– Spoiler Review –
In the penultimate issue of the opening arc of The High Republic Adventures, issue #4 pushes the Jedi and Nihil, and therefore divided friends Zeen and Krix, together for what looks to be a big, emotional finale to the arc.
Having found a home so comforting and welcoming as the Jedi Order (which feels weird to type but this isn’t the prequel-era Jedi!), Zeen Mrala is able to grow and develop her burgeoning Force-abilities, as well as her own confidence and sense of purpose. On the flip side, Krix Kamerat finds his new allies less and less accommodating, especially after Nihil leader Marchion Ro puts him the hot-seat for his deception, and he’s growing more desperate by the moment, acceptance seemingly always out of reach even after he sacrificed his cult’s Elder. In The High Republic Adventures #4, both of them take wild chances to close the growing gap between each other, setting up for what looks to be the emotional highlight to the final issue of this current arc. For Zeen, as the Jedi Masters tear off to respond to a potential Nihil threat, leaving the Padawans behind and out of trouble, she’s taken the newfound confidence from her new family and taken Lula Talisola’s advice a little too literally about having the Force means nothing is impossible: she’s off to rescue Krix from the Nihil…alone. And Krix, forced to hunt down a fleeing local at their hiding location, goes against Ro’s orders, contacting Zeen and the Jedi when they’re not ready, desperately reaching out to his old friend and with a message hoping they can just avoid all of this nonsense and run away together.
Spending time with the Nihil hasn’t helped Krix in the slightest, heck just last issue I was thinking we might have a villain origin story with him, as his message to Zeen shows his heart is in the right place, but he’s totally missing the mark. Krix tells Zeen he’ll forgive her for her lies about the Force and then he asks her the biggest no-no of all: to give up being herself, to give up being comfortable in her own skin, asking her to no longer use the Force and it’ll go away so they can go back to normal. It’s very clear from following writer Daniel José Older on Twitter that he’s a pretty awesome guy and also socially conscious, always standing up for diversity and inclusion, as he’s written in his previous Star Wars works, so it’s no surprise it’s possible to find those ideals within the story of friends Zeen and Krix. Zeen is going through a change, adjusting to her new identity alongside a caring, supporting group of friends and elders, which isn’t hard to read as a metaphor for those in the LGBTQ+ community coming into their identities and how everyone else should treat them, with care and respect because they are people too, while Krix and his speech are a clear sign of how not to act. It’s a selfish response to Zeen’s new awakening by Krix, wanting everything back to normal, not accepting Zeen’s change or what makes her happy, and it’s not hard to see how terrible such a response would be to our friends. I love how effortlessly Older presents these ideas, while still allowing fans of all ages to make their own conclusions, though offering them in the first place is a great addition to the franchise. In the end, I hope Zeen can help Krix understand and turn him away from the path he’s down, showing fans redemption is still a vital part of the franchise too.
One thing I really appreciate about Harvey Tolibao’s art, Rebecca Nalty’s colors, and Jake M. Wood’s lettering is the hopeful feel they add to each scene, no matter how dark or dangerous it might be. This era will have its moments where things will look or be dark in the fight against the Nihil and Drengir, but it is ultimately a story about hope, especially in the case between Krix and Zeen, so keep the lighter tones and hopeful, full faces throughout this story offers the knowledge things can get better; one just has to trust in the Force…and the art team and writer! One of my favorite moments from the art team this issue was the transition from calm before the storm in the space battle to utter, total chaos. One page we have them closing in on the battle, flip and BAM, the chaos of the battle the Masters find themselves is plain to see, and makes their decision to keep the Padawans at Starlight seem prudent; this takes advantage of Tolibao’s sometimes almost overstuffed panels, using the density to create a sense of suffocation, chaos, and danger for the Jedi Masters, while Nalty’s colors keep everything distinct, bright, and easy to follow, plus Wood’s choice of a few small effects adds a critical element to the explosive nature of the scene. As eye-catching as the big scenes are, even the littlest of interactions benefit from the excellent work on display here, from Farzala’s grin when teasing with Lula and Qort or really showing us what Lula is talking about with regards to how Zeen’s head tendrils reveal her emotional state. Considering this era hasn’t and likely won’t be seen on screen for quite some time, having such expressive, detailed, and wonderful art really helps bring its story, characters, and overall feel to life.
There’s an interesting situation that’s arisen regarding one of the starship designs in the issue. The Z-28 Skywing, introduced in Light of the Jedi and glimpsed in the background and not in great detail in a panel of The High Republic #1, is now visible in its full glory in Tolibao’s art next to the Jedi Vectors. However, this newly revealed detailed look borrows its design from a fan artist who mocked up a look at the Z-28 in early January 2021. They aren’t angry regarding the situation, seemingly excited to have their design in Star Wars, and are just asking for some recognition, which they rightly deserve; and it’s also very likely it was a mistake on Tolibao’s part, as the fan artist’s design pulls up on Google so it might be easy to assume, from its professional nature, it was an official design, while I wouldn’t be surprised deadlines for comics pushed this to happen. Hopefully this situation can be resolved correctly. UPDATE: Seems it’s being dealt with, as Tolibao has reached out and it’s a simple misunderstanding.
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.
- There’s a great scene between Lula, Farzala, and Qort as Lula lets out her frustrations caused by fear over everything about to happen on her two friends, which they take in stride and humor. It’s small, but it’s vital to highlight these more open Jedi of the era, willing and able to talk about emotions with others and work through them, supporting one another instead of forcing emotions deep down and rarely touched on.
- I absolutely love Buckets of Blood aka Master Torban, about to go into combat, makes time to remind the Padawans he left some pastries in the oven. Now that’s a Jedi Master of all things! Also, seeing Yoda about to head into a space battle was a little wild, different, and something I’m totally here for more of. Lula’s Master, Kantam Sy, also gets some more page-time as the three Masters are stuck in the trap sprung by the Nihil.
- This issue’s Galactic Data File provided a glimpse of some of the Jedi’s lightsaber hilts, though they aren’t as fancy as Stellan Gios and others we’ve seen so far.
The High Republic Adventures #4 continues the opening arc’s layered, delightful story with a set-up issue promising some big action and some big emotional scenes between wayward friends Zeen and Krix.
+ Zeen’ acceptance and the metaphors that come with it
+ Heading to a big, potentially emotional finale to the arc
+ Art delights in the big scenes and the little ones
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.