By June 2019, we’ll be halfway through the year, marching ever closer to Episode IX and the first live-action TV series, but you won’t find anything related to those in this solicitation just yet. But with Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019 coming mid-April, just before July’s solicitations will go live, we’ll be getting plenty of news regarding upcoming comic projects, especially since you’ll see below June finds Kieron Gillen exiting the Star Wars series and the Vader – Dark Visions miniseries comes to a spooky end. But forget for a moment the deluge of info coming in April and enjoy what June will still have to offer, from Hondo Ohnaka sightings and Doctor Aphra potentially finding an all-important ex!
MARVEL
Star Wars #67 (on sale 6/19)
Kieron Gillen (Writer), Angel Unzueta (Artist)
Cover by Gerald Parel | Variant Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz | Action Figure Variant By John Tyler Christopher | Greatest Moments Variant Cover By Julian Tedesco
“THE SCOURGING OF SHU-TORUN” PART 6
- The fate of an entire world is in the hands of the REBELS!
- And even then, can anyone manage to escape the Scourging of SHU-TORUN?
- The cataclysmic end of KIERON GILLEN’s run on STAR WARS.
Already off to an excellent start, the second issue to this final run for Gillen will release this Wednesday and if it is anything like the first (UPDATE: it was), and if the entirety of the run is like the first, Gillen will be going out on his best arc yet…maybe even the best arc of the Star Wars series as a whole since its inception. Unfortunately there is no news yet of what comes next: a new writer? The end of the series? A new era with a new creative team? We might have to wait until Celebration Chicago 2019 next month in April to found out but make sure you’re checking out this arc in the meantime. Also, I get that Leia has been on three covers already and now with #67, so has Luke, but if this is really her arc, it seems a little weird to finish on Luke instead of Leia, though it’s slightly easy to forgive because Gerald Parel’s covers have been *chef’s kisses.*
Age of Rebellion – Luke Skywalker #1 (on sale 6/5)
Greg Pak (Writer), Chris Sprouse (Artist)
Cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson | Variant Cover by JG Jones | Puzzle Piece Variant Cover by Mike Mckone | Artist Concept Variant Cover Also Available | Movie Variant Also Available
THE FIRST TEMPTATION OF LUKE SKYWALKER!
- After learning the true identity of his father, LUKE continues his training and prepares for the inevitable showdown, determined never to follow the path of VADER.
- But when a rebel general’s mistakes lead to disaster and Luke must seize command, the DARK SIDE tempts him as never before.
- Featuring the eerie influence of THE EMPEROR!
Now this sounds like a great issue! We don’t have many, or any really, stories set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, so it’ll be interesting to see the Rebellion during this timeframe, and more specifically, Luke’s role in everything. I’m really curious about this “eerie influence” from good ol’ Sheev-ster, as his meddling can never be good. UPDATE: Oh, but it was good!
Age of Rebellion – Darth Vader #1 (on sale 6/1226)
Greg Pak (Writer), Marc Laming (Artist)
Cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson | Variant Cover by JG Jones | Puzzle Piece Variant Cover by Mike Mckone | Artist Concept Variant Cover Also Available | Greatest Moments Variant Cover by Gabriele Dell’otto | Movie Variant Also Available
YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT VADER!
- DARTH VADER may be the most feared man in the galaxy. But to the proud Grand Moffs of THE EMPIRE, he’s just the Emperor’s apprentice – below them in the hierarchy.
- But what fury burns in the heart of a SITH with such overwhelming rage when a mere Moff dares command him?
- And at what point does Darth Vader show them his true power?
As of this writing, Age of Republic recently finished and we’ve yet to see the start of Pak’s Age of Rebellion, but now we know this Darth Vader issue will be the last, with the Age of Resistance to follow in July. Ending on Vader sounds like a great idea of course, but this issue sounds like something Charles Soule already covered in his Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith series, where a few Imperials try to kill Vader because they don’t understand his place in the Empire and then he shows them his might and importance, kill 5 (mostly) random officers to prove no one should mess with him. But this deals with Grand Moffs, not merely officers, so maybe not completely the same, but similar idea; guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Doctor Aphra #33 (on sale 6/1219)
Si Spurrier (Writer), Wilton Santos (Artist)
Cover by Ashley Witter | Greatest Moments Variant Cover by Paul Renaud
“UNSPEAKABLE REBEL SUPERWEAPON” PART 2
- Counting the cost of her incorrigible thievery, sticky-fingered archaeologist DOCTOR APHRA is at the mercy of REBEL HIGH COMMAND.
- But things are about to get stickier. What’s the one thing every galactic treasure hunter knows for sure?
- EXES NEVER MARK THE SPOT.
