Comic Review: High Republic Adventures #20 – A Swan Song

Writer: Daniel José Older
Artist: Harvey Tolibao
Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Publisher summary:
The High Republic Adventures comes to an epic conclusion! Now that the Battle of Eriadu is over, what's next for these young heroes? Join the creative team who started it all for the final chapter of this iconic series! The climactic final battle between the Jedi and the Nihil that has been years in the making!

Dark Horse Comics

Why it matters: For those who have been following along with The High Republic Adventures, as well as the rest of Daniel José Older’s THR storytelling, this really pays off in a major way.

Key moments:

• A Somber Memorial: In an emotional moment, the Starhopper crew pays tribute to Torban Buck, who sacrificed himself for the fate of the galaxy.

• Ram’s Ascension: Ram has grown an incredible amount throughout the initiative. He caps off the series by having his padawan braid cut off by his Jedi Master.

• Mralisola: A Star Wars couple for the ages; Zeen and Lula get to live their new life together. Although this is seemingly the last we see of them for now, we can hold out hope for “Phase More.”

Dark Horse Comics

The big picture: The High Republic Adventures is a series that has mattered quite a bit to me personally. Since day 1, back in 2021, this has been an incredible run. I think it was easy to overlook early on, it being marketed at younger readers, but it really has been so spectacular. We have been incredibly lucky to have Daniel José Older and Harvey Tolibao consistently throughout the series (major shout out to Toni Bruno too!).

The issue itself acts as a love letter for Daniel’s work throughout The High Republic. Every character gets a moment to shine, even if only in the background. Speaking off, hats off to Harvey Tolibao for consistently delivering stellar work. I will miss all of the characters dearly. It was such a touching moment to see flashbacks to all their moments throughout the years, whether that be the Great Jedi Rumble Race or sharing Yoda’s coveted baked treats. This issue really had it all.

Our rating: Masterpiece

What’s next: This may be it for The High Republic Adventures, but the initiative as a whole has one more comic issue coming from Marvel with The Finale #1 out July 30, 2025.

For a deeper discussion of this issue, be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Cosmic Force podcast!