Marvel is taking its Star Wars comics beyond Return of the Jedi in October, with both an Ewoks miniseries and the beginning of The Battle of Jakku maxiseries, and I will say this works very well as my birthday gift! Thank you, Marvel! As the Battle of Jakku is releasing almost weekly, we have the opening chunk of its 12-issue story to enjoy, as well as the ending of the Inquisitors miniseries, and lots of The High Republic goodness thanks to Dark Horse, so head below to read all about it!
MARVEL
The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #1 (on sale 10/2)
Alex Segura (Writer), Leonard Kirk & Stefano Raffaele (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto
The New Republic faces deadly adversaries! Mon Mothma and Leia must make a difficult decision to deal with a defiant Imperial hell-bent on preserving the legacy of Palpatine and Vader! Luke hunts for a lost Jedi relic but makes a startling discovery! The underworld simmers with intrigue as an unholy alliance is formed! A ragtag group of New Republic heroes sets out on a mission—and their return is not guaranteed!
The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #2 (on sale 10/16)
Alex Segura (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto
The New Republic faces deadly adversaries! Mon Mothma and Leia must make a difficult decision to deal with a defiant Imperial hell-bent on preserving the legacy of Palpatine and Vader! Luke hunts for a lost Jedi relic but makes a startling discovery! The underworld simmers with intrigue as an unholy alliance is formed! A ragtag group of New Republic heroes sets out on a mission—and their return is not guaranteed!
The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #3 (on sale 10/30)
Alex Segura (Writer), Jethro Morales & Leonard Kirk (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto
Kes Dameron faces death in the grip of a fearsome Imperial Threat! Who is the mysterious Reyna Oskur—and what does her influence over the Defiant Imperial mean for the New Republic? Does the Defiant Imperial have an Inquisitor by his side?! Our villain consolidates his power—but at what cost? An iconic, familiar face arrives to save the captured heroes!
The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #4 (on sale 11/6) {Advanced Solicited}
Alex Segura (Writer), Jethro Morales & Leonard Kirk (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto
Chaos reigns as the Defiant Imperial comes face-to-face with the heroes of the New Republic! Luke vs. a new Inquisitor! The Imperial survivors consolidate behind the Defiant Imperial—putting the just-formed New Republic at risk! Kes Dameron and his team try for a daring escape—but meet an unexpected hurdle! The Galactic Civil War takes a startling twist—and bad omens arise for the future of the New Republic!
This really does sound like quite the blast, especially since the remaining 8 issues will likely all come out before the end of 2024, giving the story a sense of urgency monthly releases can’t always contain. As I discussed in my article about the maxiseries’ announcement, it looks like this story is adapting the mobile game Uprising, which shut down before it could complete its story, while it’s pulling elements from other release set in the lead up to the pivotal battle at Jakku, specifically the Aftermath Trilogy but also hopefully other releases as well. And the Luke Skywalker stuff, fighting a new Inquisitor (is it Tensu Run from the Inquisitors miniseries, a theory I only have due to the solicit below?), sounds like such a blast and makes it feel like the gloves have come off for this part of the timeline. We’ll know even more about Marvel’s plans at the SDCC panel on July 25, the same day as these released, so I’ll link to that here once I’ve got the news covered. UPDATE: We….did not learn anything more at that panel, more about The Acolyte tie-in books than anything else!
Inquisitors #4 (on sale 10/2)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Ramon Rosanas (Artist)
Cover by Nick Bradshaw | Variant Cover by Paulo Siqueira
JEDI LEGEND TENSU RUN CONFRONTS THE INQUISITORS…AND THE DARK SIDE ITSELF!
- Seething at his INQUISITORS’ failure to eliminate Jedi TENSU RUN, DARTH VADER turns up the heat – and the bodies pile up.
- While eluding his hunters, Tensu remains dedicated to rebuilding the JEDI ORDER.
- But as those close to him face greater risk, he has no choice but to face his fate head-on!
- Jaded by his pursuers’ disastrous rampage, what path will Tensu take? And what will it mean for the future of the Jedi?
Tensu Run, what’s about to happen to you? The first issue left me intrigued overall, as Tensu becoming a symbol of hope is quite the battle for the Inquisitorious, as they are used to solving their problems with a lightsaber and what Tensu represents can’t be so easily defeated. Or will the Jedi’s plans undo the goodwill in the galaxy for the Inquisitors? I like my theory of him being the Inquisitor Luke will face in The Battle of Jakku, as it would be a fun way to continue this series’ story, as so far the other 4-issue miniseries have all promised more to come and I can only assume this will say the same in this finale issue.
