Comic Review: The High Republic Adventures #16 – The Battle Continues!

The final arc of The Battle of Eriadu continues as Daniel José Older and Toni Bruno set the stage for the climactic battle!

Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Daniel José Older
Artist: Toni Bruno
Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Publisher summary:
The Battle of Eriadu rages on, as shocking developments continue to shift the tide of the conflict! A Nihil victory seems all but assured, thanks to their overwhelming forces and savage tactics. But will the unexpected arrival of a powerful combatant dash their evil ambitions? The Warden won’t give up easily, and he will do anything to defeat the Jedi!

Why it matters: The High Republic initiative is nearing its climactic finale, and High Republic Adventures is leading the charge with the Battle of Eriadu. There’s no time for rest in this high octane battle featuring characters that have been building toward this moment since the beginning of Phase One!

Key moments:

• Dark Visions: After taking charge of the battle in the previous issue, Farzala finds himself plagued by ominous doubt-inducing visions. What could be testing the new master’s resolve?

• Epic Battles: Unsurprisingly, the Battle of Eriadu continues to provide artist Toni Bruno with a chance to show off. Splash pages, dogfights, lightsabers, veermok riding … this issue has it all!

• Last Man Standing: The Nihil Warden has the Jedi up against the wall. But as he finds himself without support from Nihil leadership, he has to make a final stand to see if he can control the continued escalation.

Dark Horse Comics

The big picture: After a year of buildup, the Battle of Eriadu is nearly complete. In this third issue of the arc, the action continues without any sign of slowing down. It truly is a climactic battle as the High Republic’s Phase Three nears its end, in no small part thanks to Toni Bruno’s delightful art. The action here is chaotic but easy to follow, and Bruno’s character designs are all natural evolutions of the younger versions he started drawing in Phase One nearly four years ago.

The downside to the exciting chaos of battle is that there is almost too much going on. Over the past five years, the cast of The High Republic Adventures has grown far beyond the Padawans of the Star Hopper. Nearly every character we’ve met along the way has a moment here, which makes the story feel a bit crowded. The main beats of the issue are shown through two points of view - Jedi Knight Farzala and Sevran Tarkin - who have become standout characters during this arc. While their moments here do a good job at centering this planetary conflict, I wonder if the story would be easier to follow if the battle had a more narrow scope.

To Daniel José Older’s credit, the character work is fantastic, even amid the tumultuous nature of this story. The growth of these characters over the comic’s run has been a joy to watch. Despite the many moving parts that make the Battle of Eriadu tough to keep up with, the heart at the center of the story is still there. I suspect when we have the bigger picture of the full story arc - including the upcoming Battle of Eriadu one-shot - this side of the Phase Three finale will fall into place.

The Battle of Eriadu wraps up next month before one final arc of The High Republic Adventures. If this issue is any indicator of what’s to come, expect a thrilling - and no doubt emotional - conclusion.

Our rating: Incredible

What’s next: The Battle of Eriadu continues in High Republic Adventures #17, in stores April 16.

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