– Spoiler Review –
The divide between life-long friends Krix and Zeen grows deeper in the excellent, surprising, and character-focused The High Republic Adventures #3!
One of the most memorable aspects to the opening issue of The High Republic Adventures was the presentation of Zeen Mrala and Lula Talisola’s stories, often splitting them between pages and panels as they went through similar ordeals or moments. It helped to highlight the similarities in the two young women, despite their unique circumstances, and was a great way for writer Daniel José Older and the art team of Harvey Tolibao (art), Rebecca Nalty (colors), and Jake M. Wood (letterer) to take advantage of the unique aspects of the comic medium. While this concept was missing from the second issue, the third returns to it for an even sharper analysis of two characters, this time Zeen and Krix Kamerat, the emotional core of the story so far. I particularly loved the two white side panels, bookending the updates on their lives over a week after the end of the last issue, where their heads are drawn as a blue-like specter with an image of their current location (Starlight Beacon for Zeen, Gaze Electric for Krix) hanging over them. All the content between them is the gulf tearing them further apart, and by the issues’ end, even more separates them than before, but I found it curious and intriguing this is when the team chose to smash their panels together, as they face a big decision that will affect one another. Does this signal there’s a chance these two can heal the distance that continues to grow between? Or just a great way to highlight the similarities in their diverging paths? Only time will tell, but it’s a great thing to ponder as the series continues.
For Zeen, her new life looks like an absolute blast and very comforting and accepting, as she has everything from a giant group of new friends in the Beacon’s Padawans to Yoda and Buckets of Blood baking cookies. On Krix’s end, things aren’t as rosy, as he has to say, despite the cold shoulders from the Nihil, they at least don’t hurt him; that’s a really messed up justification for being involved with someone or some group. The fractured friendship with Krix still weighs on Zeen, who obviously enjoys her new life but still calls to talk to him, hoping he’ll understand her choice to hide her Force abilities from him. Krix loneliness begets his growing internal battle over Zeen’s reveal, as he misses his friend still, especially without any within the Nihil, but he also hates her for hiding the truth and not confiding in him. Thanks to the Jedi and all her new friends, Zeen has a great place to grow, learn, and deal with the emotional turmoil, while Krix’s interactions with the Nihil only serve to ferment his anger and stunt his ability to learn and accept what’s happened.
It’s not the Nihil’s fault for all of Krix’s growing anger and descent, as he makes some rather surprising and dark choices, especially compared to what I’d expect in an IDW comic, and it’s making me wonder if we’re getting a villain origin story all of a sudden. When the Nihil find his holoprojector and notice it has a tracking transponder in it, which Yoda gave to Krix last issue with two intentions in mind (more on that in a moment), Krix immediately throws Elder Tromak under the bus, saying it’s his, which results in Tromak’s death. It’s quite the surprising and dark choice, though in a way Tromak does set himself up for it, as he tells Krix the information Nihil leader Marchion Ro wants and admits he’s had a good life and is willing to die by taking the reigns of a bogaranth in the battle rink they’re forced into, but it’s still a dark, selfish choice from the young Krix. Marchion knows Krix was lying of course, but he’s not the coddling type and wants Krix to face the consequences of his actions, which only hardens the young boy more, while Marchion also manipulates the truth around the holoprojector and blames Zeen for it, to further pull Krix down the path he’s on. On the flip side, Zeen is now presented with the knowledge the holoprojector has a transponder they can track down the Nihil with, which the Jedi want to use to help her save Krix and stop the Nihil, as long as she permits. In a way, Yoda set her up with this choice, forcing her hand a bit, by never mentioning his ulterior motives for giving Krix the holoprojector, telling her he only wanted to give them a chance to talk in case she could reach through to him. It’s not as nasty a move as Marchion’s when he bends the truth, but do I only say that because we know its intentions are good as Yoda wants to stop the Nihil and the Nihil are villainous? At least they give her the option to not let them exploit it, which she’s clearly uncomfortable with thanks to her non-committal answer, while Krix tells ready to try helping Marchion use the holoprojector to set up a trap.I’m assuming she’ll allow them too eventually, but when the Jedi fulfill the narrative Marchion sets up by hunting them down thanks to the transponder, it will only serve to distance the two friends more and I am not sure I’m ready for the emotional confrontation it’ll bring.
