Alright it’s been quite a day! Earlier today Marvel released their solicits for December 2022 Star Wars comics and then we got a surprise early drop of the official preview for Star Wars The High Republic #1 (2022) by Cavan Scott.
And boy, let me tell you, what a preview it was. It has everything. A surprisingly solemn Jedi. A murderous force wielding wizard looking guy, the holy planet of Jedha, and a goofy twilek padawan who talks to much when she’s nervous.
The preview is great. The book looks great. I love Cavan Scott’s writing and Ario Anindito is a fantastic artist who lays out interior comic art in a very easy to follow way. And, from a speculation standpoint, this is a no-brainer key issue that will have a ton of first appearances in it.
I’m excited for this and I hope you are too.
Below you’ll find a list of every variant for this issue and then, below that, the preview for this issue with a few thoughts from me mixed in.
ANd if you want to see every variant from every comic and book in Phase II of The High Republic check out the Drunk Wooky High Republic Phase II Checklist here.
Star Wars The High Republic #1 | Phase 2
(W) Cavan Scott (A) Ario Anindito (CA) Ario Anindito
A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS FOR STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC!
- One hundred and fifty years before the fall of Starlight, another beacon burns bright in the galaxy, a beacon of faith and spirituality. Jedha. The Pilgrim Moon. The Kyber Heart. But tensions are rising in the holy city and dark days are to come.
- Jedi Vildar Mac, a Jedi safe and secure in who he is and what he could be, arrives as Jedha’s fragile peace begins to crumble. But a nightmare awaits…a nameless terror that will become the stuff of legend.
In Shops: October 12th, 2022
Variants:
- Anindito Cover A
- Noto Variant
- McKone Variant
- Duursema 1:50 Variant
- Panosian Exclusive (TFAW) (Pre-orders start 9/9)
- Peach Momoko Exclusive
- Tyler Kirkham Exclusive
- David Lopez Exclusive (Pre-Sale Starts 9/13)
- Luke Ross Exclusive
- This exclusive will be exclusively sold by macdaddymoose on WhatNot
- Link to their stream
- WhatNot Affiliate Link (I get $10 if you join through this)
- Mike Mayhew Exclusive (Presale Starts 9/16 5pm EST)
Ok, hold up. Who the F&$# is that guy!?! Well, aside from a clearly evil (and possibly) possessed creature who most likely killed Vildar Mac’s parents. Is he Sith? Unlikely considering the Sith have been “extinct for a millennium.” Wink wink. But he appears to have dark side powers. Could he be ascendant? Or some other sect of force user that is not technically Jedi or Sith?
I was excited about this issue before but this has ratcheted it up a few notches. I need to know more about that dude.
I love the way Jedha is described here. First off, I think this series is going to change the way we view the Jedha scenes in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The paradise described here seems like a far cry from the dessert wasteland we see in that movie.
Also, I love lore about the force. Darkside, lightside, inbetween, whatever. It’s fascinating to me. Much more than a single character arc is. So if we get more of that, more layers peeled off of the force onion… count me in.
I love the difference between Vilar and Matty here. One brooding and quiet, the other loud and quirky. Should be a nice mix. It’s also not clear if Matty is supposed to be Vildar’s padawan. I had assumed she was but I’m not getting that vibe from this page.
