– Spoiler Reviews –
With delays disrupting the surety of when we’d see the ending to The High Republic Adventures – Phase II, Dark Horse rallied the troops and set the final three issues to release all on the same day. This was quickly dubbed “The High Republic Adventures Day,” and rightfully so, and now said day is finally upon us! As far as endings go, these last three issues take the series long dominos and bring them crashing down in emotional and exciting fashion, all while adding a few more in there for good measure, letting both its characters and its readers experience important messages they can take with them and use in their lives ahead.
I’ll go over each issue, exploring it like I usually do, including art, before some final thoughts below.
Issue #6
With the ending in sight, Sav Malagán seems to sense it too, done with the games and chaos and back to what brought her undercover with the Dank Graks in the first place: find Maz Kanata. Capitalizing on the budding friendship and feelings between Saya Keem and herself, the young Sav pushes on her new friend and brings out more of the older Sav we know and recognize from Phase I, essentially forcing her to reveal Maz’s location by moving forwards with or without her. It’s good chaotic fun, as Sav hops on her stolen ship with Saya on it and almost single-handedly takes down both the E’ronoh and Eiram fleets in a non-violent way, as she races towards the Eiram flagship as it’s where Saya told her Maz was being held. Sav tells Saya she doesn’t believe her, but she knows they are running out of time, in a meta sort of way, so she’s going to check out the lead anyways. They crash into it, knocking out the Eiram Ambassador who had gone a bit rogue as seen in The Battle of Jedha, and that’s when several things happen at once between the two young women. Saya couldn’t believe Sav would do so much for a pirate like Maz, and knows Arkik wouldn’t for her, and asks Sav to sneak away with her and be the best pirates ever together. They’re interrupted by the ambassador and after they knock her out, Sav tells her she can’t, no matter what she chooses, Jedi or Pirate, she can’t choose breaking away with Saya only. But that’s when the other shoe drops: Saya says she was delaying Sav on purpose this whole time, if only to let Arkik’s schemes come to fruition. Was it all a lie? It felt so real and personal, but yet maybe that was the point. I will confess I have a little confusion over what happens next to Saya. She’s seen walking away into Sav’s ship, leaving the betrayed Sav behind, and then next issue we see her in one panel, where it looks like she got beat up or maybe it’s meant to be her crying, hinting at how she really did mean what she said to Sav at some point. The final issue doesn’t clarify her whereabouts or what happens to her, so I’m going to go with what my gut tells me about her final appearance in the single panel: she is sad Sav didn’t go with her, but was still really working for Arkik. As for Sav, what does Saya’s betrayal mean? How will she take the news and carry forward, especially knowing now that Arkik is back on Takodana, Maz in head, ruling over the castle now, all her efforts seemingly for not.
At six issues in, I’m glad Quiet Shan finally got her moment in The High Republic Adventures – Phase II! As the team celebrates Therm Scissorpunch’s conquering of his self-doubt, they are beset by members of the Path of the Open Hand and Therm snipes a gift freely given, causing a young Tromak* to cry, and the team finds themselves in an epic battle with a giant, imposing elder known as Barbatash! As they team collides to take down the foe, Quiet Shan included, she seems to sense something and just…walks away from the fight! We see her again a few pages later… coming to the aide of Raf, the pirate hunter whom Sav left her lightsaber with to conceal her cover and has a rocky relationship with Alak! Raf is still processing Sav’s gesture, despite all he’s done or said to her and the other pirates, and he’s caught off guard by a Transdoshan who recognizes who he is and attacks him. This is when Quiet Shan silently appears, whispering something we’re not privy to into the attacker’s ear before she stabs him through with her large sword! He can’t believe she’d save him and asks her why, to which she tells him, in a smallest whisper, that he makes Alak smile on the inside. This is such a lovely callback to the previous issue, as it’s something Dex said about how Maz makes him feel, a conversation Shan overheard Dex and Alak having, while it shows how much she cares for her adoptive brother, who rescued her from the Red Skulls. When she returns to the group, we see she uses sign language to largely communicate with them, and because everyone’s actually caring of who they have with them, they all seem to know it, but she keeps what she did secret. I would’ve loved to have a little more of her in the spotlight, as I can confirm right now she doesn’t get such a focus again in the series, but what we did get was rather perfect for what we’ve known about her. With only 8 issues and these many characters, writer Daniel José Older did the best he could, and better than others before him.
