The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi #1 - Comic Review

First announced at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in May 2022, and after a number of publication delays, The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi #1, a one-shot from Dark Horse Comics, has arrived. Written by beloved Star Wars author Claudia Gray (her sole contribution to Phase II), the comic takes place after the events of YA novel Path of Deceit, following Jedi Azlin Rell’s grim discovery of the fates of two of his Jedi cohorts. Rell decides to dig into the Jedi Archives on Coruscant to find answers about the Force artifacts that his friends sought to recover on Dalna, propelling him into a tale from long ago. Quest of the Jedi tells the story of Jedi Knight Barnabus Vim, a human male, and his Padawan Vix Fonnick, a female Twi’lek, as they arrive on the planet Angcord, on the hunt for the mythical relic the Echo Stone. As legend tells, the gem has powers of Force amplification and has a dark history with the Sith. Something on Angcord is definitely amiss, with the Force seemingly abandoning the world and its inhabitants. Can Vim and Fonnick discover the truth of the Echo Stone, save Angcord and make it out alive?

The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi #1 is a thrilling standalone tale of adventure, lore and mystique. Claudia Gray does a stellar job of filling in a small yet meaningful story portion in Phase II while introducing new Jedi whose personalities jump off the page. Barnabus Vim and Vix Fonnick have the type of classic Master and apprentice relationship that balances the fun with serious. I couldn’t help but get Obi-Wan and Anakin vibes as these two clearly have a working relationship that goes deeper than the task at hand. Let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of the relationship between Vim and Fonnick. The artists joining Gray, illustrator Fico Ossio, color artists Sebastian Cheng and Candice Han and letterers Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt, do an impressive job of telling a vast story in a one-shot comic book format. Quest of the Jedi is a variable feast for the eyes, with its variety of landscapes and emotions on display on every page.

Tom Fowler and Bill Crabtree provide cover art which hints at the adventures inside, Vim and Fonnick surrounded by enemies and the elements. Quest of the Jedi also gets two variant covers; Fico Ossio’s features the Jedi duo on Angcord with lightsabers ablaze, and Grant Griffin’s has Barnabus Vim striking a heroic pose.

Even after the delays this book went through, The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi #1 deserves a spot on any Star Wars lover’s shelf. Make sure to grab this crucial piece of The High Republic Phase II storyline now!