Star Wars: The High Republic vol. 1 — There is No Fear

Imagine, if you will, a “Star Wars” setting that doesn’t involve rebelling against an Empire, or the final days of a dynastic Republic.  Imagine a time when the Jedi were great in number and oversaw a galaxy that wasn’t a raging trashfire.  That’s the premise behind the “High Republic” setting which takes place hundreds of years before the Prequel Trilogy.  It’s a time of expansion, signified by the new Starlight Citadel outpost being established on the Outer Rim, and our introduction to Padawan Keeve Trevis who is being trained by her Master Sskeer on one of the rim worlds.  Things are going well for this pair, but just because this is a time of peace doesn’t mean that there’s danger to be had.  That’s because there’s a dark, alien presence lurking on the Rim and less literal one lurking in the heart of the Jedi stationed out there.

In theory I like the idea behind the “High Republic.”  “Star Wars” settings where the good guys are losing to the bad guys are a dime a dozen, and it’s a nice change of pace to see one where the Jedi haven’t lost, or are losing, the war.  In actuality, this first volume of the “High Republic” comic makes me realize how useful having a setting where things are going bad is to the overall narrative.  While there’s the obvious benefit of the drama that comes with having the good guys struggle against an overwhelming threat, it also provides an organizing force that you can build a larger story around.

“There is no Fear” doesn’t have either of these things and it suffers as a result.  To compensate, writer Cavan Scott comes up with a fairly standard sci-fi threat for Keeve, Sskeer and their fellow Jedi to face.  It’s a formidable one, however, and necessitates some unlikely alliances by the end of the volume, as well as some unconventional and apparently dangerous means of subduing it.  This threat gets the job done in terms of providing a decent antagonist for the story, but not much more than that.

Those are generally my feelings towards this volume as a whole.  I’m not familiar with Scott’s other work, but he proves to be at least a capable writer here.  The setting is established well and the characters are likeable enough, if not particularly interesting as of yet.  There’s also a steady escalation of drama, as you’d expect, and the narrative flows coherently without any major surprises.  The one exception to this is Sskeer, who is shown to be having issues regarding his connection to the Force.  That’s the one unconventional part of this volume and it’s the one thread that I was genuinely interested in following here.  Unfortunately it remains a background concern for most of this volume’s length and I’m not entirely sure if it’s enough to sustain my interest for an ongoing series.

Ario Anindito provides the art and he asserts himself well here.  There’s plenty of solid detail to appreciate in his art and he handles the characters and their emotions well.  Particularly the two brothers who share one mind and whose connection results in some striking visual moments.  Anindito is also good with the action as there are some memorably tense scenes as characters explore a derelict ship, fight the real threat underground, and then engage in an all-out battle in the final issue.  It’s solid work overall and I’d like to see the artist stick around.

In fact, I’d say the art does a better job of carrying the story than the other way around.  Scott’s writing is fine, but offers little surprises to someone like me who is well versed in “Star Wars” and sci-fi conventions in general.  “There is no Fear” shows that Marvel can maintain a decent standard of quality with all of the “Star Wars” comics they publish, even if that means there are a bunch which don’t leave you inspired after you’ve finished them.  That’s a bigger problem here where the “High Republic” is meant to usher in a new setting with lots of potential new story possibilities.  As it is, this first volume just feels like more of the same.