– Spoiler Review –
After checking in with Yoda’s plans to figure out the Nameless, Elzar Mann & Avar Kriss’ star-crossed feelings, The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight #3 picks up with Bell Zettifar and his own struggles following the events of Starlight’s fall. Giving us a glimpse at the ways this era of the Jedi Order differs from the prequels and sets the stage for the character’s Phase III mindset, it’s another fantastic issue and makes one anxious for its final, Marchion Ro-focused one.
Shadows of Starlight #3 begins by bookending writer Charles Soule’s Bell Zettifar story in Tales of Light and Life collection, “All Jedi Walk Their Own Path,” and then picking up and leading us towards where Bell and the newly rescued Burryaga are by the time of The Edge of Darkness starts. Issue #3 does not recount all of Soule’s short story thankfully and you’d do yourself a favor by checking it if you haven’t already, especially if you want more time to Loden Greatstorm! Regardless, by covering this timeframe between Phase I and Phase III and how Bell’s dealing with everything, Soule opens up quite the interesting juxtaposition to the Prequel-era Jedi Order and the High Republic’s. It’s a big deal that back in Shadows of Starlight #1 the Jedi Order has enforced the Guardian Protocols, essentially recalling every Jedi back to Temple on Coruscant. We know not everyone follows that command and Bell is one of them, sticking it out on Eiram to find his friend, Burry, and we get more of why he feels he must stay in his conversation with Elzar Mann which opens the issue. The Order might call Coruscant “home,” but he was taught by Loden a Jedi’s home is with the people, which gives the Jedi more of a home than any one place. When Bell later returns to the Temple after rescuing Burry, his restless investigations to bring this threat to an end, to help the people instead of being couped up in the Temple, is the topic of discussion between Jedi Grandmaster Pra-Tre Veter and Burry, where Veter admits it’s not easy for the Jedi of the Order to be on Coruscant, seemingly abandoning their posts and those who need the help, especially during this conflict. In the High Republic era, where Outposts litter the galaxy and Jedi are fond of shouting “For Light and Life,” often amongst people of the galaxy as they rescue them from a variety of situations, it makes total sense restlessness would pervade those who heeded the recall, while deciding not to return was the only option for many, as coming back would further blacken their souls if they seemingly ignored the plights of others. By the time we meet the Jedi Order in the prequels, there are no Outposts (we’ll see the final one decommissioned in 2024’s The Living Force novel), and the Jedi Order is truly centered on Coruscant and their Temple, not seen amongst the people unless the Council, and the Republic, wills it. Were there to be Guardian Protocols in the Prequels, it’s less likely the Jedi of the Order would be as restless, as they all feel of the Temple as home, not out in the galaxy amongst the people, and it’s sad to think it’ll get to that point from how it is during this Golden Age of the Order.
As for Bell and Burry themselves, this is such a great primer to their friendship and mindsets in The Eye of Darkness. Bell’s determination seems righteous, especially since it leads to the survival of Burryaga when everyone else wrote him off as lost, and it feeds into his belief he knows the right path forward. He’s not stopping to ask if it’s the best or most Jedi-like path forward, and while it certainly was in how he rescued Burry, his obsessive nature about the Nihil threat and pre-emptively stopping them from killing any more Jedi, or putting him in a position again where he has to hope against hope to rescue someone again, doesn’t come off as Jedi-like. Burry, deeply aware of other people’s emotions, is doing his best to slow Bell down and pull him back a bit, subconsciously thinking of Bell as angry, a path towards the dark side, until he learns Veter has picked Bell to join him on a special joint Republic-Jedi task force to patrol the edge of the Nihil’s Stormwall and hope to help those in need. Burry senses Bell is happy now with this move, his subconscious seeing his drawing of an angry Bell now smiling, and he decides to join the other two, hoping to be there for his friend. Any fan of these characters will appreciate what they get to see here and then should immediately check out The Eye of Darkness to see how the novel runs with those threads and builds on them.
