Star Wars: The High Republic - Shadows of Starlight #4

Star Wars: The High Republic - Shadows of Starlight

by Charles Soule

MARCHION RO WINS! The final glimpse of the lost year of THE HIGH REPUBLIC is revealed, as we follow the EYE OF THE STORM himself, MARCHION RO, from his greatest triumph – the destruction of the JEDI fortress known as STARLIGHT BEACON – to the many trials that came after!

Genres: Comics, Star Wars, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

24 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 3, 2024

About the author

Charles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.

Reviews

[Ryan Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to go to a months-long Nihil party on the Gaze Electric. Great bridge to show their growth during the year after the fall of Starlight Beacon.

[Leensey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great snapshot of the aftermath of Starlight Beacon's fall, this time from the Eye of the Nihil himself. He seems very reluctant to lead in the way Ghirra is trying to get him to, but he continues to have such awful plans for the Jedi and the Republic/its allies. Boolan is a familiar name from Phase 2 but I don't recall him....General Viess tho, hard to forget. She has it out for Porter, and I'm intrigued to see more of that story.

[Phillip Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Soule set out to bridge the gap between Phase 1 and Phase 3 of The High Republic Era with the Marvel comic Shadows of Starlight. With the fourth book out now focused on Marchion Ro and the Nihil, he has successfully landed his mission.

As mentioned in previous Shadows of Starlight reviews, these stories are all set prior to George Mann’s The Eye of Darkness which I have already read. So, how did the Nihil get from where we left them after destroying Starlight Beacon to where we find them being the Stormwall?

Ghirra Starros is trying to work her smooth moves to try and convince Marchion to abandon the Nihil’s past of piracy and conquering and try a new idea: ruling. Marchion isn’t exactly too hot on the idea and seeks out two new allies that we’ve met already 150 years in the past.

The first of these is General Viess who we met in the Porter Engle focused comic series The Blade. Viess is a prolific Jedi killer judging by the hilts that she carries. We know she is still holding a grudge against Engle, and that has continued through the present day. Viess is an elite military strategist and adds a whole new dimension to the Nihil attack.

The other is Boolan. Readers of Phase 2 books Mary remember Boolan as “Little” in the Path of the Open Hand. The last time that we saw Boolan, he was a child, and Marchion Ro’s ancestors Marda and Yana Ro were convincing him not to follow through with the Mother’s orders to blow up a cave system in an attack on the Jedi.

With the final book in this series now being wrapped, I can say that Soule successfully bridged the gap, setting everything up between the phases. I personally would’ve loved this book prior to reading The Eye of Darkness, but it still works for me.

[ashlabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the final issue of this great series author Charles Soule takes a look at how the Nihil changed following the fall of Starlight. In his pride Marchion Ro is clinging to the feeling of freedom for the Nihil while ex-senator Starros urges him to take control over his territory by actually governing. Not on his own however but through three ministers. That's a very smart idea of Soule as it keeps the image of the Eye intact while also providing ground for possible conflicts within the Nihil in Phase III. The actual issue isn't as interesting as the rest as it is just showing how the three ministers are recruited. However it feels convincing and seeing Phase II characters actually being utilized again is a great connection.

[Tasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me voy a unir a los nihil solo para acercarme a Marchion Ro

[Gabriele · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was lame, sorry. Not worth the money spent.

[David Beer · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the last blank filled, loved the insight into the Nihil ‘government’ being formed that we say already in existence in the first adult novel of the new phase.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat fine conclusion I guess.

[Annsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Issues #1-4 of this series in a collection through the Hoopla app so I'm leaving my review here...AMAZING. I can't wait for more! (Also Ember is adorable.)

[F. W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7/5

is this a safe space to say hear me out for marchion orrr

all the high republic authors probably look at my reviews and audibly sigh