May sees the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back and it’s only fitting all the comics right now are focused on honoring the film’s legacy by directly dealing with the fallout of the film’s events: Luke Skywalker finds himself in the possession of a yellow lightsaber, Aphra’s new tomb raiding adventures sound even crazier and more exciting than before, and Vader also does some tomb raiding of his own…venturing into Padmé’s!?! Peer into May’s Star Wars comics solicitations! UPDATE: IDW has since dropped their solicits and it seems Star Wars Adventures will relaunch in May! The solicitation text seems to suggest the relaunch will be full of tales set AFTER The Rise of Skywalker, but the fine folks at Jedi Bibliothek have tempered expectations by mentioning the solicit is outdated. UPDATE 2: The updated solicit has arrived and IDW relaunches with a story between The Last Jedi and TROS, not after the Skywalker Saga finale…check it out below! UPDATE 3: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, comics stopped shipping in April and publishers aren’t releasing digital copies until physical copies can make it to store shelves. Because of the current halt in shipping, Marvel has already stated their pausing work on/releasing a third of their May and June comics, without any clear plan yet on how to release the currently effected issues and those they are pausing. We’ll update as soon as we know more! UPDATE 4 (5/2/20): The only Star Wars comics out in May will be Doctor Aphra #1 (Vol. 1) and The Clone Wars – Battle Tales from IDW, per the new reduced schedule as Diamond begins shipping comics again. You can still look at would’ve been below, but we’ll have any and all new solicitations on the Manor once they’re released!
MARVEL
Doctor Aphra #3 (on sale 5/13)
Alyssa Wong (Writer), Marika Cresta (Artist)
Cover by Valentina Remenar | Variant Cover by Mahmud Asrar
THE TRIALS OF VAALE!
- Separated from her crew, DOCTOR APHRA finds herself in peril at the hands of RONEN TAGGE’S mercenaries!
- Could there be a traitor in their midst?
- And can Aphra outwit them before the curse of the city swallows her and her new team whole?
The more we hear about the Doctor Aphra relaunch, the more I’m seriously getting hyped beyond belief for the character’s return! Chris and I recently posted our Aphra Volume 1 review and it only helped to make me appreciate the series and character more, so the wait just continues to get longer for the relaunch. Also, the cover by Valentina Remenar?! Wow, I feel like each and every one of her covers need to be my phone background. Mahmud Asrar’s variant cover is fantastic as well, leaning into the story’s potential curse-filled traps. All aboard the hype train!
Star Wars #6 (on sale 5/27)
Charles Soule (Writer), Jesús Saiz (Artist)
Cover by R.B. Silva | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover By Chris Sprouse | Variant Cover by TBA
THE PATH TO JEDI WISDOM…OR A DEADLY TRAP OF THE DARK SIDE?
- THE FORCE led LUKE SKYWALKER to someone who can provide him with great insight into the path to JEDI wisdom…
- But their meeting will change Skywalker FOREVER. Luke thought his duel against his father, Darth Vader, was the ultimate test. But Luke’s trials have only just begun.
- The galaxy needs Luke Skywalker. And a Jedi needs a weapon!
- Meanwhile, Vader continues his search for his long-lost son, and the REBEL ALLIANCE finds itself on the verge of a losing all hope.
Two issues in, with Lando at the forefront and character focus all around, Soule’s relaunch has gone spectacularly so far! And now Luke is the first of the Skywalker’s with a yellow lightsaber (Rey coming in second)?! Soule teased the idea came from the original Kenner toy for Luke! As for this person Luke meets, issue #2 revealed a hooded person catching Luke’s saber on Cloud City, and previous solicits mentioned a mysterious woman…so just who could it be??! We might meet them next week when issue #3 drops.
Darth Vader #4 (on sale 5/20)
Greg Pak (Writer), Raffaele Ienco (A)
Cover by Inhyuk Lee | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse
WHO HUNTS THE HUNTER?
- DARTH VADER continues his terrifying quest for vengeance against everyone who hid the existence of his son from him.
- But on NABOO, the DARK LORD OF THE SITH faces a deadly new challenge as his focus turns from LUKE to PADMÉ, the wife of the man Vader used to be.
- And what secrets lie in the tomb of PADMÉ AMIDALA?
The first issue of third volume of the Darth Vader series beat my expectations and between the cover and this solicit about Vader visiting Padmé’s tomb, it looks like it will continue to surprise and amazing in the coming issue. When Aphra first worked with Vader, she visited Padmé’s mortician on Naboo to figure out if she even had the kids before dying, so it’s interesting to see Vader take the next step and go after her tomb himself…with one of her handmaiden’s by his side??!? Jump on this series ASAP!
Bounty Hunters #4 (on sale 5/6)
Ethan Sacks (Writer), Paolo Villanelli (Artist)
Cover by Lee Bermejo | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover By Chris Sprouse
THE SINS THAT CAN’T BE ABSOLVED!
- With a blaster aimed at this back, cyborg bounty hunter VALANCE closes in on NAKANO LASH, the mentor who abandoned him many years ago.
- But what is the secret that Lash has been hiding ever since that fateful, doomed mission — one that led her to betray her entire crew?
- Those answers may die with her if a vengeful BOBA FETT gets to her first.
With the first issue set to release in March, the Star Wars Blog provided a preview of the first issue, which did peak my interest a tad more than these solicits have. At the very least, I’m very curious to learn Lash’s secret!
IDW
Star Wars Adventures #1 (Vol. 2)
Michael Moreci, Nick Brokenshire (Writers), Ilias Kyriazis, Nick Brokenshire (Artists)
Cover A by Francesco Francavilla
An exciting new era begins! Each issue in this monthly series will feature two stories starring all your favorite Star Wars characters! In the wake of the events of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey, Poe, and Finn aren’t finished fighting the First Order. Plus, an all-new tale of everyone’s favorite droid bounty hunter from The Empire Strikes Back – IG-88! (With apologies to 4-LOM.)UPDATED SOLICIT: An exciting new era begins! Each issue in this monthly series will feature two stories starring all your favorite Star Wars characters! Between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, Poe and Finn have taken Rey to a remote planet to continue her Jedi training. But they’re surprised to find that the First Order’s reach extends far and wide. Plus, an all-new tale of the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader!
According to this outdate solicitation text, it would appear IDW’s Star Wars Adventures would relaunch by giving us the first adventures of Rey Skywalker, Force-sensitive General Finn, and General Poe Dameron after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. I wouldn’t have expected a glimpse into what comes next for at least another year, at the most, so to think we only need to wait 5 months after the film is beyond surprising, which is why I’m likely to believe Jedi Bibliothek’s warning this text is incorrect. I hope it isn’t incorrect, but considering this hasn’t been announced or mentioned anywhere else, something bound to happen if you get to tell the first tales post-TROS, it’s more likely to be more stories before TROS. UPDATED THOUGHTS: It’s official, IDW is launching with a tale between TLJ and TROS, not after TROS, but I absolutely love the sound of it: Poe and Finn help Rey continue her Jedi training! More adventures with these three is a giant plus.
However, I’m very curious how that original solicit even existed in the first place…
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
2020 Comic Solicitations: January | February | March | April