Comics The High Republic by Cavan Scott (Marvel comic book series)

Ooooh, things are getting serious.

 

Was surprised about that team up.

Spoiler

Still that explains the Jedi riding the Rancor on the cover next time.

Also good to see a Hutt warrior. And I like that they actually showed up to 'help' the planet.

 

Spoiler: Issue #7 solicit

(W) Cavan Scott (A) Georges Jeanty (CA) Phil Noto
A JEDI FACES THE DARKNESS!
• KEEVE TRENNIS has put everything on the line to save her former master, but the scars run deep.
• As AVAR KRISS summons a task force to deal with the DRENGIR THREAT, a desperate NIHIL REMNANT attacks a distant outpost. Can Keeve fight back the shadows long enough to stand for light and life?
• Guest-starring ORLA JARENI, Jedi Wayseeker.
Rated T
In Shops: Jul 28, 2021

Spoiler: Issue #8 solicit

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC #8

CAVAN SCOTT (W) • ARIO ANINDITO (A) • Cover by PHIL NOTO
Variant Cover by ARIO ANINDITO
Variant Cover by GEORGES JEANTY

THE BATTLE AGAINST THE DRENGIR REACHES ITS THRILLING CLIMAX!

• AVAR KRISS has gathered a team of JEDI to take the fight to the DRENGIR deep in WILD SPACE, but KEEVE TRENNIS is nowhere to be seen.
• Are other forces at work on the Drengir’s deathworld?
• Guest-starring a host of High Republic Jedi! COHMAC VITUS! REATH SILAS! THE STAR HOPPER PADAWANS!

 

Dang, Chapter 8 is going to be HUGE! I did not exact that many characters to ever appear at the same time in this comic series. Talk about a climax. I guess this is just before Lula/Zene, and Qort/Farzala part ways into their respective journies

 

I believe the cover for issue 7 is intentionally misleading. The most likely scenario is she is being faced with a dark side influenced vision.

 

Spoiler

That Issue, Sskeer had better survive.

 

I don't exactly follow the comic book line, but I did read #1.

There are things I like about it and things I don't, but there is is one aspect to it that simply irritates me and I am not sure what to make out of it. The thing is: I am primed to paying a great deal of attention to what exactly it is that a master asks of a padawan when I put myself in the Padawan's place.

On page 9, counting the title page as 1:

Spoiler

Skeer presents]If I go through the panels:
"I thought you said noone had climbed them." - "I said many had failed."
... that is exactly what I was thinking.

"You have one arm."
... it appears that Keeve infers that Skeer has personally climbed the needle, which isn't necessarily the case. He might have used their starship, which is standing right at the edge of the top panel, or, using a more liberal interpretation of his wording, he might have asked one of the Ximpi for help.

Now comes the exact formulation of the task:
"You are to choose a needle and recover the pendant. You will not fall and you will not give up until it is in your grasp."
Skeer does not technically say that Keeve has to climb the pillars. In fact, he has provided her with reasons not to. Given the exact wording the simplest solution to the task would have been to ask for Kanrii's help. But since that was supposed to Keeve's Jedi trial and just asking somebody else to basically do it for her, that would have been a somewhat pathetic trial. I would have expected her to simply ask about that:

"Not scared... but wondering: You implied that I must first choose and then climb a needle without help and only what I have on hand." - panel where Keeve glances to Kanrii with a smirk on her face - "But you did not say it. Is that indeed what you require me to do?"

I was perfectly convinced that the author set up the impression that Keeve wasn't paying sufficient attention deliberately. Particularly since Skeer corrects Keeve at the start of the page and does not claim to have climbed the needle himself. Particularly the notion of how old and brittle they are seemed to suggest otherwise. It's only a rock formation, but why damage something that stood for a long time without any real reason. And yet the next page surprised me with "-- A Jedi Acts". Keeve does not succeed, but she masters the real problem.

I am curious whether I am just seeing thing that aren't there are (possibly because I played too many video games in which that kind of logic is actually required of a padawan - pay attention to details, find a smart solution), or whether anybody else had the same impression.