As the group continues to look for Maz on the ground, they encounter Jedi Master SILANDRA SHO (the rules are you have to shout her name, she’s just that great) and turn tail, leading them to rethink their efforts and start looking for Maz, and Sav, elsewhere…
This is Harvey Tolibao’s second and final issue as artist, alongside series’ colorist Michael Atiyeh and letterers Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt, and he goes out swinging! We get two, back-to-back, double-page splashes, one of the crew’s fight with the immense Barbatash and the other of Sav blasting through the E’roni fleet and they are a big treat. With the Barbatash battle, it’s as chaotic as Therm entering the Therm State last issue, but this time it involves the full crew and a bigger enemy, so we get a cool moment of Therm slicing from above, Coromont delivering an uppercut, and Shan punching the giant being as well, a real teamwork focused moment in the brawl. What really makes this one great is how it really makes Shan leaving in the middle of it such a surprise, as it’s clearly a tough battle and all hands are needed on deck, so for her to seemingly sense something and then just casually walks away really adds a sense of confusion and curiosity to her choice. What did she sense? Why is she leaving? It builds anticipation for when she’ll appear next, which the team pays off excellently, as the next time we see her she’s whispering in the Trandoshan’s ear that’s attacking Raf; to go from the big brawl scene to this little close-up moment makes her appearance so sudden and so surprising, it really catches readers off guard. The other big double splash is Sav’s haphazard flight through the Jedha skies, her drill-nosed ship tearing through the E’roni fleet on her way to the Eiram ship Maz is supposedly on. Sav reiterates she thinks time is running out, so her straight line through the fleet, punctuated by Smith & Betancourt’s SFX, only highlights her urgency. The explosions, some wild and giant SFX that look bigger than the ships being torn up, show how fed up and inpatient she is, while Toliboa having her path mostly clear of clouds feels like she cutting through the fog of war to get things done. The expressions between Sav and Saya in the final pages were great, as there’s the standoff-ish energy as Sav confronts her about misleading her about Maz’s whereabouts when they finally get on the Eiram ship, then Sav’s surprise about Saya’s caring words, followed by Sav’s pain as she knows she can’t go with Saya and then when she learns it was a ruse the entire time, her wince at Saya’s words relatable to anyone who’s ever found out something that pained them to hear it; it almost made me think of stepping on a LEGO piece or dog bone with one’s bare foot. I liked the juxtaposition of the little Tromak crying on one panel and the giant Barbatash taking over the entirety of the next page, Therm’s actions leading to such a giant, imposing threat to the crew despite how inane they were.
Extra Thoughts:
- *It was neat to see Tromak back in The High Republic Adventures series, as he’s been mentioned a few times in other Phase II content, but he was part of the original run of the series for Phase I, as an Elder in the Elders of the Path that was holding back Zeen from her full potential. Barbatash is a fellow Elder in Phase I too.
- This issue starts a series of little jokes about character ages, as someone calls Therm an old man and he responds with how he’s a teenager, actually.
- I just put it together the drill ship Sav flies is the one first seen in Midnight Horizon! It was said to have been in the Battle of Jedha and was petitioned to be banned shortly after the battle, though in issue #3 the shipbuilder Frander says the Republic is already trying to get it banned.
Issue #7
With Takodana and Maz Kanata in Arkik’s hands, Sav’s eager to do whatever she can to save the pirate queen and her throne, including contacting the Jedi. Her Master Kaktorf hasn’t cooled at all, taking a break from scolding Sav to listen to her plea for help with the situation, and he quickly dismisses it as beneath the Order. Tossing the communicator over her back, walking away from it and the Order like Luke Skywalker does centuries later, she jumps into action, getting the troops together and pushing them to make their way to Takodana to save the day. They all have concerns if they’ll be enough to overcome Arkik’s forces, but Sav’s not taking it, eager to stop this once and for all. As everyone makes haste to prepare, Dexter hangs back, telling her what she doesn’t believe: this isn’t her fault. He tells her how powerful of a person she is, and because of that she feels she has to take on the whole galaxy, but it’s not her place to do it all alone. He proceeds to hug her, offering comfort and support where her Master could seem to care less about her current mindset or what could happen to her as she wades into the pirate battle. He’s been such a helpful character in the series so far, be it with Sav back in issue #1 or Alak in issue #5, and it only feels right he’s the one who gets this scene with her. Despite his kind words, no matter how much Sav knows they are right, after she sees the situation with Arkik’s giant Enforcer droid army could lead to a protracted conflict, she takes it upon herself to try and save the day anyways. Much like Luke rushing in to confront Vader or Rey to confront Snoke, Sav finds she’s not as sneaky as she thought and Arkik is waiting for her, alongside Brrn and Lavalox, with one of her own lightsabers being held to Maz’s throat. She gives up then and sees her internal guilt over the entire situation not only confirmed, but growing, destroying her hopes of ever feeling like she could be a pirate or a Jedi.
