– Spoiler Review –
With the Nihil knocking on Eridau’s doors, the Jedi and Republic rush to get everyone to safety in case they get swallowed by the Stormwall, but despite the urgency, there’s always room for love, right? Find out in my review of The High Republic Adventures #7 – Phase III!
While Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala have rightly taken center stage in the series, the supporting cast of Qort and Farzala we all know and love has been by their side through it all and The High Republic Adventures #7 – Phase III shines a spotlight on boys’ importance to their friends, Jedi or not. Qort and Farzala have had their moments this series, with Qort being Zeen’s support group prior to finding Lula/rescuing everyone on the prison ship and Farzala leading the prisoners and their escape attempt, but issue #7 gives them a chance to be friends together and to those around them. Qort himself has a cute moment with Zint, the young Aloxian Padawan, discussing the importance of the vonduun crab shell masks after she used it as a stepping stool, and I appreciated the small glimpse of their culture and reminder of the mask’s importance to them and how they interact with the galaxy. As for Qort and Farzala together, as friends and pals, it’s short but we get a little scene of them commiserating over the loss of their Masters, showing how the Jedi can still miss those they care about but accept they are one with the Force, especially when they are allowed to express those feelings to one another and talk through them. These are all small moments, but they go a long way to prove again why these characters are so special to fans but also just to one another, beyond even the main focus of the story, as they look out for one another. But Qort and Farzala’s biggest role to play in issue #7 is helping Zeen and Lula talk through something big, something very important, and something honestly a little surprising, though it’s something I’m very happy to see…
ZEEN AND LULA WANT TO PROPOSE TO EACH OTHER! Neither realizes the other is already planning to do so, which makes the whole situation very cute, but what sends it over the cuteness ledge is not only do they both ask Qort and Farzala for advice, they both recruit Sevran* to have her create an ornate bracelet to propose to one another with! That the bracelet can withstand a blaster shot sounds like plot point further down the line, but each one is quite gorgeous, and the intention of commissioning it from the locals of the planet where they finally choose one another, and themselves, might just make this grown man cry. Thankfully, Daniel José Older’s signature humor keeps the tears of happiness at bay, as Zeen’s initial advice session with the boys and later Lula’s consult with them play off one another so well, with Qort and Farzala finishing or filling in Lula’s sentences thanks to their talk with Zeen, and something about how each scene plays out is perfect for the journey not only Zeen and Lula have gone on, but what their friends have as well. Prior to Lula’s scene, we see her on Malastare, dropping off the younglings with Master Shko Emouk at the Temple there, since it’s far enough away from the current border of the Stormwall. Initially I was worried the discussion would plant doubts in Lula’s mind, as Master Shko expresses their surprise over Lula’s decision, even at her age, but they seem to be more curious than anything, saying it’s out of a concern since it’s a journey they haven’t even gone on. Is it hinting Shko has some questions of their own, things they want to explore, like Lula’s own Master Kantam was able to before they found Lula and was pulled back to the Order? Regardless, as they chat we learn from Lula that Kantam has revealed to her they sensed Lula’s decision coming since before even Starlight Beacon fell, while Lula expresses how this choice is as much about her love for Zeen as it is her love for herself and who she is. We’ve gotten a lot of Zeen’s point-of-view in the earlier issues and between #6 and now #7, it’s helped even the scales with Lula’s POV on their relationship. As the joint surprise proposals seem imminent upon the group’s return to Eriadu from Malastare, the conflict with the Nihil rears its ugly head, with Nihil ships attacking Lula, Zeen, Qort, and Farzala’s ship, with stowaway Zint aboard! The crew does their best, but the Nihil hit the ship, sending them on a crash course with the surface! Will they manage to pull up in time? Escape? Talk about a big cliffhanger!