 

Spoiler: Issue #9 solicit

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC #9

CAVAN SCOTT (W) • ARIO ANINDITO (A) • Cover by PHIL NOTO

A NEW STORY BEGINS THIS ISSUE – THE SHADOW OF THE NIHIL!

• Following the terrible events of The Rising Storm, the villainous NIHIL are in retreat, hunted by THE JEDI.
• WAYSEEKER KNIGHT ORLA JARENI is attacked by a lone Nihil Stormship in deep space, a Stormship commanded by one of the Jedi’s own.
• Which of STARLIGHT BEACON’S number have joined the Nihil Horde? And how far will they turn from the Light?

 

I'm really enjoying these high republic comics.

 

So, kind of a lame thing of mine but I'm going through a bit of phase of mild obsession about High Republic aesthetics (lightsabers in particular) and I'm wondering if this is just me. I'm sort of taking the art in this comic as "definitive canon" since there's a lot of super inconsistent art kicking around, understandably because there was so much concept and rough art in the early stages. But, like, Avar's lightsaber here matches the description in LOTJ with the crossguard even though it doesn't match the cover art. Generally speaking this comic and the Adventures one just plain generate more "canon" images of the characters and tech than anything else, so they kind of win out by default, yeah?

 

We already know that she'll probably the same Master Trennis that leaves the Jedi Order as mentioned by Yoda in Jedi Lost, so I wonder if this will be the beginning of her downfall.

 

I think anyone skipping the main comic are missing out on that crucial visual piece.

I suspect we have a change in artist at some point that is a bit more free with the aesthetics, kind of like when we had departures from Brian Ching or a break from Dustin Weaver on KOTOR, and would get artists that were less crisp and less interested in details like specific lightsaber hilts. Ching and Weaver were the definitive artists for KOTOR.

We'll have a similar situation with THR.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

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Saw that the first issue has been selling incredibly well. I am glad. I have mine coming in the mail

 

How many people bought the first issue because they were actually interested in reading the comic, and how many of them are just comics collectors who are hoping to be able to sell it down the line? Guess the fact that it sold so well means they'll have a hard time unloading it for that much money...

 

Interesting variant cover.

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

So I’m guessing we get some distant flashbacks and a force induced vision for a certain Jedi to confront.

It’s nice seeing the High Republic era sprinkling in Old Republic references. This is just one out of several.

I am certain Old Republic era stories will return someday to canon.

 

Oh I'm sure about that ...The real question is HOW do Old Republic stories return to Canon and in what form.

Be it the rumored KOTOR re-imagining

Or just something completely new.

Or both.

 

Spoiler

....wait a minute, tamed the nightmare conjunction...the sith dealt with the drengir by putting their progenitor to sleep...is the nightmare conjunction another name for the drengir progenitor?

 

Spoiler

It seems to me that Krall will appear as part of Drengir hive mind's memories. Or he was able to implant his consciousness into the collective and will try to take it over after it's awakening.

 

Hey, you nailed it, this is already happening. In the new issue, Avar starts off with a completely non-crossguard saber. Then within the issue in the middle of a continuous scene it gains a crossguard (albeit a smaller and completely different one from any prior depiction).

Spoiler

Reading this in the midst of the new books, having finished "Race To Crashpoint Tower" and barely started "The Rising Storm" so I'm not quite sure how this will all tally with the depiction of the Drengir in "Crashpoint" (avoiding spoilers within spoilers here). To be honest the *general* depiction of the Drengir is a little inconsistent with regards to their mind control properties, but I guess we can just say that in some sources they're just "not feelin' it". Really good stuff with Trennis and Sskeer here, the Jedi-Hutt alliance is showing some complexities -- did Kriss screw up there?

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-october-2021-star-wars-comics-exclusive

Spoiler: Issue #10 solicit

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC #10

CAVAN SCOTT (W) • ARIO ANINDITO (A) • Cover by PHIL NOTO
Variant Cover by GEORGES JEANTY
Variant Cover by CASPAR WIJNGAARD

A NEW STORY BEGINS THIS ISSUE – THE SHADOW OF THE NIHIL!

