– Spoiler Review –
Lula Talisola, Zeen Mrala, Farzala Tarabal, and Qort attempt to escape certain doom above Eriadu while we follow…Krix Kamerat, of all people, deep within Nihil territory, aboard Marchion Ro’s Gaze Electric?! The High Republic Adventures #8 – Phase III is another thrilling and emotional issue for the series!
Krix Kamerat’s been on the wanted list of many people, including fans, over his role in the original The High Republic Adventures – Phase I series, so it was no surprise the initial plan in The High Republic Adventures – Crash Landing #1, taking place in Phase III, was to kill the little jerk. But things change, they always do, and Krix’s willingness to kill Marchion Ro, alongside his delusion of grandeur, got him a pass out of prison by Crash Ongwa, much to her team’s chagrin, as we saw in The High Republic Adventures #7 – Phase III, before he snuck away and found himself arriving at the Gaze Electric! The High Republic Adventures #8 – Phase III picks up with Krix looking for his silly named contact, Crank Flat, and finding the Dug in question shortly after his arrival. Crank Flat seems like he’s on Krix’s side by quickly establishing his trustworthiness, as the pair run into Thaya Ferr, Marchion Ro’s assistant, and Arathab Fel, one of Marchion’s trusted guard the She’ar, and he helps subdue them when Ferr threatens to capture Krix. This is the first time Thaya has been depicted visually after being introduced in The Fallen Star and seen again in releases like The Eye of Darkness and Temptation of the Force, while Arathab was a imposing presence in Older’s Trail of Shadows miniseries and his death threats to Krix carry a certain sense of weight if you’ve seen the character before. He supposedly dies between this scene and sometime prior to Temptation, in an assassination attempt on Ro, believe it or not, so maybe we’ll get to see those events play out later in this series or the upcoming The High Republic Adventures – Crash and Burn #1. Regardless, I quite liked Crank, who speaks very matter-of-factly, having no regrets for tying up Thaya and Arathab, and not afraid to point out not all legends/songs about someone are true, even Krix, who is currently living in his delusions. If not for Crank, Krix likely wouldn’t have gotten as far as he has, as the boy has more ego and self-sense of importance than common sense, and I’ll be interested to see if this is all part of an act on Crank’s part or if he’s sincere in wanting to help Krix take down Marchion Ro, as it’s not clear what his motivations are for helping Krix and the boy doesn’t even really bother to ask. The issue ends with them ready to cause some chaos aboard the Electric, but given how the ship’s still going strong in Temptation, it seems like they might not get very far. Either way, I’m eager to see what comes next for Krix and if he’ll get a rude awakening from his delusions or not.
Over the skies of Eriadu, hanging in turmoil from last issue’s cliffhanger, are Lula Talisola, Zeen Mrala, Farzala Tarabal, Qort, and Zint, and this issue wastes no time with showing how they hope to get out of their latest mess. It’s a fun sequence, intercut with Krix’s adventures on the Gaze Electric, which writer Daniel José Older balances the transition between well, keeping us guessing what will happen next to both groups right up until the final pages. It’s decided Zint must be rushed to safety first and foremost, showing how much this group, members of the Jedi Order or not, truly fight for light and life even over their own, but the Nihil ships destroying theirs wouldn’t let an escape pod go unmissed. Qort and Farzala hatch a crazy plan to steal a ship to provide cover, using some really cools moves that Harvey Tolibao and team really play up for dazzling dramatic effect, but a desperate bid by the Nihil pursuers throws all the plans out the window and forces the group to cram into the stolen ship instead, safely crashing to the ground away from the population! As enjoyably fun as the action gets, it’s what comes next which will leave fans talking the most in a scene which validates Older’s commitment to character over plot, as this issue’s long-awaited moment builds off the many previous big moments and still hits emotionally. As the team crawls out of the wreckage, both Zeen and Lula are eager to tell each other something, as they are done waiting to do so, especially after this most recent brush with death: they propose at the same time! The fun scenes last issue of them chatting with Farzala and Qort about proposing bear fruit here, as they simultaneously clasp the bracelets on one another as they say yes, their reply melding into each other’s with the fun dual color scheme employed in the Phase I run. Not only did they finally see each other again, kiss, and confess their love to one another, but they’ve now accepted proposals from one another…all in one series! It might come off as too many big moments so close together, and the overlap does threaten to eat at the emotional impact, but like I said earlier, Older has consistently put these characters and their development over the plot, even if there’s some lack of clarity in the process, but it absolutely pays off and helps these consecutive emotional beats to still hit. Hopefully we’ll get to see the wedding before the series ends sometime next year, but I don’t think it’ll happen until the end considering the news they get moments after the joyous moment: the Stormwall has expanded, overtaking Eriadu!
