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Star Wars: The High Republic (2022) (Single Issues)

Star Wars: The High Republic (2022-2023) #2

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Death Strikes On Jedha! A Jedi lies dead in an ancient shrine, another on the trail of the murderer. Who is using ancient Force powers on the streets of the holy city, and why are sacred relics going missing? And why do all roads lead to the Temple of the Whills?

24 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2022

12 people are currently reading
37 people want to read

About the author

Cavan Scott

672 books434 followers
is a freelance comic writer and author. He is best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from both Doctor Who and Star Wars, as well as comics and novels for Vikings, Pacific Rim, Sherlock Holmes, and Penguins of Madagascar.

Cavan Scott, along with Justina Ireland, Claudia Gray, Daniel Jose Older, and Charles Soule are crafting a new era in the Star Wars publishing world called Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan's contribution to the era is a comic book series released through Marvel Comics titled Star Wars: The High Republic.

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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Patricia.
217 reviews27 followers
November 10, 2022
The High Republic continues! Chapter two of the ten-part series is titled Tey Sirrek - and takes us on the pursuit of the sly fellow. The synopsis doesn't reveal anything new, as the story seamlessly sets off where we were left at the end of the last issue.

Please beware that this is a review containing PLOT DETAILS.

As we now know, Tey Sirrek is narrating the comic. I'm intrigued by how limitedly this stylistic device is used throughout this issue (appearing only at the beginning and on the very last page) and what that could mean. Although certain details are unveiled about Tey as the story progresses, his mind thus remains a mystery, which makes the character all the more compelling. But before we get to learn more about him, Vildar wakes up from the dead. The dead speak! Or something like that ...

What I liked about this issue is that we don't have to wait for answers for too long. First, however, we see Vildar using one of his talents: he has visions, though they are often inaccurate. Another intriguing character trait! The usually grumpy Jedi also asks young Matty for help, building their trust to soon make them become a great team. The experience the two Jedi have complements each other well - Matty knows Jedha better, Vildar has age on his side, yet there is dynamically written friction from time to time.

One of these tense instances occurs when none other than the Path of the Open Hand preaches in front of derelict ruins, venting about their disapproval of the Jedi. To me, this was one of the best moments of the issue, though it also somewhat benefits from the reader having knowing Path of Deceit. I, at least, got goosebumps reading this scene, however I can also imagine that it might have less of an impact to readers who have not yet experienced the novel. Vildar acts more impulsively and offensively than Matty during this encounter, who does not want to be protected by him. His impulsive nature gets in Vildar in trouble in the very next scene as well, and I would not be surprised if it lead to problems with the Path in the future. At this point, I'm almost waiting for that to happen.

In the bar called Enlightenment (quite the appropriate name for a location existing within this era), the protagonists meet the Twinkle Sisters and Kradon. I was not as impressed with these characters as they seem rather generic, but they serve their purpose within the plot. Tey Sirrek is finally found and turns out to be harmless, at least as far as his "force abilities" are concerned – the true nature of them makes for a rather mundane reveal. Yet, within this issue, I liked his character even more than before. Although he's on the good guys’ side, he's not predictable, which makes him and his motives more interesting. I also liked that Vildar was put in his place. While I appreciate his grim nature in contrast to the other characters, it is almost exhausting after two issues already. Thus, I prefer the lively Matthea and the mischievous Tey at the moment. The latter proves to be honorable when he saves Vildar from a gunshot and our duo becomes a trio – which is then immediately attacked in the Temple of the Kyber, a fight we can look forward to in the next issue.

While plot-wise, we didn't take all that many steps forward in this issue, the characters were still brought together nicely. This time, we are left with less unanswered questions and gain clarity about Tey Sirrek, which I didn't expect to happen quite so soon. The second issue has a less potent arc than the first one within the issue itself, creating a tension that is a little less palpable, though this doesn't surprise me after the cliffhanger of issue #1. In doing so, Scott also implements something I would have liked to see in the 2021 run: a little more room for the story to breathe and unfold. Still, to me, the standout moment of this month’s issue is the doomed encounter with the Path of the Open Hand.

About the illustrations

Unsurprisingly, the illustrations remain on a consistently great level. Compared to the 2021 run, they seem even more character-focused, but that may also be due to Jedha's color design. My personal illustrative highlight is Vildar’s vision, in which a washed-out effect and a different pencil was used, making the moment stand out. The new characters we meet at the bar are also intricately designed, and especially Kradon looks pretty impressive.
Otherwise, the illustrations and the coloring seem rather muted and a bit less detailed when it comes to the background. One thing I was confused by is the logo of the bar (an Aurebesh sign that translates to "Enlightenment"), as it somehow looks like it's digital type and someone forgot to replace it with an authentic sign.
Perspective-wise, the artist once again offers a lot of variety while movements and motion look realistic and are easily traceable. My one wish for the future: although I generally like the new pastel look, I would like to see a bit more color in the next issues - even if it's just as a limited highlight – to make the series shine in its full glory.

