Review: ‘The High Republic Adventures’ #1 Welcomes Readers With Several Blasts From the Past
The High Republic Adventures is back! While Dark Horse is the host of this new era, all the fun readers have come to expect is still very much present in the hands of writer Daniel José Older.
The star of the show is Sav Malagán, who appeared back in the original run during the Takodana arc as the Jedi Master for the planet’s temple, and as a confidant to Maz Kanata. Phase 2 of the High Republic publishing initiative sees Sav as a Padawan on Takodana questioning her place in the Jedi Order. Issue #1 of this familiar tale is a case of come for the tried-and-true, and stay for the mustached Dexter Jettster.
Yes, you read that last sentence right.
Spoilers ahead…
As stated in the introduction, Sav is a Padawan who wants nothing to do with this Jedi business. She sneaks off in the middle of the night so she can get in on what’s going down at Maz’s castle.
Once inside, we are introduced to various players. Relevant to the story include the likes of the dangerous Alak, who has a wanted count Ponda Baba and Dr. Evazan would be jealous of. His prodigy Quiet Shan sits beside him with the Solo background legend, Therm Scissorpunch, elsewhere in the room. There is also a mysterious man wearing some type of breather standing next to Alak. Finally, there’s the guest of honor for the evening: the one and only Dexter Jettster, who is looking more spry than he ever has. 360-ish years of waiting for Obi-Wan to come to your diner will age a man, or Besalisk in this case.
One of the long-established rules inside the walls of Maz’s castle is that there is no fighting to be had. Everyone almost always respects that, even if tempers flare. Sav however, wants some excitement and tempts fate, using the Force to hit the mysterious man in the back of the head with the cup. A brawl breaks out between the man and Alak, which sees Maz join the fray. She puts a swift end to it and kicks out the new guy, who we learn is known as Inspector Raf.
While discussing the incident with Alak, Maz is distracted. She looks over in Sav’s direction and makes a move toward her and… into the open arms of her old pal Dexter Jettster. I must say that his mustache is looking quite regal, despite it not being quite as full when Dex is seen straight on in some panels. It’s all about angles with your facial hair gentlemen.
Anyhow, Dex can’t stay long as he is off on some business which involves hunting down Raf. Sav follows him and gets in on the action despite Dex’s pleas to the contrary. Raf finds them first, who reveals he is also searching for someone on Takodana. They find this other mystery party nearby which leads the trio to eavesdrop on the secret meeting in the forest. The individuals they spy on are known as the Dank Graks, who are attempting to bring others into their cause. They scheme to rid Takodana of Maz and the Jedi.
After they are caught snooping, some action occurs which exposes Sav as a Jedi when she breaks out her lightsaber. Back at Maz’s castle when the fighting is done, we learn more about the Dank Graks. They are led by Arkik Von, who is still quite bitter after being scammed out of ownership of Maz’s castle by the queen herself. Sav’s identity as a Jedi is kept secret, but when Maz invites her along for the incoming fight, Sav’s inner monologue indicates that the young Padawan feels right at home following this new path.
The High Republic Adventures #1 is a table-setting issue through and through. We meet all the major players and get a sense of the stakes, with more sure to be revealed in later issues. Glorified cameos or not, it’s nice to be anchored by characters you know. Dex, being in his prime, paired with the always effervescent Maz has the makings of a super-fun dynamic.
While only in small doses, Sav also bounces off them very well, but another arc with a Jedi needing to find who they are feels like a road gone down one too many times. The last iteration of The High Republic Adventures was already rich in this type of character drama, and was a wild success in its nuance for a series targeted for younger audiences. Older isn’t quite there yet with this restarted run. In the end, everything is about to change as the “adventure” kicks off in the next issue.
RATING: 6/10
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
