January is usually a time of new beginnings for most people, especially as they start their attempts at New Year’s resolutions (which I believe in you, you can do it!), but for Marvel and mostly Dark Horse Star Wars comics in January 2025, it’s more about endings. On Marvel’s side, their big The Battle of Jakku maxiseries meets its climactic titular battle, Ewok adventures end, and the publisher looks back at their 10 years of comic legacy (which means I’ve been reviewing comics for 10 years now here and I’ll have to unpack that later). For Dark Horse, there’s finales to Echoes of Fear and Tales from the Occlusion Zone, while their main THRA series marches towards the era’s end, but they also bring something new: a Bad Batch miniseries! Head below to check out January 2025 Star Wars comics solicitations now!!
MARVEL
The Battle of Jakku – Last Stand #2 (on sale 1/8)
Alex Segura (Writer), Jethro Morales (Artist)
Cover by E.M. Gist | Variant by Terry Dodson | Variant by Lee Garbet
A BRAZEN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT LEAVES THE HEROES REELING – AS A DARKER TRUTH IS UNCOVERED!
- LUKE, LEIA and HAN are reunited – but under dire circumstances!
- What’s left of the Empire must react to a new threat – on the eve of the BATTLE OF JAKKU!
- A traitor revealed!
- The heroes are faced with an ominous new threat careening toward them – with JAKKU as the target!
The Battle of Jakku – Last Stand #3 (on sale 1/15)
Alex Segura (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Artist)
Cover by E.M. Gist | Variant by Ramon Rosanas| Variant by Alan Quah
THE BATTLE OF JAKKU UNLEASHED!
- LUKE must enter the underworld to strike a deadly bargain!
- THE SPICE RUNNERS OF KIJIMI play a deadly wild card — with shocking consequences!
- As unseen forces move to disrupt the BATTLE OF JAKKU, the NEW REPUBLIC must fight a war on two fronts!
- LUKE takes on the new threat directly — putting everything at risk!
The Battle of Jakku – Last Stand #4 (on sale 1/22)
Alex Segura (Writer), Jethro Morales (Artist)
Cover by E.M. Gist | Variant by Ramon Rosanas | Variant by Danny Earls | Variant by John Giang
THE BATTLE OF JAKKU RAGES ON!
- THE BATTLE OF JAKKU — as never seen before!
- THE NEW REPUBLIC must make a painful choice that puts ACKBAR’s forces at risk!
- LUKE SKYWALKER faces off against the deadliest menace to the Republic — and the Empire!
- A historic character makes their first appearance ever!
Because of the very welcomed and aggressive release schedule, as of this publishing we have 2 of the 12 issues down, with a third only a week away, and now we know when this all ends! And, more importantly, the very intriguing new details to be gleaned from the solicits. I think the first thing I’ll unpack is the tease in issue #4’s about the first appearance of a historic character. The dramatic way that’s written, it portends someone fans have been waiting for, but I’d temper expectations immediately. We’re already curious about a named red-headed individual Luke deals with in Insurgency Rising #2 and whether she’ll be Mara Jade in some canon form, but seems highly unlikely. I joked on Bluesky that it would be Winter, Leia’s friend and an important spy for the Rebellion, but she would fit the ambiguous verbiage about historic character, so that’s why I’m trying to say expect little and we’ll all likely be delighted. With Marvel piecemeal revealing upcoming stories, so far A New Legacy one-shot (solicit below), Jedi Knights, and a Kylo Ren on-going, will this character be a sign of where Marvel will go next or is it something for the TV or film series to cover instead?
As I’ve said before Luke’s portion of this comic, since we’re finally seeing some of what he gets up to in this time period, is the most fascinating to me and the solicits for these final three issues only make me more excited to see what’s all going on here. Is the underworld he has to explore one of criminal syndicates or something more metaphysical? And who or what could be such a deadly threat to both sides we’re only just hearing about them now? Pop off, Luke, let’s see what you can do!
