Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – The Battle of Eriadu #1 Review

Review by Henry Wood

Written by Alyssa Wong Drawn by Elisa Romboli

Colored by Dan Jackson

Lettered by Tyler Smith & Jimmy Betancourt

Edited by Spencer Cushing, Joe Cavanagh, Grace Orriss & Robert Simpson

The final battle is here! Driggit Parse and Gavi Takitaken are on a collision course as the Battle of Eriadu marches to its climax! Driggit Parse’s long con against the Nihil and the Warden reaches its endgame as Gavi races to save his best friend from her schemes.

This issue is the emotional climax for two characters whose stories began in Star Wars: The High Republic – Escape From Valo: Gavi and Driggit. Gavi Takitaken is a Jedi Youngling from the Valo Jedi Temple, while Driggit Parse is a young girl and a native of Valo. They met each other very young and have been friends ever since, at least until the Nihil took over, driving the Jedi to flee the city and forcing Driggit to join the Nihil to save her family. Driggit was able to work herself into a leadership role within the Nihil, all while planning to betray the pirates. Meanwhile Gavi fights alongside the Jedi to save the galaxy from the Nihil.

This has led the pair to Eriadu on opposite sides of the ferocious battle. In the heat of the fighting, Gavi reaches out with the force to make sure his friends are safe and discovers his best friend Driggit is alive and on the ground, leading him on a chase across the battle to save his friend.

This is seemingly the end of the story for these two young characters, and as such requires some foreknowledge to fully appreciate the comic itself. But you can still find some enjoyment with these two fun characters as the story also does a great job of mirroring Gavi and Driggit’s journeys up to this point and recapping their histories. Alyssa Wong’s script gives Elisa Romboli the opportunity to make the mirror a reality on the pages of the comic giving the reader a visualization of the connection between these two characters.

These two factors, along with the revelations that come out in the story, allow for fun for all ages in the midst of an all-out battle. This comic gives a good perspective of young people in a war that can be read by the whole family.