The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight #3 (of 4)

After experiencing tragedy during the attack on Starlight Beacon, a new dawn is rising on Bell Zettifar’s life in Noto’s direct cover. It’s a beautifully introspective piece and very poignant as Bell cuts off his Padawan braid without his Master present. In comparison, Bengal’s variant is far more triumphant, as Bell stands tall with Ember at his side. Finally, Okazaki’s variant is in a gorgeous traditional line-art style, with the lightsabers popping against the monochrome Jedi.

For light and life! Phase III is continuing with Shadows of Starlight written by Charles Soule, but where are we now in the timeline? While Phase II saw a trip back in time to events 150 years prior to the fall of Starlight Beacon, this era of the High Republic is back in the current era as the Jedi are trying to deal with the Nihil nearly a year after their tragic loss at Starlight. It’s a time of uncertainty and fear as millions find themselves trapped in the Occlusion Zone. With that little recap over, let’s hit the hyperdrive.

Starlight Beacon lies in pieces. What was meant to be a symbol of hope and peace has become entwined with tragedy. While relief teams try to help survivors, Bell Zettifar is determined to hold onto hope for his best friend – Burryaga. After going missing during the fall of Starlight, it has changed Bell’s outlook on the Order. As he finally gains Knighthood, Bell starts to use his newfound freedom to hunt down the Nihil. But is he losing himself in the process?

As the Nihil ravaged the Jedi as Starlight Beacon, many fan favourite characters were tragically lost. One of these was Burryaga. The beloved wookiee Padawan bravely took on a horde of rathtars by himself so that Elzar Mann could escape. His fate has hung in the balance, with #BurryLives becoming a popular tag amongst The High Republic fans on social media. It was revealed in the Tales of Light & Life anthology that Burry had survived the crash, but getting to see him in the comics again suddenly makes it more real.

At its heart Shadows of Starlight is a set of stories about grief and how everyone is affected by it differently. Soule takes Bell’s grief and writes it in a very understandable way. Bell has lost almost everyone he has been close to throughout his life in the Order. His Master was killed by Marchion’s Nameless, his mentor Porter Engle has left on his own adventure, and Burry was missing for weeks. It’s no wonder that Bell is now afraid of losing anyone else and it’s making him quite obsessive.

He wants to take something from the Nihil, just like they’ve taken from him. After finally gaining Knighthood, Bell starts to use his new freedom of choices to start making profiles of the Nihil, especially Marchion Ro. As far as Bell is concerned, it’s Ro who is to blame for Loden Greatstorm’s death, and Bell is dangerously toeing the line of revenge. Soule doesn’t write Bell as falling into villain-hood though. Instead, he shows how Bell’s experiences are shaping and affecting him, and how he’s isolating himself in his grief.

Burryaga has also experienced so much yet he’s far more resilient and is trying to uphold the good of the Jedi teachings. Knowing that he needs time to heal, Burry helps the younglings. And it is adorable! All of Morales’ art is absolutely fantastic in Shadows of Starlight #3, but seeing Burry on the floor playing with the younglings is just heart melting. They clearly adore the big Wookiee spending time with them, and it’s so sweet seeing the gentler side to this character.

If fans have already read Eye of Darkness, then a lot of this storytelling has already been covered, but Soule does add some specifics. The tie-ins are done extremely well, and it is still worth reading Shadows of Starlight #3. And there’s Morales’ artwork to enjoy too. There are so many good panels, from Bell and Elzar’s conversation amongst the ruins of Starlight to seeing Ember again (though there is a mistake in one of the speech bubbles where the Charhound is misgendered).

Shadows of Starlight #3 is a beautiful introspective issue that focuses on the emotions of Bell and Burry. These two characters are two sides of trauma and recovery, showing how emotions are handled differently by everyone, which Soule writes in a such a realistic way. As the Jedi continue to struggle against the Nihil threat and with no clear way to break through the Occlusion Zone, it is a dark time for the galaxy, and knowing Soule’s storytelling, it’s probably only going to get darker.

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