Ewoks #1 (on sale 10/9)
Steve Orlando (Writer), Laura Braga & Álvaro López (Artist)
Cover by Pete Woods | Variant by David López | Action Figure variant cover by John Tyler Christopher
CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF CARAVAN OF COURAGE, THE EWOKS RETURN IN AN ALL-NEW MINISERIES SET AFTER THE EVENTS OF RETURN OF THE JEDI!
- A team of Imperial-led BOUNTY HUNTERS and scavengers arrive on the Forest Moon of Endor searching for a secret cache of Imperial weaponry!
- Are they prepared to face off against the battle-ready Ewoks who took down so many of their ranks?
- Who is the mysterious new warrior Ewok returning to Bright Tree village, and what is their connection to WICKET W. WARRICK?
Murder bear fans, unite, this one is for all of us…and for those who can’t enjoy fun, cute things in its space fantasy franchise! If this doesn’t turn your feelings around on the fuzzy warriors on the Forest Moon of Endor…well, I don’t know what will. After the great Return of the Jedi – Ewoks #1, I have some high hopes for more fun Ewok-shenanigans, while I’m eager to meet whomever this returning Ewok warrior is that has ties to Wicket!
Ahsoka #4 (on sale 10/9)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Georges Jeanty (Artist)
Cover by E.M. Gist | Variant Cover by Annie Wu | Variant Cover by Rod Reis
FALLEN JEDI!
- Hera risks her career to help her friends, while Ahsoka and Sabine confront enemies!
You can check out our review of the fourth Ahsoka episode here!
DARK HORSE
The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #1 (on sale 10/9)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Paris Alleyne (Artist)
Cover by Jake Bartok
The marauders known as the Nihil have stranded hundreds of worlds in a part of the galaxy known as the Occlusion Zone. With communications blocked and ships unable to enter, Jedi Knights Keeve Trennis and Elzar Mann have turned to centuries-old technology to send messages of hope into the Zone. The messages they receive in return–from Jedi younglings, Padawans, and Knights, and more—will set the stage for the final battle between the noble Jedi and the nefarious Nihil.
{Advanced Solicited} Announced alongside the official reveal of Echoes of Fear, this four-issue mini promises to include updates and insights into many different characters in the lead up to the final few months of Phase III. I find it curious in the solicit here how Elzar Mann and Keeve Trennis are both referred to as Jedi Knights and not Masters, unless they meant it more in the colloquially sense? If not….does Mann get demoted sometime after Temptation of the Force? And while Cavan Scott teased the fourth and final issue will follow Keeve, who no longer goes by the rank of Jedi Master by the time of the story, I find it hard to imagine she’d still be in the order if she’s not going by Master. Either way, the first issue might be starring Emerick Caphtor, Jedi Investigator, and teamed up with someone unexpected (and it takes place concurrently with The High Republic Adventures #11 – Phase III {see below} and something called Return to Valo, which I originally took to be a mistake to mean Escape from Valo, though it seemingly could be a reference to the storyline of issue #11, but this Men In Black gif seems to suggest otherwise….wait, what was I talking about again???)
The High Republic Adventures #11 – Phase III (on sale 10/16)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Caìo Filipe (Artist)
Cover by Harvey & Kevin Tolibao | Variant Cover by Elisa Romboli (pictured)
Eriadu is under siege! The fate of the planet lies with the ruling Tarkin family, and nobody knows whose side they’re on. Will the Tarkins join forces with the Republic resistance or capitulate to the vile Nihil? While the bureaucrats wheel and deal, Padawan Ram Jomaram gathers a team of underdogs to launch a rescue mission deep within the Occlusion Zone!
- Artist Caio Filipe, the illustrator of Lotus Land, joins the High Republic Adventures saga for the first time!
{Advanced Solicited} Eriadu taking center stage has of course come with the inevitable question, are the Tarkins a thing at this point, and if so, will they be involved with the story? Well, this solicit reveals the ancient Tarkins are in the mix and, as one would imagine, their allegiances look to be a mystery aka whatever will help them remain in their positions of power. Also, looking forward for Ram to join the series and get mixed up with its characters!!
The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #3 (on sale 10/30) {Advanced Solicited}
George Mann (Writer), Vincenzo Federici (Artist)
Cover by Eduardo Mello
Jedi Knight Reath Silas and Jedi Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo continue researching the Echo Stones. In doing so, they learn of the daring mission of a Republic Pathfinder team as they attempt to discover what happened to the famous Jedi Barnabas Vim, who went missing decades earlier, and whose fate appears inexorably tied to the mysterious Echo Stones.
{Advanced Solicited} First a Wayfinder (which I imagine is a Wayseeker in the pre-Phase II timeline Barnabas Vim’s story takes place) and now a Pathfinder mission in focus?? Echoes of Fear looks to be a greatest hits of the past but also connecting it to the present story, something Phase III is just starting to really get into.
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.