Star Wars: The High Republic #8 concludes the Heart of the Drengir arc that started with issue #6 and ends with confronting the ultimate Drengir master! “Chapter III: The Root of Terror” features Cavan Scott’s writing and the return of artist, Ario Anindito! Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis has discovered the threat of the plant-like Drengir at the end of There is No Fear arc, but her mentor, Jedi Master Sskeer is corrupted by the Drengir. The Jedi and the Hutts team up to fight the Drengir and Keeve finds the Root Mind is on the world of Mulita in Wild Space. Still, she has visions and is assigned to Chortose to face the Nihil. Keeve also finds two alien Chortose, Pango and Gru, (whom I want to see again) and the mysterious Orla Jareni. The Phil Noto covers shows Orla with her double-handled white lightsaber and Keeve with her two-bladed lightsaber.
At the station, Starlight Beacon in the Outer Rim, Estala Maru, deals with the holo transmission of Sskeer asks for reinforcements for the battle of the Drengir. He notes that the Jedi are also needed at the Republic Fair when Sskeer’s signal cuts off. Then, we shift to Mulita where we have the Jedi, Myarga the Hutt and Trandoshans, plus a Rancor, facing the endless hordes of Drengir, in a stunning two page splash! Who knew that Hutts were formidable warriors? The Jedi give a war cry, “For Light and Life!” I like the Ugnaught Jedi, what is his name? Very cool, I wish this somehow showed up in the Clone Wars. Myraga is fighting and tells Sskeer on a Rancor that she wants the Great Progenitor’s head on her dreadcruiser. I don’t know what is a dreadcruiser, but I hope there is a comic focusing on Myraga! Gotta be my favorite Hutt! The Drengir crash Myraga and her battle sled into the rancor throwing off Sskeer, both are trapped by Drengir vines!
Jedi Master Cohmac hears the insectoid reinforcements for the Drengir join the battle. Cohmac first appeared in the The High Republic: Into the Dark (2021) novel by Claudia Gray. The creatures are about to swarm over Myraga and Sskeer, but are destroyed. It is the arrival of Keeve and Orla! The Wayfinder recognizes Sskeer. There seems to be history between them! The Jedi twins, Ceret and Terec, say that Jedi Marshal Avar Kriss left to take on the Drengir leader. Keeve trips over the head of a Nihil corpse with a Drengir vine through it! She cuts through the vines with Terec only to find that the Great Progenitor has Kriss in its vines with a smaller vine in her mouth! She says in Dark Side voice that the Dark Lords fell to her and plans to spreads her rule of the Empire of Thorns. Keeve explains to Terec that the Sith had trapped the Drengir on Amaxine Station, this was also in Gray’s novel. This was seen by Keeve in a vision.
The Jedi fight against the Drengir’s insect creatures. Keeve explains to the Great Progenitor that Avar Kriss is like the Jedi’s Root Mind. The Great Progenitor thinks that it can use Avar to lead its armies. It uses Avar’s Force Grip to choke Keeve, but she thinks this a trap. Keeve closes her eyes. All of the Jedi on the planet are unified in an amazing two page splash with closeups of the Jedi concentrating. A very cool power that the Jedi could have used in the Clone Wars. I also really like the mantra that brings the Jedi together. Avar pulls away from the Drengir leader and lands superhero style. Keeve explains to the Great Progenitor that the Dark Lords cut it off from the Root Mind. She adds that the Jedi have done this not to save the Sith, but to protect the galaxy. Myraga has her soldiers ready to blast the leader of the Drengir, but Avar has them stand down. The Jedi protect all life. This is a great distinction of Jedi and Sith even though the Sith are not present in this story.
The Jedi twins have brought out stasis field generators. Myraga is impatient and unleashes her whip that is destroyed by Keeve’s lightsaber. Jedi Master Vitus has his apprentice Reath activate a mirror that captures the Drengir leader. Orla tells Myraga that the Great Progenitor will be sealed in the Starlight Beacon’s Bogan Vault. Bogan was the Dark Side of the Force in the early Star Wars drafts. In Legends, it was one of the moons of Tython, that had the early Je’daii in the comic book, Dawn of the Jedi. The light side of the Force was called Ashla. Myraga still wants to kill the Great Progenitor, but has to face all of the Jedi who have activated their lightsabers! She thinks better of facing the Jedi and leaves. Avar tries to thank Keeve, but she says reasonably, it was all of the Jedi that stopped the Dreginr. Victory is still short lived. Estala is finally able to contact Avar and informs her about the Republic Fair. The threat of the Nihil has proven deadly! Star Wars: The High Republic #8 features some great moments with the Jedi and a satisfying ending for this storyline, but of course there are more adventures!
Five Lightsabers out of Five!
#StarWarsTheHighRepublic, #TheRootOfTerror, #GreatProgenitor, #JediMasterCohmac, #BoganVault
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