– Spoiler Review –
The latest entry in the High Republic era, one of my most anticipated, is unlike anything before it, a creepy, dread-drenched noir mystery miniseries, Trail of Shadows. Written by Daniel José Older, with an art team of David Wachter, Giada Marchisio, and Joe Sabino, Trail of Shadows #1 is phenomenal, unforgettable opening issue which will worm its way into your brain, as a Jedi investigator digs into the death of *SPOILER* at end of The Rising Storm and a private eye finds herself on a dangerous investigation of her own.
Final heads up, but we’ll be discussing The Rising Storm spoilers from here on out so you’ve been warned!
The sense of dread and unease is one of Trail of Shadows #1’s most effective aspects, as it sets its tone early and never lets up, using a recurring and creepy lullaby to permeate not only the reader’s reactions to the issue, but also its characters. Before I heard writer Daniel José Older’s delightfully spooky yet calming melody for the nursery rhyme, I actually imagined the lyrics playing across various panels and pages throughout the issue to mimic a song from my favorite band, Lacuna Coil,* “Take Me Home,” which starts off with kids chanting an eerie lullaby. It’s no less creepy set to Older’s version, as the lyrics themselves, especially when the second half is revealed as prescient to the story at hand, do most of the leg work, as well as letterer Joe Sabino’s font choice and size in each panel, small and unobtrusive, as if it’s just out of sight but not out of mind, like a earworm song. David Wachter’s grittier art and Giada Marchisio’s darker hues add to the noir-vibes but also aide the less than hopeful feeling the lullaby wants to instill in readers. Also, the super creepy Jedi Master who used to sing it to Padawans, like Emerick Caphtor and Stellan Gios, doesn’t help matters, nor does the insinuation by Caphtor that Gios is only singing it now because seeing Loden Greatstorm’s unsettling death has brought the Jedi Master and Council member fear and it’s not something he’s really felt since that Master used to sing the nursery rhyme to them. I saw someone else point this out before, but I couldn’t find the tweet, so here’s a link to someone today who has isolated the audio of the song appearing in the Tempest Runner audiobook! These cool connections, seeding each authors work in fun and unique ways, is one of the many things which set this era apart.
So yes, as we were all guessing prior to Trail of Shadows‘ release, confirmed by the preview out a few weeks back, Caphtor is investigating Loden Greatstorm’s death during the Battle of Grizal, seen at the end of The Rising Storm. The issue doesn’t full dive into what all happened but it offers readers just enough to go on, even if they haven’t read the amazing second adult novel of the era. Moments after Loden breaks free from Marchion Ro’s imprisonment after a year, falling into the arms of his Padawan Bell Zettifar, Ro unleashes something known as the Great Leveler and its effects on the Jedi are devastating, leaving Bell a mess and Loden a pile of stone…which turns to dust at the slightest touch, something visually seen for the first time in the issue’s opening few pages. Wachter doesn’t hold back, drawing Loden similar to Han’s look in carbonite in The Empire Strikes Back, but giving the Jedi Master a haunted look, while Marchisio’s choice of highlighting the color of Loden’s clothes compared to his new stone makeover make him appear even more lifeless. It’s a stark but important opening, setting the stage for the entire miniseries, as if its story begins at one the era’s most devastating moments, where can it go from here? Only further down or ending on something hopeful? Judging by all the Phase I, Wave III novel titles that will help close out the first Phase of the era in January, I’d say it’s only going to get worse from here.
I’m already a big fan of Emerick, a Jedi investigator whose the most prequel-like Jedi of this era, detached from the feelings over Loden’s death and laser-focused on his task, logically following the clues and not letting his feelings cloud his judgment overall. He’s not heartless, in fact, he’s the opposite, so in tune with his other Jedi he’s able to both take clues from their reactions, like how Stellan delivers the assignment, and be supportive. Throughout the issue, he keeps this composure, logically talking through the lullaby with his droid Q2 (like a precursor to BD-1 from Jedi: Fallen Order) or even as he battles some remaining Nihil on the planet Vrant Tarnum, the Jedi’s only lead on what might’ve killed Loden thanks to Stellan’s old apprentice Vernestra Rwoh, as seen in Older’s Race to Crashpoint Tower. We learn it’s not total composure thanks to thought bubbles, using one of the staples of the noir genre to great effect for both Emerick and Sian Holt, who we’ll get to in a moment, as the narration for Emerick reveals more empathy than he lets on outwardly. It’s not until the issue’s very end where we see Emerick express any emotion and its one of surprise, a subtle mouth hung open look via Wachter’s art, as it becomes clear the creepy lullaby somehow has a connection to the ruins he finds on Vrant Tarnum, while its final lyric being dust clesrly isn’t a coincidence. I also found it very interesting Emerick’s analysis of the dust of Loden doesn’t return any midi-chlorians nor any identifiers it was him, only adding to Emerick’s initial skepticism and making the final page reveal only hit him harder. What else could shake such an unflappable Jedi going forward? I’ll be very curious where Emerick, and eventually Sian Holt’s, investigation leads and this Jedi reacts to its revelations.
