Welcome back to another new comic book day, EveryWookiee!! I’ve scoured today’s news releases and below are the first appearances, cameos and key events from this week’s Marvel Star Wars comic releases, Star Wars Adventures #10, Star Wars #17, and Ghosts of Vader’s Castle #2.
You can find all this information and tons more on WookyWiki.com, our sister site and Star Wars Comics First Appearance and Key Issue Database!
Star Wars Adventures 10
Star Wars Adventures #10 is the first appearance of Zak and Tash Arranda in new canon and their first comic book appearance ever! Cover B is their first comic cover appearance. Zak and Tash are Alderaanian orphans who get adopted by their uncle Hoole.
Hoole also makes his first canon appearance, first comic apearance, and first cover appearance here! Hoole was an anthropologist who adopted his niece and nephew Zak and Tash. He has a history of experimentation, including work for Palpatine (at least in Legends). He’s assisted by a droid in this issue. Although unnamed in Star Wars Adventures #10, the droid was known in Legends as DV-9. This is DV-9’s first canon appearance and first comic appearance as well. All four characters first appeared in the first entry in the Young Reader’s line of horror books, Galaxy of Fear: Eaten Alive.
These books were sort of a Star Wars twist on the popular Goosebumps series of books from the 90s. Horror in space if you will. I have high hopes that this won’t be Zak and Tash Arranda’s first and only canon appearance. I think a horror anthology featuring them could work out really well in either comics or streaming on Disney+. With the “Vader’s Castle” line of annual Halloween releases coming to an end this month, I think these characters would make a great replacement!
Ghosts of Vader’s Castle #2
Speaking of Vader’s Castle, issue #2 of the “Ghosts” series is out today. Other than an unnamed aging Wookiee elder, no first appearances or key events featured here. That is, unless you count Chewbacca and Jaxxon growing to 50-feet-tall!
I’m pretty sure this is a non-canon tall tale being told by Jaxxon, though. Awesome, vibrant Francavilla art inside along with Derek Charm in the tall tale flashback! A worthwhile read regardless of lack of first appearances or key events.
Star Wars #17
<Sigh>. I love some Charles Soule, but I really feel like we’re treading water with this issue. There is some cool dog-fighting between Vader and Luke, but it ends somewhat anti-climactically, then restarts as unlikely as it suddenly first ended. Meanwhile, there’s just a discussion in hysterics going on with the current crew of the Falcon while they float adrift. The moments between L3 and Lando were nice, but not enough to keep this issue afloat in my estimation. I don’t know, I think I’m just waiting for this event to pick back up. This feels like an aside.
No first appearances or key events here.
