Today saw the release of the 12th 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) #12 begins with a flashback to Jedi Padawan Ram Jomaram’s youth in Lonisa City on the planet Valo. In voice-over dialogue boxes, Ram reminisces about his love of this world and the memories he accumulated there, including more recent events during the war against the malicious band of marauders known as the Nihil. In the present, the Nihil have invaded Valo once again (after they were eliminated from the planet in author Daniel Jose Older’s middle-grade novel Star Wars: The High Republic – Escape from Valo) and now Ram finds himself aboard the former Jedi cruiser known as the Star Hopper, which has been commandeered for use by the Nihil. But Ram and his friends manage to win the fight aboard the vessel and retake it, with their focus then shifting to the surface below.
At Crashpoint Tower, poor Padawan Gavi is being held hostage by the menacing being known only as the Warden and is forced to transmit a message of surrender as the Scarlet Skull– once a symbol of hope and resistance for Valo. But when Ram hears this transmission, he comes up with a plan. Meanwhile, Jomaram’s pirate allies Therm Scissorpunch (of the Nephran species) and Drrn (a Muun) attempt to infiltrate the planet’s occupied Jedi Temple. In the air above, Ram is accompanied by his trusty droid V-18 and the Bonbrak mechanics as they hack into the tower’s signal, interrupting the Nihil Broadcast and sending out one of Ram’s own. This inspires some hope around Valo, but soon Therm calls Ram with distressing information– the Warden is about to call for reinforcements. This news forces Jomaram’s hand in destroying Crashpoint Tower once and for all.
I thought this was a lively, kinetic issue with a nice forward momentum for the ongoing Valo narrative, and it’s great to see Ram working with his pals to retake the city and planet that he loves so dear. And as a fan of Thermoculus Krisintvolt Scissorpunch (as is his full name, naturally) from the Sabacc sequence in Solo: A Star Wars Story, it was great to see the space lobster take center stage here for a few scenes once again. I like the Warden a whole lot as a villain, and as always I’m curious to see where things are headed from this point for the Scarlet Skulls and friends.
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #12 is available now wherever comic books are sold.