There’s been plenty of mystery surrounding one of the many Star Wars Disney Plus shows in development, but The Acolyte has been among the most intriguing. Monday, LucasFilm announced the main cast, which has plenty of familiar faces, including Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae, X-23 herself, Dafne Keen, and Carrie-Anne Moss from The Matrix films.
As for the plot, all that has been said is that it will be a mystery-thriller, something new for Star Wars, with a former Padawan and Jedi Master teaming up to investigate a series of crimes. While the characters have not been released, we do know it will be set in the final days of the High Republic Era, which should perk comic fans’ ears since it’s been the setting of several comics in the past year. That should have you scouring the auction sites for these keys.
THE STAR WARS ADVENTURES #30
According to the Star Wars fan site, Wookipedia, the High Republic era was first introduced in 2017’s The Star Wars Adventures #30. As part of a flashback, we see a glimpse of events from the time period. That makes a case for this being the first appearance of the High Republic era, which is about to have a much greater significance, particularly on Disney Plus. A bonus for getting this issue is the first mention of the Nihil Raiders, who will be more important with the launch of the High Republic comics in 2021.
Finding any sales records for this particular comic is hard to come by, which should tell you how far under the radar SWA #30 flies. Not only are there no graded sales to be found, but an eBay search came up empty as well. However, there are some current listings for around $10, so that at least gives you a ballpark figure to start your quest.
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF KYLO REN #1
While SWA #30 gave readers their first glimpse of the High Republic, it wasn’t named outright until The Rise of Skywalker tie-in comic, The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 (apparently, there was a lot of rising happening in Star Wars in 2019). That doesn’t necessarily make this a full-fledged first appearance, but it does give you another comic to track down in your hunt for those High Republic keys. Looking for a copy? The graded 9.8 has a 12-month FMV of $230, though the past 90 days has seen that number dip to $91.
STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC #1
When Marvel debuted the High Republic era in January 2021, collectors and investors alike were all over this issue. With the SW sequel trilogy having wrapped with 2019’s Rise of Skywalker and the word that Disney wanted to move away from Anakin’s family tree, the High Republic’s introduction sent shockwaves through the fandom. The first issue quickly sold out and began commanding inflated prices on eBay. Now it seems those early investments might finally be paying off.
In the past year, the graded 9.8 has sold for as much as $300, which sounds a bit high if you ask me. For the past 12 months, it’s averaged a lower-but-respectable $94, though the 30-day FMV stands at $61.
MORE TO COME
Once LucasFilm announces what characters we’ll see in The Acolyte, it will kick off a new wave of investment speculation. I doubt it will take long for that information to be released, and I will update the blog when that happens. All collecting and investing aside, the prospect of a Star Wars-themed mystery-thriller definitely has me intrigued.
