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Star Wars: The High Republic - Trail of Shadows
Star Wars: The High Republic - Trail of Shadows #2
EMERICK AND SIAN FACE TOTAL AN-NIHIL-ATION! As dead ends and loose threads mount in Jedi Master Emerick Caphtor’s investigation, he’s called to Coruscant, where Chancellor Soh introduces him to his new partner: private eye Sian Holt. Together, they must go undercover to infiltrate one of the most crime-riddled and dangerous planets in the galaxy. Will Emerick’s duty to the Republic get in the way of Sian’s personal vendetta? Time’s running out to close this case…and what do the Nihil have to do with any of this?!
22 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2021
6 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Daniel José Older
179 books1,965 followersDaniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music at http://danieljoseolder.net/, on youtube and @djolder on twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 8, 2021
“Everything is something. But nothing makes sense. Each loose thread leads to ten more, then ten more. The boundaries of this case are porous, impossible to fully grasp. They won’t stay still. It’s a puzzle with too many pieces, and none of them fit together.”
This series started on a high note with its last, and first, issue. I was enamored with it.
Immediately, the tone for this series was very dark and mysterious, somewhat of a crime noir, and I love that. Of course, for it to reach a desirable solution we need to build things up so the slower pace of this issue is necessary if a bit of a letdown.
Getting to know who these characters are is as much of a reward as it needs to be. Especially because it's clear they will be accompanying us for a long time to come.
Do I smell romance in the air?
If anything, it's too early to tell, and it may just be me seeing things, but those two protagonists do seem like they can have chemistry there, and there were a couple of questionable scenes in here that otherwise would feel utterly unnecessary. I would love all that drama, whatever the case.
Though the element of suspense was diminished in this issue I cannot say that it was lost. And I am ever curious to see what in the galaxy is going on here. And how these pieces connect with all the other puzzle parts we have had.
“Anyway, it’s not revenge […] Revenge is expensive, boring and not nearly as satisfying as the holos make it out to be.”
___________
Huh, so that happened.
This was certainly less creepy than the last issue but it's still pretty interesting.
RTC.
___________
I am so curious to see where this story goes now. The last issue was very creepy, which I loved, and if the tone continues to be the same I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be obsessed with this series.
As it is, that little lullaby has me on the edge of my seat and I need to learn more about it all.
December 26, 2021
This High Republic noir-themed miniseries is slowly sneaking its way to the the very top of my favourite Star Wars stories. What a great use of the comic medium and what an amazing, gripping atmosphere. Now I'm tense reading any High Republic story, but this one? This one has my full attention, and I have a strong feeling it will be relevant to the story in many ways. I'm starting to grow closer to the characters and root for them now. Very excited (and scared) to see where this goes. All I can say is this issue is great work by both Daniel José Older and artist Dave Wachter!
December 3, 2021
The second installment of Daniel José Older’s Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows picks up a short time after the devastating attack on Valo, with Jedi Master Emerick still assiduously trying to make sense of everything that has occurred. Elsewhere in the galaxy, Sian Holt is recovering from her near-death experience on Coruscant and the death of her partner Keefar.
At the start of the issue, Chancellor Soh summons Master Emerick and Sian to the Senate chambers to discuss their separate—yet connected—missions. Reluctantly they accept her assignment to work together, tracking down a member of the Nihil who is acting as an illegal arms dealer on the black market, with rumors that they’re trying to sell the dangerous weapon somewhere on The Gambler’s Paradise (which doesn’t seem to be a direct reference to the 1970s gambler’s paradise known as The Wheel).
Understandably, neither Emerick nor Sian want to work together, but they are willing to follow Chancellor Soh’s orders to an extent. They have some really spectacular banter with one another while venturing through the Vorzyd Sector, which culminates in Sian getting Emerick out of his Jedi robes and into something that will provide him with a little camouflage.