Sharing this issue with Emerick is the series co-lead, Sian Holt, who is on a job of her own as a private investigator, and while the two characters don’t meet or their stories overlap, I’m also intrigued by this new character and eager for more. While Emerick gives off the noir-vibes, Sian oozes them, from her far more hard-boiled investigator narration, the fancy, almost 50’s like dress with a popped collar that recalls the look of a detective’s trench coat, to her quick wit and even quicker blaster skills. She has an outward appearance of calm, cool, and collected, but she’s much quicker to emotions than Emerick ever is this issue, cursing herself for her blunders, and I look forward to see how the two work together, as her impulsive nature will clash with Emerick’s slow, but steady approach. Her mission her, like I said earlier, doesn’t seem like it’ll overlap, but it’s interesting nonetheless as she sneaks around the Coruscant underworld to find her mark, the art team evoking tons of shadows and darkness, even in a place so full of bright, neon lights, to make her whole section match her look as better dressed hard-boiled detective. And while I say her story/investigation doesn’t overlap, it’s in the final pages, as she defeats a giant lurking in the shadows and passes out afterwards, Emerick’s narration intones about everything being connected, so maybe there will be more significance as more is revealed, like potentially these were Nihil her mark was working with as they tried to smuggle the Leveler to Coruscant??!? It’d be a bold move, and the Wave III titles seem to suggest Starlight Beacon is the next target of Marchion Ro and the Nihil, but maybe it’s one part of a larger plan? Only time will tell!
Older, most recently writing much of The High Republic’s all-ages content, from the stellar The High Republic Adventures to the middle-grade Crashpoint Tower, started his Star Wars career with the excellent and sometimes creepy, especially with the antagonists, Last Shot, and this was an unforgettable return to the more mature content that shows his flexibility, able to mold himself to whatever story needs to be told, like water. It ratchets up my excitement for his upcoming young adult THR novel, Midnight Horizon, the cover for it setting a similar mood as this miniseries. As I’ve mentioned throughout, Wachter’s art and Marchisio’s colors set the mood from start to finish, matching noir-like feeling of these twin investigations by letting darkness creep into every page, no matter how bright or lit scenes are, with Marchisio seemingly choosing a less vibrant palette to ensure it never gets too hopefully colorful. I really loved the final panel with Emerick, as the ruin’s entrance arches over him, black as night, as if the sun’s setting on him, dread and darkness creeping in with the final revelation that the lullaby is etched into the ruin’s walls. While Emerick’s mission starts bright and ends dark, Sian begins shiny in a cantina, pinpoints of light to mark the brightness and liveliness of the establishment, but grows darker and more full of shadows, making the reveal of the giant Tarnab scarier and foreboding, Sian’s plight more dangerous than we realized. Of course the creepiest panel of them all is the Ongree Jedi Master chanting the nursery rhyme, little Emerick and Stellan huddled under their sheets, scared out of their whits…I would be too if that’s the Master singing that song!
Here are a few other things:
- Older teased there’s an update regarding Yoda and Elder Tromak’s ‘visit’ to Vrant Tarnum, who are last seen being shot down over the planet in The High Republic Adventures #5 and haven’t been heard from since, so I’m guessing he slyly meant the very first panel on Tarnum and the crashed ship. Are all the High Republic authors going to turn this rude?! We all know what you did!
- *I’ve been a fan of Lacuna Coil for over 15 years now so of course I went to their London 20th Anniversary show in 2018, spending the weekend with my wonderful friends who live over there. It’s when I got to play the Secrets to the Empire VR experience and the weekend when we started finalizing details of our trip to Ireland later that year together, to try and walk the steps of Ahch-To, aka Skellig Michael! Alas, we were unable to get on the island, but it was still a blast of a trip, though my friends returned earlier this year and finally managed to make it!! They even wore our Mynock Manor t-shirts and there’s a plan for an article from them about the experience. So hey, enjoy what you enjoy and good things can come from it!
It was ever so difficult to not shout at the top of my lungs that The High Republic – Trail of Shadows #1 is so unbelievably good, because while that would make for an easy review, it wouldn’t quite begin to unpack what makes it so shout-worthy in the first place. I read the issue on Wednesday morning, almost completed the review that night, and finished it Thursday morning, but one thing is clear, it’s sense of unease hasn’t left while it’s lullaby is unfortunately rolling around my brain. Worth it.
+ Shrii Ka Rai Ka Rai, fall’s latest hit earworm song
+ Emerick and Sian are characters I instantly want more of
+ Mood setting artwork
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.