Published: March 27, 2023
Rating: T
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Marco Castiello, Jethro Morales
Colourist: Jim Campbell
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Frank Martin
The synopsis;
• To save the innocent, to save his sister, to save himself…Jedi Master Porter Engle must embark on one of the most epic instances of lightsaber combat ever recorded in the Chronicles.
• It will change him, and Barash, forever.
The review;
Hunkering down behind rock while fire blazes on all sides, Porter Engle is facing off alone in the middle of a siege in Camuncoli & Martin’s direct cover. It really captures the determination of his character and how much faith he puts in the Force. He looks even more dramatic in Lashley’s variant, poised in swashbuckling style against a background that emulates a setting sun. McKone also focusses on the Blade of Bardotta with an interesting geometric background, while Momoko’s women’s history month variant is the only one to focus on Barash.
Introduced in Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, Porter Engle is a Jedi Master with a lot of history in the High Republic. Celebrated as the Blade of Bardotta and renowned for making nine-egg stew, he provided wisdom and guidance to the young Padawans at the remote Jedi Outpost on Elphrona. Porter is an Ikkrukkian with a long lifespan to rival a Wookiee, and in The Blade mini-series his earlier years as a Jedi Knight are being explored. Just how did Porter become so famous amongst the Jedi? And why did he learn to cook?
Mercenaries stand poised to take the city of Firevale, as their neighbours try to reclaim their supposedly kidnapped princess. With the city being bombarded by cannon fire, and the mercenaries determined to take down the city walls, Barash Silvain learns the ugly truths behind this conflict. Meanwhile her brother, Porter Engle, remains outside the city fighting the mercenaries and trying to protect the people of Firevale. Not all is as it seems on the Planet of Knives – and secrets cut the deepest wounds.
The quest for power, especially limited power, is what drives so many Star Wars villains. Yet it is not a concept that the Jedi readily understand. Jedi devote their lives to deepening their connection to the Force, not trying to gain more power from it, and that is what makes the conflict on Gansevor so perplexing for Barash and Porter. All along they have been assuming that this civil war has been due to political lines being crossed and betrayal amongst the different nations. However, what Soule reveals in this epic finale is that a lust for power can blur the lines between friends and family, corrupting anyone who tries to reach for too much.
Meanwhile out on the battlefield the mercenaries are showing their true colours. As Porter engages with them to try and protect the innocents of Firevale, the mercenaries change tactics. Their general strides to the forefront, ready to duel, but she’s also ready to sacrifice her own soldiers in order to defeat Porter. She cares so more for the power and status that the riches of the city can bring rather than the lives of her followers. In stark contrast Porter is determined not to “answer murder with murder”, an incredibly moving line that captures his raw honesty. This is a Jedi who will not have his morals shaken even in the most trying of situations.
And the most tragic part of this whole tale is that the lives lost to this war have all been for nothing. While the Bethunians had issues with the people of Firevale, the conflict had been deliberately created by their princess in order to gain the power of the throne. A power for which she is clearly not ready. The Blade #4 is a dark, ugly story that is grounded in the flaws of humanity, where the true villains are greed and selfishness. Soule always writes stories that have layers of idealogical and moral meaning, and The Blade mini-series has been one of his best pieces of work.
It also defies the storyline in Convergence by Zoraida Córdova. Whereas in that story the two warring royalties of Eiram and E’ronoh’s managed to find peace through love, here in The Blade #4, love has been twisted for the sake of power. Fans speculated whether this star-crossed romance would end well, and the Romeo & Juliet vibes are still going strong in this issue. As the prince and princess are forced to reveal their treason, Barash is faced with the faced with the realisation that she has betrayed her own connection to the Force.
This mini-series opened by showing us how Porter and Barash were better when they worked together. In a flashback we learned that as Padawans the two actually concocted a plan to make their respective Master’s team them up again, deliberately failing lessons or flunking tests. And in true Charles Soule fashion, our hearts are broken in The Blade #4 as Barash realises that she is no longer what is right for her chosen brother. After realising that she has been deceived by the princess and played a hand in the deaths on Gansevor, Barash decides to step back from the Order. Soule invented the Barash Vow, yet at no point during this storyline did it seem that we would get to see the events that led to its creation.
Behind each revelation is the beautiful artwork of Morales. There is a visceral element to this issue, as the characters display so much anger and violence, captured amazingly on so many of the panels. Every scene featuring Porter is so well drawn, his unique lightsaber style fascinating to see in so much detail. Morales also balances the sweeping landscapes next to the closer character studies so perfectly, knowing exactly when either is needed. Altogether it gives The Blade #4 a cinematic quality that only adds to the emotional impact of this finale.
Soule has created an incredible arc for two characters fans knew hardly anything about, and the ending is so bittersweet for The Blade #4. While much has been learned about the famous Blade of Bardotta, Porter has had to lose so much to grow into the wisened Jedi Master we meet in Light of the Jedi. Maybe his cooking is a way to ground himself in the past and the memories of his sister. A massive round of applause needs to go to Charles Soule, Jethro Morales, Jim Campbell, VC’s Travis Lanham, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Frank Martin and all the incredible people at Marvel comics for putting together this incredible Star Wars mini-series. Here’s to learning even more about Porter in The Broken Blade!
Availability;
Star Wars: The High Republic – The Blade is a 4-part mini-series published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via The Marvel App, ComiXology and from all good comic book stores.
