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Star Wars: The High Republic - The Blade
Star Wars: The High Republic - The Blade #2
Jedi Master Porter Engle has journeyed with his sister, Barash, to a planet far on the Republic frontier in response to a desperate request for aid. They are certain they will succeed. No one in the galaxy fights like Jedi Porter Engle. No warrior can stand against him. No one even comes close. They are certain...until they see what awaits them.
23 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2023
12 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Charles Soule
1,522 books1,691 followersCharles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 27, 2023
3.75 stars.
I. Love. Porter. And Barash.
The two protagonists' banter and dynamic are nothing if not delightful, fun, and so charged with meaning that it's a treat to read. Especially because of all the ways they are different from each other and thus complement what the other is lacking. And the fact that even their color schemes, Porter's dark colors to Barash's lighter ones, are opposite and yet great combinations brings that to an obvious visualization.
Because of how clear it is that they love each other, I cannot help but fear disaster and heartbreak at every turn.
It truly it's interesting to see how this comic mixes the light banter and comedy of Porter and Barash and the much darker, serious tones of the plot and even the color scheme.
Gansevor is nothing but trouble, lies, and deception and I don't like it one bit. From the previous Phase, set up in the future, I can tell quite a bit and I hope to be wrong about it but this whole mission seems like one grave mistake.
As always, seeing the connections between the comics and the novels is a lot of fun so the little reference to Convergence made me smile.
“The Jedi are trained to find paths to peace others might miss.”
I. Love. Porter. And Barash.
The two protagonists' banter and dynamic are nothing if not delightful, fun, and so charged with meaning that it's a treat to read. Especially because of all the ways they are different from each other and thus complement what the other is lacking. And the fact that even their color schemes, Porter's dark colors to Barash's lighter ones, are opposite and yet great combinations brings that to an obvious visualization.
Because of how clear it is that they love each other, I cannot help but fear disaster and heartbreak at every turn.
It truly it's interesting to see how this comic mixes the light banter and comedy of Porter and Barash and the much darker, serious tones of the plot and even the color scheme.
Gansevor is nothing but trouble, lies, and deception and I don't like it one bit. From the previous Phase, set up in the future, I can tell quite a bit and I hope to be wrong about it but this whole mission seems like one grave mistake.
As always, seeing the connections between the comics and the novels is a lot of fun so the little reference to Convergence made me smile.
“Welcome to Gansevor, the planet of knives.”
January 26, 2023
“We Jedi are pretty famously about saving lives, not helping other people end them.”
Porter and Barash arrive on Gansevor, the Planet of Knives, to bring a peaceful solution to a siege. They meet the leaders of both sides and begin to piece together the truth of what is going on.
This series is super promising so far. I like Porter and Barash as characters, and I love their platonic dynamic duo relationship. We get to see them as kids and teens in flashbacks, and we also get to see them as this absolute powerhouse of a team, cracking jokes and trusting each other implicitly. They are definitely one of my favorite relationships in all of phase 2 of the High Republic. Also, the designs for both characters are awesome.
One of my fave aspects of this issue was seeing the Jedi act as true negotiators and peacekeepers. Barash and Porter do not take sides in the conflict, they do not fight for either Firevale or Bethune, and they want to bring a peaceful conclusion to this siege - a conclusion that will let everyone walk away with their lives unscathed. In the new canon we are so used to seeing Jedi act as soldiers and generals (Clone Wars etc.), so it's fun to see the Jedi as they should be, as objective third parties who fight if they have to but are here, above all, to solve crises without bloodshed.
I also enjoyed the criticisms the people of Bethune raised against the Republic. They joined the Republic and they are being taxed for it, but they have gotten nothing back: they have not been added to any major trade routes and they are not part of galactic communications systems. We, the readers, know that, at this point, the Republic is not corrupt and under the control of an evil sith lord, and that the chancellors are genuinely trying to help everyone, but Tozen does not know that, and from his point of view, I can understand why he is so grumpy about the Republic. I like what Soule is doing in this comic in terms of world-building for this time period.
I'm pumped for the third issue. This is such a fun series!
Porter and Barash arrive on Gansevor, the Planet of Knives, to bring a peaceful solution to a siege. They meet the leaders of both sides and begin to piece together the truth of what is going on.
This series is super promising so far. I like Porter and Barash as characters, and I love their platonic dynamic duo relationship. We get to see them as kids and teens in flashbacks, and we also get to see them as this absolute powerhouse of a team, cracking jokes and trusting each other implicitly. They are definitely one of my favorite relationships in all of phase 2 of the High Republic. Also, the designs for both characters are awesome.
One of my fave aspects of this issue was seeing the Jedi act as true negotiators and peacekeepers. Barash and Porter do not take sides in the conflict, they do not fight for either Firevale or Bethune, and they want to bring a peaceful conclusion to this siege - a conclusion that will let everyone walk away with their lives unscathed. In the new canon we are so used to seeing Jedi act as soldiers and generals (Clone Wars etc.), so it's fun to see the Jedi as they should be, as objective third parties who fight if they have to but are here, above all, to solve crises without bloodshed.
I also enjoyed the criticisms the people of Bethune raised against the Republic. They joined the Republic and they are being taxed for it, but they have gotten nothing back: they have not been added to any major trade routes and they are not part of galactic communications systems. We, the readers, know that, at this point, the Republic is not corrupt and under the control of an evil sith lord, and that the chancellors are genuinely trying to help everyone, but Tozen does not know that, and from his point of view, I can understand why he is so grumpy about the Republic. I like what Soule is doing in this comic in terms of world-building for this time period.
I'm pumped for the third issue. This is such a fun series!
February 10, 2023
Breaking The Siege
In the second issue we spent most of the time to receive a basic explanation of the conflict on Gansevor. Each side tells their own pov and of course each story is different. This sets up a patt situation for our Jedi protagonists. The entire explanation leads to this part being much more boring than the first issue. However we receive an amazing action scene. I can't explain how much I love this series for simply being almost over the top badass. 4/5
April 30, 2025
"I really liked it!" - 4 out of 5 star rating.
A really well done "which side is the right side" Star Wars High Republic (HR) arc, with some of the coolest Jedi in HR. Barash and Porter are awesome.
I sincerely hope that this is not the last we see of them here in this short four (4) issue comic book series that is damn good.
A really well done "which side is the right side" Star Wars High Republic (HR) arc, with some of the coolest Jedi in HR. Barash and Porter are awesome.
I sincerely hope that this is not the last we see of them here in this short four (4) issue comic book series that is damn good.
December 14, 2022
I just have a lot of questions. That's a good thing.
February 24, 2023
I love these two characters, their stories are interesting and the books are pleasantly action packed, very much enjoying, as I am all the High Republic releases!
March 12, 2023
This series is simply a lot of fun and full of badass moments! I'm a bit bothered by the overuse of shadows and the way the action is displayed but that doesn't make the issue any less cool.
April 26, 2023
Gansevor is looking like a cool setting.
May 15, 2023
Shouldn’t it be, “The Blade and the Aid”?
November 17, 2023
#2 – “The JEDI have come! We are SAVED!”
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews