When I was younger, I read a few stray issues of the Tales of the Jedi and the Shadows of the Empire: Evolution comic, but the majority of my engagement with Star Wars did not include comics, focusing mainly on the novels, video games, TV shows, and movies; heck, I didn’t read any comics outside of SW for some time. It wasn’t until I started writing for a SW fansite in 2012 that I finally decided to dig into Dark Horse’s comics, specifically something I always knew about and wanted to explore, but hadn’t: John Jackson Miller’s Knights of the Old Republic. Zayne’s exploits, the way it subtly tied into the games, and the hilarious Gryph really opened my eyes to what comics could do…and I promptly began exploring mainstream (non-superhero) comics like Y: The Last Man, Monstress, Descender, Fables, and more. Then I started my own fansite. And then Marvel took back SW comics from Dark Horse. I decided I wanted to cover this new batch of stories from Marvel (and later IDW) for the Manor and the comics hooked me ever since, as I’m now unable to imagine engaging with the Saga without reading/enjoying/and dissecting the comics.
After 5 years of new comics (2015-2019) and inspired by Eleven-ThirtyEight’s “The 20 Most Memorable Moments of the New Canon,” I enrolled Manor writer and canon completist Chris to help me compile our top moments in the comics! We both wrote our own separate Top 10 lists, and to show how subjective they are right off the bat, we only overlapped on two (and 1/3) moments (and one’s rather predictable given our love for a certain rogue archaeologist)! In today’s post below, you’ll find our individual #10-8 entries, and you can find Part II here (#7-5), with the finale in Part III (#4-1). So without further ado, let’s dive into the Manor’s Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments Part I, by Chris and Ryan!
Ryan
10. Aphra Lives to Have Her Own Comic! (Darth Vader #25 {Vol. 1}/Doctor Aphra #1 {Vol. 1}):
I’ve never been so angry at a comic before in my life as when I had to watch Doctor Aphra jettisoned out of an airlock, pleading with a merciless Darth Vader. I threw my copy of Darth Vader #25 onto the couch next to me and stormed out of the room; I even had tears, so sad was I to see one of my new favorite characters dying. After a few minutes of fuming, I returned to the comic and continued reading, barely registering events thereafter. Then the credits rolled…only it didn’t mean the end, as the next panel focused on Aphra’s lifeless body, floating in the cold of space, but instead of giving me anger for highlighting her being dead, it gave me hope, and only a few panels later came her rescue! Her death seemed all but certain for so long, but it was an assumption we’ve made about characters in the past (look at how far Ahsoka Tano has come!) and this proved once again there can be a far more interesting answer than death if we don’t see a character in a subsequent movie.
This would not go on to be her last escape from Vader’s grasps, but it’s such a memorable moment because it heralded in a whole new area for the character, as she would go to star in her own series as one of many first for Star Wars comics: first female lead of an on-going comic, first queer lead character, first POC lead character, first comic created character to receive a series, etc. Her continued existence might be the bane of many others characters’, but for many Star Wars fans, including this one, it’s anything but a joy.
9. Black Squadron Comes Together and Saves Itself (Poe Dameron #31):
Like the series itself, Black Squadron of Poe Dameron comic fame continuously found a way to survive despite the increasing odds against them. After the series survived well beyond its expected end, becoming the first piece of content filling in the gap between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, it finally had a finale in sight and it looked to be taking Black Squadron with it. Without allies, without backup, Black Squadron faced their toughest mission yet, fighting against a seemingly insurmountable force of First Order fighters due to their limited resources and Poe himself not even with them. While the series might be named after the titular roguish pilot, Black Squadron was the backbone of the story, as we watched characters like Karé Kun come to find love in wartime acceptable despite the situations they found themselves in, Snap Wexley from the Aftermath novels showing he even deserves the love of someone like Karé, Jess Pava’s plight with droids played up for comedic effect while her skills as a mechanic shined through, and Suralinda Javos offering some hard-hitting journalism (literally, in one case) and ideas for gaining sympathy and supporters to the Resistance. Each character had enough panel time to really make an impact on readers, so when the penultimate issue of the series left us with a cliffhanger about all their lives, it led to a joyous eruption when the whole Squad worked together, including Poe coming in clutch at the pivotal moment, allowing the characters to show their teamwork, skills, and the importance of looking out for one another.
