Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm #1
- WRITER
- Charles Soule
- Artist
- Guillermo Sanna
- Letterer
- VC's Ariana Maher
- Cover Artist
- Ryan Brown
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2022-01-12
- Colorist
- Jim Campbell
Centuries before the Skywalker Saga, in a galaxy far, far away, the High Republic once reigned supreme -- but in the world of Star Wars, conflict is never far. Charles Soule and Guillermo Sanna's Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm #1 embraces that conflict and follows a villain who would lay waste to the galaxy, the Republic and the Jedi Order.
As a child, the Evereni Marchion Ro is raised for greatness by his father and grandfather, who train him to become the leader of the formidable fleet of marauders known as the Nihil. A master pilot and warrior, trained as weapon for his family's conquest against the Jedi and imbued with the power to manipulate hyperspace, the young Marchion Ro grows up under the shadow of his father, Asgar. Asgar has big plans for his son and the demise of the High Republic -- and young Marchion, in time, proves up to the task.
Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm #1 is a dark, brooding and bleak entry in the Star Wars continuity, an unflinching character study of Marchion Ro and culture he comes from. Unlike Anakin Skywalker's transformation from idealistic Jedi to the cold but spiritual servant of the Empire, Ro's development is passive, more the result of what happens to him, his family and his culture. He spends much of his childhood as a passive weapon, used and utilized to his family's ends. It is not until the end that Ro's true ambitions and ego emerge as he usurps his father -- violently, of course -- to seize control of the Nihil.
The most interesting aspect of the story is Marchion's relationship with Mari San Tekka, the elderly hyperspace savant who grants him the power of the Force to create paths for the Nihil. Unlike his family, who interact with him in the most dispassionate and creepy manner possible, Mari seems to have some fondness for the young Marchion. Her wry expressions, unsettling but gentle speech and eerie appearance in stasis play well against the young Marchion's sullenly stoic manner. Similarly enjoyable is the contrast between Marchion's stoicism versus the snarky, sneering and wisecracking pirates of the Nihil fleet.
The motif of storms is central to Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm #1. The planet Everon, and the lives of its people, are permanently upended by storms and nature, which destroys their homes, resources and their faith in anything, anyone and each other. They poach planets and slaughter samaritans in rain and snow, destroy ships in showers of sparks and fire. It's depressing, but not subtle. Thankfully, Soule's writing stays faithful to the Star Wars ethos, keeping Marchion Ro and his family appropriately and appealingly unsympathetic and compelling as evildoers.
Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm #1 is one of the darkest storylines in the series, with art to match. Artist Guillermo Sanna and colorist Jim Campbell capture the familiar aesthetic of Star Wars and the somber tone. It's moody and melancholic, filled with shadows, mist and clouds. The gloomy shades of blue and grey evoke the stormy setting, giving it an overcast appearance. However, amidst these sad colors are alarming brights -- the garish reds of explosions and blood, the unnatural greens, yellows and neons of spot lights and lasers -- which serve to heighten this contrast.
While heavy-handed at times, Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm #1 does an excellent job of introducing, and studying, the backstory and psychology of this otherwise impassive new villain. The issue is a strong start to what promises to be one the the darkest arcs so far in Star Wars, which will only make the future victories of the Skywalker Saga and beyond so satisfying.