Review: ‘The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror’ #1 is a Return to Form for Dark Horse
I’m not one for hyperbole (recent Bounty Hunters issues aside), but it’s probably safe to say Dark Horse might be the king of Star Wars comics. Dark Empire, Legacy, Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of the Jedi, and so many more are fondly remembered as some of the cornerstones this side of Star Wars. 2022’s relaunch of Dark Horse has primarily consisted of all-ages fare with offerings like Hyperspace Stories and The High Republic Adventures main series, which doesn’t mean it’s been bad; it just feels lacking in that old Dark Horse magic.
That all changes with The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror. Issue #1 of the new miniseries sees writer George Mann inject a palpable tension in the air that feels unlike Star Wars and, therefore, makes it more engaging Star Wars. While I don’t believe this series will be the perfect entry point for those new to the High Republic, this could be that great introduction to the horrors of what the Jedi are up against during this Star Wars era.
I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that the Force-eating creatures known as the Nameless are back in a big way with this series. In this opening issue, they create a nice heaping helping of dramatic irony for characters I didn’t expect to see again, much less immediately be sucked into their story, and fear for their fate as they approach a danger, unlike anything they’ve ever seen. If they can even see it before becoming a literal husk of themselves.
Spoilers ahead…
We begin with monster hunter Ty Yorrick, who is searching for another job. Her droid, Klo, suggests answering calls across the galaxy for help against these monsters called the “Nameless.” It’s uncertain where this prologue is in the High Republic timeline, but I wish I had anticipated Ty as a candidate to confront the Nameless.
During her side appearances in Phase 1 of High Republic publishing, the former member of the Jedi Order felt without a purpose to the larger story. She now might have found one if her inclusion bears fruit and the Jedi can find a way to fight back when Phase 3 kicks off. Either way, it’s a nice framing device for what is ostensibly a monster story.
In the meantime, Ty recalls a story she heard while in the Order that takes us back to a pathfinder team on the Witherbloom. Aboard are a few returning characters, with the central figure being Jedi Master Rok from Mann’s Quest for the Hidden City. As a quick refresher, Rok’s entire pathfinder team was victim to the monsters of Gloam. He was the only one to make it out alive, and Mann makes it clear that it still affects him.
Consoling him is Jedi Master Xinith Tarl, who had a very minor role in Mann’s The Battle of Jedha. There is an implication that Rok is seriously considering a drastic life change before the two are called away by the alarms blaring across the ship.
In the cockpit, we meet Jedi Sula, her Padawan Coron, the pilot Pako, and the medic Ambar. An unidentified ship comes flying out of hyperspace, bearing down on the team. Before long, the mystery ship rams into the Witherbloom, and both plummet toward the planet below.
We follow the mystery ship to the ground, where the collision with the planet cripples it. Naturally, inside the hangar we peer into are a few certain crystal-shaped eggs that might be familiar to Path of Deceit readers. One egg rolls outside the ship and cracks open against the environment below.
Our pathfinder team isn’t faring much better, forced to evacuate before the Witherbloom explodes. Things get even worse when we cut back to the egg, broken open. A shadow lurks against the mystery ship, only to have disappeared in the next panel. The Nameless are now on the prowl, with more eggs still on the ship.
The interconnectedness of the High Republic shines in this issue. I already mentioned Ty and Rok, but there’s even more. In The Battle of Jedha, the Path of the Open Hand mentioned wanting to locate more of the Nameless beyond just the Leveler. While the jury is still out if this is a Path ship, you can probably guess where this is heading.
Even if all these stories are by one author, giving Mann the chance to build upon minor details and create more substance with his own characters makes for richer storytelling.
I can’t go another minute without lauding the art by Eduardo Mello, with colors by Ornella Savarese. For my movie people, think of the transition from VHS to DVD/Blu-Ray. There’s a reason the industry never went back. The Nameless Terror feels like that type of upgrade. I found myself unable to look away from the character’s faces and their perfectly-defined cheekbones… their cheekbones! The shadows on their faces add depth of field, realism, and a sense that Mello and Savarese went out into the field and photographed what was happening, with splashes of color filling in the rest. The art is not overly complicated; it’s just poured over, and it was clearly a labor of love.
The suspense intensifies as the pathfinder team is forced to venture into the empty hallways of the other ship in search of survivors. The day’s events have left Xinith injured and incapacitated, forcing Ambar and Pako to tend to her wounds while Sula heads deeper. Coron and Rok are elsewhere trying to get the power back up.
Everyone soon realizes they are not alone, which finally brings members of the Path of the Open Hand out of hiding. They attack, but making the situation worse is a hunger the Jedi begin to feel from outside the ship. Rok is already losing his mind, falling into the psychedelics we’ve become accustomed to when the Nameless start to feed (I never get tired of seeing what artists do with that). Coron, meanwhile, struggles to feel the Force and is blindsided by a Path member who swings for his head.
Sula confronts her attackers, and the Path responds in turn by running away when they realize what’s coming. One of the core beliefs of the Path is that when the Jedi use the Force, another force seeks to correct it because they deem it irresponsible. The end of Path of Deceit saw the Mother claiming the Leveler is the Force’s answer for the Jedi and their “misuse” of the Force. That’s why she wants to locate more of the Nameless species so they can spread this “justice” against the Jedi. In this case, these lower members of the Path just don’t want to be there when the creature they shipped across the galaxy inevitably reveals itself.
Xinith then awakes with a scream, befuddling Ambar and Pako who don’t understand what’s happening. Four of the team’s six members are Jedi, meaning there is no better way to end this issue than the last of them, Sula, also starting to succumb to the hunger that might doom them all. The last few pages were a bit chaotic and threw off the otherwise purposeful flow, but I’m here for it against my better judgment.
The Nameless are my favorite creation in the High Republic. Mann expertly captures what makes them compelling: the fact that they are a flat-out terrifying concept. Some of the best horror is what you don’t see, and the most we ever get of the Nameless is a shadow. Despite this series being only four issues, The Nameless Terror has the chance to be what Trail of Shadows was for Phase 1 storytelling. That series brought a mystery thriller vibe in its expose of the Nameless. Mann’s miniseries now has the chance to play with them inside a different thriller genre. The Jedi of this time period found a way to quell their threat. One of the questions this Phase still needs to answer somewhere is how. In the meantime, time to make a horror comic.
This is genuine genre storytelling and is representative of what the best Dark Horse comics did. They took a chance at something and let a creator run wild with an idea that simultaneously fleshes out the world of Star Wars. While time will tell if The Nameless Terror reaches those heights, the series is off to a great start. Now if you’ll excuse me, back to examining those cheekbones.
RATING: 8/10
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.
