– Spoiler Review –
Since 2021, Jedi Knight Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala’s growing relationship has had many tumultuous ups and downs, but despite it all here we are with The High Republic Adventures: The Wedding Spectacular, focusing on their big day! Will things go smoothly or will the usual wrinkles find their way in? Find out in our review of what might just be one of the most memorable and touching comic issues in Star Wars comics history!
While there hasn’t been a ton, Star Wars publishing often likes to go big for its weddings, be it Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade in Legends (25 years ago by Dark Horse!), Han Solo and Princess Leia in both Legends and canon, handmaidens Saché and Yané, and even Temmin “Snap” Wexley and Karé Kun (the less we talk about one version of it, the better), so it feels like tradition to make the wedding of Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala a big one-shot issue! The Wedding Spectacular, written by Daniel José Older, The High Republic Adventures architect and the steward of the couple’s story over the years, with a collection of various artists along for the ride, put together an absolutely fitting commemoration of not only Lula and Zeen, but of all the characters who’ve been there for them and in Older’s stories along the way without ever feel forced or overdone. It’s a hard balance to hit, especially with as many returning faces and developments coming readers’ way throughout, but it’s nothing new for Older and he works such magics here again. I was grinning ear to ear throughout the story and in tears, in the best way possible, by the end, as it felt like readers of all levels of completion will be able to find satisfaction and delight in the issue’s events…just make sure to bring a tissue. What really sets this apart are the messages and inspirations Older sprinkles in throughout, as while this is about the wedding, yes, it’s also fertile ground to deliver impactful points which transcend the page and, as he usually does, Older deftly makes them malleable so readers can apply them to themselves. This combination of feeling worthy of years of build-up and still containing many themes and commentary on the larger world is what makes this go from what could’ve just been a cute wedding issue to something worth remembering and cherishing for years to come. If The High Republic overall can end in a similar enough way, I can’t imagine fans finding much to be dissatisfied by.
The Wedding Spectacular keeps Lula and Zeen’s relationship and the pending nuptials the focus throughout the story, but I really admired the way Older makes the various appearances by familiar faces about how the couple and their love helped or inspired them, revealing the effect of their decisions on those around them, matching much of how readers feel about the situation as well. When Jedi Master Torban “Buckets of Blood” Buck’s (who prefers Master Buckets now, which had me roaring) hologram message is played, his speech is how their actions and love bettered him as a Jedi and person. When Yaddle, Ady Sun’zee, and other Jedi arrive, they risked entering the Nihil’s Stormwall to congratulate the young women. And when Kantam Sy finally arrives, their speech is all about Lula and Zeen and showing an unwavering support of the girls’ choice, especially with the norms/rules of the Order making it a hard decision to make. The constant reinforcement throughout the issue of the inspiration they give to those around them, the overwhelming acceptance from their friends and even the staunchest of the Order, and the overall positive outcome reads like a culmination of Older’s work on providing a spectrum of the queer experience in the undertones of the entirety of THRA, offering a safe space to find acceptance in a franchise that, at least on screen, still falls far behind.
The biggest message I took away from the Wedding Spectacular was how cherishing the little moments, cherishing those we care about or love, truly matters even in the face of a crisis. Zeen’s so focused on how each time they act on their feelings, something bad happens, but Lula sees those setbacks as something which only made them stronger and showed they were meant for one another, as yet here they are, about to get married. In a world that feels darker by the minute, from the dangerous and fascistly-minded administration about to take power in the United States (and those who will capitulate), the continuing genocide in Palestine, to the dragging war between Ukraine and Russia, if there is one hopeful thing we’ve seen during all of these events is the reminder of how connections can transcend all that is bad and terrible in the world, how being with the people we love and care about means those who would act against others haven’t won. Lula says it to Zeen so powerfully in the moments before their wedding, telling her “One thing being apart taught me is that every moment we’re together is a gift, a victory,” and while it’s no comfort to the unending situations much of the world finds itself in, it’s an offer of something to hold onto, something to get one through it, some sort of hope the struggle will come an end and one’s connections can pick up the pieces.
