The High Republic (2023) #1
THE HIGH REPUBLIC
CHILDREN OF THE STORM
Chapter 1: NOW AND FOREVER
A year has passed since the destruction of the STARLIGHT BEACON station by the nefarious Marchion Ro and his Nihil marauders
The Nihil have established an OCCLUSION ZONE in the Outer Rim, stranding hundreds of worlds behind their Stormwall. Communications are blocked, and ships that enter are lost to the void or destroyed by the Nihil.
The Republic is helpless against this sinister threat, and the brave and wise JEDI KNIGHTS remain fearful of Ro’s fabled NAMELESS creatures, which the Jedi have learned are very real, and very deadly….
Writer: Cavan Scott
Pencillers: Ario Anindito, Jim Tow
Inkers: Mark Morales, Ario Anindito, Jim Towe
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Colorist: Jim Campbell
Cover artist: Phil Noto
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Release Date: November 8, 2023
As the opening chapters of Phase 3 of The High Republic roll out across novels and comics, we revisit the final moments of phase 1 as high above Eiram we see the stricken station and hear the words of Keeve Trennis and her master Sskeer, the elder Jedi ordering her to leave him to his fate and Keeve visualising an end she never saw anywhere but in her imagination. We see what appear to be Nameless ones attacking the Trandoshan as the flames of the erupting station engulf them, and she suddenly opens her eyes from her thoughts as she’s contacted by Commander Jahen, ordering her to go to the flight deck of the Gios, a Republic Longbeam heading towards the Nihil Occlusion Zone. Once on the bridge we see Terec and Ceret who are far from the unified ‘one’ they used to be, and a message buzzes in from Elzar Mann who informs them of trouble in the Kastolar sector where the Hutts are trying to stabilise their dominance.
Worse, a Nihil envoy has met with the Hutts, meaning more trouble for the Republic, and we swing to the orange skies of Ballum as the Nihil and the Hutt envoys meet and are taken before Skarabda the Wise who asksk what the Nihil expect in return for their offer of vessels, droids and weapons. ‘Your undying gratitude‘ is his reply, when suddenly the two bodyguards of the Hutt and the Nihil briefly clash, the Hutt guard getting the better of the exchange as alarms begin to blare and the longship drops into high orbit.
Skarabda wastes little time in ordering her forces to attack, and we cut to the bridge as Keeve prepares to head down with the ground forces as Ceret and Terec take to the skies with Firebird Squadron. We see the forces clash, Skarabda’s enforcer leaping in on a huge furry beast while the Nihil enforcer Brother Lycos in the thick of the fray. Meanwhile, the Jedi feel….something, and suddenly a Nameless enters the battlefield and the Jedi are forced to retreat. However, while Keeve pauses ready to back away, Santar has had enough and he leaps in, saber held high only to be swatted by the Nameless and stunned, he succumbs as it draws the life force from him, turning him to stone. Keeve is stunned, but as she thinks of Sskeer and his own passing she is taken down by Brother Lycos while behind her is the Nameless.
We cut to the skies as the Longbeam comes under heavy fire, and we see Ceret and Terec peel off, heading down and blasting the Nameless into smithereens. Lycos is angered, leaping into the skies and landing on the fighter of Terec and we see it smash into the ground. Keeve has the Hutt enforcer behind her, gloating of the Jedi demise and we see the skies above as Ceret learns of their twins potential death as the Ataraxia arrives in system, a vessel they believe is commanded by Avar Kriss. The Hutt enforcer leaps down off their mount, approaching Keeve and removing their cloak hood, and we learn that the vessel was ‘liberated’ by none other than Nihil Lourna Dee.
Cavan Scott is a master at setting the table for plots to ooze out like ink on blotting paper, and this is as tantalising a set up for a phase as we’ve had so far. The main High Republic title naturally has always been the spine of the comics line, a fascinating read in Phase 1 that folded into fellow comics and books without feeling like every syllable of every other book or comic needed to be read (try as we might). For the far briefer Phase 2, the main title was an absolute blast, giving us an insight into life of Jeddha two centuries before and here – as in Shadows of Starlight – we’re still in the aftermath of the fall of the station, but casting out into other galactic matters as the Hutts now get involved. To show the involvement of the Hutts in this is smart, folding in a familiar faction from the modern era into the escalating issues between the Nihil and a rapidly deteriorating Republic. A cracking start to the latest volume.
![Star Wars: The High Republic [Phase III] (2023-2024) #2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41LMFg3r-9L._SL160_.jpg)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Scott, Cavan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 26 Pages - 12/20/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
