The High Republic #2 - Comic Review

Check out the review of the previous issue before moving onto our review for The High Republic #2!

Not long after the events of the Battle of Kur and the emergence of the Nihil Keeve Trennis is sent on her very first mission as a Jedi Knight. Accompanying Trennis is her old Master Sskeer and identical bond twins Terec and Ceret. They have been tasked to locate a ship that sent out a distress call which Starlight Beacon had picked up. When they arrive at the ship they find a wreck: bodies floating through space and the ship torn apart. Kreeve and Ceret sense survivors on board so the team of four go to investigate. Upon arrival on the ship they encounter a gas sent to knock out anyone on board and realize this was an attack by the Nihil. They split into two groups, Trennis with Ceret and Sskeer with Terec. Not long after splitting up Trennis’ group finds a dead Hutt while Sskeer’s group encounters an enemy hidden on board that Sskeer is unable to sense due to his ongoing trauma from his experiences at the Battle of Kur. While he may have trouble sensing this enemy, he has no trouble immediately and violently dispatching them, much to everyone’s alarm. After reporting back to Jedi Master Avar Kriss, Sskeer and Ceret are tasked with investigating the planet Sedri Minor, which the ship may have departed from recently, for clues, while Trennis has a talk with Kriss about her worries for her old master.

An absolutely incredible second issue. This whole team outdoes themselves from the debut issue by taking this brand new and expansive Star Wars era and bringing it right down to the core of the characters. Writer Cavan Scott brings the emotions right to the surface with Sskeer’s clear PTSD relating to the Battle of Kur with the loss of his arm and many fellow Jedi at the hands of the terrifying first real battle with the Nihil. The High Republic #2 starts to explore the gritty and realistic effects trauma can have on a Jedi and how they process those feelings, especially when they’re part of an order that looks down upon such dark and upsetting emotions. Trennis is fantastic, but she really takes the backseat here in the story as Scott allows Sskeer to come front and center with his journey. Everyone else is fantastic, though, don’t get me wrong. Trennis’ fun and occasionally worried character peaks through the darkness at times, and newcomers Ceret and Terec are a fascinating pair who essentially share everything including thoughts and pain. And Avar Kriss is just as elegant and masterful with her presence as ever.

On top of Scott’s wonderful storytelling, the team of artists including artist Ario Anindito, inker Mark Morales, and colorist Annalisa Leoni bring us another set of stunning artwork. They double down on the last issues’ brand new era and again show us that this story is set in a time and world we have never seen in Star Wars before. Every panel is fresh and new, whether it’s the gorgeous greens and yellows of the Nihil gas and lighting of the destroyed ship, the fantastic character designs of all the Jedi, the Hutt, the Gamorrean guards, and everyone else, or even just the vibrant and intense whoosh of Sskeer’s lightsaber as he cuts down the enemy, this book is beautiful. The trio of incredibly talented artists involved in this book are a masterful crew who work together perfectly to create a Star Wars look we’ve never seen before.

With Trennis on top of her first mission as a Jedi Knight, she’s doing her best to live up to her expectations, while Master Sskeer is affected by his recent trauma. Keep an eye out for this week’s issue of The High Republic to see just how a Jedi Master deals with his increasingly intense emotions and what is in store for our new heroes!