Review: ‘The High Republic Adventures’ Finale Brings Phase 2 to a Fitting Close
And just like that, Phase 2 of the High Republic publishing initiative is in the books. Readers have been inundated with the story of the Jedi’s quest for peace in the Forever War between Eiram and E’ronoh, which led them into direct conflict with the Path of the Open Hand. One of Phase 2’s most prominent themes is the resolve characters had to find within themselves. You have to remain true to yourself even in the face of impossible odds. One character consistently flew against that tide, leading to poor choice after poor choice. Okay, maybe two characters because Axel Greylark exists, but today, we are talking about Sav Malagán.
Dark Horse’s The High Republic Adventures has never tied into the larger storytelling of Phase 2. Sure, it spent some time on Jedha, but reading this week’s three-issue finale made it clear once and for all that author Daniel José Older’s intent was always to tell a more intimate story with Sav. Caught between the Jedi Order as she struggles with their ideals and questionable mentors, the pirate life as she searches for Maz Kanata, and a third choice to leave everything behind and begin anew, Sav is the one shining light in a finale that doesn’t have much else going for it.
As we say goodbye to Phase 2 with one final review, this rendition of The High Republic Adventures has had plenty of high moments, and issues #6-8 are no different, even if the whole package has flaws.
Spoilers ahead…
The Battle of Jedha rages on, and Sav is getting desperate for information on where the Dank Graks are holding Maz Kanata. Almost immediately after the events of the last issue, she decides she is done playing games and demands from Saya the location of Maz. Issue #6 revolves around the fallout of that choice to ruin any budding camaraderie. Saya eventually repays her in kind by revealing it was all a ruse. The Graks knew all along who Sav was, inviting her into their ranks to allow Arkik Von and his forces to sneak in and claim Maz’s castle as their own.
Issue #6 felt like whiplash. If I’m Sav, the last thing I do is give away my game. Asking about Maz is about the worst possible decision, as guess who are the only people who know about her kidnapping? Maz’s pirate crew. So way to confirm you’re the enemy Sav. I did like seeing Saya play the scorned individual in a relationship. She felt betrayed, and her heel turn on Sav felt justified. What threw me off was for five issues, Older’s pacing has been frustratingly methodical. All of a sudden, it felt like the plot skipped three steps ahead.
Despite what solicitations suggested, the Battle of Jedha was not the endgame location for this series. Issue #7 opens with the return to Takodana after Sav reunites with Dex and the rest of the crew. On the voyage back, Sav submits to calling her master for help. Kaktorf refuses, as it’s not the Jedi’s job to interfere in the affairs of pirates.
Dex senses that Sav is feeling alone and guilty over the situation. He consoles her and tells Sav she doesn’t have to be a stubborn Jedi and do this alone. Dex says this isn’t her fault, and she has friends and a found family that can help. But even his touching embrace doesn’t change how Sav feels. Like many Jedi before her, she feels she must bear the burden of saving Maz and Takodana alone.
The ending of issue #7 features my favorite sequence of the series, with art by Toni Bruno and colors from Michael Atiyeh practically straight out of Apocalypse Now as the sun sets over Takodana. The blood moon in the sky is all that stands now between the planet and total darkness. Sav’s thoughts confirm that she knows Dex is correct, but she can’t let anyone else get hurt. Hidden in this dark moment, I believe this is the exact time when Sav chooses both the Jedi way and her newfound family.
Unfortunately, because this is the penultimate issue of the series and a cliffhanger is nigh, she doesn’t get to realize this before she sees the purple glow of her lightsaber (which she gave to Inspector Raf in issue #5) in the palm of Arkik Von. Without any options, Sav submits to being captured and secures her ultimate failure.
The stop-and-start nature of comics would always challenge the pacing of this three-issue finale. But that doesn’t mean an issue should immediately walk back the events of a previous tale. Things need to be allowed to resonate. The opening page of issue #8 and its two single panels of Sav lost in her emotions before her savior arrives is not that.
Of all people, Inspector Raf randomly arrives with the most convenient explanation in quite some time. He reveals that he allowed himself to be captured by the Dank Graks because he knew in his heart of hearts that Sav would come back to Takodana and do something stupid like try to save Maz by herself and would fail along the way. Yeah, I don’t know either.
Anywho, Raf’s pet spits up the other half of Sav’s lightsaber and we’re off. Older chooses to give Raf a bit of agency when explaining why he went to these lengths. Getting past the word salad of it all, he tells Sav she is worth helping because she has the heart of a true Jedi. The words stun Sav, and there’s an incredible moment, captured brilliantly by Bruno, where she has to rest against the wall and take it in. This is the first moment she realizes she is on the right path, even if it doesn’t make sense. The affirmation she never got from her master comes from this man she barely knows (and us too, as the audience, but I digress).
Sav uses that to confront Arkik in lightsaber combat. I wish the battle involved more than just Sav struggling to hit a wormy Arkik. We never got to see his supposed Force abilities as a member of the Sorcerers of Tund, but it saw Sav embrace her abilities with a lightsaber which was a nice touch. Once Arkik is defeated, the castle doors open, and he is greeted with a chorus of lightsabers trained directly on him.
In the aftermath, Sav and her master finally have their moment to work through their differences. Kaktorf states he is taking a sabbatical to recenter himself. He feels he has lost his way, and Sav doesn’t quite understand, but I appreciated this moment. I’m not the only youngling who spent their youth questioning authority and thinking my way was best. As it turned out, the authority was usually right, and Sav found that out the hard way. Ultimately, she sought support from those around her, and it took all series for Sav to realize she was getting precisely that from Dex, Maz, and everyone else because of what Kaktorf lacked. Seeing Kaktorf learn from his error and make a change was assuring.
The High Republic Adventures ends with Tera Sinube (disguised as a Dank Grak the entire time) taking on Sav as his new Padawan and agreeing to work with Maz occasionally. Sav then gets to announce to everyone just who she is. She is Sav Malagán, an assured and confident Padawan and pirate.
Issues #6-8 of this series were a rollercoaster of pacing concerns. It felt like Older needed more than eight issues to tell the story he wanted. Instead, due to page constraints, he was forced to move the plot along rapidly, which sacrificed the heavier moments and made for a strange reading experience at times.
The first five issues of this series didn’t ignore Sav, but growth wasn’t due until now. Older delivered on that premise and not much else with his finale for The High Republic Adventures. The action wasn’t thrilling, nor was the art particularly engaging. Some strange character choices also took me out of the affairs.
Reflecting on this series, I’ll remember its quirkiness and heart. In the grand lexicon of Phase 2, I won’t think of much of it, but I’m happy it exists as a needed standalone adventure that still ties into its themes. Dexter Jettster’s glorious mustache in its prime was a plus too.
Before we leave, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all of our readers here at Star Wars News Net who check out our High Republic coverage. We know it’s not for everyone, but it means a lot to be able to foster a community that enjoys this sect of Star Wars. We hope you stay with us over the next few months as we continue to break down news and prepare for Phase 3. And remember, Burryaga being okay is a fair trade-off for the Nihil taking over the galaxy.
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures issues #6-8 are available now wherever comics are sold. Thank you to Dark Horse Comics for the ARCs 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.
