Published: January 12, 2022
Rating: T
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Guillermo Sanna
Colourist: Jim Campbell
Letterer: VC’s Arianna Maher
Book Design: Carlos Lao
Cover Artist: Ryan Brown
The synopsis;
ACT I: RO
The Truth. The Lie. The Kill. In which we reveal the true origins of MARCHION RO, the Eye of the Nihil and sworn enemy of the Jedi Order. In which the lie at the heart of his family is exposed. In which the doom of the High Republic begins…with a single kill.
The review;
Standing proud and gazing into the clouds whilst being lashed by rain, Marchion Ro is every bit the enigmatic villain in Brown’s direct cover for this first issue. He’s even highlighted by the yellow rays of a stolen lightsaber, a sign of Marchion’s cunning, yet almost too cheery for the coldness of the art. Camuncoli goes for a similar style, though Marchion is taking on lightning while hidden behind his creepily painted mask. Finally, Pacheco & Rosenberg’s variant features the moment where Marchion becomes Eye of the Nihil, smugly holding his helmet aloft in triumph.
Who is Marchion Ro? That is the question fans have been asking ever since the Nihil leader chillingly, yet briefly, debuted in Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. He’s an alien species never before seen in the Star Wars galaxy, his motives are well hidden, and his history is even cloudier. Now, Soule is giving fans answers to some of the questions surrounding Marchion, and who better because the author has successfully written some of the galaxy’s most compelling villains, including Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. Writing an origin story in only two issues though is a challenge, yet Soule masterfully sets the scene of Marchion’s past, while perfectly intertwining it with his other appearances in the High Republic.
On the planet Everon in an unknown region of space, an alien species known as the Evereni are transformed by plight. Though humanoid in appearance they lack anything human in nature. As their world crumbles, so too does any empathy and honesty within them, seeped out by numerous destructive forces. In a desperate attempt at survival, the Evereni flee to the stars, vowing revenge on a cruel galaxy. At the forefront is Asgar Ro and his son, with a plan to transform the Nihil into a true threat…
Eye of the Storm #1 plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy, as Soule creates a people’s history that will forever taint Marchion’s destiny. The past literally defines Marchion’s fate, his destiny never being his own as he’s manipulated by his father. Having come from a planet that has only known betrayal and corruption, there is no love or compassion in their hearts. That type of tragedy makes sense for Marchion though, as this is not a villain who will ever want redemption. He is a blade of vengeance; Marchion would forfeit his life before claiming defeat.
While some of Marchion’s family are present during the comic, they’re mainly there to show how the young Evereni has been manipulated since childhood. There’s almost a mafia sense to the story, as Asgar leads the mob and Marchion is groomed to take his place. This seamlessly ties in with the audio-drama Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott, which included how Marchion took on the role of Eye of the Nihil.
Sanna’s artwork complements the tragic tone of the plot, conveying coldness in the artwork through the aloof natures of many of the characters. The flat, unfeeling gazes of the Evereni; the lack of any obvious emotions. Fans aren’t supposed to connect to Marchion, for there isn’t any saving him, and Sanna only helps to make him more alien. He also does a brilliant job of matching Marchion’s appearance to how he was represented in Trail of Shadows #3 by Daniel José Older. One part of this comic design that feels very unique for a Star Wars story, is how it is split up into separate scenes, again just like a Shakespeare play, and each has a brief foreboding annotation.
If that wasn’t foreboding enough, then strange red panels are interspersed between the artwork, beautifully coloured by Campbell. They don’t particularly make sense, as either Marchion is seeing death or he’s seeing who he wants dead in blood red. It will be interesting to see if these panels are further explored in the next issue, particularly considering how Eye of the Storm #1 ends.
Eye of the Storm #1 is cruelly poetic in the way Soule has defined Marchion’s past. There is no conflict to this complex villain, only years of hate and cruelty twisting the Evereni. It’s a fascinating insight into the antagonist who is plaguing the Jedi of the High Republic and it’s that goal, destroying the hope of the Jedi, that will possibly be explored more beside Marchion’s past in the sequel. Only two there are, as Yoda said, but Soule has packed more into this debut issue than could fit on a cargo freighter!
Availability;
Star Wars: Eye of the Storm #1 was published January 12, 2022 by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available via The Marvel App and from all good comic book stores.
