Our look at the August 2024 Star Wars comics have arrived, with the solicitations feeling a little light, and getting even lighter, as one series comes to a close. The end for The High Republic – Phase III is coming, though it doesn’t look like it could be the happiest of endings given Nihil mad scientist Baron Boolan has Sskeer in his grasps! Elsewhere, the two main Marvel series, Star Wars (Vol. 2) and Darth Vader (Vol. 3) sound like they’re building towards some big endings for stories as the era looks to wrap up sooner than later, while Dark Horse has some intriguing options for The High Republic fans with plenty of Phase III stories (and is that a Sith?!?). So head below for the August 2024 Star Wars comic solicitations now to hear all about them!
MARVEL
Inquisitors #2 (on sale 8/7)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Ramon Rosanas (Artist)
Cover by Nick Bradshaw | Variant Cover by Jeremy Wilson | | The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse
DARTH VADER SENDS FIFTH BROTHER ON A MISSION TO KILL A JEDI LEGEND!
- The EMPEROR has had most of the JEDI exterminated after the events of ORDER 66! Some have escaped!
- THE INQUISITORS are charged with hunting the survivors down.
- But there is one, a knight named TENSU RUN, who is on DARTH VADER’S most-wanted list!
- Who is Tensu Run, and what threat does he post to the DARK LORD?
It seems like there might be some surprises in store, as besides the Fifth Brother being sent on this mission, there isn’t anything we don’t really already know from the initial announcement of the miniseries (it’s only 4 issues, like some of the others have been lately) or the solicit for the first issue. Is Tensu Run someone we actually already know? Or is it a surprise how far along in the timeline this takes place? Or am I reading too much into it? We’ll find out in July when the first issue drops.
The High Republic #10 – Phase III (on sale 8/7)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Jim Towe (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Mahmud Asrar
JEDI LOST AND JEDI FOUND!
- The team-shattering FINALE of the current blistering run!
- A choice given, and a decision made…with terrifying consequences.
I had hoped we’d get another 15-issue run, but the little checklist at the end of each issue of this series portended a 10-issue one like Phase II’s and I was doing my best to ignore it and not face reality. But here we are, confirmation The High Republic – Phase III will be over soon! What’s happening with Sskeer? Will he survive?! As I imagine this won’t end in a tidy bow, how will readers get to see what happens next? I know for sure Keeve Trennis’ story, and Lourna Dee’s, will continue in The High Republic – Tempest Breaker, Scott’s audiobook out in December, while his issue of The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone, likely out January 2025, will see Keeve interacting with Ty Yorrick when she’s not a Jedi Master anymore, so what will comic readers get in this finale? And will there be a little miniseries to wrap things up with her story, and those around her, after the events of those other stories or is this it and you’ll have to enjoy the others to get more? I’m hoping we’ll know more in a few months, as by the time this series ends in August, that’s only 10 months before Phase III comes to its giant conclusion.
Darth Vader #49 (on sale 8/14)
Greg Pak (Writer), Raffaele Ienco (Aritst)
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant Cover by Kael Ngu | Variant Cover by Dike Ruan | The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse
“IMPERIAL SCHISM” NEARS ITS THRILLING CLIMAX!
- LUKE SKYWALKER faces the full might of the SCHISM IMPERIAL!
The Schism JUST made it to Exegol with some fun surprises, though they made much of the lead up feel unimportant, so what does Luke have to do with their plans? How are Warba and Sabé?! And how much longer will this era go after the Schism Climax (sounds dirty, sorry not sorry) in issue #50? The solicit for the trade paperback, which will include up to issue #50, does promise we’re really building up to Return of the Jedi! Lastly, as I’ll also mention in the Star Wars solicit, how is Luke HERE and but also dealing with the Alderaanians in the SW comic? We’ve had some questions on timelines like this before and they do get answered, but it just seems weird until then.
Star Wars #49 (on sale 8/21)
Charles Soule (Writer), Jethro Morales (Artist)
Cover by Stephen Segovia | Variant Cover by David Marquez | The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher
DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR LEIA AND THE REBEL ALLIANCE!
- The last remnants of ALDERAAN have come under threat from an old enemy!
- LUKE SKYWALKER and LEIA ORGANA could save these few survivors of the destroyed planet, but the Princess of Alderaan must choose between her people…and the REBEL ALLIANCE itself!