• Following the terrible events of The Rising Storm, the villainous NIHIL are in retreat, hunted by THE JEDI.
• WAYSEEKER KNIGHT ORLA JARENI is attacked by a lone Nihil Stormship in deep space, a Stormship commanded by one of the Jedi’s own.
• Which of STARLIGHT BEACON’S number have joined the Nihil Horde? And how far will they turn from the light?

Cavan Scott interview with 4 panels from issue #7.
https://www.ign.com/articles/star-wars-the-high-republic-rising-storm-cavan-scott-interview

Spoiler

IGN: As far as Star Wars book titles go, The Rising Storm sounds pretty ominous. Would you say that describes the general tone of the story as the Jedi and Republic deal with the immediate aftermath of Light of the Jedi?

Cavan Scott: Oh, absolutely. I had three words written on my white board throughout the writing process – SENSE OF DREAD. We’ve definitely been building towards this in all the books since Light of the Jedi.

IGN: How closely did you work with [Light of the Jedi author] Charles Soule in developing this story and making sure his book would lead seamlessly into yours?

Scott: We’ve all worked together on this story from day one, so we knew exactly what beats had to be both in Light of the Jedi and The Rising Storm. I think I started writing Rising Storm while Charles was on his last draft of Light of the Jedi, so we talked about what changes he was making so I could follow that through into my novel. Plus, I was dropping in things to foreshadow events from both Justina Ireland’s Out of the Shadows plus the next wave of High Republic novels.

Everything is connected. Everything means something

IGN: Does The Rising Storm largely focus on the same cast as Light of the Jedi? Are there any newcomers fans should be on the lookout for?

Scott: It’s mainly the same cast, although Avar Kriss has now moved off into the Marvel High Republic series. Rising Storm brings Stellan Gios into the mix, a Jedi who we’ve heard a lot about but not met. He’s recently been elevated to the Jedi Council and is feeling the pressure of being the poster boy of the Jedi.

There is also Ty Yorrick, the so called ‘Saber-for-hire.’ She’s a mysterious character when we first meet her, a former Jedi who now acts as a mercenary and monster hunter.



IGN: The previous book gave us our first look at the Nihil. Will we learn more about these pirates and their plans for the galaxy in this chapter?

Scott: Yes, we delve deeper into the politics of the Nihil, especially its leadership. I had a blast building on what Charles first introduced about Marchion Ro and his Tempest Runners. We spend a lot more time with Pan Eyta and Lourna Dee in particular, the latter of which has become a bit of a fan favourite. For those who don’t know, Lourna is a murderous Twi’lek who can never be trusted. I’ve really enjoyed delving more into her character, both in this and my upcoming Star Wars: The High Republic audio drama, Tempest Runner.

As for Ro, The Rising Storm really gets into his head, which we find out is the most terrifying place in the galaxy!

IGN: This is your first full-length Star Wars novel aimed at the adult market rather than YA-focused books. Was that a challenging transition to make for you? Did it force you to rethink how you approach your storytelling at all?

Scott: Not particularly. For me, basic storytelling is the same, whoever you’re writing for; it’s just the lens that’s different. Writing for a slightly older reader in The Rising Storm just meant I could lean more into emotions and events that we wouldn’t show in a kid’s book. In my heart, I’m a horror writer, so this is probably my darkest Star Wars work so far. Our Jedi go through a lot on Valo and beyond

IGN: How different is it exploring the High Republic era as a comic versus novels? Does having that visual element help you connect with the characters or visualize the action in ways prose doesn’t?

Scott: For me Star Wars started with comics. I read the original Marvel run in the late 1970s long before I saw the movies, so Star Wars just feels like a comic for me. That’s often what I see in my head when I think of the franchise: images from that original run, from the incredible Dark Horse series of the ’90s and beyond (Star Wars Republic is still one of my all-time favorite Star Wars series) and the recent canon comics published again by Marvel, especially the incredible Darth Vader runs by Kieron Gillen and my fellow High Republic creator, Charles Soule.

Comics can hit us between the eyes with epic action one moment and then bring things so close and personal the next. That’s definitely what I’ve been trying to do in the High Republic comic, especially when dealing with the relationship between our main character, Keeve Trennis and her former master, the Trandoshan Jedi Sskeer.



