Comic Review: The Battle of Eriadu One-Shot – An Emotional Fight

Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Elisa Romboli
Colors: Dan Jackson

Publisher summary:
Two estranged friends find themselves on opposing sides of the Battle of Eriadu. Jedi Padawan Gavi fights for light and life, while Driggit Parse sits at the right hand of the villainous Warden. When the two finally meet again after Driggit's betrayal, it's on the front lines. Can their old friendship be salvaged amidst a war?

Why it matters: The Battle of Eriadu is the climactic centerpiece of Phase Three’s High Republic Adventures. Alyssa Wong’s one-shot adds new depth to the already massive battle by focusing on a personal story of once-best friends Gavi and Driggit.

Dark Horse Comics

Key moments:

• Calm among the chaos: This ongoing battle has been at times difficult to track due to the sheer scale and amount of characters involved. It’s refreshing to see a smaller, emotionally driven story focused on two characters who are quickly becoming fan favorites.

• Reunited and it feels so… good?: Gavi and Driggit’s storyline traces back to the beginning of Phase Three. Wong brings those threads to a possible closure here; for readers who have been keeping track of all their appearances, this story provides a huge emotional payoff. But will their friendship have a happy ending?

• Visual storytelling: Wong and Romboli lean into Gavi’s perception of the Force by showing readers the threads he sees connecting all living things. Not only does this help sell the metaphor, it’s a perfect example of what makes comics a unique medium for storytelling.

Dark Horse Comics

The big picture:

It feels like every High Republic discussion comes with a caveat about reading orders and mixed media. It’s easy to get caught up in the logistics of keeping up with this sprawling initiative, and that’s especially true for the story of Driggit Parse and Gavi. Their story began in Escape from Valo by Alyssa Wong and Daniel José Older and has continued through The High Republic Adventures, Star Wars Insider short stories, and various comic miniseries and one-shots.

Likewise, the Battle of Eriadu has been an epic set piece for the finale of the Adventures comics. While this one-shot is a side story with a smaller scale, the stakes feel no less important. Wong helped create these characters, so it’s only right that they return to close things out with a bang.

Despite the short page count, Wong makes space for satisfying emotional beats, character-driven flashbacks, brief cameos from other Phase Three characters, and - of course - plenty of exciting action, all tied up in a nice single-issue package. The pacing is aided by the fantastic work of Elisa Romboli, who manages to balance fast-paced action and heartfelt emotion with equal excitement.

While this story is fully linked to the eponymous battle, don’t let the title fool you. This is not a comic about war or heavy action. This is a story of friendship and faith, of perseverance, of doing everything it takes to save the ones you love, no matter how lost they think they are. Alyssa Wong ties up threads that have been running throughout Phase Three, and in doing so delivers the most gripping story of this large arc.

Our rating: Incredible

What’s next: The battle continues in the pages of The High Republic Adventures - issue #17 is also out today!

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