My immediate thought when reading this was…ARE WE GOING TO SEE EVAAN VERLAINE again!?! How about anyone else from the Princess Leia miniseries back in 2015?! Evaan we’ve seen in this run before, as she’s been piloting around a few times and we know she survives till past Return of the Jedi at the very least, but anything with Alderaan makes her presence a must! As for the other survivors Leia helped in that comic, it would be really cool to have a little update on them, even if it sounds like they might all die, as it’s been a plot thread which hasn’t been touched on in nearly a decade (and bringing people back after a decade’s hot right now)! Interested to see where Soule goes with this. Also, and I’m revisiting this from the Vader solicit but…how is Luke HERE and but also dealing with the Schism Imperial in the Vader comic? We’ve had some questions on timelines like this before and they do get answered, but it just seems weird until then.
Ahsoka #2 (on sale 8/28)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Georges Jeanty (Artist)
Cover/Virgin Variant by Taurin Clarke | Variant Cover by Erica D’urso | Variant Cover by Yellowfly | Variant Cover by Karen S. Darboe | Concept Art Variant Also Available
TOIL AND TROUBLE!
- AHSOKA and GENERAL HERA SYNDULLA travel to NEW REPUBLIC shipyards and make an unexpected discovery.
- The adaptation of the hit Disney+ series continues!
You can check out our review of the second half of the premiere of season one of Ahsoka here!
DARK HORSE
The High Republic Adventures #9 – Phase III (on sale 8/14)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Toni Bruno (Artist)
Cover by Harvey & Kevin Tolibao | Variant Cover by Isobell Rees (pictured)
Zeen, Lula, and their team are looking for allies to join the battle against the dastardly Nihil. Their search leads them to an audience with the Founding Families of Eriadu. But Marchion Ro’s accomplices in the capital city won’t make things easy!
{This was Advanced Solicited for July’s releases} It feels weird to be reading about issue #9 when we’re about to get issue #5 on April 24, though I will say, this doesn’t give away any of the potential emotional responses these events and issues will contain in the meantime, at least! How much will the fallout effect the shocking events of the previous issue, as read about above? I like that Eriadu, which has only been a meeting spot at our current releases in the series, will be so vital in the moments ahead for the series!
The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #1 (on sale 8/21)
George Mann (Writer), Vincenzo Federici (Artist)
Cover by Eduardo Mello
Jedi Knight Reath Silas and Jedi Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo are charged with delving into the Jedi Archives to learn more about the mysterious Echo Stones and their Force-amplifying powers. In their search, they uncover the dark legend of the ancient Sith Lord, Darth Ravi, and his quest to solve an ancient puzzle that could grant him power beyond imagining . . . or destroy him utterly.
Written by bestselling author George Mann, the writer behind Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures–The Nameless Terror and Star Wars: The High Republic–The Battle of Jedha.
{This was Advanced Solicited for July’s releases} I imagine they probably had a proper announcement for it, and I can dream of it being a High Republic Show because that would be amazing, but The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #1 needs ALL of your attention regardless. This is almost like a direct sequel to one of Phase II’s most intriguing and unique stories, The High Republic Adventures – Quest of the Jedi, which took place even further back than the start of Phase II and introduced us to the Echo Stones and mentions of Darth Ravi. Barnabus Vim and his apprentice Vix Fonnick would go on to take the fractured stones and hide them, but they are largely believed to be the ones in the control rods for the Nameless. So there’s a lot of history here, lots of big answers could come from this, maybe even more than Mann’s novel Tears of the Nameless, out September 24, which also features Reath Silas, Amadeo Azzazzo, while they are joined by Azlin Rell, who also appeared in Quest of the Jedi! Lots of connections! And this might be a miniseries, so I’m curious about any overlap with Mann’s novel and how many issues this will be!
The High Republic Adventures – Crash and Burn #1 (on sale 8/28)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Nick Brokenshire (Artist/Cover Art)
After rescuing Nihil villain Krix Kamerat from a Republic prison, vigilante Crash Ongwa and her crew team up with the former Nihil to hunt down Marchion Ro. But taking out the infamous warlord is easier said than done, especially when the insufferable Krix is involved. Can Crash and her newfound partner overcome their differences, or will infighting be their downfall?
{This was Advanced Solicited for July’s releases} Revealed at the end of The High Republic Adventures – Crash Landing #1, Crash and Burn #1 picks up after its events, which sees Crash Ongwa deciding teaming up with Krix Kamerat is a good idea?! As the title and this solicit hint, everyone has a right to question Crash’s choice because it sounds like it’s going to be a far more complicated operation with Krix around. Either way, I can’t wait to revisit Crash and her friends, a delightfully interesting bunch, and see what’s next for the galaxy’s most hated Krix.
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.