The High Republic #15 - Comic Review

Avar Kriss has captured Lourna Dee, who she thinks is the leader of the Nihil. As Kriss and her fellow Jedi, including Keeve Trennis and Sskeer, arrive at Starlight Beacon with their prisoner, they find the beacon under attack! It’s falling apart, and as the Jedi board it they come under the spell of The Great Leveler. Many of them, in fact. Sskeer, thankfully, holds them off, as his connection with the Force has been recently severed. As he stays behind to attack the mysterious Jedi slaying beasts, Avar and Keeve do their best to save the beacon, the Jedi on it, and to try to understand just what has happened here!

It’s honestly really hard to discuss this issue without spoilers as it is the finale of the first full story of The High Republic comics. Writer Cavan Scott tops the intensity he’s already done in this series with The High Republic #15 and does it in such a spectacular way! The emotions are all out in the open with this issue as well as we see these Jedi who truly care fully express the depths of their feeling towards what is happening, something that has been explored throughout this Phase of The High Republic and is on full display here more than ever. I will say, however, my expectations going into this issue were that it was the end of this phase, meaning this issue would be a big finale of sorts. While it is a big end to the current story being told, there is a lack of finality to the issue. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it was definitely something I didn’t expect to happen here. That said, the lack of finality works as it leaves the story open for future exploration and tales with these characters. Scott ends the run in an intense, poignant, tragic way that perfectly fits the storytelling in the Star Wars universe, while still very much leaving the story open for the inevitable next part of these characters’ tales.

The visual artistic team has been consistent with their breathtaking quality and skill throughout this entire series and that doesn’t change with The High Republic #15 at all! Artist Ario Anindito, inkers Mark Morales and Victor Olazaba, colorist Carlos Lopez, and letterer VC’s Ariana Maher do an exceptional job at making this finale as epic as they possibly could. From the intense psychedelic horror of The Great Leveler to the beautiful and often tragic emotions across every character’s faces during this event to even the catastrophic destruction happening to Starlight Beacon, this issue is yet another beautiful work of art.

The main cover art for The High Republic #15 is by Phil Noto and depicts Jedi at the ready Avar Kriss, Keeve Trennis, and Sskeer as they look in horror at the destruction being caused to Starlight Beacon. Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth bring us the first variant cover which is my personal favorite and again shows off the core three characters in differing ranges of emotions during these dark times. The second variant cover comes from the duo of Ario Anindito and Rachelle Rosenberg and shows a very menacing Lourna Dee antagonizing Avar Kriss.

The High Republic #15 marks the finale of this current story, but it’s also very much not the end. While it doesn’t end the story in a nice pretty bow, it’s still a perfect end to what is just one small part of the entire High Republic storyline. It’s a beautiful end piece and leaves us with just enough hope and excitement for the future, despite the dark and unsettling events throughout. So rush on down to your local comic shop to pick up this must read piece of Star Wars storytelling today!