The High Republic #5 – Comic Review

Check out the review of the previous issue before moving onto my review for The High Republic #5!

The Jedi have been fighting against all odds to stop the infestation of the dark side sentient plant life known as the Drengir from taking over the small farming planet of Sedri Minor. Their task was as tough as Jedi matters get, but unfortunately, unknown to them, the leader of the farming land had made a deal with the Hutts! Working on fulfilling their end of a protection racket, a group of Hutts and many, many mercenaries arrive on the planet to deal with the Jedi who are considered to be interfering with Hutt affairs. As Avar Kriss attempts to negotiate, a still Drengir infested Sskeer decides that talking is not enough and attacks the Hutts which brings about all out battle. Kriss seeks assistance from Starlight Beacon and is given distressing news: the Drengir are rising up all over the galaxy in an attempt to reclaim worlds all around as their own!

Writer Cavan Scott gives us another cracking issue with The High Republic #5 and his exploration of action, horror, and genuine mental health anguish. This issue is packed full of everything, from giant monsters with the Rancors, a sprawling battle between Jedi, Hutts, mercenaries, and Drengir, to heartfelt moments of Trennis reaching out and continuing to offer assistance to her clearly ailing Jedi Master Sskeer. Again Scott gives us little moments and glimpses into the struggle going on with Sskeer’s mental health that could fully be seen as an allegory to someone’s struggle with anxiety and depression. With Sskeer’s strained relationship to the Force working as his own personal inner turmoil and the Drengir’s attachment to himself as a darker coping mechanism that people with anxiety and depression sometimes deal with, it’s a deeply human story that we’ve never quite seen in Star Wars and Scott continues to unfold throughout these issues. Alongside there is his apprentice Trennis who continues to reach out and be there for him which is again another side of Star Wars rarely seen as any thoughts that could remotely lead to the dark side are always squashed immediately, but these are the grand times of the High Republic and these Jedi here are emotionally powerful and in touch with their feelings enough to know to discuss it instead of casting them aside. Trennis’ role here is incredibly important in showing the massive fundamental difference between the peak times of the Jedi Order vs the times of which the Jedi fell.

Another spectacularly written issue can only mean one thing: equally spectacular visual artwork! Artist Ario Anindito, inker Mark Morales, and colorist Annalisa Leoni deliver masterful levels of beauty on each and every page of The High Republic #5. The opening page shows off Keeve Trennis swinging and twirling twin green lightsabers that are done so well it feels like you’re seeing the scene play out in real life. Anindito and Morales have a high bar set for them already with epic action, Drengir monsters, and Hutts and Rancors, but even they rise above the occasion to intricately detail the mass amounts of mercenaries that come swarming into that battle that all look just as detailed as full fledged main characters would. Leoni is on point here as well, from page one all throughout these epic fight sequences and tender moments. The darker and deeper colors show off the darker scenes, as it is night at the time, but also the tonally darker context and galaxy wide feeling of dread and horror being felt within this issue. It’s truly incredible work.

The lettering here is more wonderful work from letterer VC’s Ariana Maher who not only continues to perfectly balance normal lettering with the staggered and creepy speech of the Drengir, but also throws in the Huttese translation for when the Hutts are speaking. Maher also delivers, as to be expecting, stunning sound effects throughout the entire issue that make every action just that much more palpable. The main cover by artist Phil Noto is a deep and emotional one that explores a moment that comes later in the issue. Noto’s cover is stunning and poignant and it sets the tone for the emotional events to come. The High Republic #5 also has a stunning variant cover by artist Bernard Chang that’s just an absolute beast of a work of art (pun intended). It shows the height of the battle with a Rancor about to tear into the Jedi as Trennis comes flying in right above the Rancor equally ready to tear into it!

If you thought the Jedi were up to their necks in trouble last issue, this one has them fully submerged in it! Monsters, plant beasts, Hutts, mercenaries, a galaxy wide attack, it’s all here in The High Republic #5. So hop on your 15 foot tall bipedal beasts and lumber on as fast as they can take you to your local comic and book shop to pick up this issue today!