Steve Long 
In the glory days of The High Republic, the Jedi stand as guardians of galactic peace—until a powerful new adversary called the Nihil arrives
In The High Republic, a new era of storytelling in Star Wars has begun. To kick things off, Light of the Jedi (written by Charles Soule), A Test of Courage (written by Justina Ireland), and The Great Jedi Rescue (written by Cavan Scott) were released yesterday (January 5).
Marvel Style
To round off this great new era of storytelling, issue #1 of Star Wars: The High Republic was released today (January 6). Written by Cavan Scott and illustrated by Ario Anindito, The High Republic comic takes us back roughly 200 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. It is an age of peace and stability in the Galactic Republic. The Jedi are at the height of their power.
Star Wars: The High Republic #1 | Marvel Comics
In Star Wars: The High Republic, published by Marvel Comics, Scott tells us the story of padawan Keeve Trennis. The tale starts as Trennis, a young female human is on the planet Shuraden with her Trandoshan master Sskeer.
Trennis is about to begin her trial to become a Jedi Knight when a disaster hits Shuraden and she is forced to choose between finishing her trial and helping out the inhabitants of the planet.
Dialogue
I enjoyed the dialogue presented in the comic, especially between Sskeer and Keeve. I felt like it gave us a good, brief insight into the relationship between the master and his student. The introduction of the native Kanrii was a good touch and gave the book a speck of comic relief.
I feel like one does not necessarily need to read any of the previous material to understand what is going on as Scott presents us with a brief synopsis. However, I also feel like there are a couple of references that the reader might not understand if they have not read the novels. Overall, however, I feel like the comic book would be acceptable as a stand-alone if reading novels is not your thing.
Remarkable Anindito
The artwork is remarkable as well. The cover art by Phil Noto is excellent. The illustrations by Ario Anindito pair up very well with Scott’s writing. Annalisa Leoni’s colors are magnificently vibrant.
Verdict
Whether read by itself or as a companion to the other stories, Star Wars: The High Republic gets this era of storytelling a strong start and ensures that the reader will come back for more. I am certainly excited to read the next story in this series.
Star Wars: The High Republic #1 by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito is published by Marvel Comics and is available to buy NOW!
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Steve is a fan of Star Wars, punk rock, comic books, and cats. In addition to writing for Future of the Force, he also sings for punk band Get Fired and hosts the podcast Rebel Rock Radio!