Conclusion

Overall, The High Republic #2 is a more calm and character-focused issue than the previous one. While the plot doesn't hold any major twists, we still get to learn quite a bit about the titular character of the issue, Tey Sirrek, and the trio is brought together. There's a fun dynamic to the characters’ conversations, which hopefully won't become too repetitive in future issues. Unfortunately, the new side characters don't stand out to me as much, as their spotlight was stolen by the Path of the Open Hand, which I was personally more interested in. Even though first issue of the series was a tad more fiery and impactful to me, this issue still left me feeling excited to see what kind of misfortune our team on Jedha will run into next.

This is a self-translated version of my German review over on Jedi-Bibliothek which you can find here: https://jedi-bibliothek.de/2022/11/ma...
Profile Image for Saimi Korhonen.
1,330 reviews56 followers
November 18, 2022
"Sure, it was a life plagued with doubts. With regret he barely understood, let alone acknowledged. But a life cut short? Over too soon? Nah... It was only just starting..."

Vildar Mac has been attacked by a strange power. He wakes up, confused, out-of-control and determined to find Tey Sirrek, his attacker and someone he is convinced is a murderer.

This series, so far, has been awesome. I love the art style, the character designs and the overall feel of the world, and the writing is amazing. Vildar Mac is a fascinating lead as we know something happened in his past and that he carries something on his shoulders, a burden of some kind, and I already enjoy his partnership with Matty, who is a delight: slightly chaotic, goodhearted, open and not too hung up on the rules. I love that Matty, though still a padawan, is not afraid to give suggestions to Vildar, nor is she afraid to criticise him when he acts too aggressively. She is not at all like Keeve, who was, at the beginning of her comic, very timid around people higher in status than her and who was not confident at all. Tey seems like a cool character as well: we don't know much about him yet, but I like that he is the narrator of the comic and what we learn of him in this issue makes me intrigued to keep exploring him.

I also love the setting of Jedha and the complexities of that world as it is a religious place for many different cults and groups of believers who do not always get along or respect each other's beliefs and customs. It's a cultural melting pot and those kinds of places are always great for storytelling. I was pumped to see a preacher from the Path of the Open Hand pop up and to see that group spreading their beliefs. I'm interested in seeing how the Path will tie into the bigger story of this comic.

Cavan Scott continues to impress me with his comic work! Cannot wait for issue three!
Profile Image for Alexandra Elend Wolf.
650 reviews318 followers
January 5, 2023
“Young Vildar Mac thought he was going to die at the hands of a dark sider. He thought wrong, of course. Death would come later… much, much later… not on Kiffex where he was born, but another world, after another life, the life of a Jedi.”


I'm starting to think that Vildar is a bit of a hothead for being a Jedi but, actually, I'm liking him quite a bit.

Going from the cliffhanger of the previous issue, I was not surprised that things developed as they did, no, but this mysterious new companion certainly is intriguing and seems like a lot of fun... for how shady he is.

So far, my favorite thing about this series has been seeing Jedha and all the different force religions that reside there. The flash appearance of the Path of the Open Hand was quite a fun little detail to spot.

I do wonder, now that we are two issues in, what will be the plot? Because I'm still uncertain about that and it's a bit odd that it's still so undecided.

“I don’t need respect; I only need the Force.”

_________________

I was not expecting this.

RTC.
Profile Image for N.E.C.C..
473 reviews7 followers
December 2, 2022
The "storm" passed and we get a more tranquil second issue. The art is incredible as always, the plot moves slower that the first issue but it is intriguing to see all the aspects of Jedha in this time period. The Path of the Open Hand is yet another religion/cult center around the force and with so many different groupds with different points of view in regards to it, poop is gonna hit the fan for sure.

Overall: This second issue is not as impactful as its predecessor but it is still captivating and lots of fun.
Profile Image for Rakib Khan .
241 reviews5 followers
December 9, 2022
The pace slows down quite significantly in the second issue of the new High Republic series, as the author tries to set up his team of heroes while introducing readers to some cameos by other characters featured in the works of the other creators.

Vildar Mac continues his search for his mysterious assailant along with his companion and we get to learn more about the assailant this time. While this issue lacks action compared to the last one, it does end with a cliffhanger that is sure to keep fans of the franchise for the future of the series.

The art is as strong as last time and it was great to see the landscapes of the fabled Jedha and the various species and races represented on the moon. The depiction of the characters from other creators as cameos was a fine additional enjoyment factor as well.

All in all, this one lacked the spark and pace of the first issue, but still was certainly enjoyable. I will give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
4 reviews
Read
June 20, 2023
Complex, Weighty, & just Fun

5 Stars for a story that's just been hatched. So far so great!!!👏👏👏 I recommend this story to anyone who like myself is a fanatic of the lore but is utterly tired of everything revolving around Luke/Leia/Solo/Anakin/Rei (Rey) characters. 😒
Profile Image for David Beer.
324 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2022
Oh it’s good, so far it good and I’m sure it will continue that way. 💙
Profile Image for Steven Shinder.
Author 5 books20 followers
April 19, 2023
Not that innovative but I do somewhat like how things are progressing.
Profile Image for Jay Gabler.
Author 13 books145 followers
May 18, 2023
The High Republic crew really love plumbing the vault of obscure aliens.
Profile Image for Andy Hickman.
7,393 reviews51 followers
January 25, 2024
#2 – Tey Sirrek – “There are two things Kradon doesn’t tolerate within these hallowed walls – violence and theological debate.”
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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