Shadows of Starlight #3 shows us their first mission, and not only do they arrive too late to stop the latest attack by the Nihil, it goes south quick when the remaining Nihil notice Veter and attempt to capture him for Marchion Ro. Knowing some sick Force kung-fu doesn’t make one a Grandmaster, but it was pretty damn neat to see Veter, who sends Burry and Bell away to help the villagers, go off on the Nihil. It’s a great display, especially thanks to artist Jethro Morales and team’s work, but it isn’t enough, leading to him being captured but the villagers safe (check out TEoD to see what happens next…). I enjoyed his parting words to Bell, telling him to focus on what is and stop worrying about “what if,” as it’s something Bell will need to understand as the fight with the Nihil, and the Nameless, continues in Phase III, since all his worrying about what if could lead him away from what he’s needed for to protect.
As I mentioned, it’s Jethro Morales on art, with Chris Sotomayor on colors, and Travis Lanham for lettering. The progression of Bell and Burry’s looks were one of the neater, smaller aspects of the issue, as Bell starts with his signature style, the dreads in a pony tail, grows into a beard, and then shaves his beard and head down to nearly a buzz (which we saw concept art for prior to this issue), as the in-between feels like a slightly wild, untamed choice for him, and the buzz makes for sense for how he’s feeling as it’s him cutting away distractions to keep his focus on his task; not having the typical hairdo shows he’s not back to where he was, calm and patient, willing to take the time. As for Burry, the real change is how skinny he initially is after the rescue, and while he’s back to full form the next time we see him, it’s more about the emotional journey, his concern for his friend comes across in his side-eye glances as Bell dives into his theories or the deep frown of sadness when he’s initially asked by Veter to join him and Bell on their task force. Sotomayor does some great little things with the colors too, like how the blue glow from the holograms Bell is deep into lick over his face, though not as much over Burry’s, and in fact the glow goes away when Bell questions him over not joining him in his search over their Masters’ killer, with this showing the same obsession doesn’t call to him like it does Bell; in fact the final panel of their interaction in the scene has him in a completely white space in the hallway outside the door to where Bell is, while Bell is in the doorway, basked in blue behind him. The double page of Veter unleashing his Shon-Ju Force fighting skills is certainly the highlight of the issue visually, as it’s quick, frightening powerful, and ended in just as quick and brutal way by the Nihil. The opening attack by Veter, Lanham giving his shout the red outlining on the bubble, right next to a sound FX bouncing our view up from his Force push and to whom it affected, was a nice touch, while the following section, where he tears through the Nihil, the sand he pulls around with him our way to track where the team wants us to look next but also make him look like one with the nature around him, with the Force itself, as he uses it to fight back the Nihil. When Veter gets up to the Nihil’s ship, captained by Shryke (a character to watch in TEoD as well!), I love the dark, cold feeling of the colors, as if he’s entered dangerous territory and the Force isn’t as with him while on their ship, which fits considering Shryke implements a repulsion system that knocks him out and sends him careening back to the ground below, unable to move; this system was initially used to render the lightsabers impotent, hence Veter’s need for his Force-fu.
Here are a few other things:
- Shadows of Starlight issue #4 is out January 3 (great way to ring in the New Year), focusing on Marchion Ro, and I can’t wait to see how this adds to what we’ve already seen from him in TEoD and how it might set the stage for what’s to come for him in Phase III, while also allowing Soule a chance to almost write it as a follow-up to The Eye of the Storm miniseries.
- Phase III is really in full swing now, as the first adult novel hit and both The High Republic – Phase III from Marvel and The High Republic Adventures – Phase III have started. The next entry in the Phase novel-wise is January 30’s Escape from Valo, while we recently learned of a new comic miniseries starring monster hunter Ty Yorrick!
- Hopefully we’ll get our first Phase III The High Republic Show soon!
The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #3 gives fans great insight into favorite characters like Bell Zettifar and Burryaga while offering some interesting juxtapositions with the Prequel-era Jedi.
+ Setting the stage for Bell and Burry’s struggles for Phase III
+ The vast yet subtle differences of the High Republic Jedi Order and that of the Prequels
+ Veter’s Force-Fu moment and more shine in art team’s work
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.