May is always a time of celebration for Star Wars fans thanks to all the goodness surrounding the May the Fourth holiday and this year should be extra special considering it’s Lucasfilm’s 50th Anniversary!! With Star Wars comics, the May solicitations reveal there’s a bounty to enjoy…for Boba Fett fans, at least. Wait, what? That’s right, the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover takes over most of May’s comics, though the excellent The High Republic-related comics will continue on as is, revealing the secrets of Star Wars history. So it won’t be all Fett, but dank ferrik it’ll be close! Head below to see what’s all in store for May’s Star Wars comics.
MARVEL
War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha #1 / “Director’s Cut” (on sale 5/5)
Charles Soule (Writer), Steve McNiven (Artist/Cover Artist)
Boba Fett Black Armor Variant Cover by Steven McNiven | Crimson Variant Cover by Steve McNiven | Variant Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher
THE STAR WARS COMIC EVENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
- The notorious bounty hunter BOBA FETT has finally landed his greatest prize – HAN SOLO, frozen in carbonite for easy transport.
- Fett will bring the smuggler to TATOOINE to collect the massive bounty placed on Solo’s head by the fearsome crime lord JABBA THE HUTT.
- Sounds easy. What could go wrong?
This is where the whole War of the Bounty Hunters crossover/miniseries begins, with a special Alpha issue that also has a “Director’s Cut” which features black and white art from McNiven and other special features. As revealed in the series’ announcement, the crossover spills across Star Wars (Vol. 2), Bounty Hunters, Darth Vader (Vol. 3), and Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2) during May, followed by a 5-issue War of the Bounty Hunters miniseries in June. In the solicits below, you can begin to see where the story of Boba and Han’s frozen carbonite body will all go…
The High Republic #5 (on sale 5/12)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Ario Anindito (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Bernard Chang
ATTACK OF THE HUTTS!
- The HIGH REPUBLIC JEDI clash with HUTT forces. GAMORREANS! NIKTO! BATTLE RANCORS!
- STARLIGHT BEACON overrun by a creeping alien horror! Can VERNESTRA RWOH and her Padawan IMRI CANTAROS find a way to save Starlight’s infected masses?
- Plus, KEEVE TRENNIS learns the terrible secret MASTER SSKEER has been carrying for so long. Can she ever trust him again?
But before we go all out on Boba Fett, May still has the next entry in the spellbinding The High Republic comic, where we’ll finally learn Sskeer’s dark secret!! The cover doesn’t make things look good for Sskeer at all, which would be disappointing if he were to die, but we’ll have to read the issue to find out!! As for Starlight Beacon…sounds like it has quite the rough start if the Drengir have already made it there, but if there’s any Jedi I’d trust to fight them back, it’s Vernestra Rwoh (find out how the 16 year old Jedi Knight has an apprentice already by reading A Test of Courage)! And I’m curious why the Hutts are clashing with the Jedi…do they blame them for the unnamed Hutt’s death, as seen in the series’ second issue? Check out all our cover of THR with our special page!
Star Wars #13 (on sale 5/12)
Charles Soule (Writer), Ramon Rosanas (Artist)
Cover by Carlo Pagulayan | Crimson Variant Cover by Carlo Pagulayan | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | Artist Variant Cover by Terry Dodson | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher
PRELUDE TO WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS: “THE HUNT FOR HAN”
- CHEWBACCA has heard from an old friend with intelligence on the location of notorious bounty hunter BOBA FETT, known to be in possession of HAN SOLO.
- Along with LUKE SKYWALKER, the loyal Wookiee sets off in search of his lost friend, on an adventure to Nar Shadaa… the SMUGGLER’S MOON!
- But will this mission prevent plucky astromech droid ARTOO DETOO from passing along a crucial message to Luke, one that will affect the fate of the entire Jedi Order…?
