happened to him, followed by a young Lene Kostana (who will grow up to guide Count Dooku and Sifo-Dyas in the Order) digging into Ty’s mind and helping her expose the reasons behind her choices, tleading to Master Cibaba reemerging from his Boolan-fuled haze as he realizes her reasons for running were not faulting him, but faulting herself thinking she’d save him the trouble of dealing with her accident with Kilas. Ty returns in the final issue of The High Republic Adventures: Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone (due out at the end of January 2025), but if this is where her part of the era must end, it couldn’t have been in a better way.
Wedding Spectacular Indeed (The High Republic Adventures: The Wedding Spectacular):
I’d almost say this whole issue deserves its own special mention, as Older, with a great variety of artists, absolutely brings home the Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala wedding in an incredible celebration of not only the two characters, but his work so far on the series. It’s how Older handles both sides, giving the girls their moment but also paying homage to the series’/his many characters and stories along the way, which really sets this special apart, as it’s a delicate tight rope act that easily could’ve swayed one way or the other and made for a less-than-powerful experience. There’s also so much hope and positivity, it could almost read as disingenuous, but Older’s pedigree ensures no doubt about its sincerity, to the point the shout of “For Light and Wife” is one readers will join in on as the two women finally tie the knot. I’d have loved to see this as the final overall issue of the entire series as it comes to an end in 2025, but much like the two talk about in the moments before their wedding, nothing that comes next can take away from this moment for them and we can’t let the impending end of the comic, or the fears of what will come in the next four years, take this moment away from us fans either, as we’d not be honoring the characters’ memories or Older’s work if we did.
Why Not Both? (Doctor Aphra #40 {Vol. 2}):
After a mind-numbingly excellent run, how the heck was Alyssa Wong going to wrap up their Doctor Aphra series?! I wasn’t worried in the slightest, as the consistency was clear, but what was going to happen was the real question mark, as Wong had repeatedly been able to surprise readers so far despite our best guesses or hopes. While I really enjoyed the misleading start of issue #40, using the expectation of the often-used narrative device of Aphra leaving people messages when she goes off on her own (tying into the previous comic run and the excellent audio drama) only to reveal it’s her calling Sana Starros to be with her instead, what Aphra chooses overall is the best surprise. Building off my pick for Top 5 Moment in 2023 with Aphra, it turns out Chelli Lona Aphra is finally ready to tell Sana she loves her (by saying she hates her, of course) and wants to care for her and share a life with her, no longer being out only for herself. While Aphra struggled to come to that decision, Sana and Magna Tolvan, Aphra’s other ex, found comfort and a relationship in one another, leaving the question of if Aphra was too late and if there’s room for her in the conversation anymore. Wong answers the question by forgetting debates over which ex Aphra will end up with, instead, much like the adorable kid in the famous GIF so wonderfully puts it, Aphra realizes: why not both?! She invites them both into a life of crime with her, sharing the plunders of the galaxy together, and while this was their idea all along, they let her think she came up with it and accept the proposal. While the future of Aphra in comics is still unclear as of this writing (even with a cameo appearance in The Battle of Jakku and upcoming 10-year anniversary celebration one-shot A New Legacy), the polycule ending would be a wonderful place for her story to end if it really, really, really had to.
Always Finding Another Way (The High Republic #5 – Phase III):
Keeve Trennis continues to be an absolute favorite of mine from the High Republic era, with writer Cavan Scott building up her accolades and uniqueness in the Order time and time again, only heightening the tragic knowledge she’ll leave the Order before all is said and done. How could someone like Keeve want to leave the Order, especially since she’s been the most consistent Jedi we’ve met when it comes to upholding their tenants around the sanctity of life, no matter who it is? While we don’t find out yet, we do see Keeve pull off her special feats once again as she helps bring her former Master Sskeer back from the brink of madness. Ever since his fate was left up in the air and Phase II increased our wait to see what happened next, his return, their reunion, and how Keeve could help him was top of mind for me, as the closer the series got to them seeing one another again, the more it seemed like Sskeer might be past the point of no return. Despite the unhelpful presence of Lourna Dee, and Sskeer’s clearly nearly lost mind, Keeve doesn’t bother to lift a weapon against her Master, trying to reach out to him first and foremost, yet when she’s knocked out and Lourna takes over, the ex-Nihil begins battling the feral Trandoshan. Much like Keeve has done before, she saves Lourna and puts herself between the two combatants, using her saber for the first time but only in defense, calling on him to remember her, and it’s just enough to break through! Their embrace is such an emotional moment, giving fans a long-awaited reunion (drawn by original series artist Ario Anindito in his last contribution!), while Keeve’s actions up to this point, the risks she’s taken, paid off, finally giving her back her Master instead of abandoning him like the rest of the Order had, too focused on battling the Nihil to think about those left behind. She’s Masterful at always finding a non-violent way to proceed and I am nervous as hell to see what’s in store for her as the era comes to a close, especially after some hints in Tempest Breaker (the audio drama which bridges this series and Fear of the Jedi, out in February 2025).
