Originally published on Set The Tape
The second issue of Star Wars :The High Republic Adventures – The Monster of Temple Peak starts off with some bold action as former Jedi padawan Ty Yorrick is forced to fight for her life against a vicious Rock Weaver high on Temple Peak mountain.
Picking up right where the last issue left off, our hero Ty has discovered someone else on the mountain with her, some invisible being that has been following her trail. Before she’s able to question them, however, they fall afoul of a huge spider-like creature, leaving it down to Ty to save them both from being killed. Thanks to her experience fighting monsters, and a little help from KL-03, she’s able to beat the monster.
It’s here that we’re introduced to Drewen, a member of the rabbit-like Segredo species, who’s been following Ty on her mission up the mountain. Wanting to learn how to become a Jedi, Drewen has been following Ty hoping that he can convince her to train him; something she refuses to do. As the two of them have to spend the night together to wait out snow something else is stalking the two of them…
The second issue of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – The Monster of Temple Peak doesn’t feel as big as the first one. It’s introducing less, and not as much of the story happens; however, it does feel like we get the chance to know Ty a little better. There are a number of times in the issue that we get to see how her mind works, where she’s confronted with something that relies on her having to make a hard decision. These choices not only give us a good insight into what makes her tick, but also encourages the character to reflect on her past, which gives the reader the opportunity to see some flashbacks to her backstory. A backstory that’s incredibly interesting, and that I hope we get more of as the series progresses.
Despite not having as much happen as the first issue, as issue one packed in a lot of monster hunting and planet hopping, there’s still a decent amount of action packed into the pages. Ty’s battle against the Rock Weaver is an impressive way to open the issue. It’s the kind of foe that we don’t often see Jedi going up against, and she’s forced to have to think fast on her feet in order to get through the encounter unscathed. Much like the rest of this issue I felt like this battle gave us a good insight into the character, especially the abilities and methods she’s picked up in hunting various creatures across the galaxy.
The art in the issue is provided by Rachael Stott, Vita Efremova, and Nicola Righi, and it’s some of the best Star Wars comics art at the moment. The art is beautifully detailed and crisp, with every panel filled with detail. Whether it’s Ty herself, who’s always drawn looking dynamic and strikingly beautiful, or the cold and unforgiving environment she’s travelling through, everything looks fantastic. And the colours, provided by Efremova and Righi, are a big part of this too. The team know when to lave the artwork looking colder and more muted to push home the nature of the mountain, and when to add striking colours to enhance the action scenes and to bring warmth to the characters.
It’s still early days for this series, and it very much feels like Cavan Scott is still setting up all of the important characters for us to follow; yet it’s one of the more entertaining Star Wars comics around, and one of the most intriguing entries in The High Republic we’ve had so far. This issue adds new mysteries to the story, and leaves me wanting to read the next one as soon as I can.
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