– Non-Spoiler Review –
Shima Shinya, this time with Daniel José Older, and Mizuki Sakakibara return to further expand the adventures of Lily Tora-Asi and the Jedi Temple on Banchii in The Edge of Balance Vol. 2, published by Viz Media LLC. With the temple fresh off the recent Drengir attack, it finds itself struggling to prepare for any further fights, and in the process gets caught up in the era’s bigger events, robbing some of the magic which made the first volume special, but it still remains an unique and intriguing viewpoint into the era.
With Wave III bringing Phase I to an explosive, impactful, though quick end, before The High Republic jumps into the past 150 years for Phase II, I was looking forward to The Edge of Balance Vol. 2 as I was hoping it’d be like the first volume, which felt like a side-story, allowing the manga to marinate in the era more than most of the content releasing for Phase I. Because everything’s coming to a close in the “present,” Vol. 2‘s story gets involved with the larger story elements of the final Wave, and while many of the connections are fun and organic, it now feels like a small part of the final story instead of its own unique spot in the era. It’s hard to ignore the larger events unspooling during this time frame, seen in The Fallen Star, Mission to Disaster, Midnight Horizon, Trail of Shadows, The High Republic, and The High Republic Adventures, and it wasn’t totally unexpected The Edge of Balance Vol. 2 wouldn’t be immune from dealing with those events, but by focusing on them to some degree and this only being the second volume made it feel like this manga’s story was over far too soon and didn’t get enough time to shine. There’s still a delightful, packed, and intriguing tale to be had in Vol. 2, from the Nihil’s big attack to Lily’s struggles with her responsibilities and her still rigid worldview, and the art from Sakakibara revels in moments big and small, but let’s just hope Vol. 3, whenever or whatever it might contain, can slow things back down again, especially since a certain moment towards the end of Vol. 2 doesn’t feel earned due to the lack of time on Banchii this time around.
Lily Tora-Asi is once again an intriguing star, as her rigid, assured manner makes her a confident, yet more old-school Jedi than most of the younger characters other stories follow, and her worldview is tested even further than in Vol. 1 once Jedi Master Sav Malagán, whose own temple on Takodana recently fell to the Nihil, comes to shake things up a bit. Lily struggled with expanding her perspective in the previous conflict, which is where her Padawan Keerin Fionn, alongside younglings Viv’nia and Nima, helped her see beyond her strict ideas, much like her Wookiee Master Arkoff wanted her too, but without Arkoff around to frustrate her with his wise, though cryptic teachings, her unfettered focus on one aspect of preparing for the worst means she’s still not opening herself up enough. In steps Sav, a somewhat reckless and straightforward Jedi Master, whose radical ideas compared to Lily’s focused plans for protecting Banchii take her outside her comfort zone again, allowing her a chance to see how she can grow if she looks in the right place. How she deals with and grows with Sav’s important advice “Be more like water,” especially as events unfold on Banchii after she returns from Starlight Beacon investigating comms disruption and looking for Arkoff’s advice, adds to her fascinating, unique characterization. I enjoyed Sav as a replacement for Arkoff to bounce Lily off of, not simply because it was easier to understand her than how Wookiee dialogue was dealt with in Vol. 1, but she tested Lily even further than Arkoff ever could due to no real connection between them. Seeing Lily run into some familiar faces on Starlight also made her feel more connected to the era, as she’s felt disconnected besides Stellan Gios’ appearances in the first volume, which wasn’t a bad thing but it’s nice to see the expansion here. Between the other appearances, Sav, and the event Lily, Viv’nia, and Nima run into when visiting Starlight, there’s a lot of trademark Older content in the story, something I felt Shinya seemed to have a lot of fun with even as it took us away from Banchii maybe a little too long.
With Vol. 1, I felt like the Nihil’s reasons for seeding the Drengir on Banchii were too nebulous even by the marauders’ standards, and while we get a glimpse into Marchion Ro’s desires to return to the planet with more forces, it still didn’t quite feel like enough. I’m not spoiling much since this was in the free preview on Viz Media LLC’s site, and it’s from the opening pages anyways, but Marchion not only wants to attack the Temple because it means a safe haven for the Jedi after what he plans to do with Starlight, but it might contain an object he’s been searching for. There’s not enough expansion to this thread, especially after what happens in the story, and the continued lack of details robs the events of much weight, as it’s not clear what could be lost or gained from Marchion getting his hands on…whatever he wants to get his hands on. There’s a promised Vol. 3 which could uncover his machinations for Banchii, and even if it’s set in the past like the rest of Phase II, a glimpse of Banchii’s earlier days could provide the answers the series has been strangely reluctant to uncover. It would help if it felt more urgent too, and by the end of The Edge of Balance Vol. 2 it does feels like Banchii’s place in the larger story is picking up, but it also almost feels like it could easily be over for now and I’d be okay with that, as I’d just happy to have more of Lily, Arkoff, and others as the era eventually returns to the “present” for Phase III.
Considering I’ve not read manga before the initial volume, I was impressed with how the universal language of lettering helped me pick up with some of the genre’s quirks, increasing my enjoyment of the experience and Mizuki Sakakibara’s work, and now they’ve come back and really delivered for the big Phase I finale of this work’s story. The moment I referenced earlier as not feeling as earned as it could still hits thanks to Sakakibara’s art, as there are some big panels highlighting how the event feels for Lily, a giant view of the planet with a jagged, large SFX and then Lily’s shocked, eyes wide open face as reality settles in, it really pushes some emotional oomph into it. The way Sakakibara draws Sav adds to the character’s mystique and how standoff-ish, cold she almost feels to Lily at first, her face often obscured by her robes or the tilt of her hat, with little movement and her distance from everyone highlighting how out-of-place she feels with this group. And then when Sav goes off, it’s sudden and effective, with Sakakibara giving her almost demon-like eyes, showing the real threat underneath. Overall the action always reads as intense thanks to the copious amounts of SFX for crashes, slices, explosions, and more, while the shading and motion blur heighten the feeling. While there’s no big, weird Drengir to draw, Sakakibara rises to the occasion of Lily’s Starlight Beacon visit, packing the panels as Viv’nia and Nima join a fun event on the station, while offering a different look than the rough and tumble feel of Banchii, with Starlight looking clean and immaculate, a stark contrast for Lily’s situations. Whenever Vol. 3 pops around, I can only hope Sakakibara returns again!
Here are a few other things:
- The Banchiians and their short story in Vol. 1 left me excited to see what they might get up to in Vol. 2, but they don’t have an as impactful appearance this time around. They are so cute and would be even more enjoyable than Ewoks to see go off on some Nihil…but maybe that’s what we’ll see in future entries, hopefully!
- There’s a neat little art gallery at the end of Vol. 2 and here’s hoping some of this work makes it into the upcoming Art of Star Wars: The High Republic, one of a few Phase II items out this October!
The Edge of Balance Vol. 2, by Daniel José Older and Shima Shinya, with art by Mizuki Sakakibara, once again defines its own place and viewpoint into the era, though it rushes to join the Phase I end and loses some of its magic in the process.
+ Lily’s dilemma
+ Sav’s injection in the story
+ Brilliant art by Sakakibara once again!
– Bigger picture loses focus on Banchii, characters
– Still unsure why Nihil care so much
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.