As for the art, we have a huge collection of artists and colorists arrayed here and, while I’ve seen all of their work before and recognized quite a few easily, this is where I’d have killed for a page number next to artists/colorists so myself and readers could better thank each team, as at times I wasn’t totally sure who was who! For artists, there’s Harvey Tolibao, Toni Bruno, Caìo Filipe. Andy Duggan, Jo Migyeong, Megan Huang, Nick Brokenshire, and Elisa Romboli, while colorists include Michael Atiyeh, Vladimir Popov, Dan Jackson, and Nicola Righi, while the usual suspects of ComicCraft’s Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt are lettering. The most recognizable artists for me were Tolibao, Bruno, and Brokenshire, while the others I felt like I could maybe guess on, so I might a few times in my review here. Given Tolibao’s connection to the series, it makes sense he’d receive the most pages to bring to life. While the final double page is about showcasing the many guests of honor, a beautiful collection of many familiar characters, new or old to being in THRA, his other two big two-page spreads, one of a fight before the wedding and another to celebrate their kiss, both make for detail focused reread. Overall, the littler scenes or moments from Tolibao’s work are just as memorable, with the cute way Zeen and Lula’s hair/headtails interact by making a heart at the end of the third page, calling back to their hair twisting together, is so damn cute, while Lula and Kantam’s hug is just too damn wholesome I almost didn’t think it was real. Brokenshire is in charge of two pages, our check-in with Dr. Uttersond and his family, while also the one following it, when Emerick not only recruits him for help, but he finds himself at the edge of a lightsaber shortly after. Uttersond’s kids are so cute, while his resigned ear droop really give off the energy of disappointment in his return to the Nihil’s side of thing. For Bruno, he has the pleasure of giving us the Emerick and Sian scene and, let me just say Master Caphtor, I get why the Order might not seem so appealing anymore, not only from their past together, but also given her outfit for the wedding, which she reveals is both stylish and practical. Whomever was in charge of Yaddle’s intervention with Uttersond, the long flowing hair was a neat little touch to help Yaddle seem younger than her actual age, while her smirk feels so earned since she’s convinced him to give up his dangerous ways/past, but overall the scene of her scratching Uttersond’s ears gives me a silly delight to no end. Letterers Smith & Betancourt do very great job throughout, as they typically do, and I thought the way they depicted Uttersond’s almost thermal detonation with their sound FX was a fun bit of comics-only fund, as the bomb’s “deet” keeps ringing across multiple panels, only for Yaddle to shut it off and the resulting SFX is a cute little ‘click’ to shut if off. Really, a truly awesome showcase of many talents, from THRA regulars to guests along the way, and it overall really made it seem like a worthy endeavor.
Here are a few other things:
- The Sian Holt and Emerick Caphtor tension was….through the roof and then some and I absolutely loved it. Given how Older’s Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #3 has Emerick admit he has attachments…I hope we’ll get to see these two make a choice one way or another before the series ends!
- Kisma Uttersonds return was the most surprising to me, but I adored the way he’s all about his family and his/their safety, though when Yaddle interferes with his life, it only gets better.
- Per the initial reveal, and as seen above, don’t forget the three covers are from fans, with Cherrielle getting to design Lula and Zeen’s outfits!!
- Drawing out Sevran Tarkin’s choice felt overdone, as her seeming indecision was part of the plot for everything from the first Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone to her moments here.
- The words the crowd use at Zeen and Lula’s wedding, a twist on a familiar High Republic era phrase, is just too cute to spoil here.
- Also out today, December 18? The High Republic Adventures #13 – Phase III and The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #3!!!! These are the last High Republic releases for 2024, but January already has a few in store to enjoy: January 8, 2025: The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear #4; January 29, 2025: The High Republic Adventures #14 – Phase III and The High Republic Adventures Annual – Phase III AND The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4. Keep up to date with our release schedule on our High Republic page!
The High Republic Adventures: The Wedding Spectacular is everything fans could ever have wanted for Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala and a celebration they’ll never forget, no matter what comes next for these two!
+ Emotionally resonant commemoration of Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala
+ Deft handling of large cast and messages throughout
+ Not a single artistic team which doesn’t impress in their own way
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 comic 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.