‘Star Wars’ May 2023 Comic Preview: Luke Searches for Kyber, ‘The High Republic’ Finale, and More
May is shaping up to be a big month in Star Wars comics. It’s the first month in a post-Qi’ra saga world, reflected in several new solicits that ramp up the stakes. Meanwhile, phase 2 of the High Republic publishing initiative is set to end in May, meaning finales are inbound.
Elsewhere, Marvel’s Return of the Jedi series will bring us a brand-new Lando tale. The journey towards the movie celebrating its 40th anniversary seems to be coming into focus with a pair of Luke Skywalker stories, one seeing a reunion with Doctor Aphra and another seeing him searching for kyber to power a new lightsaber? It doesn’t take much intuition to figure out where that’s heading. April solicits teased something happening to the Force, and there might be some clues here pointing to precisely what, so let’s dig into that and everything else.
Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #2
JASON AARON CONTINUES HIS RETURN TO THE GREATEST VILLAIN IN THE GALAXY!
Along with artist LEONARD KIRK, these two titans of comics tell a tale of horror and intrigue! PLUS, David Pepose makes his STAR WARS debut!
YODA VS. GENERAL GRIEVOUS… TO THE DEATH!
The start of a new arc set during the tumultuous CLONE WARS! The Separatists have a powerful new weapon that can change the course of the war! Can Yoda and Anakin Skywalker discover the secret of the weapon in time?
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Lando #1
LANDO AND CHEWIE ANTE UP TO SAVE THE GALAXY!
When Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca find themselves on a perilous mission to steal from Jabba himself, a dangerous figure from Lando’s past threatens their plans and their lives. Chewie finds that putting his trust in Calrissian is a gamble that just might pay off, as Lando calls on his skills as a smuggler to make it out alive. Part of a series of one-shots celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi, this story by Stephanie Phillips (COSMIC GHOST RIDER, ROGUE & GAMBIT) and Álvaro López (CAPTAIN MARVEL) bring you a new, high-stakes adventure with some of Star Wars’ most beloved characters.
As mentioned above, Marvel seems to be pushing towards Return of the Jedi with its storytelling. We’ll undoubtedly find out more at Star Wars Celebration about what’s in the works once Charles Soule’s Hidden Empire wraps up in April. While we wait to see if Qi’ra will have a physical presence beyond that miniseries, the impact of what she did to the galaxy seems to be still felt.
THE BROKEN SABER OF SKYWALKER!
LUKE SKYWALKER searches for one of the rarest substances in the galaxy-KYBER, the living crystal that powers LIGHTSABERS! Does it hold the answer to the unpredictable thing the Force has become (see HIDDEN EMPIRE #5!)? What long-lost secret is he about to uncover?
UNBOUND FORCE – Part TWO!
According to the JEDI, fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate. But does hate lead to suffering…or power? As DARTH VADER’S Force abilities spiral out of control, his lieutenant Sabé? is caught in the maelstrom – and finally must confront the horrifying consequences of her choice to serve him. Will she choose darkness over light?
INFERNO SQUAD TAKES THE SHOT!
The BOUNTY HUNTERS must take on the INFERNO SQUAD head-on! This is the final fight of the Bounty Hunters as you know them! The fallout will shake the lineup to its core… Who STAYS? Who GOES? Who JOINS?
COVER BY JUNGGEUN YOON
LUKE SKYWALKER: FRIEND OR FOE?
After the fallout of HIDDEN EMPIRE, DOCTOR APHRA is at a crossroads. Who better to help her with that than…LUKE SKYWALKER?!
DANGEROUS SIBLING RIVALRY!
SANA must take on her brother PHEL or all is lost! But will it be DEVA LOMPOP who destroys the Starros family?
Star Wars: The High Republic #9
Vildar Mac has been haunted all his life. Now, as the Leveler is unleashed, the Jedi Knight faces a terrible decision – resist the lure of the dark side or become what he fears the most to survive. Will TEY SIRREK pay the ultimate price for Vildar’s choice?
As mentioned earlier, the various ongoing High Republic series are mostly coming to an end in May. The one series that might not is Dark Horse’s The High Republic Adventures. Currently, only issue #7 of its scheduled eight is listed to release that month. There is no cover, but here is the solicit for that seventh issue:
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #7
While Jedha burns, Arkik Von’s plot to usurp Maz Kanata races towards its terrible conclusion. As the galaxy seems bent on descending into chaos, Sav Malagán must make a difficult choice; return to the Jedi and learn the ways of the Force, or stay and fight beside her new friends?
And now, onto the finales of the High Republic. One takes place on Jedha as it deals with the fallout of the Forever War coming to the planet. The other is on Dalna, with the potential horrors of the Jedi’s conflict with the Path of the Open Hand still to come.
Star Wars: The High Republic #10
STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC PHASE TWO FINALE!
The LEVELER has been unleashed in a secret Jedi vault on JEDHA. Jedi Knight VILDAR MAC has risked everything to defeat the PATH OF THE OPEN HAND, but in the face of tragedy, can he resist the lure of the dark side? Jedha’s Battle for the Force reaches its epic conclusion!
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – The Nameless Terror #4
Deep within the ruined spaceship, the secret of the Nameless is finally revealed. Trapped and surrounded by enemies, the Jedi Pathfinders and Path disciples fight desperately to escape the swarm of hungry monsters. New alliances are tested, and in order for our heroes to escape, some will make the ultimate sacrifice.
Lastly, Hyperspace Stories is taking readers back to the sequel era.
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #8
Darkness spreads across the galaxy.
As the Firs [sic] Order grows in power, Supreme Leader Snoke dispatches Kylo Ren and General Hux to the planet Karaxis to enforce his will upon the populace. As Ren hunts a fugitive through the wilds, Hux works find a new, cruelly inventive way of enforcing compliance. But how far can the Karaxians be pushed, before they have nothing left to lose?
These issues are available for pre-order at your local comic shop.
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
