Comic Review – Phase III Kicks Into High Gear in “Star Wars: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi” #1
Yesterday saw the release of the first issue in Marvel Comics’ new Star Wars: The High Republic - Fear of the Jedi miniseries, and below are my brief recap and thoughts on this debut installment.
The High Republic - Fear of the Jedi #1 begins with Jedi Master Keeve Trennis and her own former master Sskeer patrolling the border of the Occlusion Zone, where they help the innocent pilots of a cargo ship escape two Nihil raiders. During the skirmish, Keeve accidentally destroys one of the Nihil ships, while the other one escapes back across the Stormwall. Then writer Cavan Scott (from Marvel’s previous flagship Star Wars: The High Republic title) and artist Marika Cresta (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra) cut to Nihil-occupied Naboo, where Lourna Dee and her newly formed bounty hunter crew are searching for those who survived Baron Boolan’s experiments. While they’re sneaking around the capital city of Theed, they’re jumped by some Nihil hoodlums, but soon they find themselves being assisted in the conflict by two Jedi– Master Kelnacca (who dies in Star Wars: The Acolyte a hundred years later on in the timeline) and the Wookiee’s Padawan learner Yarzion Vell (introduced in Scott’s Star Wars: The Acolyte - Kelnacca one-shot comic last year).
Seeing as how they have similar goals on Naboo, the two Jedi join the bounty hunters in their mission, while at the Stormwall defense fleet Trennis and Sskeer return to the Republic Longbeam Gios. There they are greeted by Republic aide Velko Jahen and GoNet reporter Rhil Dairo, the latter of which has been sent to cover Keeve’s unit as a war correspondent. Trennis brushes off Dairo’s questions and instead meets with Master Orbalin, who has been running scans on the Stormwall. They’re both taken aback by the arrival of the newest member of their team– namely the Azumel Jedi Master Cibaba, who has recently been deprogrammed from being one of Boolan’s brainwashed “Children of the Storm." Stunned, Avar takes a holo-meeting with Avar Kriss, who insists that Cibaba has progressed enough in his recovery to be present and useful on the front lines.
Then back on Naboo, after the combined investigative party breaks into the Royal Palace, both Lourna Dee and Tey Sirrek are haunted by visions (Or are they???) from their respective pasts. That’s the cliffhanger ending for this first issue, and I’d say Scott has done a terrific job of setting up a number of interesting throughlines to pursue over the five issues of this miniseries. And Cresta’s artwork, along with the contributions of talented colorist Jim Campbell, go a long way into bringing the narrative to vibrant, energetic life on the page. If I’m doing my math correctly, I believe Fear of the Jedi should conclude around mid-June, which is also when author Charles Soule’s Star Wars: The High Republic - Trials of the Jedi (the final adult-targeted novel of Lucasfilm Publishing’s ambitious multi-platform initiative) will be released. So with the launch of this story, the endgame of The High Republic has really kicked into high gear, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Star Wars: The High Republic - Fear of the Jedi #1 is available now wherever comic books are sold.