Comic Book Review - Star Wars: The High Republic #1 [Phase 3]

One year after Starlight and the Nihil stand victorious…

A lot has changed in the Star Was universe since we last saw the Jedi of Starlight Beacon. Since the Nihil’s attack on the Republics crowning jewel, the terrorist network has taken over the Outer Rim. Not only have they set up an ominous Occlusion Zone that blocks any travel into the Rim, there’s also the Nameless to contend with too. And with the Namelss being the one thing to strip a Jedi of the Force, well things aren’t too good.

Kicking off the third phase of the High Republic, Cavan Scott uses this first issue to reconnect us with Keeve Trennis to then delve deeper into her psyche. Still reeling from the effects of her undercover mission and the failure to save Starlight Beacon, Keeve is a shadow of her former self. She’s haunted by the thoughts of her former masters death at the hands of the Nameless, and even her solitude in the Force forces her to relive Sskeer’s apparent death. The past soon comes back to the present as the Jedi on Coruscant catch wind of a potential alliance between the backpedaling Hutt Cartel and the victorious Nihil. With only Keeve’s group operating near the Outer Rim, they’re sent into the Occlusion Zone to do battle for the Republic once more.

Naturally things don’t go well and Keeve will soon have to contend with those faces of the past. But when long lost starship Ataraxia returns…well that’s when the Bantha dung really hits the proverbial fan!

There’s quite a lot happening in Star Wars: The High Republic #1 and no sooner does the dust seem to settle, Scott then whisks another set of challenges into the way of his cast. Sometimes this can then cause things to get lost, however here the frantic pacing works incredibly well and highlights the overwhelming odds that the Jedi are up against. There’s some great switches in perspective between the battle raging in orbit and the subsequent one on the ground, as Scott ties both instances together with relative ease. I said way back that with The High Republic, Cavan Scott is creating a Star Wars narrative worthy of the Star Wars name and that still rings true in the here and now. Everything that happens in this comic not only calls back to past events, they’re also shaping the narratives future. No matter how small a detail may seem, it’ll play into a future thread in some shape or form. And considering how connected the whole of Phase 1 was, I’m anticipating a few shocks in Phase 3!

Artwork continues to shine, Ario Anondito and Jim Towe take the familiar ascetics of Star Wars, to then add their own spin to them. Considering that The High Republic isn’t tied to the Skywalker Saga or any of the other Star Wars media, it means we get plenty of original characters, monsters, and Force powers to play with. Jim Campbell then ties everything together with a superb palette of colour that’s both beautiful and haunting for the reader - and it’s cast.

Overall and Phase 3 of The High Republic is off to a great start. Cavan Scott continues to build a saga that’s not afraid to go to some very interesting places. With a wide bench of original characters to choose from its hard to see who - if anyone - will still be standing come the inevitable conclusion.

Rating: 9/10

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on X/Facebook @GeekCultureRev, TikTok/YouTube @Geekculturereviews, and BlueSky @geekculturereviews.bsky.social

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