A Jedi should not form attachments. But that doesn’t stop Keeve Trennis from feeling the ache of loss.

With the launch of Phase III of Star Wars: The High Republic, set about a year after the end of Phase I, we’re ready to catch up with some of our favorite characters from the initiative in the aftermath of the destruction of Starlight Beacon. To relaunch the comic flagship, Star Wars: The High Republic (2023), writer Cavan Scott has reunited with artist Ario Anindito, this time joined by artist James Towe, as we reconnect with Jedi Master Trennis.

“I'm over the moon to be returning to our original High Republic characters as we reach the climatic final phase of the publishing initiative,” Scott tells StarWars.com. “I'm particularly excited to be working with Ario Anindito again as well as to welcome Jim Towe to the art team. Their work is truly stunning! I can't wait for readers to see it for themselves!”

Today, StarWars.com is thrilled to give you your first look inside the issue, where we find Keeve grappling with the loss of Master Sskeer. “The villainous Nihil have won, annexing a large chunk of the galaxy behind an impenetrable Stormwall,” Scott explains. “To make matters worse, the opportunistic Hutt Cartel have chosen this moment to mount their own invasion of Republic space, with Keeve receiving a battlefield promotion to Jedi Master as she faces one crisis after another. It's a lot for a young woman who just two years ago wasn't even sure she was ready to be knighted!”

The series promises the return of other familiar faces and the introduction of new villains, including, as Scott puts it, “the twisted Baron Boolan and his equally terrifying Children of the Storm,” a promising mix of horror. “Things look grim for Keeve and co., especially as she is still coming to terms with the loss of her former master Sskeer,” Scott adds. “But, this is Star Wars, so even in darkness there is hope. We promised right at the beginning of the High Republic that we would show the Jedi at their height, and while events have certainly turned against them in recent times, we'll see how they rise to the challenge, proving once and for all that they are the champions of light and life!”

For light and life, read the first five pages of the issue below…

Star Wars: The High Republic #1, by writer Cavan Scott and artists Ario Anindito and James Towe, with a cover by Phil Noto, arrives November 8, 2023, and will be available for pre-order on ComiXology and at your local comic shop.

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Tagged: Keeve Trennis

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