‘Star Wars’ June 2023 Comic Preview: Luke and Vader Need Doctor Aphra, and the ‘Sana Starros’ Finale
As the Star Wars comic world prepares for its next major crossover, we’re slowly getting a picture of what it will look like. Charles Soule’s Star Wars has introduced some dangerous droids, the Han Solo & Chewbacca finale resolved lingering questions about Ajax Sigma, and Hidden Empire is teeing up something major happening to the Force in its final issue with the inevitable opening of the Fermata Cage.
StarWars.com has released a preview of June’s offerings, and they tease a number of crossovers before the next “official” one. The first month of summer will see Yoda and Anakin Skywalker team up, Boba Fett joining the bounty hunters, and Luke and Darth Vader in need of Doctor Aphra?
We’ll start things off with a finale and everything else worth checking out.
Star Wars: Sana Starros #5
Cover by KEN LASHLEY
THE STARROS FAMILY INFILTRATES AN IMPERIAL DESTROYER. WHAT CAN GO WRONG?
• SANA STARROS and bounty hunter DEVA LOMPOP have boarded the KING’S RANSOM to save one of their family.
• But once they find out they’ve been betrayed, the STARROS CLAN will never be the same!
Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White, & Red #3
DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON HELPS BRING DARTH VADER TO LIFE LIKE NEVER BEFORE!
• MARC BERNARDIN brings us along with Vader on a mission you won’t soon forget!
• PLUS: The penultimate chapter of JASON AARON & LEONARD KIRK’s Vader deconstruction!
SEASON 2 OF THE HIT DISNEY+ SERIES IS HERE!
• GROGU AND DIN DJARIN return in “CHAPTER 9: THE MARSHAL”!
• The Mandalorian is drawn to the Outer Rim in search of others of his kind.
• Following rumors of another Mandalorian, he instead comes face-to-face with MARSHAL COBB VANTH wearing very familiar armor!
• Mando and Grogu have stepped into a situation bigger than they realize!
• Following the tradition of Season 1, RODNEY BARNES and GEORGES JEANTY reunite to bring Season 2 to life once more!
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – The Empire #1
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THE EMPIRE TOOK OVER?
• As operations begin to take shape on the moon of ENDOR, a technician must figure out how to live under the control of THE EMPIRE.
• But if he can’t stay out of trouble, what will the Empire do with him?
• Continuing the 40TH ANNIVERSARY celebration of RETURN OF THE JEDI, JODY HOUSER & JETHRO MORALES pull back the curtain of the Empire like never before!
That wraps it up for the miniseries and one-shot material. Next, we’ll get into the maxi-series and ongoing content mentioned earlier.
Star Wars: Yoda #8
MASTER AND APPRENTICE!
• The SEPARATIST army has a new super-weapon: THE MEGADROID.
• But can YODA and ANAKIN SKYWALKER destroy an entire factory full of them?
• The events of this issue directly overlap with STAR WARS: REVELATIONS! See how IT’S ALL CONNECTED!
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #35
Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
A NEW ERA FOR THE BOUNTY HUNTERS!
• In the aftermath of the battle with INFERNO SQUAD, VALANCE and T’ONGA are joined by the most dangerous bounty hunters in the galaxy…
• KHEL TANNA!
• DEATHSTICK!
• DURGE!
•…and BOBA FETT?!
The final three issues in June will prove to be a headache for canon connoisseurs. All involve Luke, Vader, and Doctor Aphra but in seemingly different storylines. Luke is on the path to creating his lightsaber but needs Aphra elsewhere to uncover some Jedi secrets. The archaeologist has other schemes for him that could lead to crossing paths with Darth Vader, but the Dark Lord needs Aphra elsewhere too with this whole Force thing going on. Someone remind me to make a comic reading guide when all of this is over.
Star Wars #35
LUKE SKYWALKER…IN THE CLUTHES OF DR. CUATA!
• The would-be JEDI’S LIGHTSABER is all but destroyed!
• Enter KYBER CRYSTAL expert DR. CUATA! Only he can repair it…but at what price?
• Luke’s life will hang in the balance…and only ANOTHER JEDI can save him!
Star Wars: Darth Vader #35
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
VADER UNBOUND!
• The DARK LORD OF THE SITH has called upon the galaxy’s greatest archaeologist, DOCTOR APHRA, for help.
• He’s lost control of THE FORCE, and only APHRA knows what can tame his path of destruction
• …But will an archaic KYBERITE weapon only lead to more devastation?
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #33
COVER BY JUNGGEUN YOON
LUKE SKYWALKER! A LOST JEDI TEMPLE! AND A GRAVE MISCALCULATION!
• APHRA has convinced LUKE that she can help him find long-lost secrets of THE JEDI!
• But she has other plans for him that include…
• …DARTH VADER!!!
However everything shakes up, June will be another fun month of Star Wars comics. There is nothing on the docket yet for Dark Horse, although the only expected release is Hyperspace Stories #9. We will update this article when that becomes available if it is listed as a June release.
Both Marvel and Dark Horse will be at Star Wars Celebration with new reveals and more. You can find more information about their panels here.
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.