Um, I can’t be the only one who thinks they specifically said “Exes” instead of “X’s,” no? Potentially hinting at the return of Aphra’s exes, like say Sana Starros and hopefully, with every finger and appendage on me crossed, Magna Tolvan!??!!? I could be terribly wrong, but I’m fairly confident I’m not. This is what I’ve been hoping for since it was revealed Aphra continues to look for Tolvan in the current arc, and with this new arc finding her getting entangled with the Rebellion, who happens to have Tolvan, I wouldn’t be surprised Aphra has purposefully got herself captured to rescue her ex! Of course Aphra has to deal with a Bor-altered Tolvan, but maybe she’ll have some way to help her regain her memories, or even try to start again with Tolvan, treating her right this time. And you know who else is with the Rebellion? Her other ex, Sana Starros! Count me extremely excited for this arc, even more so than I normally am for Doctor Aphra!
Galaxy’s Edge #3 (on sale 6/26)
Ethan Sacks (Writer), Will Sliney (Artist)
Cover by Tommy Lee Edwards | Variant Cover Featuring Hondo Ohnaka by Caspar Wijngaard (pictured)
THE JEDHA CONNECTION!
- During the height of the EMPIRE, DOK-ONDAR hired an unlikely team to pull off an impossible score — to steal a relic out of the occupied HOLY CITY OF JEDHA.
- With FIRST ORDER troops now blanketing the BLACK SPIRE OUTPOST on BATUU, history may finally be catching up to the notorious procurer of the unprocurable.
- Guest starring fan favorite Outer Rim pirate HONDO OHNAKA!
- Based on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the new themed land coming this year to Disney Land and Walt Disney World.
With the recent look inside the upcoming Galaxy’s Edge parks, we learned Hondo Ohnaka was going to be part of the park as an extremely awesome looking animatronic introducing travelers to the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride, so it’s no surprise he’s showing up in one of the issues for the tie-in series! And for it to be about an adventure to Jedha to steal an artifact? Sign me the hell up!
TIE Fighter #3 (on sale 6/19)
Jody Houser (Wrtier), Roge Antonio & Geraldo Borges (Artists)
Cover by Tommy Lee Edwards | Alphabet Squad Variant Cover By Jeff Langevin
THE NET CLOSES!
- The traitors of the REBEL ALLIANCE have made their presence known!
- Will the heroes of the EMPIRE be able to salvage the mission and save the day?
- And at what cost?
This TIE-in (sorry, I’m never not using that pun) to the novel Alphabet Squadron looks to be an action-packed romp through the life of a TIE pilot. But not just any pilots…Shadow Wing, as they are ominously called. I’m curious if these rebels will be Alphabet Squad or some part of them, as it’s not quite clear yet where this series takes place in regards to the novel, if it’s strictly before or if it crosses over a bit.
Vader – Dark Visions #5 (on sale 6/12)
Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum (Writer), Geraldo Borges (Artist)
Cover by Greg Smallwood | Variant Cover by ACO
NIGHTMARE ON THE OUTER RIM!
- A backwater jungle planet teeming with poisonous plants.
- The search for a device that can track the REBELS.
- A psychedelic nightmare triggered by the local flora — with a terror known as DARTH VADER!
We’re only one issue in as of this writing and I wasn’t quite impressed with the premiere, even if it did have rather amazing art. This will be the final issue of the series, so I’m hoping the next few manage to impress, but regardless it still stings this replaced Chuck Wendig’s Shadow of Vader. However, I’m down for Vader having a no good, very bad nightmare acid trip, as I can only imagine what writer Hallum and artist Borges can uncover from deep within Vader’s psyche.
IDW
Star Wars Adventures #23
Tony Fleecs (Artist/Cover Artist)
“Join Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon for another rollicking mission on behalf of the Rebel Alliance!
The last of three issues spotlighting the Original Trilogy!
Variant cover by Eisner Award winner Michael Avon Oeming, co-creator of Powers!”
IDW is also doing an “Age of Star Wars” type of thing and this is their final OT issue, meaning July/Aug/Sept should see the release of three Sequel Trilogy related issues, the exact same months Marvel’s Age of Resistance will be on comic shelves!
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
2019 SOLICITATIONS: January | February | March | April | May | July | August | September
CURRENT SERIES COMIC REVIEWS:
Doctor Aphra
Aphra (#1-6) | And the Enormous Profit (#9-13) | Remastered (#14-19) | The Catastrophe Con (#20-25) | Worst Among Equals (#26-31) | Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon (#32-37) | Annual: #2
Star Wars
Ashes of Jedha (#38-43) | Mutiny at Mon Cala (#44-49) | Hope Dies (#50-55) | The Escape (#56-61) | The Scourging of Shu-Torun (#62-67) | Annual: #4
Age of Republic (miniseries)
Age of Rebellion (miniseries)