Star Wars: The High Republic #4 Review
Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Ario Anindito
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel
The newest issue of Marvel's flagship The High Republic comic brings us back to the troubles Keeve and the other Jedi are facing on Sedri Minor, where Master Sskeer has seemingly been driven mad and swayed by the evil Drengir that have taken root on the planet. Keeve and Avar Kriss must figure out a way to save Sskeer and escape the Drengir while their friends on Starlight Beacon struggle with their own problems.
This series is proving very interesting to follow. I'm happy with how the plot entwines with the other stories in the High Republic while also managing to be standalone and accessible to comic-only readers. This issue, for example, ties in closely with the book Into the Dark but efficiently recaps all of the information that the reader has to know, and it does so well enough that it doesn't feel like the story is missing a piece or the others are mandatory reading. I'll be interested to see how the series manages to stay in step with the overall plot of the initiative, which is likely going to be moved forward in the adult novels, without feeling like all of the important events happen between issues.
The characters of the series are as engaging as ever. Sskeer's struggle with the Drengir that's been teased since the end of the first issue is finally elaborated upon here and the connection between them adds an intriguing dynamic to the series. I'm looking forward to seeing where that connection goes in future issues and to seeing how much focus the Drengir continue to get compared to the Nihil, who have been mostly absent from this series. I'm happy to have a little variety in the intiative; even though I enjoy them, only telling stories with Nihil antagonists would get tiring sooner rather than later for me.
There are a couple of moments where the issue's story feels like it jumps around somewhat jarringly and it could have used a few more panels to breathe, although I don't have that problem as often with this series as I do with IDW's. Overall, I'm still very happy with the detail of Anindito's art and I'm a little sad that he will not be staying with the series after the next issue. I hope the next artist can maintain the same level of quality, because drastic variations in art have hurt previous Marvel Star Wars runs.
The series has predictably cooled down a little for me after the excitement and newness of the first couple issues, but I'm happy to say I'm still enjoying it as it becomes more familiar. I can't say the same about every Star Wars series, and I'm happy that this big experiment for Star Wars publishing has been going well. I can't wait to see how this arc concludes, and the solicits are making the next arc look very interesting.
Artist: Ario Anindito
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel
The newest issue of Marvel's flagship The High Republic comic brings us back to the troubles Keeve and the other Jedi are facing on Sedri Minor, where Master Sskeer has seemingly been driven mad and swayed by the evil Drengir that have taken root on the planet. Keeve and Avar Kriss must figure out a way to save Sskeer and escape the Drengir while their friends on Starlight Beacon struggle with their own problems.
This series is proving very interesting to follow. I'm happy with how the plot entwines with the other stories in the High Republic while also managing to be standalone and accessible to comic-only readers. This issue, for example, ties in closely with the book Into the Dark but efficiently recaps all of the information that the reader has to know, and it does so well enough that it doesn't feel like the story is missing a piece or the others are mandatory reading. I'll be interested to see how the series manages to stay in step with the overall plot of the initiative, which is likely going to be moved forward in the adult novels, without feeling like all of the important events happen between issues.
The characters of the series are as engaging as ever. Sskeer's struggle with the Drengir that's been teased since the end of the first issue is finally elaborated upon here and the connection between them adds an intriguing dynamic to the series. I'm looking forward to seeing where that connection goes in future issues and to seeing how much focus the Drengir continue to get compared to the Nihil, who have been mostly absent from this series. I'm happy to have a little variety in the intiative; even though I enjoy them, only telling stories with Nihil antagonists would get tiring sooner rather than later for me.
There are a couple of moments where the issue's story feels like it jumps around somewhat jarringly and it could have used a few more panels to breathe, although I don't have that problem as often with this series as I do with IDW's. Overall, I'm still very happy with the detail of Anindito's art and I'm a little sad that he will not be staying with the series after the next issue. I hope the next artist can maintain the same level of quality, because drastic variations in art have hurt previous Marvel Star Wars runs.
The series has predictably cooled down a little for me after the excitement and newness of the first couple issues, but I'm happy to say I'm still enjoying it as it becomes more familiar. I can't say the same about every Star Wars series, and I'm happy that this big experiment for Star Wars publishing has been going well. I can't wait to see how this arc concludes, and the solicits are making the next arc look very interesting.
A Look Inside
