Force Matters: ‘Pathfinders’ #1 An Intriguing Start To New High Republic Adventures

The slow trickle of new Star Wars comics continues with a new High Repulic series from Dark Horse.

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Pathfinders #1

By George Mann & Partha Pratim

Jedi Master Temesh and his Pathfinder team are tasked with investigating the death of a Jedi Master in a distant and hostile system.

• This story is set roughly 20 years after the end of High Republic Phase II, circa 382 BBY.
• George Mann has been the go-to writer for a lot of these High Republic Adventures books; Partha Pratim can also be found contributing covers to Marvel’s Generation X-23 at the moment.
• Both the Jagoth System and the planet Cairus appear here for the first time.
• The concept of Pathfinder teams have been around in the High Republic stories for awhile. Intended to help the Republic explore the Outer Rim and improve relations with the peoples there, they generally consist of a Jedi, their Padawan, a pilot, a medic and a droid.
• Master Temesh is also making his first appearance in this issue. He is a Mirialan, the same species as Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan Bariss Offee, as well as fellow High Republic Jedi Vernestra Roh.
• His Padawan Anula and the rest of the Pathfinder team – Harby the medic and Pol the pilot – are also making their debuts. Harby is a Duros, and both Anula and Pol appear to be human.
• Proctor Bekell, who gives them their mission, is a new character, but the Office of the Frontier for which he works is established.
• Master Atticus Cale, the Jedi whose death kicks off the plot, first appeared The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #3. He is an Abednedo, a species first introduced in Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

On the one hand, seeing Dark Horse continue with High Republic stories when the rest of LucasFilm has seemingly closed the book on the era feels a little sad. On the other hand, there’s something admirable about them sticking with it, especially given its a broad era with a lot of storytelling potential still untapped. This issue is a decent enough kickoff to the story – the characters are still largely indistinct, but it gets a lot of work done plot-wise, and the relationship between the Republic and the Jagoth System helps make it feel like a High Republic story.

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