The series that lived past its expiration date couldn’t have asked for a more rousing and fulfilling ending.
8. Special Trifecta: Jar Jar with Lightsaber, Yoda’s Struggle on Dagobah, and Maz and Chewie Get Close (Age of Republic: Special #1/Age of Rebellion: Special #1/Age of Resistance: Special #1):
Take all three of these Special issue highlights from the Age of Star Wars maxiseries together and you have a potent mix of the fun, weird, and pathos of the Saga as a whole, another ringing endorsement for the maxiseries’ concept. With Jar Jar Binks brandishing a lightsaber to save Captain Rex, we get a dose of the fun present throughout the Saga, taking a usually bumbling character and giving them a heroic moment (as The Clone Wars was fond of doing); having Maz Kanata astride Chewbacca’s shoulders, mowing down their enemies, is a weird sight to behold, but it’s par for the course with the Saga, and how it paid off a funny little joke from 2015’s The Force Awakens was a wonderful little touch; while Yoda’s constant struggle against the dark side of the Force during his exile on Dagobah, realizing how important a teacher failure can be, speaks to the Saga at large, as it’s advice that he’ll give Luke Skywalker many years later but also one of those sage tidbits of wisdom one can use in everyday life. The three moments are appropriately special in their own right, but taken together, they’re more special than initially realized.
Chris
10. Leia’s Extrasensory Experiences (Shattered Empire #3/Princess Leia #2):
One thing that might have caught the average viewer by surprise whilst watching The Rise of Skywalker was Luke’s revelation that he had been training Leia as a Jedi Knight. Sure, we knew from previous films that she had some inkling of a connection with the Force, coming into play a few major times, such as when she senses Luke in danger on Bespin or Han dying and while she is on D’Qar. For a lot of viewers, watching Leia harness the Force carries a huge significance: the heroine of our favorite movie is able to access the Force, too! But these moments in the films aren’t the only times that Leia has reached out and harnessed the incredible power of the Force.
In the comics, and I’m cheating by adding two moments for the tenth slot here, we see her make two major connections with people long dead through the Force. We’re so used to seeing the Force used for defense, ideally, or for fighting, that it’s really amazing to see Leia unknowingly gain connections with people using the Force. Even without realizing it, Leia is interacting with the Force the way a Jedi properly should: to build connections across time and space.
First, shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Leia and Alderaanian pilot Evaan Verlaine find themselves on Naboo, searching for refugees from the destruction of Alderaan. As she passes a mosaic of Queen Amidala, Leia’s heightened senses pick up on some sort of presence. For the readers, we are treated to a visual representation of the mosaic of Queen Amidala moving to acknowledge Leia. This is a touching moment for us as readers, finally seeing Leia have some connection with her mother – a connection that a lot of other mediums have (so far) ignored. Leia doesn’t quite put all of the pieces together on why she feels such a strong connection with this presence, but she does seem to understand that *something* has happened there. The mini-series as a whole was too short, and packed with a lot of story elements, so itpasses quickly, but it is the biggest stand out from the series by far.
Years later, Leia would return to Naboo to combat the late Sheev Palpatine’s revenge, called Operation: Cinder. As she, Shara Bey, and the current Queen of Naboo board Naboo starfighters to fight Imperial satellites raining destruction on the planet, she feels another flash of recognition in Theed’s hangar. More precisely, she feels a blast of cold anger; we, the readers, know she stands where Darth Maul once stood to confront Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as an image of his blood-shot Sith eyes are superimposed over her. The page shows a gripping image of the awareness wash over her, before she pilots a starfighter.
