Back in 2020 Lucasfilm and Marvel Comics made a big shift with their Star Wars comics runs by ending most of their current runs and starting fresh across the portfolio. Prior to 2020, all of the ongoing runs, Darth Vader, Star Wars (2015), and Doctor Aphra, were set before the events that took place in The Empire Strikes Back. But over time comic book runs in any genre tend to get stale and stop attracting new readers.
This is pretty normal. Someone starting new doesn’t want to start on issue #70 of a run and buying up all of the back issues can be pricy. So Marvel and Lucasfilm ended their ongoing series and started fresh.
2020 saw the launch of:
- Star Wars by Charles Soule
- Star Wars: Darth Vader by Greg Pak
- Star Wars: Bounty Hunters by Ethan Sacks
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra by Crash Wong
And then The High Republic kicked off in 2021.
Within 12 months the landscape of Star Wars comics completely changed. I believe we’re in the middle of a similar refresh in 2024.
Star Wars Comic Runs Ending In 2024
All signs point to a great refresh for Star Wars comics in Q4 of 2024 heading into 2025. This is because we’ve already seen comic runs end and have gotten plenty of hints that more runs are ending soon.
To start, let’s look at the current state of the 4 main comic book runs launched in 2024. All take place between the events in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters by Ethan Sacks
This run ended with issue #42 in January 2024. I think this was needed as the constant crossover issues made it hard for the Bounty Hunters run to keep solid footing and the stories got all over the place.
But even if you were not a fan of Bounty Hunters I would 100% check out Sacks’ new Jango Fett mini-series. I absolutely love it.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) by Crash Wong
This run ended with issue #40 in February 2024. I was a fan of Crash Wong’s Aphra series. While at times it did lean too heavily on Aphra’s complicated love life, which is interesting to many but not so much to me. There were too many issues where Aphra had to confront and/or apologize to an ex-lover. It’s fine storytelling but not really what I’m looking for if I’m reading Star Wars.
That being said, I did like the introduction of the Spark Eternal, The Dark Seekers, The Ascendant, etc. Top-notch creativity in my opinion.
Star Wars (2020) by Charles Soule
This run is ending with issue #50 in September. I know this because the publisher’s description for Star Wars Vol. 9 – The Path of Light (which collects Star Wars #46-50) tells us it is. Here’s the description:
The end of an era approaches, as Marvel begins to set the stage in the comics for STAR WARS: EPISODE VI — RETURN OF THE JEDI! Charles Soule weaves together threads from years of storytelling, as he presents the grand finale of Marvel’s second blockbuster era of STAR WARS! The timeframe between THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI has almost been filled…but there are still a few surprising twists and turns yet to come!
I’m a big Charles Soule fan and, for the most part, I’ve really liked this run but it’s time to move on from the window between Empire and ROTJ. There’s only so much that can and should happen in the ~1 year time period.
Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) by Greg Pak
This run will be ending alongside Charles Soule’s Star Wars ongoing series with issue #50 in September. Similar to the Star Wars run, the Vol. 9 Trade Paperback description makes it clear. We’ll likely see a reboot, that still includes the main OT cast, in the New Republic era soon. I’d guess there will be a new creative team attached to that but I’m not positive.
Ultimate power lies within Darth Vader’s grasp as a major turning point approaches, bringing the Sith Lord ever closer to RETURN OF THE JEDI! Darth Vader has his sights on a massive source of kyber located right in the Emperor’s secret base! But in stealing one of the galaxy’s most powerful and dangerous materials from right under the nose of his ruthless master, has the Dark Lord of the Sith bitten off more than he can chew? Meanwhile, Sabé is on the hunt for Luke Skywalker…but, knowing that the Emperor himself has the same target, will she reach the conclusion that the young Jedi is even more dangerous than Vader? Plus, the Schism Imperial reveal their shocking endgame — and the ramifications could hand Darth Vader everything he ever wanted!
This one isn’t quite as obvious but I’m pretty plugged into the Star Wars comic community. This Darth Vader run has not been well received for the most part. There are interesting elements and it does a good job of showing Darth Vader’s wavering loyalty to the Dark Side but the storylines in seem to draaaaaggg on and the Sabe/Handmaiden arcs don’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
This one is interesting. Since Darth Vader betrays the Emperor and then dies as Anakin at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, there are no Darth Vader stories to be told that take place in the next part of the timeline. At the moment there are three main Darth Vader runs:
- Star Wars: Darth Vader (2015) – Takes place between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: Darth Vader (2017) – Takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope
- Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) – Takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
This is looking like the end of Darth Vader’s ongoing comics run. There will likely be more mini-series involving the chosen one down the line, but consider this the end of an era as far as long ongoing comic series featuring the Dark Lord.