Yoda’s plan here is one of two aspects of prequel era Jedi I was a little surprised to find hiding amongst the High Republic-era Jedi. Like I said before, Yoda’s plan had good intentions, and I genuinely don’t think he wanted to cause Zeen any emotional harm, but he knew what he was doing and that it would put her in this situation, and this is a move I would expect more from the Jedi of the prequels than of this era; it’s almost like when they were willing to let Ahsoka be used to help the public’s opinion on them, not taking into account what it could mean for her to used such a way. The more overt prequel-like moment is the Jedi unwilling to train Zeen due to her age. With Anakin Skywalker, he was an exception thanks to his potential Chosen One status/Midi-chlorian count, but given the High Republic-era’s Jedi willingness to foster and deal with emotions more openly, I thought they’d be open to taking in an older Padawan learner because they are better equipped to deal with the situation. They all agree, after all of Zeen’s new friends chime in, to keep her on for the time being, instructing her along the way so she can responsibly use her gift, but they’ll still dump her off back home at Trymant IV once everything is settled there. Hopefully they decide to change their mind, as this really is the best time in the Order’s history, that we know of so far, for taking on an older learner.
As I mentioned earlier, the art team really digs into the unique ways the comic medium can style a story, though they still provide the series’ signature big scenes and impressive depth and details. The battle rink aboard the Gaze Electric (how big is this ship?!) and its whole bogaranth battle scene is chaotic in all the right ways, just hovering on overstuffed, and I’m sad it didn’t last very long because it sure seemed like a unique and interesting scene that this team could’ve had tons of fun with. This issue’s focus was on the emotional turmoil rolling through Krix and Zeen instead though, so it makes sense the rink scene wasn’t expanded and there was tons more to appreciate on art with the characters. Having Yoda and Buckets of Blood eating snacks was a fun little delight, while having all the little Padawans so eager to keep Zeen around, with their big smiles and jumping, was cute and funny. Even those scenes, bright and cheerful, are an important and easy way to differentiate with Krix’s new surroundings, where panels are often dark, gloomy, and not full of a lot of people besides those who will likely manipulate or do him harm; the hallways of the Gaze Electric and cold and distant feeling due to Nalty’s colors, while the big battle rink certainly is the opposite of a welcoming committee full of hugs and bakery. There were a few panels I felt Wood’s lettering got a little too packed/hard to follow, but otherwise he did a great job keeping the flow of the story and allowing the characters to stay in focus with his bubble placements.
Here are a few other things:
- We have a page dedicated to The High Republic, which is where you’ll find all our reviews, news articles, and a list of what content is yet to come. I’ll cover that below, but you can always refer to our THR page in the future!
- I’ll be very curious to learn what ancient objects that Marchion wants (which Krix now knows where they are) and what Yoda noticed on board the spider-ship before he had to leave, as both mysteries are now still awaiting answers after this issue.
- We met Lula’s Master for the first time this issue, Kantam Sy! You can see who all the Jedi are in this era, and a general look at the timeline, thanks to the new infographics on the official site’s THR page.
- Check out a special The High Republic Adventures for this year’s Free Comic Book Day!
The High Republic Adventures #3 digs into the growing gulf between Zeen and Krix with some truly interesting juxtapositions and similarities, keeping the emotional core of the series at the forefront after the previous more action-focused issue.
+ Zeen and Krix dual panels/pages
+ Juxtaposition of Zeen’s heights and Krix’s lows
+ Finding some surprising connections with the prequel Jedi
+ Art team playing up comics’ strengths
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.