Review: Tey Sirrek’s Past Is Uncovered in Marvel’s Star Wars: The High Republic #3
Jedi Knight Vildar Mac and Padawan Matty Cathley are back in the third installment of Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan Scott knows how to tell a story. We can see he is playing the long game with these first few releases.
The first two issues of The High Republic have been centered heavily around Vildar and his mental makeup as a Jedi, and how his complicated past influences his decisions today. This third issue takes a different approach and sees us dive into the mystery character thus far: Tey Sirrek. This young trickster we have just begun to meet has been a bit of mystery through the first two comics, but Scott sheds more light on him here. We learn that telling Tey Sirrek’s story can’t be done without mentioning the Guardians of the Whills. Given how the last issue ended with the Guardians all pointing their light bows at our trio it adds a high level of intrigue. Vildar continues to perplex me as a Jedi, and Matty still brings her charm, but they both take a backseat to Sirrek and the Guardians of the Whills in this one.
Spoilers ahead…
We begin right where we left off. Vildar, Matty, and Tey surrounded by lightbow-wielding Guardians ready to pull the trigger at the first sign of trouble. The cause of this angst is not because of the intruding Jedi but because of Tey Sirrek. There is some deep, dirty history between him and the Guardians, and this comic focuses on divulging it.
In the face of the threat posed by the Guardians, Vildar didn’t hesitate to whip out his lightsaber. This trend is becoming all too familiar with the veteran Knight. Vildar is an interesting Jedi for this time. The High Republic is this time of enlightenment with the Jedi at their peak. Of course, there are going to be some who struggle and branch off from “the norm”. In Phase 1, we get close to Elzar Mann; a Jedi wrestling with emotional attachments who has given in to the allure of the dark side. While we are just getting to know Vildar and haven’t seen him channel anything of the sort yet, there is a lot of baggage coming with his character.
Tey and Captain Viss, (one of the Guardians) exchange some pent-up displeasure for one another before Tey unceremoniously exits the temple. It turns out Tey was once a Guardian himself. Captain Viss and other Guardians refer to Tey throughout the comic as useless, reprobate, and a traitor. There is no love lost between them.
The issue journey’s back five years to glimpse at how a former Guardian became so unwelcome in the Temple he once protected and called home.
Five years ago, during his time as Guardian, Tey witnessed a few kids picking pockets and scamming unknowing civilians. Aligning with his natural propensity to help those in need, he sprinted after the kids in hopes of retrieving what they stole and, in turn, teaching those kids a lesson. Instead, he got himself tangled in a web far more complicated than he imagined. The kids work for Anst Wozo, a local thug with resources scoping far and wide. Believing it’s the Guardian’s duty to do something about it, he brings it up with Captain Viss. His response was not what Tey wanted to hear. Viss sternly states they do not need to worry or meddle in what takes place outside the Temple of Kyber. They must protect only the temple and the temple alone.
This dogmatic view of duty reminds me of what the Jedi became in the prequel era. The Jedi ceased to be this entirely enlightened group willing to be malleable and evolve in an ever-changing galaxy. Instead, they became bogged down by this narrowed point of view. The Guardians of the Whills seemingly are in a similar vein of thinking here. Though entirely capable of helping, the leadership shows no interest in reaching beyond the scope of their simple directive of protecting the Temple of Kyber. It makes sense why a deep-feeling young person with the passion of Sirrek would clash with this.
Coming back to the present, the Guardians are certain their temple defenses are impenetrable. Nothing could be stolen from the temple. After all, that is why the Guardians are there. Naturally, to their surprise, they were robbed. The Firebird of Colsassa, a relic dating back to the third cataclysm, was stolen. The plinth lay empty and barren, without a trace of the thievery left behind. Whoever is behind these thefts certainly knows what they are doing. To steal from the Guardians is no small feat.
Venturing back into the past now, Tey is standing at his post wondering where Flim (one of the kids he has grown accustomed to seeing in the streets) could be. Tey has had frequent run-ins with Flim and his compatriots, and knows they’re forced to scrape a living for themselves by working for Anst Wozo. There is no sign of Flim and co. so far today. Tey’s worry reaches greater heights when Flim’s droid rushes to him in a frantic frenzy. He follows the droid’s yearning beeps to a hole in the ground that Flim and the kids call home. Expecting to see some mouthy children, he instead lays witness to horror. All of them are on the verge of dying, but Flim has already passed.
Anst Wozo was behind it. He had double-crossed a major crime syndicate and was now on the run. He didn’t want to leave anyone behind who could betray him, so he attempted to eliminate all of the children in his employ.
When Captain Viss arrives on the scene, Tey expects him to be understanding or at least sympathetic to what happened. Instead, he received cold indifference from the captain. This lack of compassion brought about an unbridgeable gap between the two. Tey left the Guardians for good after that and sought out Anst Wozo.
How often do the lines between justice and revenge get blurred? Sometimes I think about this question. The conclusion to the Tey Sirrek backstory in this comic raises this question again. Sirrek ultimately finds Wozo and immediately put his combat training as a Guardian to use. He kills Anst Wozo without hesitation. He thought it justice for the children, but it was out of vengeful anger. It made me stop and think.
The art from these pages was the best in the issue. Sirrek’s pictured with a bright light shining on his face throughout. His light-hearted, quick wit and easy smile were something they highlighted. Now, he has a dark shadow cast across his face as he takes his revenge on the crime lord.
The issue comes to a close back in the present time. Tey refuses to walk through the temple doors ever again, has no problem sneaking through a window to find out what’s happening. Sneaking over to the crime scene, he discovers an explosive hidden from sight. Sensing something wrong, Vildar turns and sees Tey holding the dangerous device. Rather than waiting a moment to hear him out Vildar pushes out with the Force to send the explosive from his hands. The High Republic #3 ends with a scene of an explosion blasting a hole through the side of the temple.
The Guardians obviously mistrust Tey and think him responsible for the thievery. Vildar has doubts, but the explosive device found in Tey’s hands may make this quick-to-judge Jedi change his tune. Matty seems to be the only one who believes in the heart of Tey Sirrek, and I hope her voice can pierce through the bitterness and walls built up for these last five years.
Rating: 7/10
Finding ways to nonchalantly incorporate Star Wars quotes into 8th grade classroom, Tyler lives and breathes Star Wars. His morning tradition is sending the latest number in the countdown for different Star Wars projects and loves engaging in uplifting Star Wars dialogue. If you are passionate about Star Wars you can follow him on Twitter at TyBrad5.