Star Wars: The High Republic #10 by Cavan Scott
Ok, this one is interesting to me. When the Marvel Comics solicitations came out a week or so ago, that included all of the August 2024 Star Wars comics, the publisher’s description for Star Wars: The High Republic Phase III #10 mentioned that this issue will be the finale of this run.
Here’s the full text: “JEDI LOST AND JEDI FOUND! The team-shattering FINALE of the current blistering run! A choice given, and a decision made…with terrifying consequences.”
This is interesting because the books for Phase III of the High Republic are planned to go through through “Spring 2025.” Meaning, right now, there are 9-10 months in Phase III with no main Marvel Star Wars: The High Republic comics scheduled. So… why end this so soon?
I think one of two things is happening:
- Like many multi-phase comic series, the final phase is not selling well compared to where things started with Phase I. I personally have not liked the Phase II or Phase III High Republic Marvel comics nearly as much as I enjoyed the first phase. And the final issues don’t have nearly as many variants as you’d expect (issue #9 only has a Cover A) which kind of backs this theory.
- Marvel and Lucasfilm are going to announce a new 8-10 issue Marvel Comics series that ties into the end game of the High Republic initiative. If this happens I think it will happen within the next few weeks because you’d think the new run would be in the Marvel Comics solicits for September considering the current run ends in August.
Personally, I think Phase III has felt a bit more disjointed than the previous two phases. I’ve still enjoyed it but the Marvel comics, while related, have felt like more of a side quest than a driving force of the initiative. My guess is that they were still working out the ending events of the Phase and had to bide some time while that happened as the authors are all pretty busy with work. I’m wondering if they’re doing some pivots in the main plot of the initiative and are doing their own sort of refresh with the High Republic comics that allows Cavan to wrap up his current story ideas before joining the book characters for their version of “End Game.”
It’s also worth noting that Star Wars and Marvel Comics recently announced a tie-in one-shot comic called Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1 that will connect some dots between Phase III of The High Republic and the Acolyte set nearly 100 years later.
UPDATED: See Every Book Comic, and Comic Variant for Phase III of The High Republic Here
So… What’s Next For Marvel Star Wars Comics?
While this may be the end of an era it’s certainly not the end of Star Wars comics. Here are 5 predictions for what to expect moving forward as the current runs begin to wind down.
#1 – We’ll get a new main Star Wars run that takes place in the the New Republic. And, just like Star Wars: Shattered Empire from a few years back and The Mandalorian TV show, it will deal with stories related to the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War. Likely giving us more stories with Mon Mothma rebuilding the Republic, Luke Skywalker training Leia and building his new Jedi Order, and Lando/Han doing Lando/Han things.
#2 – We’ll get a new Star Wars: Doctor Aphra run. The last two years Star Wars and Marvel Comics have put out a one-shot comic called Star Wars: Revelations. This comic is intended to tease future storylines for the following year. In Star Wars: Revelations we got short stories which included Jango Fett, Mace Windu, Keeve Trennis, Salli Georgio, Darth Vader, the Rik Duel gang, and Doctor Aphra.
All of the revelations have come true aside from the last two. As for Aphra, they’re clearly setting up a new Aphra series in this by introducing a new adversary for her in Raslin Grace. My guess is that this starts in September or October 2024. This will likely be set in the New Republic Era.
#3 – We’ll get a new Star Wars underworld type of comic to replace the recently concluded Bounty Hunters story. It will likely include SOME of the characters from Bounty Hunters and the Rik Duel gang. It makes sense for this kind of story to be told in the New Republic era as the underworld and outer rim territories became a bit of a free-for-all after the Empire fell.
#4 – This one is just a guess but I bet we’ll start to see mini-series and one-shots that tie into the upcoming movie projects. I think the Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1 comic is a big deal because it shows that Lucasfilm and Marvel are once again willing to tie comics into the upcoming shows. This is something that they did a lot with the sequels trilogy as Por Dameron and Allegiance filled in gaps from Episodes 7-10. I’d bet we’ll get something Mando-related and/or something that ties into the Rey NJO story.
#5 – The High Republic will get it’s end game comic series. I genuinely believe that they’re stopping the current Phase III High Republic Marvel Run at 10 issues because Sskeer will die. Causing Keeve to spiral and leave the Jedi order. So giving Sskeer the spotlight in a finale makes sense before starting a fresh series to show Keeve’s fallout with the order as she becomes one of the Lost 20.
Then once Phase III of the High Republic is concluded in 2024 I’d expect Lucasfilm to give us a year or two High Republic break as shows and movies are developed. During that time I’d guess they’ll move on to a new era that hasn’t been touched much in canon publishing.
Every few years we seem to get a big reset with Marvel Star Wars Comics. Which is a good thing. Everything points to 2024 being that year for the upcoming shift.
For light and life!
Grand Admiral Frik
