Welcome back to another new comic book day, EveryWookiee!! Every week I take a look at the Star Wars comic releases and analyze for first appearances and key events that may be worth collecting or keeping an eye on for future development.
First appearances and keys from these weekly articles get added to or sister site and Star Wars comics first appearance and key issue database, Wookywiki.com!
This week had a whopping 4 issues released in the Star Wars universe! Firsts and Keys were light, but we still got four really enjoyable reads and I also got a chance to check out the first Armorer in Manga, Big Gangan 7!
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!
Doctor Aphra 21
First off, Aphra has been consumed by the Spark Eternal! This technically happened on the last few pages of Doctor Aphra #20, so depending on how you slice things that’s either a cameo or first appearance as Aphra as the Spark Eternal. Whether this will become a point of debate depends on how much fans end up caring for the Spark Eternal. Is this a one and done storyline? Or will the Spark Eternal spin off into some sort of Venom-esque symbiote anti-hero status? The way these types of possessions and infestations have gone in prior Star Wars comics, I don’t expect it to last. We’ll see, though.
Sana shows up back at Domina Tagge’s empty-handed with no Spark Eternal to show for her efforts. She’s tasked with tracking down Aphra. Domina insists on Boushh and his crew joining the hunt. Boushh’s first appearance is in WOBH Boushh #1 (although that is another sticky question to unravel).
Domina finds Ronen’s bug in her court and smashes it. Ronen Tagge first appears in Doctor Aphra #1 (2020). Next, Sana works to track down characters from Aphra’s past, who she theorizes know her best and can find her. She recruits Aphra’s father (first mentioned in Darth Vader 10 (2015), first appears in Doctor Aphra 1 (2016)), Vulaada Klam (first appearance in Doctor Aphra 27 (2016)), Vulaada’s pet Qaberworm, Gurtyl (first appearance in Doctor Aphra 27 (2016)), Eustacia Okka (first appearance Doctor Aphra #1 (2020), Detta Yao (first appearance Doctor Aphra #1 (2020), and finally Magna Tolvan, former imperial, now Rebel defector, and former lover of Aphra (first appearance Doctor Aphra #3 (2016).
So, not much new here, but definitely bringing the gang back together and revisiting fan-favorite Doctor Aphra characters!
Obi-Wan 2
So, not a ton new in this issue, but it’s a very cool view into Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan’s Master/Padawan relationship. Qui-Gonn, as always, is handing our sage wisdom to a young Obi-Wan who we all know grows up to be sagely wise himself. It begins with Ben in his hovel, recounting where the dark side of the Force can lead you:
A very cool glimpse into one of the more impactful scenes from the amazing Rebels cartoon.
He then recalls a mission to an oppressively dark planet:
This is where the issue takes a cool murder mystery type turn. The mysterious darkness on the planet is so oppressive that it actually begins extinguishing the light of the two Jedi’s lightsabers.
In the end, they find that a malfunction of some radioactive equipment has made a member of a particular species, sensitive to such fluctuations. This is the first appearance of Rosack Denahst, a Defel miner. Of course, I expect this to likely be his only story, so not a huge deal.
Darth Vader 24
First of all, the Zama Pride Variant has the first cover appearance of two of Padme’s handmaidens, Yane and Sache. Although both have appeared in the background of Phantom Menace adaptations, the first appearance of Sache was in Darth Vader #4 (2020) along with a background, unnamed cameo of Yane in that same issue.
As Vader and Sabe liberate the Tatooine slaves conscripted by the Imperial Governor of this system, they meet Doctor Aira. This is his first appearance:
We also get our first glimpse of the unnamed Governor:
Han Solo & Chewbacca 3
Variants:
Finally, we have Han Solo & Chewbacca 3. No firsts here, but we do get a fun callback to Crimson Reign 3. If you remember, in Crimson Reign 3, Sava Madelin Sun’s curio shop was raided by Imperial Stormtroopers, bringing her into contact with Qi’ra:
Now we get to see who tipped off those Stormtroopers in this week’s Han Solo & Chewbacca:
That’s a fun little tie-in!
Other than that, we get the highly anticipated return of Black Krrsantan to comics! Black Krrsantan first appeared in Darth Vader 1 (2015).