Lastly, I’ll be interested to see how the Spice Runners and their actions here lead to what we saw in Segura’s Poe Dameron: Free Fall (Poe got a new comic announced as well!), while I wonder if this traitor is someone we already know is one, and of course…who is the woman on the right next to Han in the issue #4 cover? Lots to look forward to!
A New Legacy #1 (on sale (1/29)
Charles Soule, Kieron Gillen, Jason Aaron (Writers), Leonard Kirk, Ramon Rosanas, Salva Espín (Artists)
Cover by Steve McNiven | Variant Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant/Virgin Variant by Kyle Hotz
A DECADE OF MARVEL STAR WARS COMICS
- Celebrate ten years of MARVEL STAR WARS comics with all-new stories by some of the most influential creators of the decade.
- Thrill as DARTH VADER, GRAND MOFF TARKIN, DARTH MOMIN, DOCTOR APHRA, VALANCE, CHANATH CHA, RIK DUEL, COMMANDER ZAHRA, THE TAGGES and more collide during a grand Imperial event thrown by PALPATINE.
- Gasp (and laugh) at a perilous game between 0-0-0, BT-1 and KRRSANTAN!
- And what ever happened to SCAR SQUADRON?
As of June, the Manor officially hit 10 years (I need to get some giveaways going again soon…) and in January ’25, it’ll be 10 years of canon comics from Marvel. In a fun way to celebrate the milestone, there’s this wonderful one-shot starring many of the original comic characters they’ve created during the timeframe. And they got back two of the biggest, earliest writers to help tell one more tale for them, though it’s disappointing no marginalized creatives were included in the celebration (but it tracks, unfortunately). I’m really hyped for two of the three and I’ll wait to see where the SCAR Squad one goes before I judge it, but eager to read this either way.
Ewoks #4 (on sale 1/29)
Steve Orlando (Writer), Laura Braga, Álvaro López (Artists)
Cover by Pete Woods | Variant Cover by David Marquez | Action Figure Variant by John Tyler Christopher
THE IMPERIALS MAKE THEIR FINAL PLAY!
- The Ewoks make a final stand against the Empire!
- The giant GORAX enters the fray — can anyone survive its mighty rage?!
The first issue was already a nice little dessert, as while it does tie into the larger Battle of Jakku story, it looks to retain a fun focus on the little furry murder bears and their plight instead. The Gorax is always a Ewok-centric story mainstay and, when used effectively, shows how terrifying a life the Ewoks live even without Rebels and Empires finding their home. Also, its appearance will be a great way to celebrate 40 years since Caravan of Courage, which this series was made to honor.
Ahsoka #7 (on sale 1/1)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Steven Cummings (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Taurin Clarke | Variant by Rod Reis | Concept Art Variant
DREAMS AND MADNESS!
Hera must answer to the New Republic while a reunion takes place far, far away.
You can check out our review of the seventh Ahsoka episode here! Also, the show’s first season just got the news it’ll be available on physical media starting December 2024.
DARK HORSE
The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #4 (on sale 1/8)
George Mann (Writer), Vincenzo Federici (Artist)
Cover by Eduardo Mello
Jedi Knight Reath Silas and Jedi Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo embark on a desperate mission to recover the Rod of Ages—the last known fragment of an Echo Stone–in time to help contain the greatest threat that has ever faced the Jedi Order: the deadly Force eaters known as the Nameless.
- Series finale!
{Advanced Solicited back in November’s, delayed from December release} Very intrigued to see the Rod of Ages will finally come back into play and maybe even end up in Jedi hands, a huge help in the struggle against the Nihil’s powerful usage of the Force eating Nameless! It hasn’t really been mentioned since Path of Deceit, the Phase II opening novel, but I love how the lore for the Echo Stones, the Nameless, and more are all coming together as we head into the final 6-7 months of the initiative.
The High Republic Adventures #14 – Phase III (on sale 1/15/2025)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Harvey Tolibao (Artist)
Cover by Harvey & Kevin Tolibao
Fighting erupts on Eriadu! After months of oppression by the dastardly Nihil, valiant partners Lula and Zeen lead the charge against the occupying force. Meanwhile, a hidden danger stirs beneath the battlefield that threatens to turn the tide of the war, but in whose favor? The fate of the galaxy is on the line as the final arc of The High Republic Adventures begins!
