In the early 2000/2010’s, September always felt big in Star Wars, be it the release of video games, the films on DVD in new cuts, or the premiere of a new season of The Clone Wars, so it only seems fitting the latest era of comics comes to a giant-sized end during said month with issue #50 for Star Wars (Vol. 2) and Darth Vader (Vol. 3). There is an The Acolyte tie-in and another issue of the Inquisitor-focused miniseries from Marvel to enjoy as well, while Dark Horse continues to deliver more High Republic content than fans can hope, so see what’s all in store in September’s 2024 Star Wars comic solicitations!
MARVEL
The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1 (on sale 9/4)
Cavan Scott (Writer), Marika Cresta (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Björn Barends | Variant Cover by Takashi Okazaki
KELNACCA FROM THE HIT DISNEY+ SERIES DEBUTS!
- CAVAN SCOTT and MARIKA CRESTA bring the action as Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca steps into the pages of his own issue!
- Delve deep into the history of Kelnacca and the world of the High Republic in this bombastic one-shot!
- Includes an exclusive interview with Kelnacca actor Joonas Suotamo.
Since the comic’s announcement, we’ve had the chance to see Kelnacca a few times in The Acolyte, though not as much as I’d have hoped so far. I think it’s going to change soon, but we’ll see. Either way, it’ll be nice to have this comic, not only as a chance to expand the character, but get the connection between the publishing initiative’s part on the High Republic timeline and the show’s! Also, neat there’ll be an interview with Jonas!!!
Inquisitors #3 (on sale 9/11)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Ramon Rosanas (Artist)
Cover by Nick Bradshaw | Variant Cover by Carlo Pagulayan
DESTROY THE JEDI!
- Reeling from the death of his master, TENSU RUN commits himself to building a future for the JEDI!
- DARTH VADER tasks the SEVENTH and NINTH SISTERS to draw Jedi TENSU RUN out of hiding and engage in one of the strangest battles ever seen!
We’re closing in on the opening issue of the series, so we’ll start getting answers sooner than later about Tensu Run, but I look forward to seeing more of the Seventh and Ninth Sisters no matter what this Jedi has up his sleeves! Especially since we’re promised, “…one of the strangest battles ever seen!” something artist Ramon Rosanas will be able to live up to.
Star Wars #50 (on sale 9/11)
Charles Soule (Writer), Madibek Musabekov (Artist)
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant Cover by Stephen Segovia | Variant Cover by David López | The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Variant Cover by Chris Sprouse | Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher
A fifty-page extravaganza! Jedi Master Luke Skywalker must teach his student Ben Solo a powerful lesson about the true balance between Light and Dark! He offers up a tale from the days of the Rebel Alliance that touches on multiple eras of Star Wars history, and brings this epic run to a thrilling, incredible climax!
Ben Solo and Luke Skywalker training?! The creepy Azlin Rell from the High Republic is somehow involved?! This is the final issue of Soule’s run??!! As announced in the morning before these solicits released, the ending of this era of comics, set between Episodes V and VI is finally here. It’s great they’re giving the series a full 50 pages to close it out, as given the last few storylines in the series, it would’ve been too abrupt to end at #50 with a normal page count. This definitely sounds like classic Soule, combining past, present, and future in intriguing ways, and I am eager to see the results. As for what’s next…. supposedly it’ll be announced soon!
Darth Vader #50 (on sale 9/18)
Greg Pak (Writer), Raffaele Ienco & Others (Aritst)
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu | Variant Cover by John Giang | Variant Cover by Rod Reis
GIANT-SIZED DARTH VADER EPIC!
- The longest-running Darth Vader comic series ever reaches its stunning conclusion as the Dark Heart of the Sith comes full circle!
- Darth Vader finally unleashes the unfathomable power he’s accumulated through the Schism Imperial against the only person in the galaxy he hates more than he hates himself: Emperor Palpatine!
- Also featuring the final twists in the saga for key characters like Luke, Leia, Sabé, Ochi, the droid ZED-6-7, Sly Moore, the members of the Schism Imperial and more!
My feelings for this series are pretty plain to see in my reviews, so like I mentioned in my article about this era of comics, so therefore this series, ending with issue #50, “longest-running” isn’t the flex they think it is. Promising we’ll learn what comes next for many of the series’ supporting characters has me most excited for the full 50 pages this gets as well, while it completing the journey it was taking Vader is a nice touch since it didn’t quite ever feel like it would. As for what comes next….may Vader finally rest from the comics!!!!
Ahsoka #3 (on sale 9/25)
Rodney Barnes (Writer), Steven Cummings (Artist)
Cover by Phil Noto | Variant Cover by Rickie Yagawa | Variant Cover by Rod Reis | Concept Art Variant Also Available
TIME TO FLY!
- Hera tangles with New Republic politics while Ahsoka and Sabine Wren voyage to a distant planet!
You can check out our review of the third Ahsoka episode here!
DARK HORSE
The High Republic Adventures #10 – Phase III (on sale 9/11)
Daniel José Older (Writer), Toni Bruno (Artist)
Cover by Harvey & Kevin Tolibao
Zeen, Lula, and their friends come face-to-face with a familiar nemesis on the streets of Eriadu City! As the Republic and the Jedi try to protect the capital from capture, they must do battle with old enemies. The fate of the planet is on the line as the forces of light and dark vie for its allegiance!
*Ongoing series.
{This was Advanced Solicited for July’s releases} It feels weird to be reading about issue #9 when we’re about to get issue #5 on April 24 (UPDATE: which we’ve now enjoyed, as well as p!), though I will say, this doesn’t give away any of the potential emotional responses these events and issues will contain in the meantime, at least! How much will the fallout effect the shocking events of the previous issue, as read about above? I like that Eriadu, which has only been a meeting spot at our current releases in the series, will be so vital in the moments ahead for the series!
The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #2 (on sale 9/25 10/09)
George Mann (Writer), Vincenzo Federici (Artist)
Cover by Eduardo Mello
Jedi Knight Reath Silas and Jedi Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo delve deeper in the history of the Echo Stones. In doing so, they unearth the epic tale of Jedi Master Barnabas Vim and his Padawan Vix Fonnick as they try to uncover an Echo Stone from the hands of a Jedi Wayfinder who risks being seduced by its force-amplifying power.
{This was Advanced Solicited for July’s releases} I imagine they probably had a proper announcement for it (UPDATE: they definitely did!), and I can dream of it being a High Republic Show because that would be amazing, but The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #1 needs ALL of your attention regardless. This is almost like a direct sequel to one of Phase II’s most intriguing and unique stories, The High Republic Adventures – Quest of the Jedi, which took place even further back than the start of Phase II and introduced us to the Echo Stones and mentions of Darth Ravi. Barnabus Vim and his apprentice Vix Fonnick would go on to take the fractured stones and hide them, but they are largely believed to be the ones in the control rods for the Nameless. So there’s a lot of history here, lots of big answers could come from this, maybe even more than Mann’s novel Tears of the Nameless, out September 24, which also features Reath Silas, Amadeo Azzazzo, while they are joined by Azlin Rell, who also appeared in Quest of the Jedi! Lots of connections! And this might be a miniseries (UPDATE: it’s 4 issues), so I’m curious about any overlap with Mann’s novel!
The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #1 (on sale 10/9) {Advanced Solicited}
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) {Advanced Solicited}
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 11/13) {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.