Star Wars The High Republic #1
Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Cavan Scott
Pencilled by Ario Anindito
Inked by Mark Morales
Coloured by Annalisa Leoni
Lettered by VC’s Ariana Maher
BEFORE THE SKYWALKER SAGA! THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE JEDI!
A new era of STAR WARS storytelling begins. It is centuries before the SKYWALKER SAGA. The JEDI are at their height, protecting the galaxy as REPUBLIC pioneers push out into new territories. As the Frontier prepares for the dedication of majestic STARLIGHT BEACON, PADAWAN KEEVE TRENNIS faces the ultimate choice — will she complete her Jedi Trials or rescue the innocent from disaster? New Jedi! New ships! New evils to fight!
I am what you’d call a casual Star Wars fan, I grew up with the toys and the original films a child--going to the theatre to see them, however I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. There was a lot of buzz over this before it came out and I know it sold out quick and my store would only sell 1 copy per person unless they pre-ordered more than one. Now when I realised that Cavan was writing this I got kind of excited because I really do enjoy his work a heck of a lot. So I am coming into this with fresh eyes an open mind and a great appreciation for the writer and that my friends is the perfect storm for enjoying a new series.
The way that his is being told is extremely nice to see. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. Cavan does this thing where he reveals a bit, just enough to get us interested in what is happening and instilling this desire to know more based on what it is he’s presented thus far. The character development is sensational as we the same thing applies we get just enough to be intrigued and there’s a wide open playing field left to really get into what makes the characters tick. This brings and builds a level of excitement that is hard to really deny or escape from. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story at hand we are in for one heck of an interesting time and place to be.
The interiors here are absolutely freaking gorgeous! The pencil work is beyond amazing and how the inks are laid down on top of them which showcase the creativity and imagination not to mention this absolutely stellar attention to detail that we see just blows my mind. How we see the backgrounds being utilised throughout the book is utterly sensational in how they enhance the moments, bring such great depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling. The colour work we see here is divine. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is beautifully rendered. I love seeing such talented individuals utilising their expertise to really bring to life the work.
So for those of us who are casual Star Wars fans this opens up a new and uncharted realm of the franchise that has all this crazy fresh, new and exciting possibilities that we want to see more of. This creative team is one that really understands the power of storytelling and how it can be utilised to bring the reader into a place where they never expected to be. With how this is structured and how the layers within the story are being shown along with how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is impeccably done.
