Review: ‘The High Republic Adventures’ #2 Offers an Exciting, If Not Uneven, Second Issue (No Spoilers)
Phase III of The High Republic Adventures started with a bang with issue #1. Writer Daniel José Older and artist Harvey Tolibao wasted no time in bringing fans back into the crazy escapades of Zeen and her friends.
In The High Republic Adventures issue #2, the creative team keeps that momentum going. Issue #2 is an exhilarating and thrilling installment, albeit uneven in terms of its pacing and execution. It’s propped up by consistently great writing from Older, but surprisingly, guest artist Nick Brokenshire is the actual MVP of this issue.
Brokenshire illustrates the first half of the issue with jaw-dropping finesse. The first half flashes back in time to one year before, recapping some of the events that happened with Lula Talisola. Smartly enough, Older takes a step back with his words and lets Brokenshire’s art do the talking. Brokenshire, alongside colorist Michael Atiyeh, provides moody, contemplative works of art that match the turbulent events Lula goes through.
Surprisingly, regular artist Harvey Tolibao is unfortunately given the short end of the stick. Tolibao works on the second part of the comic, which is slightly shorter. Tolibao is a consistently good artist and does provide some great shots in this issue. But one of Tolibao’s greatest strengths as an artist is his variety. He’s able to create beautiful two-page spreads and one-page hero shots, and he’s also able to create interesting layouts out of 4-6 panels. But because his section is so short, the reader doesn’t get a sense of that variety here in this issue.
It’s also in the second half that events speed along at a rapid pace. Contrasted to the first half of the issue, the break-neck pace can be surprising, causing a bit of an uneven flow to the comic. I think Older wanted to keep the action going from issue #1, but I also think that section of the story could’ve been left out to create a more meditative and introspective story centered on Lula. It’s that section — the first section — of this issue that works best.
The High Republic Adventures continues to be a must-read series as Phase III heats up. Thanks to guest artist Nick Brokenshire, issue #2 is a memorable one, even if it’s a bit unbalanced. It’ll be interesting to see where the series goes next, especially since it also proves to be continuously unpredictable. But that’s not a bad thing at all.
Score: 7.5/10
Thank you to Dark Horse for providing an advanced review copy used for this review. The High Republic Adventures issue #2 will be available at your local comic book store and digital store shelves on January 24.
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Born and raised in Hawaii, Jay Goodearl runs the YouTube Gaming channel “Good Games, Dude” His channel aims to open up video games to beginners and immediate players and help them understand what makes games the art form that it is.