Toni Bruno returns to the series to help close it out and I loved his and the team’s progression with the sky of Takodana this issue. When Sav and team arrive, it’s bright and sunny out, as peaceful looking as when we first saw it in The Force Awakens, though the bright colors cool as their ship is shot down and they crash into the forest nearby. Next, and this is one of my favorite pages this issue, there’s a scene of Bumblehead Bim and Sav looking out across the lake at Maz’s Castle. There are rafts of Enforcer droids gliding across its waters, their numbers so numerous we understand the pirates’ caution about attacking. Framing the scene is a gorgeous sunset, drenching the scene in oranges and yellows by Atiyeh, as if to say the sun is setting on Maz’s rule of the Castle, of Takodana. It’s beautiful, showing nature will continue on despite these fights, but it’s clear a new day may be dawning on Takodana. Case in point is Sav’s journey across the lake to go it alone, as the scene is dark, the moon overtaking the sky, as if the sun will never rise again, as if disaster can’t be averted. When she gets in the Castle, it’s empty, devoid of life, eerily dark and abandoned, only for the purple of one of her lightsabers to finally give the place any true color again. It’s a piercing moment, her blade igniting in the darkness, the SFX by Smith & Betancourt making it sound loud and almost creepy, unnatural. The next time we get a glimpse of the outdoors, it’s in the final panel, where we’re looking up at Sav, surrounded by droids, her hands above her head in surrender, and a grate frames the top of the panel, allowing in the spooky nightlight of the moon we saw earlier in, only adding to the feeling Takodana and the Castle have fallen for good. Beyond the story told by the colors of the sky, the hug between Sav and Dex was quite special as well, even only for a panel. Sav doesn’t return the embrace, but her eyes say it all, open wide and surprised, not sure to do with someone who actually cares, while Dex, who looms over her, is leaning awkwardly forward, not afraid how silly it might look because it’s what she needs in that moment.
Issue #8
As far as finales goes, readers couldn’t ask for a better final issue than this. After her capture last issue, Sav is at a crossroads, believing she isn’t either a Jedi or a pirate, and is very unsure of her future. When we met her in the opening issue, she was so sure the Jedi weren’t what she wanted to be and being a pirate was where her future likely led, as they were more understanding to her than her Master ever was. Sitting in the cell, seemingly alone, what can she be if she can’t be either? She’s not alone though, as Raf appears from the shadows, and while Sav’s initially wary of him, when he makes his hound cough up the other half of her lightsaber, her opinion changes. She asks him why he’s helping, but interrupts him so he does it as they escape, keeping up the pace and energy this series has had, especially since issue #6. As she leads their escape and gets him some weapons, Raf basically starts with apologizing for his behavior in the first issue and how, after everything he’s done, he wants to earn the trust she put in him…and Alak’s love, after what Quiet Shan said after she saved him! To do so, he left his job as a pirate hunter and became a pirate instead, trying to get ahead of Sav’s likely solo incursion and be a plant inside, but even though he was captured, it worked out alright.
