The High Republic #1 - Comic Review. Artwork by Phil Noto. Marvel/Lucasfilm Ltd.
Books & Comics

The High Republic #1 – Comic Review

The High Republic #1: Trial By Ordeal drops us into Kreeve's Jedi trials shortly after the events of The Great Disaster!

Spoiler Warning

The High Republic #1 begins after the events of The Great Disaster, where the Jedi of the High Republic are working on Starlight Beacon, a space station designed to show hope throughout the galaxy. However, off on a nearby planet a smaller and more personal story is occurring: the Jedi trials of Padawan Kreeve!

Padawan Kreeve Trennis and her Trandoshan Jedi Master Sskeer are training on the nearby planet of Shuraden in the Republic Frontier. Shortly after an exercise with her master, Kreeve learns that she is on Shuraden to partake in her Jedi trials to become a Jedi Knight. Sskeer has set up a nice and difficult test, a task that very few in the galaxy have been able to complete. She is quite reluctantly accompanied by a Ximpi, a small fairy or pixie-like creature native to Shuraden, named Kanrii. As Kreeve, with Kanrii following close behind her, attempts to complete her trials a swarm of star-locust interrupt them. Kreeve thinks about continuing her trial until she realizes that the space-locust are headed right for Kanrii’s home city!

The High Republic #1 really kicks the new series off incredibly well. Cavan Scott drops us right in the middle of this brand new era with Kreeve’s Jedi trials and introduces a vast and rich cast of characters at the same time. We get to know a ton about Kreeve’s personality, among all the other characters shown and fleshed out so well in just 20+ pages. Kreeve’s selflessness during her trial is the exact kind of story and personality that is to be expected from a Jedi, especially during the peak years of this era. Sskeer is a fascinating mentor to Kreeve, Maru and Kriss on Starlight Beacon give us entertaining and interesting characters, and we even get to see Grandmaster Yoda, along with another new face: Grandmaster Veter. The art by Ario Anidito is fantastic with the world of Shuraden being just beautiful and fleshed out. The characters are wonderful with their unique designs and intricacies that make the Jedi of the High Republic stand out completely on their own. And the colors from colorist Annalisa Leoni are just perfect. She gives the world, the space station, really the entire galaxy such vibrant beauty here that helps fully solidify this story in a brand new setting in time and space.

Rarely does a first issue in a brand new series hit such heights as The High Republic issue #1 has. A brand new era has come to Star Wars comics, with a lush and vibrant world and rich characters, this truly is the beginning of something special!

Lucas Wagner

Lucas Wagner

Lucas Wagner is a massive film lover and life-long Star Wars fan. He mostly resides within The Clone Wars and The Old Republic eras and gets giddy at any mention of Asajj Ventress. All Star Wars is good Star Wars, but he finds himself particularly drawn to the Prequels.