Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

This is a spoiler free review.

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Vol 1 is an epic trade paperback collection of the new, awesome Star Wars: The High Republic series from IDW. This volume includes issues 1-5. These comics are geared towards kids and big kids who love Star Wars adventures. The reading recommended ages are 9 to 12 year old.

The story that unfolds in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Vol 1 is told from the point of view of a group of young Padawans who are forced into the conflict between the Jedi and their new destructive nemesis the Nihil. In particular, we see the story of Lula and Zeen. Lula is a young Padawan and she has befriended Zeen who is a gifted Force user. Zeen is learning more about why she can do certain things and her friends cannot. Her abilities are the crux of a disagreement between Zeen and her friend Krix.

There are a few pivotal scenes in these comics where the artwork is split right down the middle of the page. One side is Zeen's scene and the other side is Krix's. Star Wars is full of moments where your point of view sends you down a certain path towards your destiny. These split screen scenes are key moments in the stories of Zeen and Krix. They remind me so much of some of the critical scenes in the The Revenge of the Sith, where Anakin, Padame, and Obi Wan's varying points of view lead them down different paths at the end of the film. I loved the usage of this iconic Star Wars theme in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Vol 1.

The High Republic Adventures are apart of a broader publishing initiative to link Star Wars: The High Republic books, comics, and in the future cartoons and movies. If you like the adventures of Lula and Zeen in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Vol 1 then read another of their adventures in, Star Wars The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower where they team up with my favorite High Republic era Jedi, Vernestra Rwoh.

I highly recommend reading Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Vol 1 it's a great story that any Star wars fan will enjoy and is a great starting point to enter the new High Republic time period...Trust in the Force

Stay awesome and keep reading!


Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Vol 1

Creative Team:

Written by Daniel José Older

Illustrated by Harvey Tolibao

This is a story that was exciting but felt like it crammed way too much into too few pages making the relatively complex character development seem rushed and less meaningful. It also is part of a larger series so it doesn't feel like a standalone and some of the backstory therefore seems opaque and the character's actions seem to make less sense. On the plus side the art is kinetic and clear and we get a lot of Yoda time!

If anything was needed to show you how diluted and dumbed-down the whole Star Wars universe is now, it's the fact that one of the chapters here promises a "smackdown". Not a fight, not a battle, not a phantom-menace-with-no-phantoms, but a "smackdown". Yes, where once the franchise had characters we could care for, and a yin and yang that were easily seen as a classic example of war stories, we're now talking about it as if it was a flucking wrestling match. And it all has about the same probability and charmlessness, so perhaps it shouldn't stick out as inappropriate.

Either way, this is a child-friendly comic, set in pre-Empire days yet featuring people who already want the Jedi destroyed. A boy is dismayed when he finds his female friend can use The Force, and while she swans off with her new Jedi friends he turns to a darker side. So it's about the power of friendship and how much that can be stretched across hyperspace, and despite having some really silly bits and no sense of it being an important part of the canon whatsoever, it does what it can to entertain the young reader.

I'm not usually a big Graphic Novel person, I like them, but I haven't really fallen in love with them. I love Star Wars stories, and the new timeline is fun to get into. Plus, a cameo (more than a cameo really) by Yoda is fun!

THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!

Firstly, I adored the artwork! The drawing style is a nice blend of old school comic book and modern day comics. The variety of aliens was great. There were a lot of picturesque moments in this collection, including the side-by-side panels.

Speaking of the side-by-sides panels, I enjoyed the parallel storylines of Zeen and Krix. It was a very entertaining way to follow both the Jedi storyline and the Nihil machinations simultaneously. In many ways, it reminded me of Lost Stars by Claudia Gray (which I also highly recommend).

Finally, Zeen was absolutely enchanting and adorable. I would love to read more of her adventures in the future. And Krix is not to be underestimated either, his story appealed more to my curiosity. And without going into any spoilers, there are other awesome characters in this comic series that I am always very happy to see!

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the author, the publishers and the NetGalley team for providing me with an Advanced copy. I cherished this opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I am fairly impressed with the Star Wars High Republic series. They do such a good job connecting all of the books and graphic novels to each other without making it imperative to read every book. This is a middle grade graphic novel for sure, and I believe it is well categorized. I feel like the pace of the story was well done and engaging. It is not violent but does have some action sequences. I think this is a good graphic novel version of the Star Wars High Republic saga and ties into the current run really well. I thought the art was done well and the story was right for the age group.

Graphic novel that provides introduction of an era in the Star Wars universe not previously covered in movies, books, or comics. Geared towards middle grade in my opinion, so don't expect sophisticated stories and dialog. Regardless, it is an entertaining read with engaging stories and excellent graphics.

The Great Hyperspace Disaster, caused by the dangerous pirates known as the Nihil, has affected many across the galaxy. The latest system caught in the dangerous wreckage is Trymant IV. When the distress signal goes out only The Star Hopper is in range so it's up to the Padawans onboard to help the citizens in danger. Planet side Zeen and her best friend Krix are trying to find safety when they run into both the Jedi and the Nihil. When Zeen reveals her force sensitivity, something her people fear and distrust, Krix is appalled and the two friends find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. While Krix finds his place among the Nihil, Zeen makes friends with Padawan Lula Talisola and those on Starlight Beacon but still misses her oldest friend. Will they ever be able to see eye to eye?

Just as with everything of this brilliant new era. The High Republic Adventures is a real treat for fans. This volume served a great introduction to the characters and was full of action and tough choices for the leads. It was interesting to see the mirroring between the two new friends and the different paths of the old. The fun part of any High Republic content is knowing information or characters will likely show up in a later project, so I'm excited to see what this might set up in the future. With the second batch of novels we've already seen all three main characters in either the middlegrade or teen title and I'm sure there is more to come. I originally picked up each issue collected in this volume upon release at my local comic shop and was very impressed to see the packaging. I like how it shows the alternative covers together to make a stunning image, but even better was the inclusion of "The Gaze Electric" which was previously released as a short story in the regular Star Wars Adventures series and acts as a prequel of sorts for this.

This is a great comic for young Star Wars fans. Unlike the regular Adventures series this tells one story rather than a collection of shorts from across the Star Wars saga which makes it a satisfying read. For fans who enjoy the novels, they'll enjoy meeting new characters as well as seeing favourites such as Yoda and Marchion Ro in action too.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy to review.