• The final arc begins here with the first of four connecting covers (Cover A), that will create a spectacular landscape piece!
{Advanced Solicited} It’s absolutely wild to read the words “the final arc” in regards to The High Republic Adventures – Phase III, as it’s been the longest run of the Phase and so many great spin-offs and one-shots have come from it…and it means we’re definitely marching towards the end of the era once 2025 hits. Looking forward to it, as this has been a blast and I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up.
Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch – Ghost Agents (on sale 1/15/2025)
Michael Moreci (Writer), Reese Hannigan, Ruairi Coleman (Artist)
Cover by Valeria “Lux” Favoccia
The Bad Batch is back for another high-octane adventure set during the Clone Wars! Their mission: to hunt down the mysterious Separatist ghost agent who executed a daring heist on Coruscant! The thief’s trail leads Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech to the seediest corners of the galaxy where kingpins and thugs threaten the clones’ mission – and their lives! Have the Bad Batch met their match?
- The first Bad Batch solo comics miniseries, set during the Clone Wars!
- Written by Michael Moreci, the bestselling author of Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories and Burning Fields, and illustrated by Ruairi Coleman, the acclaimed artist of Star Wars Adventures: The Weapon of a Jedi and Captain Marvel.
- Five issue series.
{Advanced Solicited} The announcement said Reese Hannigan as illustrator but the solicitations says Ruairi Coleman, so…I guess we’ll see when we get closer to release (UPDATE: It”s both). Either way, I’m hyped to have Moreci back, as he did a great job with the Bad Batch in the main Hyperspace Stories, while just having more of the main crew together should be fun, considering they were put through quite the ringer in the show.
The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4 (on sale 1/22)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Vincenzo Riccardi (Artist)
Cover by Jake Bartok
As calls for help make their way across the Stormwall, the Marshal of the Republic Fleet turns to an unlikely ally: former Jedi Ty Yorrick! But can the maverick saber-for-hire be trusted when she encounters an old enemy on the ravaged plains of Dalna?
- Series finale!
We got our first previews of this issue at NYCC, which will find Ty Yorrick teaming up with…Lourna Dee?! I’m pretty hyped for how much Lourna we’re getting in this back half of Phase III, she really deserves it and I feel like she’s being set up to be rather important to the overall ending of the story. Get caught up on Ty’s seriously good Saber for Hire miniseries before this comes out and make sure to listen (if you can) to Tempest Breaker in December for more Lourna before this.
The High Republic Adventures Phase III Annual (on sale 1/22/2025)
Justina Ireland, Alyssa Wong, Cavan Scott, Zoraida Córdova, Charles Soule, Rosemary Soule (Writers), Liana Kangas, Nick Brokenshire, Andy Duggan, Lucas Marangon, Colin Craker (Artist)
Cover by Eduardo Francisco
This anthology issue collects five tales of Republic bravery and Nihil treachery from across the galaxy! Featuring Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, Jedi Younglings Jon, Bree, and Toko, Churo the Hutt, the sly Nihil Driggit, and the sinister Baron Boolan as they navigate the perils of the impending Battle of Eriadu! Brought to you by some of the most influential creators of the High Republic saga, including Justina Ireland, Alyssa Wong, Cavan Scott, Zoraida Córdova, and Charles and Rosemary Soule!
- Illustrated by fan-favorite artists Liana Kangas, Nick Brokenshire, Andy Duggan, and more!
- A great time for fans to join the High Republic saga!
{Advanced Solicited} All-star writers and artists gathering together for stories starring many of the great characters in the High Republic?! You need to say less at this point, I’m all in and can’t wait to check this out in January! UPDATE: Since this was originally solicited, we’ve learned a ton more about the series, including seeing some preview pages, via NYCC 2024 panels from Lucasfilm Publishing and Dark Horse!
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.