Hogan Reviews

It’s time for our first “final” something in the High Republic range as we wrap up the Manga releases with the last two volumes. Now, I actually read these after finishing “Trials of the Jedi”, but as that’s the final book set after these I thought I’d put this up first, even though they’ll still be the final comics to review after Trials but as I’m reliant on Marvel Unlimited for those I’m not going to wait months to put these up! ANYWAY, Edge of Balance wraps up Lily’s time on Banchii and features the always fun duo of Azlin Rel and Reath Silas, the former having debuted and “turned” during this very Manga run, so it’s rather fitting really, even if his actions here don’t really line up with what happens in Trials…

Volume 3 opens with Lily meditating and reflecting on all the tragedy so far and confirms to the reader that she is now at peace with the death of her Padawan and is looking forwards rather than backwards in life, which is nice. She ignored the recall order and has stayed on Banchii with the local small bird-like Banchiians but soon her world is turned upside down again, not just with the return of her Master Arkoff and Sav as well as the two Younglings and a bunch of the other researchers and Doctors who previously evacuated the planet but soon the dead rise from the ground as wooden corpses and approach the village! Lily fears Drengir involvement so contacts Yoda on Coruscant and he decides to go to Banchii himself with an expert in the darkside and someone Arkoff knows well: Azlin Rel, and to keep him further in line Reath Silas is sent alongside him. It was great actually seeing these two interact, their dialogue was the highlight of “Tears of the Nameless”. As this is going on Sav informs everyone that a nearby planet is due to pass into the Stormwall and therefore act as the perfect staging ground for the Nihil to assault Banchii again, so he and one of the bird creatures called Shosho heads there to sabotage their efforts.

The volume 3 cover, complete with Arkoff looking like the bad-ass he is!

While everyone gets to know each other and investigates the wood zombies we see our villain for the piece: Niv Drendow Apruk, a scientist who works under Baron Boolan who is sent to Banchii once Boolan hears of the apparently resurrected wood people. He’s… honestly kind of generic, like they wanted to use Boolan as the mad scientist but he was too busy plot-wise elsewhere so they had to settle for this guy (though that proves not to be the case in Volume 4…) Anyway, while Sav destroys some ships the Banchiian makes a friend only for them both to end up on a Nihil ship, and after a really fun catch-up between Arkoff and Azlin a Drengir appears and uses the human corpses to speak, wishing for a way off world due to the on-coming Blight but before they can discuss the matter any further Niv arrives with some Nameless in tow, throwing all the Jedi off their games. One attacks Arkoff and Azlin but the latter manages to hold his ground and destroy it, something that really doesn’t ring true once you real Trials (I’ll obviously get to that when I review it!) but it was good moment anyway, maybe having Arkoff near him was the key? Meanwhile everyone else uses some traps and such to win the day, causing Niv to escape. Yoda heads off with the Younglings (and then heads off-world as we’ve already seen in “Premonition” that I accidentally reviewed before this…) while Arkoff and Sav head off to rescue their animal pals.

Lily in the midst of the calm before the Storm!

Volume 4 opens with the rest of the villagers returning to Banchii and Arkoff and Sav having hijacked a Nihil ship and its pilot called Maktan, though he turns out to be a lot more friendly and up for helping than you’d think. Their ship gets damaged to they ask for help from Sav’s old buddy Dex (yes, the same Dex who runs the diner in “Attack of the Clones”…) On Banchii we get more discussions revolving around Azlin and his rare “Darkside user who isn’t really that evil… or is he?” stuff, including Reath telling him to stay away from the Younglings. Arkoff and co. arrive back on Banchii after having got a message from Shosho informing them that Niv and Baron Boolin himself are en route to the planet, and there’s little time to prepare…

Once again with this series the art is top-notch and the use of Azlin is great (if not a little at odds with Trials, as I’ve mentioned a few times now…) but the story of defending this one planet from the Nihil has ran a bit thin over four volumes, especially given the scope of the High Republic. Still, can’t complain, it was nice to see the era in Manga form of all things, and it did give us a few key characters in the long run.

Overall Thoughts:

Reath and Azlin moments before getting their mission. I love how despite appearing in 99% written word I recognised Reath immediately. The power of good and consistent cover art, I guess!

The last two Volumes of The Edge of Balance do a good job of wrapping up what is essentially a very thin plot of just “Lily and friend defend the planet Banchii” but flesh it out by injecting Azlin Rel and Reath Silas into the mix, with fun results. Once again if you skip the Manga you won’t be confused reading the novels, but if you do there are some nice connective tissue.

The Drengir departs from Banchii before the Nihil and Nameless arrive but they say they have instructed the local plant life to fight alongside them, as its “their planet too” before leaving. Niv and the Baron arrive and soon a battle begins across the planet, with all the main characters getting some heroic moments, including Azlin protecting the Younglings from being abducted by Boolan and Lily, the other Jedi, Dex, the Banchiians, the villagers and as promised the local plants all joining forces to beat back the wave of Nihil and Nameless.

The cover of Volume 4, with the Younglings bravely igniting their Lightsabers… which doesn’t happen at all in the story, but hey-ho. Looks cool!

The Baron escapes (obviously, he needs to be captured in the comics!) and oddly so does Niv, so I guess we’ll never find out what happened to him… Everyone cheers that they’ve successfully defended their planet without taking damage this time. It then all ends of Lily meditating again, reaffirming her dedication to both the Force and the people of Banchii.