Published: February 8, 2023
Rating: T
Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Anrea Broccardo
Colourist: Frank William
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Ario Anindito
The synopsis;
THE BATTLE OF JEDHA HAS BEGUN!
• As the Herald of the Open Hand stokes the fires of Jedha, Vildar Mac and Matty Cathley are overcome by uncontrollable fear.
• Tey Sirrek is a prisoner of the Guardians of the Whills. Can he use the chaos to escape?
• And who are the mysterious strangers ransacking the Temple of the Kyber? Is nowhere safe?
The reivew;
Surrounded by his conjured flames and with unseeing eyes, Tarna Miak stands against Vildar and Matty without realising he’s facing down his allies. Paquette and Sánchez’s direct cover is a fantastic contrast of shadows against the blinding light of the monstrous fire, perfectly capturing the tone for The High Republic (2022) #5. Meanwhile Bengal’s variant is a dynamic character portrayal of Vildar, his lightsaber piercing through the page. Nauck takes a similar approach with Tey Sirrek’s character study as he stands on a rooftop ready for action. Finally, Manhanini’s variant beautifully celebrates a character who is introduced in this issue – Jedi Knight Oliviah Zeveron.
The Path of the Open Hand have arrived on Jedha, and their Herald aims to sow discontent amongst the crowds of pilgrims. Years of infighting and tolerance are bubbling into a frenzy as riots break out across the Holy City. Jedi Knight Vildar Mac and Padawan Matty are caught in the crossfire, but unable to access the Force. Instead, they’re plagued with visions of things that aren’t even there, but who or what is causing this disturbance?
Cavan Scott has been showing readers that while Jedha may proclaim to be a holy moon for pilgrims, in reality, it’s a chaotic collection of different sects that often do not see eye to eye. In The High Republic (2022) #5 this tension comes to breaking point, and while the Herald is the catalyst, he’s also just the final spark needed to light this fire for riots to start breaking out. And Scott captures this perfectly as the story messily jumps from place to place on Jedha, really capturing the sense of panicked confusion.
When fans are introduced to Jedha in Rogue One, it appears worn down by time. Statues litter the desert plains and buildings are damaged. Now it could easily have been assumed that the Empire were the ones to do this, trying to erase any references to the Force and the last vestiges of the Jedi. However, that’s not entirely the case. While the Empire likely did erase some of Jedha’s history, this damage has been taking place for centuries. Some of the rioters, emboldened by the Herald’s words, decide to turn on the Jedi and destroy their sacred statues. It’s an act of vandalism that sends a powerful message. The people no longer trust the Jedi.
This is a devastating blow for the Jedi posted to Jedha. Vildar, Matty and the others are trying to keep the crowds calm, but no one wants to listen. This isn’t helped by the multiple sects who can access the Force being plagued by terrible visions of events that haunt them from their pasts, causing them to lash out unknowingly on the people. Even Vildar isn’t immune to its power. It is similar to what the Nameless could do in Phase I, yet not quite the same. Rather than just seeing a twisting haze of monsters, the visions are memories that are made more terrible in order to stoke fear. Is this a different kind of Nameless? Or even a trained one?
Meanwhile at the Temple of Kyber a frightened citizen seeks sanctuary from the Guardians of the Whills. Tey Sirrek is still locked up, languishing in his cell, and missing out on the action. An escape opportunity quickly presents itself though when the ‘citizen’ turns out to be a mole (figuratively and literally, which was a great one by Scott!) and Tey’s little droid Skoot comes to break him out. Skoot is basically Tey’s conscience, and their one-sided banter adds some much-needed levity to this issue’s deeper, darker story.
And Jedha is supposed to be preparing for the Festival of Balance. This has been mentioned throughout the rest of The High Republic literature, including Silandra Sho intending to travel there in Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann, along with the peace treaty signing from Convergence by Zoraida Córdova. It’s likely that the events in The High Republic #5 are going to soon start tying into The Battle of Jedha, as the mistrust of the Jedi only grows. With so much chaos and confusion filling almost every page, Broccardo really had a challenge for the artwork. It’s filled with angry, scared, and worried citizens, with so many species and different costumes. There are so many details, and each of the Convocation has their own powers alongside the lightsabers of the Jedi. It completely absorbs the reader into the mess on Jedha, with the emotions of the characters being so visceral.
With the citizens of Jedha scared and confused, the chaos is only going to become more chaotic. There’s only a handful of Jedi to try and keep the peace, but the Path have placed doubt into the people of Jedha. While Tey’s out of prison, Vildar and Matty are caught amidst the angry pilgrims, and now the sacred sites are being attacked. In The High Republic (2022) #6 the Battle of Jedha continues!
Availability;
Star Wars: The High Republic (2022) is an ongoing series published by Marvel Comics. This issue is available via The Marvel App, ComiXology and from all good comic book stores and retails at $3.99.