Once they arrive on Vorzyd, Sian asks Emerick a very important question. One that has been discussed to some extent throughout the last two waves of The High Republic and among readers who are getting a new approach to the Jedi. We have seen some of the Padawans and Knights questioning the purpose of combat and grappling with how weapons—like lightsabers—fit into the mission of the Jedi. Sian goes at it more directly, picking at the Jedi for their brutal counterattack against Nihil at the Republic Fair. Emerick has a very simple answer, which definitely feels like the party line for the Jedi… They are simply enacting preemptive measures.
When Emerick and Sian arrive at the rendezvous location, they discover that their other contact has been killed. Nothing like an active crime scene to set the mood for a pulpy noir comic. They track down the Nihil that were partially responsible for the agent's death and manage to stick a tracking device on their mode of transportation, which will undoubtedly be revisited in the next issue.
In the final moments of the comic we get a tease about who the mysterious Nihil is that is claiming to be a member of the upper ranks of the Nihil—a familiar face for anyone who has read the other High Republic comics.
David Wachter and Giada Marchisio have both created such beautiful, colorful artwork for this comic. It really lends itself to the aesthetic being created by Older’s storytelling, pulling from all of the classic noir tropes that Star Wars has been sorely without for too long. This issue really sets the stage for more, thrilling adventures for Emerick and Sian and I’m keen to see how this sets the scene for the next wave of The High Republic.
At the start of the issue, Chancellor Soh summons Master Emerick and Sian to the Senate chambers to discuss their separate—yet connected—missions. Reluctantly they accept her assignment to work together, tracking down a member of the Nihil who is acting as an illegal arms dealer on the black market, with rumors that they’re trying to sell the dangerous weapon somewhere on The Gambler’s Paradise (which doesn’t seem to be a direct reference to the 1970s gambler’s paradise known as The Wheel).
Understandably, neither Emerick nor Sian want to work together, but they are willing to follow Chancellor Soh’s orders to an extent. They have some really spectacular banter with one another while venturing through the Vorzyd Sector, which culminates in Sian getting Emerick out of his Jedi robes and into something that will provide him with a little camouflage.
Once they arrive on Vorzyd, Sian asks Emerick a very important question. One that has been discussed to some extent throughout the last two waves of The High Republic and among readers who are getting a new approach to the Jedi. We have seen some of the Padawans and Knights questioning the purpose of combat and grappling with how weapons—like lightsabers—fit into the mission of the Jedi. Sian goes at it more directly, picking at the Jedi for their brutal counterattack against Nihil at the Republic Fair. Emerick has a very simple answer, which definitely feels like the party line for the Jedi… They are simply enacting preemptive measures.
When Emerick and Sian arrive at the rendezvous location, they discover that their other contact has been killed. Nothing like an active crime scene to set the mood for a pulpy noir comic. They track down the Nihil that were partially responsible for the agent's death and manage to stick a tracking device on their mode of transportation, which will undoubtedly be revisited in the next issue.
In the final moments of the comic we get a tease about who the mysterious Nihil is that is claiming to be a member of the upper ranks of the Nihil—a familiar face for anyone who has read the other High Republic comics.
David Wachter and Giada Marchisio have both created such beautiful, colorful artwork for this comic. It really lends itself to the aesthetic being created by Older’s storytelling, pulling from all of the classic noir tropes that Star Wars has been sorely without for too long. This issue really sets the stage for more, thrilling adventures for Emerick and Sian and I’m keen to see how this sets the scene for the next wave of The High Republic.
May 30, 2023
"It was okay / I liked it." - 2.5 star rating, with a round down.
Drastically better than issue #1. I actually enjoyed this one. Full of murder mystery, detective/analysis/crime scene type content, all of which being super fun. Being fair, the artwork is good as well in this comic series.
Continuing to try to be open minded to High Republic (HR), I did some extracurricular research on the characters within this comic, thinking maybe it could help.
To my extreme disappointment, Emrick Caphtor's debut is here in this comic book series. I feel like such a huge opportunity lost not devoting a few pages to this guy's backstory. Maybe it's coming later... but my initial thought of maybe I am jumping into the series at an odd point and missing loads of super cool content about this guy = nope. This is his initial entry.