Lando’s Closing Arguments (Star Wars #47 {2020}):
Much of Charles Soule’s usage of Lando Calrissian in his Star Wars (2020) series has built on not only the tricky situation the smuggler-turn-baron finds himself in after deal-making with the Empire on Cloud City, but also his quest to save his friend Lobot from his implants. After revealing his latest subterfuge of Rebellion assets in exchange for an old Talky robot to rewrite the implants so Lobot’s mind can come to the surface, Lando’s put on trial, and while I was a little skeptical of the idea, it turned out to be a memorable courtroom drama! With days of testimony, and the rescue of Mon Mothma (we’ll never know if it was orchestrated or not), out of the way, Lando’s set to take the stand, but before he does, he strikes a deal with Leia Organa for Lobot’s fate, as he wants to ensure none of the fallout from the military tribunal’s decision blows back on his friend, and for that he gives up what he knows of Jabba’s Palace to help plan Han Solo’s rescue. This has been Lando’s constant focus ever since Lobot sacrificed himself to the implants, a moment which hit #1 in my Top 10 Unforgettable Comic moments for 2015-2019, and hearing him put his friend first and foremost, to protect him regardless of what comes next, feels like a successful culmination of Soule’s work with the character and this storyline about the friends. Afterwards, Lando takes to the stand, and instead of his initial melancholy over the situation, the old Lando is back, dammit, and really nails down the irony of the trial: they’re all criminals for what they’ve done in the name of the Rebellion, of their moral compass, so can they really stand to judge him for a similar call? The self-confessed rebel’s final speech is one only Lando could make, and while it might not directly lead to his not guilty verdict, it’s the perfect cap to his legal defense and Soule’s long-running work about the two friends.
Honorable Mentions: Luke Cleansing the Kyber Crystal (Star Wars #43 {2020}) | Emerick Cahptor Converting His Captor (The High Republic Adventures: Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #3) | Barnabas Vim Lands on Planet X?!? (The High Republic Adventures: Echoes of Fear #2) | Chewbacca Activates the Device (Star Wars #50 {2020}) | Jango’s Action-Movie One-Liners (Jango Fett) | The Shroud Rises Again (Mace Windu #4) | The Joint Proposal (The High Republic Adventures #8 – Phase III) | Crash Chooses Her Crew (The High Republic Adventures: Crash and Burn)
Legendary Lines of the Year:
Hopefully enough people in the United States don’t forget it:
And then Ben Solo’s meta-commentary line: “How did all of that happen in just a year?” I get this is geared towards fans like me, but hey, I totally get it Ben!
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I’ll for sure keep when it comes to Star Wars comics coverage on the Manor going forward, it’ll be these year-in-reviews, as they are one of my favorite to write, looking at the bigger picture and having a record of what’s been working and what’s not in any given year. Plus, since we’re finally moving away from the same era of comics and taking a different approach, covering many different eras, the comics are set to feel a little fresher and give a greater variety for fans to enjoy, allowing them to pick and choose what they want to read instead of making it so everything is connected and you have to check it all out for the full picture. As Marvel looks back at its new legacy in an upcoming one-shot, will they be able to celebrate all they’ve done and grow into something new at the same time, so they don’t totally stagnant as we enter a new decade? As for Dark Horse, while still dealing with delays with certain releases, though not as bad as before, will their new push for non-The High Republic content bring them back a little closer to their storied history with the Saga as well? We’ll be here to see how it all goes down, but 2024 felt like a mostly fitting ending to what’s already been done, as it had both the strengths of what’s come before and some of its weaknesses too.
Lastly, check back to the Manor in February, as Chris and I will been unleashing our Top 10 Unforgettable Moments in Star Wars Comics for the 2020-2024 era, and the picking our Top 10 OVERALL for 2015-2024!!
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/Dark Horse/Lucasfilm
Comic Years-In-Review:
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023
