Review: The High Republic Is Back in Full Force in Marvel’s Shadows of Starlight #1

Welcome back to the High Republic everyone! The first issue of Charles Soule’s Shadows of Starlight has dropped. The arc will be four comics in totality and get us all geared up for what is to come in what has become my favorite era in Star Wars. This first issue holds absolutely nothing back. It is jam-packed with content from start to finish. At times, it held the melancholy of a Clone Wars comic. I was riveted from start to finish, and there was a MASSIVE reveal. It’s one of those issues you’re immediately needing the next one upon completion.



There is a palpable fear amongst the Jedi Order at this point. The fear of not knowing how to combat the Nameless is flooding the ranks. Furthermore, the knowledge that the Nihil can not only control the creatures, but are actively using them against the Jedi sends chills down the spines of the entire order. The title of the issue “The Guardian Protocols” offered a fascinating topic of discussion that will surely pour out amongst Star Wars fans after this issue. If you are excited about the third and final phase of the High Republic publishing initiative, I promise you that you want to pick up this comic. Here. We. Go.



Spoilers ahead...







The opening pages don’t pull their punches and launch us directly into the destruction of Starlight Beacon. The doom of the beacon is still a tragedy that resonates well over a year later. I still remember the wave of sadness I felt when it came crashing down in The Fallen Star, or how the news was broken to the Jedi on Corellia in Midnight Horizon. It’s nowhere near the level of Order 66, but hits home similarly. Every time I see the massacre of Order 66 - no matter the medium - it comes with a twinge of pain and sorrow. The same can be said for Starlight Beacon. While Order 66 was the literal snuffing of the light to the galaxy, Starlight Beacon was meant to be that light for the galaxy at this time.



The image below is fascinating. The Jedi have recalled all members to Coruscant. The events about to transpire amongst the Order haven’t been done in generations. The Jedi are supposed to be out on the frontier, assisting and guiding those who need it. Instead, we see a flood of Jedi Vectors gearing up to leave ground zero in droves.



Wreckage of Starlight Beacon



The Jedi are not exactly thrilled about being recalled. We get just one page of Elzar and Avar together in the comic and it’s Elzar, displaying his dismay. They are in the middle of a relief effort and isn’t it the Jedi’s responsibility to see that through?



Next, we learn that Grandmaster Yoda is once again, going to spend some time away researching and meditating. I understand Yoda needs to have good reasons for staying away throughout much of this era, but when I first saw him leaving again, I was a bit frustrated. Thankfully, this exit is brief, and he returns shortly. So, no harm no foul.



One of the best pages in the entire issue was the entirety of the Jedi Order gathering in the Galactic Senate chamber. The Order has not gathered in number like this in generations and Chancellor Soh was kind enough to give the Jedi access to the Senate Chambers to convene. It’s quite a sight. Here, is where we learn of the “Guardian Protocols”. The Guardian protocols are as follows:


<ol>
[*]Acceleration of youngling combat instruction
[*]The outposts will be staffed by droids and mission assignments are approved on a case-by-case basis.
[*]All independent research is paused
[*]Trials for Padawans will be accelerated
[*]Resources will be managed on a stricter basis
[*]Offensive combat is required
[*]Jedi must never travel alone
</ol>


Which era is this? The fall of the Jedi, or the High Republic? It reeked of Clone Wars. We know the High Republic eventually must end and thus the seeds of destruction in the order will be planted. The Disney Plus show, The Acolyte, will dive into this head-on, but I’m wondering if this could be our first sign of the dwindling light, power, and wisdom of the Jedi Order. You can see it on the faces of the Padawans and younglings when they hear the news - the uncertainty on their faces. It reminds me of the Padawan and youngling acceleration in the Clone Wars.



There is dissent amongst the Jedi as to whether this is the right call or not. For some, they are infuriated. The Jedi are not supposed to be soldiers after all. Others see the recent Nihil attacks as a call to bear arms. It’s not on the galactic-wide scale of the Clone Wars, but the seeds of the Jedi quickly adopting these protocols are clear. There are parts of these protocols that will surely never quite go away.



Senate Chamber Gathering



Continuing on, the next few pages are fascinating. The final steps of the construction of a beautiful lightsaber hilt are shown. Many fans have pointed out how intricate and beautifully designed the lightsabers of this era are. Master Govena, the Jedi “saber smith,” says it will be his last one for some time. Under the guardian protocols, they must craft a bevy of “battle sabers”. These are of a much simpler design and share the look of many of the sabers we see in the prequel era. (Editor's note: How cool was it to see a younger Kirak Infil'a from Soule's Darth Vader run again?)



