SDCC 2022 happened this weekend and new books and comics have been revealed. The High Republic fans will be very happy to learn a little about where Phase 2 is heading.
San Diego Comic-Con is one of the more important events of the year for the “geek culture”. Trailer reveals, big movie announcements and tons of new collectibles are some of the highlights of the event.
Of course, Star Wars is part of the SDCC and while we didn’t get any major news about movies or series, that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t anything interesting. The Phase 2 of the High Republic project is right around the corner and this is some of the information that the Lucasfilm Publishing panel shared with us.
What is the High Republic
The High Republic Era is considered to be the “Golden Age” of the Republic, roughly 200 years before the films. A time when there was no trace of the Sith, the Jedi Order flourished and the Republic was expanding across the Outer Rim.
What was released in Phase 1
I’d dare to say that the High Republic is the most ambitious non-mainstream Star Wars project in the last decade. It consists of a considerable amount of young reader books, short stories, comics, young adult novels, middle-grade novels, and even a web series.
The High Republic content so far is primarily in written format, but it will very likely expand to other media soon. The stories are told in various formats, all in the same time period, and follow the same characters. Each adventure and mission described in one story is connected somehow with the previous and the next.
Phase 1 main story was about a pirate organization, called the Nihil, who were able to travel through hyperspace routes that were thought impossible, making the Jedi and the Republic extremely vulnerable to the merciless gang. And the Starlight Beacon, a gigantic space station constructed to guide travelers and military ships in the yet-to-be-explored Outer Rim.
Of course, this is an oversimplification of the plot, there’s a lot more happening and lots of interesting characters and stories intersecting with each other.
Phase 1 was named “Light of the Jedi”. Phase 2 will gather all its content under the name “Quest of the Jedi” and Phase 3 will be titled “Trials of the Jedi”.
So far in Phase 1 the main novels that drove the story forward (in my opinion) are Light of the Jedi (Wave 1 of releases), The Rising Storm (Wave 2) and The Fallen Star (Wave 3).
What’s coming in Phase 2 and when
Oddly enough, Phase 2 is a prequel to Phase 1. It takes place one hundred and fifty years before the construction of the Starlight Beacon. The first story of Phase 2 is a one-shot comic called Quest of the Jedi, written by Claudia Gray.
Phase 2 is upon us and Lucasfilm used SDCC as an opportunity to announce more of the Phase 2 content. That includes a series of comics; Star Wars: The High Republic #1 and #2, Star Wars The High Republic Adventures: Padawan or Pirate? and a new book named The Battle of Jedha.
Quest of the Jedi
This one-shot comic is written by Claudia Gray, this is the second time she writes a one-shot comic for Star Wars. It will be published by Dark Horse Comics on October 19, 2022.
For obvious reasons, we don’t really know what this comic is about but the summary is something that I find quite intriguing.
“On the ancient world of Angcord, the Force works in mysterious ways… When a pair of Jedi arrive on the mysterious world, seeking ancient artifacts of the Force, they quickly find more than they were bargaining for. But just what is the mysterious Echo Stone, and what does its existence mean for the continued survival of all those who call Angcord home?”
Whenever I hear the words “ancient artifacts of the Force” I know we’re going to be entertained. Holocrons, amulets, masks, or weapons, every time some artifact related to the Force appears in a story it’s certain that the destiny of those around it changes, for better or worse.
Just thinking about the possibilities gets me really excited. I hope that it is a good story and that the so-called Echo Stone is something never before seen.
The Battle of Jehda
In this audio drama, the story is taking us to Jedha, the same planet that appears in Rogue One. Jedha is a place that attracts pilgrims and believers of the Force from all over the galaxy due to its history and significance.
Jedha, Tython, Coruscant, Ossus, and Ahch-To; some scholars believe that the first Jedi Temple was built on one of these planets, so you can get an idea about how important Jedha is.
Jedha is virtually unknown, we know that the Galactic Empire seized it to harvest the kyber crystals of the planet to power the Death Star. We also know that it’s supposed to be part of the first Jedi’s heritage, but that’s not too much. Honestly, I don’t know what to expect about this book but I’m curious to see what they do with such a mysterious place.
The High Republic: Convergence and Cataclysm novels
The two main novels from Phase 2 of The High Republic project were announced a bit earlier this year. Convergence (coming November 2022) and Cataclysm (releasing April 2023) are the first two adult novels coming in Waves 1 and 2 for Star Wars The High Republic Phase 2.
The High Republic is something that hasn’t caught the attention of all fans yet. Could these publications be what it needs to increase its fanbase? What do you think?
