Review: ‘The High Republic Adventures’ #5 is a Gloriously Entertaining Start To the Battle of Jedha Arc
Daniel José Older’s The High Republic Adventures is the last major title from this phase of the High Republic publishing initiative remaining. Issue #5 hits shelves this week before the final three issues of the series drop on the same day, marking June 28 as the unofficial Phase 2 finale. The endgame is here, and The High Republic Adventures‘ Battle of Jedha arc begins in grand fashion.
As the kids say, Older cooked for four issues as he planted the seeds of what makes each character tick. Now, the fruits of his labor have shown themselves, and the result is a gloriously entertaining The High Republic Adventures #5 in all of its classic Star Wars goodness. Ladies and gentlemen, may I reintroduce you to Therm Scissorpunch?
Spoilers ahead…
We open with yet another flashback. This time, we further explore Sav and how she never saw eye-to-eye with her Master. Once upon a time, she constructed her lightsaber faster than anyone else, but Master Kaktorf saw the deed as rushing and berated her.
I am so interested in the inevitable conversation between those two when Sav returns to Takodana. When we were first introduced to Kaktorf in issue #3, Sav ran off during their call, and I saw it as a sign of disrespect. I still do, in a way, but this added context illustrates that so much more is bubbling between Master and Padawan.
Flash forward to the chaos on Jedha. If you aren’t familiar with the context behind what’s happening, here’s a summary. Eiram and E’ronoh’s Forever War is in a cease-fire, and delegations flocked to Jedha to end the fighting formally. Sadly, the Path of the Open Hand couldn’t let that happen. They orchestrated a plot to rile up the citizens and bring in as many outside factions as possible to create more carnage. One of those factions is the Dank Graks, which Sav finds herself a part of while she searches undercover for the kidnapped Maz Kanata.
Previously, Sav and Saya bonded over their desire for a new life as they gazed into the stars. Now, Sav spends this issue freaking out over having her cover blown and even comes dangerously close when the citizens of Jedha accuse her of being a Jedi. Desperate for an out, she fakes a building collapse that almost crushes Saya, but it allows her to get a message to Inspector Raf (remember him?). How will Saya react when the inevitable truth comes out? Time will tell.
Elsewhere in the mayhem, Dexter Jettster, Therm Scissorpunch, Coromont Vizzle, Officer Rado, Alak, and Quiet Shan await news on Sav and Maz’s whereabouts. Finding a break in the action, there are some nice moments of character growth. Dex explains why he loves Maz and how their relationship came to be. It’s been undercooked, as I hardly remember them having a single romantic moment during the first four issues, but it’s still charming. Having two movie characters centuries before they make their cinematic debut has been one of the quirky hallmarks of this series. (On second thought, any sane soul would fall for Dex and that mustache.) Nevertheless, enough about them as a third movie character has been waiting in the wings, and boy, do they deliver in this issue.
There’s nothing like being a Star Wars fan and being rewarded for your cult following of a single character. Enter Therm Scissorpunch.
Reduced to background status in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the story of Therm fascinated all. As Sav said in the first issue, his name is Therm Scissorpunch. Who cares if what’s said about his exploits is true? Well, Older cared, and I never would’ve thought the following StarWars.com databank character description would matter:
With a sharpened shank implanted in one claw and an overall fearsome appearance, Therm is reputed for intimidating his opponents during games of sabacc. In reality, he’s a mediocre card player who insists on being addressed by his full name, although it’s unclear if it’s a nickname he’s been given or part of a prestige he’s hoping to create around himself.
Therm confesses that every tale ever told about him is a lie. He is not to be feared; he is just a Nephran with a cool name that may or may not be real. So when Officer Rado storms down Coromont’s large frame to turn into a life coach to whip his sorry self into embracing the tall tales, I got chills. And a lot of laughs. The visual of a man the size of an index finger becoming a lobsterman’s drill sergeant shouldn’t work, but it only gets better.
A few pages later, you can find me punching my fists in the air as Therm “scissorpunches” the rioters in a glorious sequence only artist Harvey Tolibao can bring to life. Jimmy Betancourt and Tyler Smith’s lettering also brings a “this can only be done in comics” flavor as Therm enters his “thermstate.” The High Republic Adventures #5 sees the birth of the legend known as Thermoculus Krisintvolt Scissorpunch, and Solo fans should frame this issue.
The High Republic Adventures #5 is Daniel José Older and his team firing on all cylinders. Having Tolibao on hand to illustrate the kick-off to this arc was the correct call. His style perfectly complements the scale of the conflict. Despite how dense some of these panels are, Tolibao never loses you as a reader.
The characters and their arcs remain in the forefront despite everything around them. Once they entered the fray on Jedha, it became clear that I was invested in seeing if they make it out in one piece. That doesn’t automatically change my neutral feelings toward the first four issues, but it bodes well for the three-issue finale on June 28. If it delivers, I will gladly take a scissorpunch to the throat for not trusting the process.
RATING: 8/10
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #5 is available now wherever comics are sold. Special thanks to Dark Horse Comics for the ARC used in this review.
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.