Soule being the mastermind of War of the Bounty Hunters, it’s only fitting he begins the whole “Prelude” crossover issues with the latest entry of Star Wars (Vol. 2). As far as starts go, it sounds rather intriguing, from having Luke and Chewbacca back on Nar Shadaa (after Luke got punched by a Hutt and Chewie wielded two lightsabers to rescue him) could be tons of fun, as I’m sure there’ll be beings with grudges looking for these two. But even more fascinating and giant is Artoo’s critical Jedi Order related message!! Who, what, and why could it be so important…and why can’t Artoo pass it along at a later date?! Can’t wait to find out!
Bounty Hunters #12 (on sale 5/19)
Ethan Sacks (Writer), Paolo Villanelli (Artist)
Cover by Mattia De Lulis | Crimson Variant Cover by Mattia De Lulis | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover by Chris Spouse
PRELUDE TO WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS: “THE THREAT IN THE SHADOWS”
- As VALANCE and his reluctant partner DENGAR race to intercept BOBA FETT and his precious cargo, who are the deadly pursuers that are after them?
- A dark secret from Valance’s past connection to HAN SOLO may get him killed all these years later.
- But who is the mysterious leader of an assassination squad that is driving Valance into a life-and-death confrontation with his old friend?
I haven’t been reading the Bounty Hunters series, but after a recent change from an unnecessary and shocking death, I might considering jumping back in, though I will simply for this issue to get the full “Prelude” story for War of the Bounty Hunters.
Darth Vader #12 (on sale 5/26)
Greg Pak (Writer), Guiu Vilanova (Artist)
Cover by Aaron Kuder | Crimson Variant Cover by Aaron Kuder | Empire Strikes Back Variant Cover by Chris Spouse
PRELUDE TO WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS: “RESTORATION”
- Returned to the fold after his rebellion against the EMPEROR, DARTH VADER faces the horrors of reconstruction in the secret laboratories of CORUSCANT.
- As he blacks out under the knife, does he still dream of revenge against his master? Or do his thoughts drift towards his son – and the friends who make LUKE SKYWALKER so vulnerable?
- Don’t miss this next critical new chapter in Vader’s ongoing evolution – featuring the revelation of the first time the Dark Lord learned the name HAN SOLO!
Vader’s warpath to Exegol have been far too easy so I’m glad to see it looks to go badly for him soon, considering he’ll need a full reconstruction after he returns. A full issue of flashbacks/memories doesn’t sound terribly exciting, but the series has proven me wrong before in doubting. However, the “Prelude” aspect for War of the Bounty Hunters might simply be Vader learning Han Solo’s name and I fail to see the importance of the moment, but once again, I’d happily be proven wrong; hope there’s a note in an Imperial file that highlights some random dude picked Han’s last name. Lastly, a big welcome to the new artist taking over the series: Guiu Vilanova!
Doctor Aphra #10 (on sale 5/26)
Alyssa Wong (Writer), Ray-Anthony Height (Artist)
Cover by Joshua “SWAY” Swaby | Crimson Variant Cover by SWAY | Variant Cover by Ray-Anthony Height
PRELUDE TO WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS: “THE INVITATION”
- DOCTOR APHRA and SANA STARROS find themselves cornered by VUKORAH and the UNBROKEN CLAN!
- Can they pull off a daring escape–even if that means surrendering the NIHIL HYPERDRIVE?
- And what sets them on a collision course with one of the most deadly BOUNTY HUNTERS in the galaxy?
The final “Prelude” crossover issue, Aphra and Sana’s misadventures tracking down the Nihil hyperdrive have them in sights of both Vukorah and it seems Boba Fett. Aphra might not care much about Han beyond the credits, so going after Boba and his prize wouldn’t be a surprise, though I imagine Sana would be eager to make Han worth her time and collecting his bounty would likely make her feel better about having to potentially work with him again if she helps the Rebellion in the future. Either way, just glad to have more Sana and Aphra!!
IDW
The High Republic Adventures #4 (on sale 5/5)
Daniel Jose Older (Writer), Harvey Tolibao (Artist/Cover Artist)
Variant Cover by Yael Nathan
Zeen has followed the Jedi to the Starlight Beacon, where she learns what it means to be a Padawan and begins her own training. Meanwhile, her best friend Krix tries to survive on a Nihil ship, fighting their way through a Republic blockade, as he wonders who the mysterious person who rescued him truly is.
