February 2024’s Star Wars comics look a little lite, as Bounty Hunters is over and Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2) is suspiciously missing (DON’T DO THIS TO ME!), but what is on offer looks like it’ll pack quite the punch! The Mace Windu miniseries will finally kick off, Luke Skywalker finds himself in a Sith-filled situation, and The High Republic comics look to promise the return of faces once thought lost! This month will also host another batch of Black History Month Variants, which I’ve already covered, so without further ado, head below for Star Wars comics’ February 2024 solicitations!
MARVEL
Mace Windu #1 (on sale 2/7)
Marc Bernardin (Writer), Georges Jeanty (Artist)
Cover by Mateus Manhanini | Variant/Virgin Variant Cover by Davi Go | Variant Cover by Taurin Clarke | | Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley
ONE OF THE GREATEST JEDI MUST STOP AN INCENDIARY SECRET FROM FALLING INTO THE WRONG HANDS!
- Even in the years before THE CLONE WARS, MACE WINDU was known for his discipline, determination and combat skills.
- When a scientist’s discovery threatens the balance of the galaxy, Mace is led down a treacherous path of mystery and action.
- Introducing AZITA CRUUZ, a pirate with a deadly secret, who the HUTTS and the REPUBLIC will stop at nothing to control!
The more I hear about this Mace Windu series, the more I am eager to see it start…especially since it only has 4 issues! Seeing Mace out in the field, instead of in the ivory Jedi tower, is a rare but always interesting prospect, while Azita Cruuz should be a fun new character to meet, as who doesn’t love a good pirate!
Darth Vader #43 (on sale 2/14)
Greg Pak (Writer), Adam Gorham (Artist)
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli | Ezra Bridger and Chopper Star Wars Rebels 10th Anniversary Variant Cover by Caspar Wijngaard | Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley
WHO DARES COMMIT TREASON AGAINST THE EMPIRE?!
- Seemingly disparate threads from years of storytelling come together as DARTH VADER uncovers the master plan of the SCHISM IMPERIAL!
- The UMBARAN nurtures her conspirators! KITSTER and WALD return – along with the death machinery of GOVERNOR TAUNTAZA!
- But when a group of betrayers come together, how long will it be until they betray each other?
I’ve had a lot of confusion when it’s come to Sly Moore aka the Umbaran’s motivations and goals, as well as those around her who have been conspiring against Vader/seemingly the Empire at the same time, so I really do hope this team can pull off bringing it all together and making it all finally make sense. But more importantly…make it all feel worth our time too, as the Vader series has stretched itself rather thin and, as of this writing, 2023 isn’t even over yet. I’m glad Kitster and Wald will return, regardless of what happens!
Star Wars #43 (on sale 2/21)
Charles Soule (Writer), Steven Cummings (Artist)
Cover by Stephen Segovia | Variant Cover by Annie Wu | Jarrus and Zeb Rebels 10th Anniversary Variant Cover by Caspar Wijngaard | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher | Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley
A SITH IN THE MIND’S EYE
- LUKE SKYWALKER is trapped deep behind enemy lines, hunted by a rogue SITH who sees the nascent JEDI KNIGHT as his chance at new ascendancy.
- How will Luke survive…
- …and who will he be if he does?
I am so so so invested in where this will all go, I can’t wait to see what Soule has in store for us with Luke’s trip back into the red kyber and trying to cleanse it again. What does this ancient Sith hope to achieve and how much can they, despite the time and space/being inside a kyber?! Like I said, this is set to be one of the more interesting Luke arcs in Soule’s run and he’s already had some real whoppers! Also, I see what they did there with the Sith in the Mind’s Eye, sort of a reference to Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, which you probably don’t need to read if you haven’t yet.
The High Republic #4 – Phase III (on sale 2/21)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Jim Towe (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Ben Harvey | Variant Cover by Rod Reis | Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley | Connecting/Virgin Connecting Variant Cover by Mico Suayan
INTO THE NIHIL OCCLUSION ZONE!
- JEDI MASTER KEEVE TRENNIS has disobeyed direct orders from CORUSCANT and entered NIHIL space.
- Her mission: to find and save a soul who was thought lost.
- Familiar faces from PHASE I of STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC return…but not as they used to be!
HOLY SITHSPIT! HOLY KARK! KRIFFING HELL! Look, Keeve Trennis wouldn’t even blush since she swears far more often and far more worse than me just now, but I think we’ll all be swearing when this issue comes out. I know a lot of people have read this solicit and hoped for Stellan Gios, but my bets are on Sskeer!!!! Between his disease cutting him off from the Force and his fate left unknown, besides Keeve’s imagination providing her own answers, his potential in the fight against the Nameless, and how his return could lead to Keeve’s issues with the Jedi Order she would leave it, the potential with a return from Sskeer is SKY HIGH. Higher than Starlight Beacon, for sure! This isn’t the only High Republic story featuring surprising or anticipated returns, check below in the Dark Horse section for the advance solicitation for The High Republic Adventures #4 – Phase III!!!
