One of the more exciting parts of Star Wars right now is one that is occurring completely off-screen. The High Republic is a period of time that lasted several hundred years, ending about one hundred years before The Phantom Menace takes place. While this era has not yet made it to our screens, a series of novels and children’s books have contributed considerable depth to the era. Now, Marvel Comics has decided to dip its toes into the era, and for the first time, we get a glimpse of how things looked during this era.
Marvel Comics
Written by: Cavan Scott
Inks by: Mark Morales
Colors by: Frank WIlliams
Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
The Guardians of the Whills
At this point in the series, our main characters have found themselves at an ancient Kyber Temple on the Jedah. A group known as the Guardian of the Whills protects this temple. As soon as they arrive, they are given the rather pleasant welcome of having a bunch of light bows aimed directly at their head. There is some confusion at first by the Jedi, which is clearly also supposed to extend to the reader. Anyone familiar with the Guardians would be aware that the Guardians are friends of the Jedi. This is a really neat plot device to open the issue.
So why the hostile greeting?
High Republic #3 goes on to explain that the issue the Guardians have with the group has nothing to do with the Jedi. Instead, it is an issue with the trickster Tey Sirrek who has been accompanying the Jedi. Sirrek and the group have some history, to say the least. The issue does a great job of exploring the background of both Sirrek and the Guardians. This issue packs a really good twist that I don’t think many people who have been following up until this point will see coming.
This issue did not do a ton to advance the plot of the main story, but it really gave readers a reason to get invested in the characters of The High Republic Comics. Cavan Scott has done an excellent job of world-building in all of his work in this era, and it clearly continues here. The visuals look great here, and they feel oddly ancient for Star Wars, yet like something that is still thousands of years more advanced than exists in the real world. This, perhaps was going to always be the main challenge of The High Republic comics, and so far the series has succeeded.
The Dawn of a new era
No matter how closely you follow Star Wars comics, I would definitely recommend keeping up with these comics. I have been betting for a while that this era will be the next big focus of Star Wars. It is only a matter of time before it gets onto the screen. These are all new faces, and things that you think of as common are only prototypes at this point in the timeline. There is a lot of familarizing to do with this era, and I think The High Republic comics are a great entry point. #3 was another great entry, and I am excited to read #4 and beyond.
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