Comic Review: The High Republic: Fear of the Jedi #1 – Marshall Trennis

The High Republic returns one last time with Fear of the Jedi, as the Kelnacca joins our familiar Jedi crew.

Marvel Comics

Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Marika Cresta
Colors: Jim Campbell

Publisher summary:
WHAT SCARES THE JEDI? New York Times Best-selling author Cavan Scott returns with artist Marika Cresta for the galaxy-shattering final arc of Star Wars: The High Republic. As fighting within the Nihil Occlusion Zone intensifies, Jedi Master Keeve Trennis is set upon a path that will change her life forever. Guest-starring The Acolyte’s Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca alongside fan-favorite characters from Star Wars: The High Republic novels, audio dramas and comics.

Why it matters: Fear of the Jedi picks up after the Tempest Breaker audiodrama and brings us one step closer to the finale of The High Republic.

Marvel Comics

Key moments:

• Keeve and Sskeer join forces again: Sskeer is fully back with the Jedi again, and he joins Keeve on her Stormwall Defense Fleet. It makes you feel nostalgic for the two fighting side-by-side in Phase 1.

• The Tempest Breakers hit Naboo: The motley crew of Lourna Dee, Quin, and Tey Sirrek comprise the Tempest Breakers. They are now after the remnants of Baron Boolan’s Children of the Storm.

• Unlikely Allies: Issue #1 brings in characters from all over the initiative. It will be very exciting to see how Scott pairs them together.

The big picture: It has been six months since Marvel last published an issue of The High Republic, and Scott came back with a bang. Phase 3 went through a lot of character development work between the comic and audiodrama, but it finally feels like it’s paying off here. Everyone is in place to lead up towards an epic finale. For those that read everything in the initiative (or at least everything Cavan wrote), this issue really makes that effort worthwhile. Even though it was mostly setting up the rest of the arc, this issue is a blast. It is a shame though that it seems we are only getting 5 issues, since we could always use more High Republic content.

Our rating: Incredible

What’s next: The next issue of Fear of the Jedi arrives on March 26, 2025.

For a deeper discussion of this issue, be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Cosmic Force podcast!