Ever since the Star Wars license was acquired by Disney, much of what came before the acquisition (in the Expanded Universe) was rebranded as “Legends.” While Marvel has yet to touch on events that are not part of the three movie trilogies, the Legends brand has been given to other comic companies to work with. Dark Horse Comics, once the only comic company to publish Star Wars content, has begun to expand past the “current” timeline with its new series, Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures.

This new series, subtitled Trails of the Jedi, is the first part of “Phase III” in Dark Horse’s High Republic Chronicles. (Phase I began earlier this year.) It takes place sometime before what is known as “The Fall of the Jedi” – which is the Prequel Trilogy. Villain Marchion Ro and his followers (the Nihil marauders) have destroyed the space station Starlight Beacon and have cut off hundreds worlds of the Outer Rim from the rest of the galaxy. A Jedi Knight known as Zeen morns her loved one until she discovers that her partner may still be alive. When she adventures forth, Zeen runs into many things she didn’t expect, including a surprising confrontation with a planetary dictator named Tartak Vil.

This story is interesting and engaging. Writer Daniel Jose Older creates tense situations and plenty of action scenes. Artists Harvey Tolibao and Nick Brokenshire are the true heroes of this book. The art is crisp, clear, and fun. While the alien races are unfamiliar, it is easy to remember this is a timeline that has not been explored in the new cannon.

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #1 creates something completely new for the first time in years. With good writing and excellent art, it pushes the story forward while looking back. It will be interesting for any Star Wars fan to see what happens next.

Recommended – 3 out of 4 stars

Creative Team: Daniel Jose Older, Harvey Tolibao and Nick Brokenshire
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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