– Spoiler Review –
In its penultimate issue, The High Republic – Phase II finds danger closer than ever for Vildar Mac, Tey Serrik, and Matty Cathley, where they must find the strength within themselves and the Force…or suffer unknown horrors and see Jedha fall. Find out how it all plays out in our review of The High Republic #9 – Phase II.
The Leveler is here and feasting, leaving poor Vildar a sputtering mess as he deals with its horrific effects on a Jedi, leaving Tey short of alone in the fight to get back the Rod of Daybreak from the hands of the Path of the Open Hand’s Herald and Yana Ro. Tey has been an intriguing character from the start and I’ve grown to like his irreverence and sarcastic manner more and more, especially as we learned about his past and the good heart he has deep down inside, and in The High Republic #9 – Phase II he’s in rare form when left to fend by himself. The Herald receives a call someone is in the vault with them, and it’s Tey’s efforts to find anything to fight back with which expose him, and Cavan Scott’s writing as the Lepi tries to hold is own had tons of hilarious zingers which help dispel some of the stakes before it all comes roaring back. Taking quite the beating, Tey finds an artifact amongst the rubble around them, a strange, clawed glove with a glowing purple gem in it that allows him to turn the tide of the fight, energy lancing outward and throwing his foes from him. This is the Hand of Siberus mentioned on the issue’s full trade dressed cover and Vildar, still barely able to do anything due to the Leveler’s proximity, has access to enough to sense to warn his friend items found in this vault were from a Bogan collection aka dark side objects and using such items could be fatal! Tey’s quite enjoying the device, especially as it helps stop the Leveler from attacking Vildar once the Herald and Yana learn there’s another Jedi in the vault with them, so it might be hard to separate him from it before it consumes him.
Well, it turns out to be easier than expected…as Yana shoots him down! With the Leveler incapacitated, Yana holding the Herald back long enough for Tey to shock it because she doesn’t think they need more blood on their hands. Vildar regains control of his body and runs to Tey. He’s been asking for the Force to return, confused how and why it’s left him, and now kneeling over his friend’s ‘dead’ body, he begins to chant the Guardian of the Whills’ mantra Tey, Matty, and others chanted alongside him to help him free himself and others trapped in debris only a couple issues back. As he’s chanting, he takes the Han of Siberus off of Tey and dons it himself, turning his uplifting chant about the Force into a shout about telling it to go to hell, unleashing the dark artifact’s power on the Herald, who now has his lightsaber and that of Master Leebon’s as well! Can Vildar hold the dark at bay after all the progress he’s made so far? And is Tey really dead? Will Vildar restart his heart, a flip from how Tey stopped his in the first issue? Tune in later this month to find out (or elsewhere…*)!
Matty finally starting to get her due last issue only finds expansion in this one, as she stands tall at Enlightenment alongside Representative Tarna and Camille. She’s ready to prove herself and tired of taking other people’s orders or being looked down on, so she takes away their excuse to cower and wait: she destroys one of the shield generators keeping Enlightenment safe! She leaps into action, ready to bring the assault to end! It’s such a cool moment for her and I wish there had been more here, but I look forward to seeing how she proves herself in the final issue!
We’ve had a few other artists on the series since Ario Anindito helped kick off THR – Phase II last year and he makes a glorious return, alongside inker Mark Morales, to the series, while colorist Frank William and letterer Ariana Maher both remain. The panel of Tey donning the Hand of Siberus for the first time is one of my favorites of the issue, as in all the panels leading up to it we’ve seen Tey’s often goofy expressions, pain from the beating he’s taking, and surprise at what he’s even seeing in the first place, so it’s quite the change when he puts on the object and a sinister glee spreads across his face, power from the object arcing out of both itself and his eyes, which are now missing pupils but are ringed with a reddish pink by Willaim, while Maher places the word bubble with his term of endearment for the device amongst the cackling energy from it, as if it’s already consuming him before we get Vildar’s warning. I also really like the look of the Hand of Siberus, as it’s quite menacing with long, sharp claws, while it’s giant in nature, almost like the Infinity Gauntlet, while the power emanating from it is drawn in such a way it reminds me a lightning storm, while William’s colors, as I mentioned earlier, rings the bolts with a purplish-pink which makes it feel unnatural, it’s power bright and unavoidable. The panel of the Leveler standing over the powerless Vildar, held back by the Herald and the staff really gave us a chance to see the creature as an eldritch horror, all its writhing tentacles on its face, the strange red, beating heart, and it’s blue-ish white complexion, cold and unfeeling, while Vildar’s sweaty, shocked face is all he can do in the moment, probably being taken back to how it felt when the unstable Sorcerer of Tund visited his village when he was a child, but maybe not since the first panel we saw of him struggling under the creature’s influence was a black, dark void, all thoughts and hopes gone, only fear and loneliness. The final page, Vildar screaming the he’s done with the Force, brandishing the Hand of Siberus against the lightsaber dual-wielding (maybe my favorite stance so far in Jedi: Survivor, which is full of The High Republic goodies!) Herald, the Hand’s power crackling outwards, Vildar’s eyes gone the same color as its lightning, Maher’s giant SFX and Ario’s framing making this seem like Vildar has turned the tables despite the situation. I also really loved the page of Matty swinging into action against the droids outside Enlightenment, as she seems centered, calm, and sure of herself, which hasn’t always been the case.
Here are a few other things:
- I didn’t put this together, but I appreciate Brittany on Twitter for pointing out both penultimate issues of The High Republic Phase I and Phase II had a hero facing off against a villain with a stolen green lightsaber and said villain was green themselves with head tendrils! Will Scott hit the trifecta in Phase III’s comic?!
- *I will say, it’s been interesting to read this issue after having started Scott’s Path of Vengeance (which I should have a review for by next week), the big young adult novel helping close off Phase II. I won’t spoil anything here, but while the book doesn’t go into too much detail, it does reveal what happens in this issue and the next, at the very least. I used to be of the group which usually abhorred and avoided spoilers like the plague, and there are instances where I still like to remain in the dark, but I’ve largely gone away with those concerns and find I still quite enjoy the content which is spoiled, as it leaves me curious how what I’ve learned comes to fruition. With this in mind, how this issue plays out the events I know didn’t disappoint, but it’s something to keep in mind for you, dear reader, as you go about working your way through The High Republic’s Phase II.
- Siberus isn’t a new name, as the female Sith Lord was first mentioned in fable anthology book Dark Legends, though it’s in a tale exclusive to the Target edition.
- Skywalkerthrawn on Twitter shared art of a lovely, devastating take on Vildar cradling the injured, presumed dead Tey.
It’s hard to believe we’re already to the penultimate issue of The High Republic – Phase II with its ninth issue, but it’s proving to be such a fun, wild ride in its final issues I look forward to seeing how it wraps its part of the story up!
+ Tey on another level this issue
+ Matty taking charge/Vildar losing control, maybe
+ Welcome back, Anindito and Morales
– Needing more Matty, please!
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