– Spoiler Review –
Will Vildar Mac go too far after the supposed death of Tey Sirrek? Can Tey bring his friend back from the brink? And can they manage to stop the nefarious plans of the Herald of the Path of the Open Hand? Find out if you’re ready for the answers, and emotions, in our review of The High Republic #10 – Phase II, the series’ finale!
Considering how quickly Jedi Master Vildar Mac wrote off Tey Sirrek, just like everyone else in Tey’s life had, and he even thought the ex-Guardians of the Whills as an enemy, it’s been rather amazing to see how far they’ve come in the course of this 10-issue series. It’s to the point where Vildar was originally irate at Tey for “killing” him and now the Jedi is irate someone “killed” Tey, going as far to tap into the dark side object, the Hand of Siberus, to avenge Tey. Something that’s been missing for a while in the series has been Tey’s narration and it makes a welcomed return as he comes to after being knocked out, finding Vildar trying to avenge him, pointing out dark side objects are in secret vaults like this one for a reason. Tey gets in a tussle with Shea and Yana Ro, members of the Path of the Open Hand, breaking the Rod of Power in half, and he’d probably be Leveler food if not for Yana’s cousin Marda calling for help with the cult’s leader, the Mother. When Tey is free to confront Vildar, to try and talk down the Jedi as the Herald is eating up the Jedi’s attack as further evidence of his beliefs, the latter smacks him but realizes who it is. Their friendship allows Tey to break through the fog of the dark side artifact, a touching moment showing how far they’ve come, and allows Vildar to subdue the Herald for questioning instead of killing him. But this isn’t the only part of the issue showing their has made a huge difference for both of them…
Returning to Jedha City, the two manage to help start the healing process for the city in the wake of the battle ending. The Herald tries to stir up trouble again, but Tey and Vildar reveal the truth, with Tey actually being listened to and not dismissed for once, while Vildar is willing to part with their half of the Nameless control rod to show the spirit of cooperation amongst the various sects of the Force and the Convocation. And then he gets them all to consider doing the Festival of Balance again, using it as a moment for them to rebuild what the battle there destroyed, gaining Vildar a seat on the Convocation! That these two could inspire so much when working together gets at the maxim of Phase I, “We are all the Republic,” as this cooperation between Force users and non-Force users can lead to better understand of the people and how to help them, not being stuck in their ivory towers like the Jedi will be by the time of the Prequels. And in a moment Vildar and Tey ‘shippers, “Viltey” as they call them, will rightly celebrate, the two end the issue hugging, thanking one another for all they’ve done, as Vildar gets Tey a spot as an independent Convocation member! With the series so focused on them, much to mine and other’s consternation in the past, this moment landed with such an emotional impact, regardless if you were shipping these two or not, as their bond and willingness to learn from one another, especially despite their age and their stations, made for a special throughline that feels even more concrete after a full read through. Fans of these two characters should NOT miss out on Path of Vengeance, Scott’s giant tome helping close out Phase II, as this is just the beginning of content they, and shippers, will enjoy.
The smaller scale of the series supports and fosters the rewarding feeling of this finale, and while I had problems with how it didn’t always feel connected to the larger Phase story, I’m quite happy with it now it’s all over. Lots to be said about waiting out for the final product and this is a prime example of it, as at the very least the issue ends with them trying to rebuild the City and the Convocation working together again, and if that’s not progress, I don’t know what is. Like other parts of Phase II, we don’t get to see the fallout from events very often, but this issue gave us a nice little helping of it for this little slice of life it’s been focused on. Anyone interested in more about Tey, Vildar, Matty, Oliviah, and what happens next (as well as with Yana, Marda, the Herald and more), like I said earlier, must read Path of Vengeance, especially if you hoped for more from Matty and Oliviah but still want a nice meal of “Viltey” on the side. Since PoV sort of covers the events of this comic, I’d say your best bet is to read this first, then PoV, follow by Cataclysm, and end with The Edge of Balance – Precedent for a nice full picture of what happens next/the Phase closes.
Taking us home once again on a Phase of Marvel’s The High Republic comic alongside Cavan Scott is artist Ario Anindito, with inker Mark Morales, colorist Frank William, and letterer Ariana Maher. I really enjoyed last issue’s final page, Vildar brandishing the Hand of Siberus against the lightsaber wielding Herald, so I enjoyed it even more from Tey’s point-of-view, as Ario almost froze the previous page in time and twisted the perspective to be from Tey’s, so it essentially felt like the exact same page but with Tey in it now. It’s a team effort for this, as Maher’s adjusts her exact same SFX to fit the new view, while William’s colors remain as spooky pink/purple for the Hand’s lightning as it did before. In the pages after, Vildar is often framed with us looking up at him, towering over everyone around him, shadows sometimes blocking his face and the only thing we can see is the Hand’s power emanating from his eyes, making him feel imposing, scary, and unnatural from how we’re used to seeing him. It’s only when Tey talks Vildar out of using the Hand anymore, saying it’s not who he knows the Jedi to be, Vildar is framed from above now, looking small and normal, as he casts off the Hand. In the following pages, he isn’t framed much different from those around him, as if to simulate how he’s one with them and the Force now, not thinking he’s better than all this or giving into the dark power of the Hand. The hug sequence works so well from Ario and Morales’ expressive faces, Tey’s big smile as he tosses back his broom, Matty’s little snarky smile in the background as he closes in, and then we don’t need to see both of their faces in full, as Vildar holds out his hands in surprise, the close-up on Tey shows him crying as he thanks Vildar, and a peace comes over the other’s face as he sets up to return the thanks. Maher’s word bubbles hug close to the characters during their connection, the exchange meant for them and them alone, and while she does a great job of pulling us around in the previous pages and panels, I appreciate much of what happens in the hug she sort of sets her work away from and lets the gestures to tell us all we need to know as well. The SFX and word bubbles as Vildar casts back the Herald with the Hand, the “Krakom” jagged through the lightning, adds extra punch to the attack, as does the Herald’s shout and Vildar’s forceful comment on this being retribution. Big and small, this team covers it all.
The High Republic #10 – Phase II fulfills its smaller focus by paying off issues of build-up to an emotional connection between its two main, and once confrontational, characters.
+ Tey and Vildar’s connection
+ Dealing with the fallout
+ Hug-tastic artwork to close out the series!
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.
THE HIGH REPUBLIC – PHASE II REVIEWS
Balance of the Force: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 — Battle for the Force: #6 | #7 | #8 | #9