Comic Review -The Battle of Eriadu Rages On in “Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures” #15
Today saw the release of the 15th issue in Phase III of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures from Dark Horse Comics, and below are my brief recap and thoughts on this installment.
The High Republic Adventures (2023) #15 begins in Eriadu City on the planet Eriadu, where Jedi Knight Farzala Tarabal is starting to feel overwhelmed by the incessant onslaught of Nihil forces on every front. We hear through Farzala’s inner monologue how he is beginning to lose hope in the outcome of the battle, while down below the surface Jedi Master Yaddle is leading an effort to stabilize a lava reactor that could destroy all of Eriadu City and its neighboring Bri-Phrang City if its balance is not corrected using the Force. Jedi Qort convalesces nearby but still does his best to contribute to the task at hand, while his fellow Aloxian Zint also valiantly pitches in despite only being a young Padawan learner. Outside, the droid 5A-GE does its best to rally the troops, and among the villains the Warden is growing ever more frustrated by those under his command.
The Warden gets a holo-call from a secret operative known as “Inner Circle," who turns out to be the Tarsunt Jackaby Snell, reporting to the Nihil because his Grandma Snell has been taken hostage. Back in the battle, Farzala and Sav Malagán plot a way to take down the Nihil’s enormous Bogaranth creature while simultaneously dealing with the invasion of Nihil fighters in the air. As this plan goes into effect we get a couple really fun action sequences, and then writer Daniel José Older and artist Toni Bruno cut back to the sublevels of Eriadu City, where Zint has decided to remove her mask. This move will unleash a torrent of emotions from the Aloxian but also amplify her powers, allowing her the strength to properly align the damaged reactor, working in conjunction with Yaddle and the other Jedi present. This gambit works, but Qort must tackle Zint to the ground before she lashes out any further, compounding his injuries.
There’s another cool air skirmish with some Eviscerator ships and the surprise reemergence of Master Sinube, returning from undercover work among the Nihil. Then we get another scene with the Warden getting the as-yet-unnamed information he wanted from Jackaby, plus a final status report on the fight from Tarabal. It seems this altercation has had its ups and downs, and through it all Farzala is struggling to stay optimistic. On the last page we see his haunting vision of destruction, which may or may not come to pass as the war rages on. And on the whole I thought this was a strong, action-packed installment of this title, with Older undeniably working at the top of his game, juggling a number of different characters, each of whom have their own compelling goals. But I want to pay special attention to the artwork here– Bruno and colorist Michael Atiyeh have worked together to craft visuals that drew me into the story, along with dynamic action setpieces that were at once well-choreographed and exciting. I just looked it up and I believe we now have just five issues left to go in this run of The High Republic Adventures, so if the trend continues they should be some good ones!
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #15 is available now wherever comic books are sold.