– Spoiler Review –
What truths lie in legends? Reath Silas, Amadeo Azzazzo, and Cohmac Vitus are about to find out as they search for the Rod of Ages in a wonderful and intriguing finale with The High Republic Adventures: Echoes of Fear #4!
After reading about the adventures and deeds of others, Reath, Amadeo, and Cohmac head out on an adventure of their own, hoping to locate the lost Rod of Ages, the missing Nameless control rod made by an ancient race called the Tolemites. While the third issue of Echoes of Fear pointed them at its location, Varovia, the other two issues’ lessons become invaluable in the quest for the rod once they arrive, and while they don’t result in the deepest of uses, it’s just fun how George Mann incorporates those stories into their very real quest. I definitely wasn’t worried how or if they’d connect to the final quest, as the previous issues were more than enjoyable on their own, but the little ways they make an impact and help this team overcome the final challenges make the investment worth it. The adventure into the depths of Varovia to locate the rod, with a particular double-page spread presenting their progression via an isometric map view being a big highlight, is an exciting one and uses everyone’s knowledge and skills in little ways, while the specific burden which gets put on Reath could be interesting to delve into more in his upcoming role in Claudia Gray’s Into the Light. My only nitpick with the finale is how we know 150 years ago Jedi Master Atticus Cole brought the Tolemite structure housing the Rod of Ages down, so did the Tolemites build the labyrinth and puzzles underneath it all in case something like that happened? And why was the underground situation more complex than the big building Cole and team visited before? It doesn’t ruin anything, but it works best by handwaving this seeming inconsistency away. Also, the droid found with the Rod, which they take the head home with them…who is it and who made it and why was it there are big mysteries, which while don’t need to be answered here, seem like a strange thing to skip over. Overall, it’s such a hopeful ending, not only because all three characters are rewarded for their hard work and faith in the Force, but also because it’s a significant step towards bringing the fight with the Nihil to an end as they can now nullify the Nameless, and Blight, threat! I really can’t wait to see how they come to understand and use the Rod of Ages in the months ahead!
I was excited to see what had become of Varovia after the Pathfinder and Jedi mission there by Cole and team, as I theorized the civil war torn society might have someone else to hate after what Cole did, therefore bringing peace and uniting them again, much like they were before the Rod of Ages arrived. Mann keeps us guessing initially, but as the Reath, Amadeo, and Cohmac meet with the locals, they learn the lack of a Rod, as everyone thought it was destroyed, allowed them to put their differences aside and unite once again. I was glad they didn’t unite in hatred of the Jedi, otherwise this would’ve been an even harder mission for the group! However, when the Jedi reveal to the Varovians their belief the Rod isn’t destroyed, there’s a necessary, though quick debate about bringing it back up, as they are concerned their peace would be shattered, the Rod potentially stoking old sentiments. But the Jedi promise to take the Rod from the planet or even destroy it if they must, rather than ever bring it back or let it stay on the planet.
Each member of the group gets their big moment in the search for the Rod, though Reath’s ends up being the most intriguing. With Amadeo, he’s able to figure out a weakness in the Tolemite’s Terracotta Army-like guardians, while Cohmac reinforces both of the younger Jedi’s efforts but it’s his patience and concentration which leads to solving a core puzzle. Reath tackles the toughest obstacle, one Cohmac reveals he’s not ready for yet, as he must look into a kyber mirror and see what fates may be in store for him, and decide whether he’s ready for them to come to fruition or not. We get quite the interesting collection of images of possible futures: the first shows Reath, lightsaber high above his head and ready to bring it down to strike, standing over Azlin Rell, who crawls on the ground. Reath, in Mann’s Tears of the Nameless, recently put Azlin and his manipulations in their place, so this would be a radical departure from how he’s come to handle the fallen Jedi; the next is Reath holding what appears to a dead Amadeo in his arms; another sees Reath, older now, sitting on the Jedi Council; and the last is him standing over a field of battle, Nihil dead before him, raising his shield triumphantly, a dark, dark vision. Reath rejects all of these possible futures, even the positive one, saying he trusts only in the Force to guide him, and it’s enough for the test to believe he’s worthy of the Rod. By not wanting power, like having a spot on the council, or eager to see the death of those who vex him, like Azlin or the Nihil, or to accept he couldn’t save a friend like Amadeo, he’s uniquely qualified to handle the power of the Echo Stone locked in the Rod of Ages.
After spending the series in control of only the framing story, Vincenzo Federici, steps into the spotlight to tell all of Echoes of Fear #4, with Francesco Segala, with Gloria Martinelli, on colors and the usual suspects of Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt lettering. I’ve only played a handful of video games which are presented in the isometric viewpoint (SimCity 2000, RollerCoaster Tycoon, Hades), as it’s usually reserved for a genre I’m not a big fan of, but I loved its implementation here, even if only for a double-page spread moment. It seems like the right place and time to use it, showing our three Jedi’s journey deeper into the labyrinth, as it gives a sense of scale and time to their movements deep in the caves, while harkening back to a viewpoint popularized in the early years of PC gaming gives the journey an old time feel, like they are experiencing one of their ancient stories in real time. There’s a lot of cool variety to various locations along the path, the little water filled one being a favorite, while Segala and Martinelli’s color-work which makes the path inviting and clear to follow, while the surrounding cave background is bleak and timeless in its muddied browns, plus Smith & Betancourt keep the path mostly clear of their word bubbles but helps us along the pages. The Tolemite’s stone-made guardians are a cool design, with the four-eyed-like front of their helmet-like face, their many cracks and crevasses, and their metallic-like grey, while the sound FX clunks come off appropriately heavy and methodical, like simple machines. The craziness of the drone onslaught, shooting the purple blasts at the crew, is another memorable sequence, as Federici makes the amount of blast seem overwhelming, with big gusty impacts when they hit the ground nearby, while Reath’s usage of the shield is indispensable but just as gorgeous as I expected it to when finally making its way to the visual medium besides Silandra Sho’s small cameo in the Phase II comics. Their frantic fight only strengthens the sense of concentration Cohmac has to solve the puzzle, as blasts continue to fall around him but he sits there, casually raising his hand, telling them they just need to wait a few more seconds. The single page of Reath’s kyber mirror vision is designed to really feel like a fracturing of his future, what with the cracks of the kyber separating the various glimpses, its blue coloring seemingly overwhelming, and his very uncertain and surprised face in the middle of it all.
Here are a few other things:
- As I said on Bluesky, January 5 was such a bittersweet anniversary for the High Republic, as we’re now around 6-7 months out before it’s all over!
- Seeing Reath using Silandra Sho’s shield, which was later Rooper Nitani’s but both are part of a long line of users, was such a delight. The shield is such a cool idea and I really wish we’d gotten more of it throughout the High Republic stories, but I guess there’s still a chance in what’s remaining! Now we just need a Silandra Sho action figure, shield included…
- And this is a list of what’s coming out soon for The High Republic: January 29: The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4, The High Republic Adventures #14 – Phase III, and The High Republic Adventures Annual – Phase III; February 12: The High Republic Adventures #15 – Phase III; February 19: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi #1. Keep up to date with our release schedule on our High Republic page!
The High Republic Adventures: Echoes of Fear #4 is a hopeful ending which shows the lessons one can learn from legends and how to implement them while living our own.
+ Truth and lessons from legends and the past
+ Reath, Amadeo, and Cohmac’s contributions
+ Federici and team close out the series on top
– When was labyrinth made/who’s the droid?
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: ECHOES OF FEAR MINISERIES REVIEW
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