While we eagerly wait the third phase’s kick off in a month or two thanks to the Marvel Unlimited app being a few months behind I still have some Phase 2 comic stories to get through (plus one Manga volume!), including this one! “The Blade” feels more like a spin-off from Phase 2, focusing on Porter Engle and his partner Barash Silvain with little interaction with the main plot. It’s a fun story though, so I’m not exactly complaining! Let’s take a look…
As you’d imagine the story focuses on the titular Blade himself: Porter Engle, but the younger version of him from this time period is paired with another Jedi in Barash Silvain, and we see their relationship unfold in flashbacks across the four issues. They met as younglings at the Jedi Temple and became so close they refered to themselves as brother and sister, true siblings in their own minds. So deep was their bond that they intentionally underperformed when they were assigned to different Jedi as Padawans so they could reunite at the Temple. Eventually the Council gave in and allowed them to act as a pair and since then they’ve been acting as Jedi peacekeepers, travelling across the outer rim trying to help out anyone that needs it.
Porter does a sci-fi version of shooting a flipped coin only with multiple coin-sized objects! (and reflecting laser blasts with a sword, so… not really like it at all I guess… Whatever.)
In this storyline they’re drawn to the planet Gansevor, or the “Planet of Knives” as its known, where the city state known as Firevale is under siege from rival city Bethune. Porter and Barash arrive and force the Bithune to back down while they head in to Firevale to talk and find out that the argument comes from the Bithune Princess and Heir Sicatra having fled to Firevale and fallen in love with their heir Colden. She even admits to being pregnant and only wishing to be with the one she loves. Things suddenly get more complicated when Bithune brings in a deadly mercenary company led by the ruthless Viess, so ruthless that after a confrontation with Porter she betrays the Bithune and goes on the offensive again, leading to Barash proclaiming that Firevale is in the right here so Porter heads off to slow down the army with his insane lightsabre skills…
Hmmm… not sure why the art is blurry but the text clear on this picture, but whatever…
It’s a short story but I really enjoyed the relationship between Porter and Barash, even if the existence of the “Barash Vow” hung heavy over the story, but more on that in the spoilers. The art was great throughout as well!
Overall Thoughts:
An example of the trust between Porter and Barash (in a scene clearly seconds away from the first picture I showed, nice numbering past me!)
The Blade is a short read and by no means a necessary one if you’re just trying to follow the main beats of the various High Republic phases, but if you do stop off for the four issue mini-series I’m sure you’ll walk away pleased, it’s a good story with a well-defined duo at the heart.
As Porter cuts down several mercs and defeat Viess all the death freaks Sicatra out and she admits to Barash that she wasn’t actually pregnant and the whole war had been a trick by her and Colden to force his mother to abdicate the throne to them so they can then take over both cities and rule over them together. Porter survives long enough for Barash to get word out and the war comes to an end.
Viess claims to be a Jedi Killer, but given this is the High Republic I don’t see it being the case honestly, she didn’t seem THAT good.
Afterwards we find out that Barash has secluded herself away to reconnect with the Force after trusting her gut instinct over its power led to her not realising the rouse and potentially to all the death on the battlefield, so Porter will be going on the next mission solo. So now we know why some characters, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, cutting themselves off from everything but Force training to refind themselves was called the “Barash Vow”.
Hogan Reviews 