But wait, there’s more! Not only does The High Republic Adventures #7 – Phase III have time for all the above, we also see the continuation of Crash Ongwa and team’s efforts to take out Marchion Ro, which kicked off in earnest in the Crash Landing one-shot when she chose to rescue…Krix Kamerat?! It’s a decision her team hasn’t enjoyed, nor has Krix, as we see them all fighting about the path forward, only for Krix to storm out, calling out over comms to someone to get his ship ready. It doesn’t quite feel like the delusional Krix we met in Crash Landing, more like his regular old self, but it seems like he’s still trying to help Crash and team, leaving them a Nihil ship to take and follow him across the Stormwall. But where is he taking them? As the issue ends, we find out it’s one of the most important locations in the galaxy: Marchion Ro’s flagship, the Gaze Electric! I wonder if we’ll see more of this story in upcoming issue or if this largely being reserved for the Crash Landing follow-up one-shot, Crash and Burn, out in August (with maybe another one-shot to be announced, making it a sort of Crash Trilogy?).
As for the art team bringing all this chaos and humor to life? It’s of course Harvey Tolibao, with Le Beau Underwood and Elisabetta D’Amico joining him on inks, while the usual suspects are on colors and lettering respectively with Michael Atiyeh and duo Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt. Bringing Older’s humorous script to life, much of what makes the scenes of Zeen and Lula’s chats with the boys work is on the hands of this wonderful art team. It starts with Zeen’s expressions, her big shouting face when she interrupts Qort and Farzala’s conversation, cleverly shown by Smith & Betancourt as her word bubble takes over Qort’s, and later her grumpy face when Farzala makes a sly little joke about her wanting to explode comment, as these looks show the amount of passion and excitement she has about her idea to propose to Lula. Atiyeh’s colors for Qort and Farzala sort of blend them in with the ship and their seats, as if they are just passengers in Zeen’s ramblings, as she is bright and bold, sticking out like a sore thumb, the main focus and attention. With Lula’s conversation, her intense determination to figure this out, how, when, and if it’s worth a shot to propose, is plain on her face, while her outfit and its colors are more like the boys’, making them all sort of blend together, a shorthand for their long friendship and how they sort guide her through her thoughts thanks to them already having the exact conversation with Zeen earlier. In a pit of a swerve, the way Krix is presented as he’s jumping to lightspeed, about to cross the dreaded Stormwall, was a neat little effect, as his normal confidence looks a little, knowing what’s to come, hoping for the best, as we sort of get the lightspeed effect but in reverse, it emanating out from him as the focal point, not some random spot in the distance of space, making it seem backwards to be able to traverse the hyperspace wall anomaly, while Smith & Betancourt fade Crash’s word bubble, as if Krix’s truly being cut from from everything else by crossing the wall. The final panel, where the team goes all out on the ginormous Gaze Electric, gives the impression of Krix’s odds, as his little ship looks like nothing against the Nihil command ship, a speck of light against a galaxy-sized canvas, but hey, we weren’t wishing Krix good luck anyways!
Here are a few other things:
- I’ve been curious about the Warden’s real name and, well, Older has a lot of fun with the fact the character so far has just been named Warden, making a point in a funny way it doesn’t quite matter.
- *Sevran is revealed to be a Tarkin! That’s right, Wilhuff Tarkin’s family line will be part of the upcoming story of the series, but so far between Sevran and her mother, Lady Krevlin, the Tarkins don’t seem so bad at the moment!
- The High Republic Adventures – Phase III is home to a lot of stories out or yet to come: The High Republic Adventures – Saber for Hire, which follows Ty Yorrick’s latest monster hunting expedition taking a surprising turn; The High Republic Adventures – Crash and Burn #1, the sequel to Crash Landing #1, is out in August; The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear miniseries, now starting in September, will see the series exploring the strange Echo Stones; and lastly The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone, another miniseries kicking off in October, this one from different writers, each issue focusing on a set of different characters. LOTS of Adventures to enjoy!
The High Republic Adventures #7 – Phase III lets the side characters shine a little more as Lula and Zeen try to find time for love in war.
+ Proposal consultation conversations
+ Seeing the side characters get a little more spotlight
+ Tolibao and team really match Older’s humorous script in fun ways
– Second read-through gave some clarity
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher at no charge in order to provide an early review. However, this did not affect the overall review content. All opinions are my own.
THE HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES – PHASE III REVIEWS
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