Equally disappointing... the exact same is true for Sian Holt.
Thankfully, at least there is a plethora of available content/backstory for Lina Soh, which is essentially HR's Padme variant. Which is fine and general enough to not feel like a complete clone of Amidala. Strong female, dedicated to politics, believes in the Republic, yada yada. She's good in my mind so far. Now... if she starts eventually having a secret love affair with a Jedi and complications arise... we are going to a problem here....
Finally, the main villain here is also just an empty void (again). It's just an alien brute/bruiser that so far is just bad to be bad. Nothing you can relate to, connect with, again no backstory... see a trend here?
Going to continue to stay positive and if the remaining three (3) issues are at least on par with this one, I'll be happy and call this Trial of Shadows series done and never looking back.
Drastically better than issue #1. I actually enjoyed this one. Full of murder mystery, detective/analysis/crime scene type content, all of which being super fun. Being fair, the artwork is good as well in this comic series.
Continuing to try to be open minded to High Republic (HR), I did some extracurricular research on the characters within this comic, thinking maybe it could help.
To my extreme disappointment, Emrick Caphtor's debut is here in this comic book series. I feel like such a huge opportunity lost not devoting a few pages to this guy's backstory. Maybe it's coming later... but my initial thought of maybe I am jumping into the series at an odd point and missing loads of super cool content about this guy = nope. This is his initial entry.
Equally disappointing... the exact same is true for Sian Holt.
Thankfully, at least there is a plethora of available content/backstory for Lina Soh, which is essentially HR's Padme variant. Which is fine and general enough to not feel like a complete clone of Amidala. Strong female, dedicated to politics, believes in the Republic, yada yada. She's good in my mind so far. Now... if she starts eventually having a secret love affair with a Jedi and complications arise... we are going to a problem here....
Finally, the main villain here is also just an empty void (again). It's just an alien brute/bruiser that so far is just bad to be bad. Nothing you can relate to, connect with, again no backstory... see a trend here?
Going to continue to stay positive and if the remaining three (3) issues are at least on par with this one, I'll be happy and call this Trial of Shadows series done and never looking back.
November 24, 2021
”Everything is something… But nothing makes sense. Each loose end leads to ten more, then ten more. The boundaries of this case are porous, impossible to fully grasp. They won’t stay still. It’s a puzzle with too many pieces. And none of them fit together.”
Trail of Shadows continues to be an exciting, interesting and atmospheric comic series that mixes together mystery and crime with some classic Star Wars action and fun. In this issue our two main leads, Emerick and Sian, finally team up to investigate what is going on since it is more than likely that the two cases they have been working on are actually connected.
I'm excited to see where this story will go next. I like Sian and Emerick as characters a lot, and I think the dynamic between them is quite fun. When you team a pragmatic, tough-as-nails private detective with an honourable, calm Jedi Master, the results are bound to be entertaining. I'm also intrigued to see how their differing life philosophies and outlooks on the galaxy will clash and perhaps change over the course of the series.
I like how this series has all these cameos from already introduced characters - in this issue characters like Lina Son and Senator Starros have minor appearances. The cameos feel organic and not forced at all, like cameos can sometimes feel. Every character that appears has a purpose.
Can't wait for the next issue!
Trail of Shadows continues to be an exciting, interesting and atmospheric comic series that mixes together mystery and crime with some classic Star Wars action and fun. In this issue our two main leads, Emerick and Sian, finally team up to investigate what is going on since it is more than likely that the two cases they have been working on are actually connected.
I'm excited to see where this story will go next. I like Sian and Emerick as characters a lot, and I think the dynamic between them is quite fun. When you team a pragmatic, tough-as-nails private detective with an honourable, calm Jedi Master, the results are bound to be entertaining. I'm also intrigued to see how their differing life philosophies and outlooks on the galaxy will clash and perhaps change over the course of the series.