The holistic nature of designing a lightsaber was sacred to this era. Each hilt is a complete work of art carefully created over a long period. Now, they will mass produce some hilts of a simpler stock. Having ready-made battle sabers seems to be the norm for the Jedi in the future.



Jedi Saber Differences



Without further ado…. Yoda is back! I promised a brief disappearance for the Grandmaster, and he is back quickly. After a quick moment with Reath Silas, we are brought back to Yoda and with him, a massive reveal.
The Jedi Council is currently hearing Master Elzar Mann’s plea to put forth more effort into assisting and reinforcing the Jedi trapped in the Nihil Occlusion zone. If you recall, Marchion Ro implemented his “stormseeds” around a section of Outer Rim space. No one can go in and out without specific hyperspace paths known to the Nihil. Every effort to penetrate the wall has resulted in catastrophic casualties.



Yoda’s return gives us the reveal we have been waiting for and sets the tone for the entirety of Phase III. Yoda claims to have brought answers with him. They come in the form of a man. A man who radiates the dark side of the force. A man we are familiar with. A man named Azlin Rell.



Azlin Rell



Azlin is alive. For those of you unfamiliar with Azlin Rell, I will provide a brief overview. He was a Jedi introduced in Phase II of the High Republic. Of course, that was 150 years ago. He has used the dark side to survive well beyond a normal lifespan. He was among the many Jedi who encountered the Nameless creatures, or the Shrii Ka Rai on the Night of Sorrow. His encounters with the terrifying creatures altered his mind permanently. He could do nothing but focus on them and hear “the song” of the creatures. He began journaling about them nonstop, and the Jedi had him moved to a facility to help him calm his mind but also to keep an eye on him. He abandoned the facility and the Jedi way. He has returned with Yoda to help provide some of the answers the Jedi seek.



I did not see this coming. I wondered how they would intersect the two phases. I had no idea Charles Soule would just throw an Azlin Rell flamethrower.



I audibly laughed at the council’s response. The image below shows how they were about to mow him down with their sabers just at the sight of him. Of course, the dark side is the embodiment of everything the Jedi are against, but still. Yoda brought him there, and he even says something along the lines of “if the entire council can’t control one person, then should we even be the council?” I love snarky Yoda. Give me more of that. More seriously, this immediate, emotionally-clouded reaction was another sign of the seeds of destruction seeping into the Jedi.



Next, Yoda and Azlin discuss how they have been working together to clear Rell’s mind so that they might discover the truth behind the creatures. The following pages go straight to a Jedi Temple detention center which if I'm being honest, I don’t think we have ever seen it before. If we have, I don’t remember it. I assumed the Jedi had some sort of holding place, but this one looks massive and quite… impressive.



Jedi Detention Center



Yoda is adamant the light is still within Azlin. It’s another one of the classic “never really gone” moments. The two launch into a vision from Rell’s past. It appears to me like one of the caves from Dalna. The trauma of his own memories is too much for him. With a vicious yell, he opens the door and Force grabs the lightsaber of a temple guard, and attacks Yoda. The two have a brief altercation before Yoda sends him careening into the wall.



Yoda Force Push



After some time to rest, the two try again. This time, Yoda helps Azlin’s mind clear enough to the point he remembers some critical information. He has the family name of the ones he learned held a compass to the homeworld of the Nameless. Throughout the final pages, we are led to believe the two are working together quite well. Unfortunately, it was not to last.



When they find the people they are looking for, they are eager to find answers. However, it turns out Azlin Rell had different motives. Through his deceit, he ensures the destruction of the family and knowledge of the compass. The innocent life lost in the wake of this calamity was massive. When faced with the destruction below, Yoda’s face is a mixture of horror and sorrow.



Azlin Rell relishes in the destruction



Rell reveals how he has hurt, killed, and destroyed in his quest to destroy the Nameless. There’s nothing he will not do to ensure their complete and utter destruction. The comic ends with him relishing in the flames of death.



This comic unofficially kicked off the final phase of the High Republic. Yes, we had Tales of Light and Life, which was MASTERFUL. But this comic gives us the most to chew on for where we are now. It propels us forward, and I am beyond excited, with a touch of terrified, to see how it all plays out.


<p style='text-align: center;']Rating: 10/10</p>


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