Published: August 11, 2021
Rating: T
Writer: Cavan Scott
Penciler: Ario Anindito
Inker: Mark Morales
Colourist: Annalisa Leoni
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Phil Noto
The synopsis;
THE BATTLE AGAINST THE DRENGIR REACHES ITS THRILLING CLIMAX! AVAR KRISS has gathered a team of JEDI to take the fight to the DRENGIR deep in WILD SPACE, but KEEVE TRENNIS is nowhere to be seen. Are other forces at work on the Drengir’s deathworld? Guest-starring a host of High Republic Jedi! COHMAC VITUS! REATH SILAS! THE STAR HOPPER PADAWANS!
The review;
Storming off a starship into the fray with lightsabers drawn, Keeve Trennis and Orla Jareni look amazing in Noto’s direct cover. Meanwhile Jeanty’s exclusive variant is a chilling look at the drengir Great Progenitor, maw agape against a lone Keeve, suggesting the Jedi’s struggle against the evil plants. A highlight though has to be Anindito’s line-up of the Jedi and Myarga the Hutt, their faces in profile all steely-eyed and determined. Pairing the portraits with a bright red background is incredibly eye-catching too.
With the Jedi making a final stand against the drengir on their homeworld of Mulita in Wild Space, Jedi Marshal Avar Kriss is calling in as many reinforcements as can be found from across the galaxy. Even lightsabers cannot stop the villainous plants, and only the combined strength of the Light will save them all. But the battle is not turning in the Jedi’s favour, with the drengir managing to overpower their Hutt allies. That is until Keeve Trennis arrives …but is she too late to save the day?
Scott does not hold back in The High Republic #8! It is action from page one and almost feels like the boss-level of a video game, where the stakes are high and it’s either win or game-over. It’s fast-paced and the storytelling is intense. Within all this action though the characters still shine through. Although Keeve is the main protagonist of this series, Scott really focusses on how the Jedi work as a team, giving every one of them a spotlight in this issue. The Force is an energy field that connects all living things, and that really is the key message here in this comic. Every Jedi is connected via the Force and only together can they defeat the Drengir.
That doesn’t stop some characters having standout roles though. Last issue Scott brought in Orla Jareni (as seen in Claudia Gray’s Into the Dark) and even though the Wayfinder is on the edge of Jedi business she dives right into battle alongside Keeve, fending off drengir tentacles whilst harmlessly flirting with Master Sskeer. Yes, Jedi flirting in battle. With all the potential death around them it’s absolutely hilarious, as is Sskeer’s embarrassed reaction. Keeve seems much more like her confident self and is happy to mouth off at the drengir Star Wars style, although it would have been nice to see more of how Orla’s influence has helped the young Jedi Knight.
What really makes The High Republic #8 work so well though is Anindito’s artwork. Every panel is an absolute joy to look at, with more double-page spreads, dramatic close-ups and explosions than you can shake a bantha at. There is just so much to look at. Each character is expressive, the lightsaber moves like something out of the films, and the sheer amount of Jedi is staggering. There are some new faces who will hopefully turn up in other parts of the High Republic publishing programme. A big shout out is also needed for Maher’s lettering which is so key near the finale, bringing everything together and you can almost hear the characters whilst reading.
The finale fantastically concludes this arc of the story but opens up to connect to The Rising Storm. It will be very interesting to see how Scott twines the upcoming issues with his High Republic book as the Jedi face the aftermath of the Republic Fair. Which characters will crossover? What cameos might there be? It should help fans who are still trying to recover from the heart-wrenching story that was The Rising Storm.
It’s a never-ending war for the Jedi of the High Republic at the moment, and those on the frontlines with the Drengir are now up against the savagery of the Nihil. There is no chaos, there is harmony, yet the Nihil are determined to destroy that notion as well as the Republic. Keeve’s journey with the Drengir is over, yet her battle with the Nihil is only just beginning in The High Republic #9 next month.
Availability;
Star Wars: The High Republic #8 was published on August 11, 2021 by Marvel Comics. This issue is available via The Marvel App and from all good comic book stores and retails at $3.99.