For the art team, it’s Harvey Tolibao on pencils, Le Beau Underwood and Elisabetta D’Amico on inks, with colorist Michael Atiyeh and duo Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt lettering. As much as I want to jump right to the proposal scene, I wanted to touch on a moment in Krix’s part of the story first. When Krix makes himself known after being in the shadows when they first run into Thaya and Arathab, I liked how the background fades away as he steps out and he takes over a big portion of the page, with Thaya’s head barely visible at the bottom, as it accentuates his self-importance and misplaced confidence alongside Older’s dialogue. On the following page, the first thing we see is Crank’s fist clenching, Krix’s dialogue placed just above it, giving the impression this is exactly what’s causing Crank concern, yet Krix’s dramatic gestures continue, to highlight how he totally thinks he can talk his way out of this, but we know this isn’t the case by Thaya’s revelation and Arathab’s growl as he smashes a fist into his palm, readying for a fight. While Krix continues grandstanding, Crank’s behind Krix, putting on the Nihil’s signature gas masks, and his dialogue pulls us down into another panel, where he’s throwing a mask to a surprised Krix and gas grenades at the others. I liked the way this sequence doubled down on Krix’s delusional belief in himself and showcased Crank’s resilience in the face of danger to his plan, even if it’s Krix’s fault. All the action and explosions are excellent in Lula and team’s part of the issue, though my personal favorite image from all the action is the one of the whole group jammed into the small cockpit of the Nihil ship Farzala stole. There’s a ton of little details, from the ship’s many broken parts, dents, scaring, to the way we get so much clarity on the group despite the small confines, while I appreciated how Atiyeh’s colors adjust, every so slight, to account for the shading on the cockpit. The proposal answers page just about speaks for itself: Lula’s tears and their melding word bubble of “yes” the big highlights, though I felt Zeen’s face looks a little unemotional, while Farzala jumping and cheesin’ in the background on one side and Qort/Zint celebrating on the other makes the emotional moment all the more wholesome if the ladies’ best friends are there to cheer them on.
Here are a few other things:
- It’s a packed High Republic month! Also out today (8/7) is The High Republic #10 – Phase III from Marvel, a series finale; 8/13 brings us Older’s The Edge of Balance Vol. 3 manga; Young Jedi Adventures season two drops 8/14; currently The High Republic Adventures #9 – Phase III is slated for 8/21; while lastly The High Republic: Beware the Nameless middle grade novel is out 8/27!
- Not only is The Acolyte branding make its way to High Republic covers, but some upcoming releases announced at SDCC ’24 will bridge the gap more between show and publishing initiative, especially with the Vernestra Rwoh and Master Indara starring novel Wayseeker in May 2025!
The High Republic Adventures #8 – Phase III is some chaotic fun packed with another signature emotional wallop!
+ Zeen and Lula say YES!
+ Chaotic fun, Krix’s self-importance
+ Art team delivers on Krix’s delusion and makes for an emotional proposal…
– …though Zeen’s face felt a little flat
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 book 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.
THE HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES – PHASE III REVIEWS
Vol 1: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 — Vol. 2 #6 | #7