I like how this series has all these cameos from already introduced characters - in this issue characters like Lina Son and Senator Starros have minor appearances. The cameos feel organic and not forced at all, like cameos can sometimes feel. Every character that appears has a purpose.
Can't wait for the next issue!
November 25, 2021
It seems the mystery of the creepy nursery rhyme is going to have to wait a little longer.
[READ FULL REVIEW: https://thegeekywaffle.com/home/2021/...]
When we last left off, private invesitagor Sian Holt was shot in an alleyway and her partner Keefar Branto was murdered, while Jedi Master Emerick Caphtor found a temple on Vrant Tarnum with the words “Shrii Ka Rai Ka Rai” inscribed on the wall.
When the second issue of Trail of Shadows picks up a few weeks later, Emerick has made little progress with the investigation into Loden Greatstorm’s death, and Sian is paralyzed by fear after the attack. They are both summoned to Chancellor Lina Soh’s office, and assigned to work on their individual cases together, since the Chancellor believes Loden and Keefar’s deaths might be related.
Together, they follow a new lead to Vorzyd V, a haven for gamblers, where they’ve received word a high ranking Nihil is looking to sell a very valuable weapon within the criminal underworld.
[READ FULL REVIEW: https://thegeekywaffle.com/home/2021/...]
When we last left off, private invesitagor Sian Holt was shot in an alleyway and her partner Keefar Branto was murdered, while Jedi Master Emerick Caphtor found a temple on Vrant Tarnum with the words “Shrii Ka Rai Ka Rai” inscribed on the wall.
When the second issue of Trail of Shadows picks up a few weeks later, Emerick has made little progress with the investigation into Loden Greatstorm’s death, and Sian is paralyzed by fear after the attack. They are both summoned to Chancellor Lina Soh’s office, and assigned to work on their individual cases together, since the Chancellor believes Loden and Keefar’s deaths might be related.
Together, they follow a new lead to Vorzyd V, a haven for gamblers, where they’ve received word a high ranking Nihil is looking to sell a very valuable weapon within the criminal underworld.
December 6, 2021
Very nice.
This issue was great, with only two issues so far the story has been super interesting and with really good action. Some panels have better art than other but overall is pretty good. I'm liking the story and i have no idea where could this go, and that's exciting.
Issue 2 puts Sian more on the front and she's cool, her interactions with Emerick are very funny. There's a scene where both Sian and Emerick are describing a crime scene and it was glorious to both of them get everything correct, i like that both are very competent at their jobs.
Overall: Great issue, it was fun and entertaining. I have high hopes for this miniseries, Daniel José Older is doing an outstanding job.
This issue was great, with only two issues so far the story has been super interesting and with really good action. Some panels have better art than other but overall is pretty good. I'm liking the story and i have no idea where could this go, and that's exciting.
Issue 2 puts Sian more on the front and she's cool, her interactions with Emerick are very funny. There's a scene where both Sian and Emerick are describing a crime scene and it was glorious to both of them get everything correct, i like that both are very competent at their jobs.
Overall: Great issue, it was fun and entertaining. I have high hopes for this miniseries, Daniel José Older is doing an outstanding job.
December 31, 2021
Better than the previous issue, building on the characters and settling into the mystery format, mostly dialogue driven. If the first issue was alot of setup, this one is faster paced, with an interesting cliffhanger at the end.
November 24, 2021
Opět bomba. Líbí se mi ty "přestřelky" a chemie mezi hlavními charaktery, plus ta zápletka je zajímavá, jiná a neobvyklá.
February 16, 2022
Took a while to get going. But once it did, the action really kicked in.
April 30, 2022
Loving this Star Wars detective story. Bonus star for what’s probably a new Prune Face!
December 1, 2022
I really love the whole murder mystery with investigators thing in the Star Wars universe. So, so awesome!
November 8, 2023
#2 – Way Down Deep in the Dark – “It’s been weeks. Months, maybe. Lost track of time. Nothing has been the same since the attack.” – Master Emerick Caphtor.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews