It should be no surprise to Manor visitors that I’m a giant Doctor Aphra fan, to the point she’s my favorite character. Since her superb, emotional, and memorable second series by writer Alyssa Wong, beyond a cameo appearance and flashback stories since it ended, fans have been waiting (and I’ve been theorizing like crazy) to learn when the rogue archaeologist would return. The wait is over, as she’s back this June with Marvel, fitting considering it’s Pride Month, with a new writer/artist team! Dark Horse also revealed a new miniseries focusing on the Jedi with a smile, Kit Fisto, which will hit shelves starting in July. Head below for more about Aphra’s return and Fisto’s series!
After freaking out on Wednesday over Annie Wu’s Star Wars #1 (2025) Aphra Preview cover, prior to this news dropping, I began to wonder if it meant Aphra’s newest series wouldn’t be announced until Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 in April…so glad I was wrong!! Starting June 18, Chelli Lona Aphra returns to comics in a new on-going series (phew!) titled Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent (I’m digging the new logo), which makes her particular brand of chaos sound very official, by writer Cherish Chen and artist Gabriel Guzman. This will be Chen’s first foray into Star Wars and I’m curious to see what she’ll have in store for us, as it seems she has some type of mystery brewing alongside adventures with Luke Skywalker. In the reveal at Collider, Chen said:
“…throwing her into increasingly tricky moral quandaries, and testing her resolve (alongside some familiar faces) has truly been like playing in the ultimate sandbox. Our favorite chaos agent is back and I cannot wait to share what we’ve been working on and for you all to see Gabriel’s incredibly dynamic art.”
Marvel Editor Mark Paniccia was the one who teased the mystery:
“Her patience will be tested, her wits will be challenged, and — say it isn’t so — her ego will get bruised! Who can outsmart the galaxy’s greatest grifter? Cherish will drop clues. See if you can solve the mystery!”
The solicitation and reveal of the series also mention Aphra and Luke’s hunt for a rare artifact kicking off the series, that Aphra’s been pardoned for her “crimes,” as well as a surprising development where Aphra’s electro-tattoos no longer work?!
OUT FROM THE SHADOW OF DARTH VADER AND IN MORE TROUBLE THAN EVER!
- Doctor Aphra makes her way through the galaxy in the era of the New Republic!
- The rogue archaeologist must team up with Luke Skywalker to track down a rare artifact!
- And what will she do when her tattoos no longer function?!
Given how the last series ended, and some teases in a Revelations issue, there a lot of questions and possible answers that go along with the reveal and the early teases by Chen and Paniccia. For starters, where are Sana Starros and Magna Tolvan, Aphra’s fellow agents of chaos and polycule partners (a moment which hit my Top 10 of the past five years)?? Did they go their separate ways, is this a little break, or is it all part of the larger story? I really hope we don’t move away from their relationships, especially given how important they are to the character, her story, her history, and as a big new frontier of LGBTQIA+ representation! As for who could outsmart Aphra, does it have anything to do with an Imperial Melichor Votto and the bounty hunter Raslin Grace, who were conspiring to track her down as seen in Revelations (2023) #1 and issue #40 of the 2020 series?! Given the reveal for Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent teases we might be able to guess WHO might outsmart Aphra due to the clues Chen will drop, it would seem we might know the character already. Luke and Aphra is a team-up that always brings the fun, be it the Screaming Citadel crossover or their time combating the Starweird, so more artifact hunting should be a great way to start. Plus, if anyone would tell her about Vader’s death, or could talk to her about it, Luke’s a great fit! As for the tattoos, they’ve had problems before, but non-functional…how and why will be a story I’m eager to read.
On art will be Gabriel Guzman, who previously worked with Dark Horse on a Legends comic, and a look at his Instagram page should give fans a good idea of how his work will look. I’m pretty hyped!
I’m really glad Aphra’s back, launching in Pride Month as she should, while I love how this announcement hit only several days before the 10th anniversary of her first appearance!! And has been an important part of my coverage of the comics as the years go on, I’m very happy the series at least is being steered by another marginalized creative, just wish more were included in the lineup. June 18 can’t come soon enough!!
For Dark Horse, in July they’re bringing fans even more Jedi action in Hyperpsace Stories: Tides of Terror, a 4-issue miniseries written by George Mann, artists Luis Morocco and Le Beau Underwood, colorist Michael Atiyeh, and Comicraft lettering. They describe it as:
“Jedi Master Kit Fisto has been sent to the ocean planet Tordus, alongside Mace Windu and Shaak Ti, to investigate a controversial underwater research facility. The facility is in danger of flooding and being crushed into rubble, and if that’s not enough, there are giant monsters circling them. With disaster looming, his diplomatic excursion quickly becomes a rescue mission! Kit Fisto and his fellow Jedi must race against the clock to save innocent lives from the hungry leviathans that fill the depths. This standalone story is full of murky intrigue and ancient abyssal nightmares. Can the Jedi fend off the danger lurking in the ocean’s briny waters?”
Neat to have Fisto taking center stage alongside some other memorable Jedi, and with George Mann writing, there’s sure to be plenty of memorable and interesting moments. Look for the first issue on July 16 and we’ll have a miniseries review once it’s all done!
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky.