WARNING: This review contains SPOILERS for Star Wars The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1.
One of the new Star Wars comics out this week is the first installment in the Phase III The High Republic Adventures comic — and it’s going to break your heart a little. If you’ve read anything from The High Republic before, you’re probably used to it by now.
Written by Daniel José Older, illustrated by Harvey Tolibao, Nick Brokenshire, and Michael Atiyeh, and published by Dark Horse Comics, this issue takes place a year after the fall of Starlight Beacon. Zeen, Qort, and droid 5AG3 are still reeling from the many losses the galaxy has seen — as well as the personal losses that have come as a consequence.
One of the best things about this series — and The High Republic as a whole — is that it allows different audiences to witness grief among those like them (kids reading the comic, for example, get to see kids mourning tragedy). It’s so important, and beautiful, really. The movies really don’t give Star Wars fans enough runtime for grieving. That’s what books and comics are for!
In this issue, we get to see Zeen go a little rogue for the sake of love — something the Jedi will much later caution their padawans against, but this is The High Republic, where feelings are valid!
And who doesn’t love a good galactic love story? It’s an interesting mirror to Avar And Elzar’s mutual longings in Shadows of Starlight and The Eye of Darkness — sent messages, vulnerable confessions, not knowing whether or not the person you love most is hearing you, or even alive for that matter.
Hopefully Zeen and Lula’s story ends on a happy note. There have been many tragedies throughout the course of The High Republic series. Some happy endings are warranted after all that destruction.
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1 is available now wherever you get your Star Wars comics.
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