The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Volume 2 - Manga Review

For the conclusion of The High Republic Phase I, VIZ Media released The Edge of Balance Volume 2, the continuation of Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi and her Padawan Keerin Fionn’s tale on the planet Banchii. After surviving an attack by the carnivorous sentient plants known as the Drengi, the Jedi are helping the Bachiians to prepare for a potential attack by the Nihil—which have proven to be more than simple marauders after the tragic events of the Republic Fair. In The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Volume 2, our heroes’ values are tested once again—Lily, Keerin, and even the younglings Viv’nia and Nima were faced with difficult tasks and hard lessons along the way. Joining the efforts in protecting Banchii is Master Sav Malagán (whose first introduction was in The High Republic Adventures #8), bringing challenge and wisdom to Lily as she is still learning how to be a leader while left in charge of the temple by her master Arkoff. The rebuilding and preparation efforts are in vain as our heroes come face to face with the Nihil, resulting in more destruction and even painful loss.

Writer Daniel José Older joins Shima Shinya and manga artist Mizuki Sakakibara for the second installment of The Edge of Balance. If you have enjoyed reading Volume 1, then you will absolutely love its sequel. Older not only brings some of his characters and events from The High Republic Adventures (noteworthy are a welcomed cameo of Lula and Zeen during the Great Jedi Rumble Race), but also his ability to elevate and enrich each character through love, compassion, and overall strong emotions. In particular, Lily’s character development is meaningful and resolutive—her path to become a leader and Jedi master filled with relatable lessons and challenges. Bringing Sav into the mix really impacts Lily’s story as the master continues to raise conflicting questions about what should or should not be done in the midst of an emergency, sometimes in ways that could seem harsh or even wrong but ultimately wise nonetheless (who hasn’t had a teacher like Sav?) Besides the strong characterization and logical connections to The High Republic main storyline, Older and Shinya surprise the readers with unexpected turns of events, with death and destruction that will make the fans shed tears of sadness while still maintaining a level of hope that is at the core of Star Wars storytelling.

The art of The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Volume 2 is stunning. Very much like Volume 1, Mizuki Sakakibara does wonders with character and environment design. From Lily’s facial expressions describing her internal conflict and eventual determination to the beautiful and elegant lightsaber action, Sakakibara perfectly captures and elevates the emotions of Older and Shinya’s tale. The artist’s character designs are further showcased in the manga with The Art of The Edge of Balance gallery (replacing the bonus chapter from Volume 1) featuring all the heroes and villains concepts, including but not limited to Lily’s various Jedi attire and detailed lightsaber, ships, and creature designs.

The Edge of Balance Volume 2 is yet another amazing addition to The High Republic Phase I. For readers who have consumed pretty much every form of media of this publishing initiative, this manga is an absolute must read. However, it is also a standalone tale that can be enjoyed without knowing too much about the main plot (besides the big events), and might even spark the reader’s interest to explore more about the all-new era of Star Wars. Have you read the manga? If not, swoop down to your favorite book store to pick up the second volume of The Edge of Balance today!