Obi-Wan Kenobi #5 (on sale 2/7)
Jody Houser (Writer), Salvador Larroca (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Ken Lashley | Variant Cover by Todd Nauck
DARTH VADER STRIKES!
- Imperial forces attempt to draw OBI-WAN out!
- REVA, Third Sister of the INQUISITORS, has tightened her grip on the Path outpost that hides the wanted Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
- The penultimate chapter of the OBI-WAN KENOBI Disney+ series ends with a BANG!
You can check out our review of Part V!
Thrawn: Alliances #2 (on sale 2/28)
Jody Houser, Timothy Zahn (Writers), Andrea Di Vito & Pat Olliffe (Artists)
Cover by Rod Reis | Variant Cover by RAHZZAH | Variant Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley
THE ADAPTATION OF THRAWN: ALLIANCES CONTINUES!
- As THRAWN and DARTH VADER carve their way through the galaxy, get a glimpse of their early partnership as THRAWN and ANAKIN are on the hunt for PADMÉ!
- JODY HOUSER and original THRAWN: ALLIANCES novelist TIMOTHY ZAHN continue to plot the course of Thrawn’s rise with PAT OLLIFFE and ANDREA DI VITO!
The biggest thing I can say about this adaptation at this point is how surprising it is that it’ll only be FOUR issues long! Considering the length of a novel, this is an interesting choice and, since this hasn’t started yet, one we can’t really judge on yet. But between Houser and Zahn himself, I’m sure they can make it work. In the meantime, check out our review of the novel!
DARK HORSE
The High Republic Adventures #3 – Phase III (on sale 2/14)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Harvey Tolibao (Artist)
Cover by Harvey & Kevin Tolibao | Variant Cover by Soroush Barazesh
“The fate of the scattered survivors of the Starlight Beacon disaster is slowly becoming more clear, as Zeen, Qort, and 5A-G3 must follow up every lead to find out who among their old Starhopper friends are still alive and where they may be. But information from inside the Occlusion Zone is very hard to come by; and the answers they seek may serve only to raise more questions… like DID any of their allies survive at all?
Find out in issue #3 of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, from Phase III of the High Republic saga. Written by New York Times Bestselling author Daniel José Older, drawn by Harvey Tolibao, colored by Michael Atiyeh, and lettered by Comicraft! Don’t miss it!”
These solicits have been VERY coy about who did and didn’t survive Starlight’s fall, keeping Lula Talisola’s fate in the dark for us readers more and more, but the theories keep building on what happened, especially now that Kantam Sy, Lula’s master, is gracing the latest series cover. Is this mysterious warlord Tartak a fractured Lula? Something to do with Krix Kamerat? WE NEED ANSWERS NOW, OLDER!!!
The High Republic Adventures #4 – Phase III (on sale 3/13) {Advanced Solicited}
Daniel José Older (Writer), Elisa Romboli (Artist)
Cover by Harvey & Kevin Tolibao
Zeen, Jedi Knight Qort, and droid 5A-G3 have been following every clue to find answers about their friends who are missing-and presumed dead-since the Starlight Beacon disaster. Together with an assemblage of battle ready Jedi and smugglers, they’ve got a new lead to pursue and it is taking them straight to a Nihil prison ship…Dare they hope to discover surviving allies there?
With many fan theories connecting this series’ mysterious masked individual with Lula Talisola, does this solicit prove otherwise, that she might be (un)safely trapped away on a Nihil ship, snarky, rude, and no-good Krix Kamerat bothering her this whole time? Or is she under that mask, brainwashed by Baron Boolan, a character fans will meet in The Eye of Darkness, had concept art recently released of him, and we’ve met one of his creations already?? Only time will tell, but between this and The High Republic #4 – Phase III, it looks like all the cliffhanger fates from Phase I are coming to an end!!
The High Republic Adventures: Crash Landing (on sale 3/20) {Advanced Solicited}
Daniel José Older (Writer), Rachele Aragno (Artist)
Cover by Rachele Aragno
“Crash” Ongwa and her ragtag crew have been fighting against anyone who had a hand in the Nihil infiltration that plunged her home planet of Corellia into chaos. Even though an uneasy peace has been reached, if they don’t continue to fight, everything they sacrificed for could slip away. Now, Crash has a lead on the person behind the entire Nihil plot-if her crew can accomplish this mission, could true peace be on their horizon?
Crash’s efforts to save Corellia from the Nihil in The High Republic – Midnight Horizon continued in Alyssa Wong’s short story in the Barnes & Nobel edition of The High Republic -Tales of Light and Life and this looks to pick up the threads it left open! It’s also where we met a young Jedi struggling with what happened to his Master and striking out in not so good way, named Ruu, who pushed representation by being the first transmasc character and this cover is now the first illustration of one in the franchise! It’s also our first time seeing Svi’no and her species! Let’s keep it up with all the firsts!
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.