IGN: Ario Anindito launched the series with you, and now Georges Jeanty is coming onboard. Jeanty is an interesting choice of artist for Star Wars, and one who seems to bring a more human touch to the franchise despite the larger-than-life imagery. Is that the balance you’re trying to strike?

Scott: Absolutely. I’m not interested in Jedi being untouchable gods. I want to see what it’s really like to live this life, to have the pressure of being a beacon of light to the galaxy. There was a lot of talk when we started this story that our Jedi were the best of the best. Yes, that’s true, as far as the galaxy is concerned. But just as those early character descriptions were teasers, place-holders even, the truth of the matter is far more complex. I’m interested in looking at where the stress points are for our characters, the cracks that moments like the events of The Rising Storm and The High Republic comic can break open. Avar Kriss for example is someone who deeply believes she should be the best, that she should shine brighter than everyone else. But what does that mean for her when the galaxy around her gets darker? Both Georges, and Ario Anindito who was the artist on our first arc and will be returning for issue eight, are so good at capturing those moments when, just for a moment, we glimpse the person behind the saber and the robes.

IGN: The cover to issue #6 paints quite the picture. Is this image of a Jedi riding a Rancor a chance for you to unleash your childhood Star Wars fantasies?

Scott: Absolutely. The first Star Wars film I saw in the cinema was Empire Strikes Back, but the film that made me a life-long fan was Return of the Jedi with all the wild and crazy creatures of Jabba the Hutt’s palace. I adore monsters and so fell instantly in love with Star Wars’ very own kaiju, the Rancor. And then came the Rancor riders of the older Star Wars Expanded Universe. That was a tradition I wanted to continue the moment I joined the High Republic team.



IGN: The High Republic stories have begun to shed light on the Great Progenitor and the Drengir. Will these characters play a big role in this upcoming story arc?

Scott: The Drengir are a massive threat to the galactic frontier at this point, enough to keep Avar Kriss, the hero of Charles’ book, from rushing to help when the Nihil strike the Republic Fair. They are a very different villain to the Nihil themselves and will play a major role in the future of the High Republic too.

IGN: This arc features an unlikely alliance between the Jedi and the Hutt cartel. How much conflict does that alliance create among the Jedi protagonists?

Scott: Let’s just say there are plenty in the Order, and especially the Council, who aren’t happy with the alliance between Avar and the Hutts. And the ramifications are going to rumble on for years to come. For me, I wanted to see Hutts in battle. It all comes back to Jabba!

IGN: Now that we’re a little ways into the High Republic initiative and the creators have been developing the story for a few years, has this project surprised you in any ways? Has the overarching plan taken any detours you weren’t expecting?

Scott: I’ve been over the moon (that’s no moon, etc.) with how the initiative has been welcomed by fans. It’s so gratifying to see how characters we’ve created have really chimed with a large section of the fandom. Again, I remember how important the novels and comics of the ’90s were to me, and have been trying to instill that same sense of wonder, excitement and, at times, heartbreak to the High Republic.

As for surprises, well, the storyline has been planned for all three phases of the High Republic. We know how this is all ending, and how we’re going to get there. But we have given ourselves space to be surprised by our characters, and also watch to see which characters have really landed for the fans. None of that has changed our plans for them, but it has influenced the way we get to that ending. We wanted to give ourselves the opportunity for the story to grow organically as time goes by.

That said, I’ve written the last pages of the High Republic for the heroes of the High Republic comic and shut them away in a drawer. Will I rewrite them when we finally get to tell that part of the story in the years to come? Probably, but I doubt the main details will change. I think it’s important that as creators we have an ending in sight that we’re all working towards. The fans who come on the journey with us deserve that.



IGN: Light of the Jedi set the tone and direction for this era going forward. How much will the ending of The Rising Storm and the second arc of the High Republic comic set the stage for this next leg of this journey?

Scott: How do they set the stage? Well, to be honest, it’s only just beginning. The first wave of books and comics formed our pre-title sequence. The end of The Rising Storm? Well, this is where the fun begins...