Before Sav sends him off to Alak to create a diversion with the other pirates in the forest, Raf tells Sav she has the true heart of the Jedi, hence why she didn’t kill him when he came up on them in the forest in issue #1. Despite her glum feelings and lack of certainty about who and what she is, this warms Sav inside, but she doesn’t know what to do with it initially. She tables it, focusing on rescuing Maz and saving the day, confronting Arkik with some real Sav energy with a delightfully skill comeback about eating the impossible for breakfast. Their duel is well done by Bruno and team, and once she unlocks how he’s fighting and what she needs to be to defeat him, it’s over quickly. Jedi reinforcements arrive, which is what inspires the rest of Maz’s pirate crew to charge on the castle, but if Kaktork didn’t okay them, who did?! Lavalox appears behind Kaktork and the other Jedi…only it’s not Lavalox, but it’s been Tera Sinube* this whole time!! So yes, she told him he tasted good right to his face, which she points out to him and he just laughs about it! Kaktork acknowledges he’s been a failure for Sav, and in general, and Tera asks her if he can be her new Master, not foisting himself on her, while Maz is grateful for Sav’s efforts and hopes she, and her new Master, would be willing to help on a few more missions. Having said yes to Tera and Maz, Tera alongside her, Sav revisits what Raf told her and the feelings she had inside when she heard them. With the series paralleling and often acting as metaphor for the LGBTQIA+ experience, it’s heartening to have Sav be able to make the choice she wants, because being more than one thing, to have different identities due to how she feels inside, she and everyone else has the right to figure that out and how they best feel comfortable. Sav says it best herself, Older’s often wise words coming through her narration in the final few pages, “All this time, I was asking the wrong question. Playing by other people’s rules, letting their simple notions of the galaxy become my truths.” Don’t let other people’s narrow-minded views of the galaxy get in your way of finding yourself and your own happiness, your self-worth. And in a real galaxy, not too far away where people who choose to be different than a perceived norm, it’s a comforting message to send to fans of any and all ages.
Sav points out she never expected to fight her own saber nor someone who flies and as Arkik uses his wings in the middle of their lightsaber fight I had to wonder…have we seen someone with wings in a lightsaber duel?! As far as I could think, no, so this was a very unique battle to watch unfold and Bruno, as I mentioned earlier, did it justice as it’s done in such a way it’s clear how great of a Jedi she already is. Lots of her dialogue seems negative, so surprised about being in the fight and him flying, but as she jumps up to meet him or matches him swing for swing back on the ground, Smith & Betancourt’s narration boxes leads us through the scene and her deduction of his skill or lack thereof, so as the two pages are cool to look at it, it’s striking when Sav understands how to beat him. She considers him to be like fire, with how his rage enables him in battle, so she knows she must be water to win, and I love the striking purple by Atiyeh in the background of the insert panel, matching her blade, and the way Bruno draws her almost The Matrix-like in her dodging abilities of Arkik’s latest swing with her other blade. I like how the final page has Sav’s supportive crew of Raf, Alak, Dexter, Therm, Quiet Shan, Coromont, Sinube, Maz, and Coromont standing behind her as she announces herself to the crowd, coming out to them if you will, showing her with the family who lets her be who she wants to be…and also an intimidating cast of legendary characters if anyone dares mess with her. Atiyeh’s colors are so very bright throughout this issue, a big contrast to the dark and claustrophobic feel he imbued the final parts of issue #7, and it really helps to give the final few pages in issue #8 a very cozy, homely feel, matching Sav’s feelings of having found her home finally.
Extra Thoughts:
- *As I was writing through these reviews, the fan poll on Twitter of favorite The High Republic characters for Phase II had pitted Kaktork and Lavalox against one another…I think it would’ve been even more of a landslide had everyone known Sinube was Lavalox!
Here are a few other things:
- While the series might now be over, our coverage of it and Phase II isn’t totally over yet. We might just have a retrospective on the series from a really awesome voice in fandom, while definitely expect a review of the entire Phase hopefully sometime late August.
- Older sat down with Dan Brooks over at the official site for a brief interview on the series. It includes previews for all three issues released.
- In one week, as of this publishing, the next The High Republic Show is coming and it promises an answer to one of Phase I’s burning cliffhanger questions: is Burryaga alive?! Tune in July 5, and check out our recap here afterwards, to find out the answer!
- We have a US only giveaway running this week, June 26 – June 30, for Older’s The Edge of Balance: Precedent, so get your entries in now while you can!
The High Republic Adventures – Phase II gets an excellent closing bow in its final three issues, maintaining its inclusive messaging, raucous fun, great balance of characters, and memorable artwork from all teams involved!
+ Closing on Sav’s choices and the final message which comes with it
+ Plenty of fun twists and turns in the final few issues
+ Both artist’s handling of the big and small moments, Atiyeh’s work with colors in issue #7
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.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of these comics 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.