StarWars.com’s Kristin Baver hosted a Star Wars: The High Republic launch event earlier toady with Lucasfilm Publishing creative director Michael Siglain and the authors Charles Soule, Justina Ireland, Cavan Scott, Daniel José Older, and Claudia Gray. Here are the annoucements made and a new launch trailer.
1. Check out that brand-new trailer! We think it speaks for itself.
2. Into the Dark will introduce us to some new galactic pilots. Gray shared some insights onto her squadron of heroes including Leox, Geode, and Affie.
3. And we got our first look and intel on a host of other new characters. From the Bonbraks to Ty Yorrick to Ram Jamoram, The High Republic is full of fun new creatures, aliens, and characters.
4. The character inspiration runs the gamut. While Gray envisioned a Matthew McConaughey-type for one of her smugglers, Older used a colleague’s radio callsign from his days as a paramedic to help him craft a character known as “Buckets of Blood.” You’re going to want to hear him tell the story.
5. Soule’s new fiction in the latest Star Wars Insider is just the beginning. In addition to the series of tales that began in issue #199, Ireland and Scott will be penning some “Starlight Stories” for the magazine this year.
6. Scott will also be be adding an original graphic novel to the mix. The Monster of Temple Peak will include art by Rachael Stott.
7. Ireland will be leading us Out of the Shadows. In her first YA novel for the initiative, Ireland will bring the ongoing adventures of Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, Padawan Reath Silas, aspiring inventor Avon Starros, and more to a new audience.
8. Older is gearing up for Race to Crashpoint Tower. The second middle grade novel set in the era will be filled with high-flying entertainment.
9. In addition to comics from Marvel and IDW, The High Republic will include an original graphic novel in the manga format from Viz Media. With a story by Ireland and Shima Shinya and art from Mizuki Sakakibara, The Edge of Balance is the first in a new series.
10. StarWars.com will welcome the initiative with a brand-new bi-monthly show. The panel introduced host Krystina Arielle, who will be taking fans on a deep dive behind the scenes with creators, artists, and authors in the new series Star Wars The High Republic Show.
And the journey is far from over. Siglain revealed that the announced titles are just part of the first phase in the multi-year project rollout. Although little is known about what each one will entail, he did reveal the names of each phase:
Phase I: Light of the Jedi
Phase II: Quest of the Jedi
Phase III: Trials of the Jedi
Get caught up on earlier posts from The High Republic via the Related Articles section located at the bottom of this story and be sure to also check out the publishing program’s dedicated section on StarWars.com for even more information.
Star Wars: The High Republic, which takes place in the official Star Wars timeline approximately 200 years before the events played out during The Phantom Menace, is scheduled to kick off this month with Charles Soule’s adult novel Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi and Justina Ireland’s middle grade novel Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage. These titles will be released tomorrow, January 5, 2021.
