Review: Star Wars The High Republic #9

This is where the fun begins. The High Republic has become a brilliant orchestra of voices and forms. Master story-tellers give us new characters, conflicts and enemies across a broad tapestry.

The High Republic is completely unprecedented in form, we’ve never had comics and novels referencing each other and building off each other as this epic does. It is also nice to get so much Jedi content as we aren’t getting an emphasis on the Jedi in animation or live action right now.

Cavan Scott is using The High Republic to give us a true exploration of the moral and political complexities of being a Jedi. With the awesome action-packed art by Ario Anindito this comic just keeps getting better. Now that we know key characters well, the creators can expand the forms of conflict and play with our expectations.

This issue begins with a sci-fi bang, the Jedi Orla Jareni is attacked by a Nihil ship. But in a twist the Nihil attacker is being piloted by Keeve Trennis. How Keeve got here and why she would seemingly betray the Jedi drive the first half of the issue. We flash back to find the Jedi Council conferring with the team at Starlight. Avar, Skeer, Keeve and the Starlight crew worry that the Nihil remnants are a much larger threat that Stellan and the council perceive.

Avar cooks up a scheme to have Keeve go undercover to join the Nihil remnant and gather intel from within. They attack Keeve and Terec with the Ataraxia and create the impression that they are fleeing Nihil warriors. They are picked up by Zeetar and his crew who immediately question her true loyalty and force her to prove herself. This may be tougher than it looks as the proof they want is got her to kill the Jedi’s ally Myarga the Hutt.

This issue has the conflicts, action, and sense of adventure which has been promised since the entire epic began. Both with the second phase of novels and the recent comics, we are seeing heroes we have grown to love facing both physical and moral threats. The conflict and heart bounce off every panel and hopefully the momentum continues as the Nihil threat and this epic continues to evolve.

Writing: 4.3 of 5 stars
Art: 4.6 of 5 stars
Colors: 4.5 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.5 of 5 stars

Writer: Cavan Scott
Art: Ario Anindito
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.