For those who have been curious about Leia’s Force abilities in canon, these comics give us brief glimpses of her reality. But these moments are more than that: these connect her to her history and her family. Big events happened on Naboo, all of which would be threatened to be buried by the Empire. But Leia’s Force sensitivity makes sure that they aren’t forgotten, and she gets a chance to connect with her family that was stolen from her.
9. Jar Jar and his Lightsaber (Age of Republic: Special #1):
If you have been reading some of my articles over the years, you’ll know that I love when Star Wars goes weird. Usually, when I say that, I am saying that I love when Star Wars adds big creatures, silly mystical elements, or some strange warship that will never be seen again. But for this moment, I want to highlight something a little less fantastical, but just as funny: Representative Jar Jar Binks wielding the weapon of a Jedi.
Sure, we know that Jar Jar is kind of silly, and he has been the butt of far too many jokes for far too long. But the canon has given Jar Jar a renaissance of sorts. He has a pretty substantial role in The Clone Wars, with some of my favorite lines in the series and he even has a chance to pretend to be a Jedi. But the comics really give Jar Jar a moment to shine when he takes up the lightsaber to defend his friends.
The Gungans are a proud warrior people. We see this from the beginning of the Saga when they arm themselves to combat the Trade Federation’s Invasion of Naboo. During the war, the Gungans fight alongside the Republic to free both the Mon Cal and Quarren people from Separatist control. Jar Jar himself joins the battle for Mom Cala, becoming instrumental in bringing peace back to the system.
The Age of Republic: Special does a brilliant job of combining both the humor that Jar Jar can bring while also bringing in some of his more serious, warrior-esque aspects. When Captain Rex finds himself in trouble, he is separated from the people he can usually trust to bail him out of trouble, like Ahsoka, Anakin, or Obi-Wan. From whom does he find salvation this time? Jar Jar with a lightsaber.
Life’s funny that way.
8. Doctor Aphra’s Introduction (Darth Vader #3 {Vol. 1}):
You’ve probably been wondering where Doctor Aphra has been on this list, considering the fact that we do not keep our love for the rogue archaeologist a secret. You were right to wonder, and I am happy to say that you’re about to experience the first of many moments.
First, I want to highlight why I chose this moment. Usually, I find the franchise’s use of homages to be pretty disappointing. Sometimes, they tend to stick too closely to the source material, like the Zillo Beast duology from TCW matching the Godzilla franchise too closely. Sometimes, it can be overused, like three stories adapting The Seven Samurai. But when the franchise can use homages rightly, it brings a few layers of flair and dimension to a story.
When Doctor Aphra was introduced in the Darth Vader on-going’s first volume, she was introduced as almost a dark combination of Han Solo and Indiana Jones. She’s out for herself, but she won’t find a Rebellion to join (or a princess). She’s into relics, but she doesn’t think they belong in a museum. (Oh, and all three really hate specific animals.) Her introduction visually brings this connection with Indiana Jones to bear in a few really clever ways.
If you recall the famous opening sequence of The Raiders of the Lost Ark, we find Indiana Jones stealing a fertility idol from a pedestal, which releases a giant boulder that would crush him if it caught up with him. Similarly, Aphra is seeking to steal the Triple-Zero matrix, a weaponized program that would make any droid deadly. As she liberates the matrix from its home, a droideka, in its rolled form, chases her down a hallway, similarly to the boulder. She would later say that the matrix doesn’t belong in a museum, but an armory, which might make our favorite treasure hunter a bit wary.
Sure, it’s a little too close to the original source, but it communicates a lot about the Doctor before we even know her. Thankfully, the rest of the series would be devoted to bringing out a lot of the personality of the not-so-good Doctor, which we’ll both explore later.
That brings the first installment to a close! Website favorite Doctor Aphra managed to score two spots but somehow, in a way, Jar Jar did too? What else is in store for the remaining spots of the Manor’s Top 10 Unforgettable Star Wars Comics Moments? Check by Wednesday for Part II and Friday for Part III to find out! Here’s Part II and the grand finale, Part III!
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. Chris is the Manor’s Sous Chef. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisWerms, You can follow the website @MynockManor.
All comic panel images credited to Marvel/Lucasfilm