Writer Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Last Shot, and artist Harvey Tolibao bring IDW into The High Republic, a massive crossover spanning comics and prose!
We haven’t even got the second issue yet, but the first revealed a series just as exciting, thrilling, and full of complex/interesting characters as Marvel’s THR comic. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Zeen, Krix, Lula and her friends, and a slightly younger Yoda. By the way, these variant covers by Yael Nathan actually are connecting ones (I missed that tidbit in a recent This Week! in Star Wars)…just wait until you see the full spread! In the meantime, check out our The High Republic page for all our coverage!
Star Wars Adventures #8 {Vol. 2} (on sale 5/5)
Sam Maggs, Danny Lore (Writers), Liana Kangas, Arianna Florean (Artists)
Cover A by Francesco Francavilla | Cover B by Arianna Florean
The Empire has been defeated, but that doesn’t mean that the adventures are over for Luke and Leia, who find themselves in a tricky situation that they have to work together to get out of! Plus, Count Dooku has sinister plans for a clone trooper!
Sam Magg’s story of Luke and Leia hanging out post-Endor, knowing full well they are related, seems to continue (and likely conclude) with this issue. I’m really eager for as much sibling content as we can get at this point so I can’t wait for whatever this tale brings in its two issues. As for the Tale of Villainy backup story, more Count Dooku is also always on my list, so this overall sounds like a real good issue for me! Arianna Florean’s work has always delighted in the past so I’ll be curious to see what she’ll bring to the villainous table. UPDATE: Seems this one is actually set to release in May, per Previewsworld, but I’ll keep it here until May’s full solicits arrive (because if you look back at the February and March below, you’ll see how chaotic all the release date changes for IDW have been. UPDATE: This is still set for May, alongside the 9th issue below.
Star Wars Adventures #9 {Vol. 2} (on sale 5/26)
Michael Moreci, Vita Ayala (Writers), Devaun Dowdy, Mike Oeming (Artists)
Cover A by Francesco Francavilla | Cover B by Devaun Dowdy
Mace Windu and his Lightning Squadron land on the planet Ridlay, which has gone mysteriously dark, expecting a Separatist attack. But what they find instead is a surprise to them all. Then, Boba Fett makes his Star Wars Adventures debut as he clashes with Han Solo in the time before Episode IV!
Mace Windu’s previous comic appearances haven’t been so bright, but I believe Michael Moreci should be able to do the character justice…regardless, I’m too excited about the prospect of more micro-Clone Wars stories. As for the backup tale, getting to see some clashes between Han and Boba, who we’ve never really seen interact much together in canon, will be a nice change of pace; but dank ferrik, Boba really is everywhere this month.
Star Wars Adventures: The Weapon of a Jedi #1 (on sale 5/26)
Alec Worley (Writer), Ruairí Coleman (Artist), Chris O’Halloran (Colors)
Cover by Ruairí Coleman
The critically praised novel by New York Times bestselling writer Jason Fry is adapted to comics in this all-new adventure. The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Empire’s dreaded Death Star, but the Imperial starfleet continues hunting the rebels throughout the galaxy. Luke Skywalker now seeks to support the Rebellion as an X-wing fighter. But as he flies with the pilots of the Red Squadron, Luke feels stirrings of the Force. And this farm boy turned fighter pilot begins to suspect that his destiny lies along a different path.
Much like the Smuggler’s Run comic adaptation earlier this year, originally in Germany, Weapon of the Jedi comes to English audiences finally! It’s definitely a great Luke tale, as original author Jason Fry really captures the essence of Luke, and this should be a neat story to see visually. Now here’s hoping this leads to an adaptation of Leia’s Moving Target novel in the same series, the only one not adapted in either Germany or English, even though I’d argue it’s the strongest of the three.
2021 Comic Solicitations: January | February | March | April
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.