Comic Review: The Battle of Jakku – Republic Under Siege #2 (of 4)

Clarke’s direct cover for The Battle of Jakku: Republic Under Siege #2 captures the spirit of the Rebellion perfectly. Dramatically lit from behind and casting a warm yellow glow, it inspires hope as the heroes of the Republic bravely fight on. Meanwhile Barends’ variant goes in completely the opposite direction and instead focuses on the scum and villainy of the underworld. Bossk leads the charge in a bounty hunter skirmish that’s brilliantly framed in smoky flames.

At the Battle of Endor the Empire fell. But that was only the beginning. While the Rebel Alliance has achieved a massive victory, the Imperial remnants are desperate to keep control of the galaxy or seize power for themselves. Grand Moff Adelhard attempted to blockade the Anoat sector but was routed for a time by the New Republic. However, Adelhard didn’t die in the encounter and is back for revenge. Picking up after the events of Insurgency Rising, this new mini-series continues to delve into this area that has been explored during the Journey to the Force Awakens publishing, including the Aftermath series and Shattered Empire.

Adelhard has been trying to gain more allies in his quest for power, but in doing so he’s made enemies in the Empire. Counsellor Rax and Grand Admiral Sloane are working to bring together the remainder of the Imperial fleet for a final battle above Jakku, so Adelhard’s defiance is a threat to their plans. This is such a great opening scene, perfectly tying Republic Under Siege to the Aftermath trilogy. It’s also fantastic to have some art of Rax – the enigmatic and self-proclaimed leader of the Empire after the Battle of Endor – as he’s not been seen outside of the books.

But Adelhard isn’t worried about the rest of the Empire. He’s far more concerned about thwarting the New Republic’s attempts to rebuild in order to help him cling to power. After the Rebellion is transformed into the New Republic, the senate is re-instated by Mon Mothma, but a lot of the previous senators were Imperial sympathisers or bribed their way into power. So, the senate basically has to be reformed from scratch, with Leia and Mon working to find those who still believed in democracy. Yet Adelhard has bounty hunters on the tail of these potential senators.

It’s an interesting twist to have Adelhard looking at this bigger picture – the more senators behind the New Republic then the less room for Imperial sympathisers who might support a return of the Empire. Segura continues to write him as an incredibly compelling villain because Adelhard is smart. While he is obsessed with his own power and status, he isn’t blinded by self-ambition. It makes him very difficult to predict, which is adding so much to this storyline.

Meanwhile on Lehanis in the Outer Rim, Luke Skywalker gets a surprise visit from Dr Aphra. At first, I wondered whether this was going to be one of Aphra’s typical cameos where she causes trouble and acquires (steals) something valuable. But she’s once again on Luke’s side and brings a warning that whispers in the underworld are hinting at Adelhard’s grander vision. I’m hoping this is going to lead to another team up between Luke, Leia, and Lando to take down Adelhard for good. Luke didn’t exactly do the greatest job in Insurgency Rising at defeating the rogue Imperial.

There’s a great balance between political machinations and action in Republic Under Siege #2, with Raffaele getting to showcase an incredible variety of compositions. During the meeting aboard Rax’s Star Destroyer the tension is palpable, switching between wide angles and close portraits reminiscent of Tarkin’s meeting in A New Hope. Then it’s all lightsabers blazing on Lehanis as Luke fights the swamp rat, followed by a dramatic dogfight outside the Anoat sector. It’s a visual feast that helps to keep up the fast pace of Republic Under Siege.

Republic Under Siege #2 highlights just how dangerous Adelhard is for the emerging New Republic and that he won’t be stopped lightly. If his fellow Imperials are worried, then that demonstrates the threat he poses. With Luke finally realising that being split up from his comrades is only weakening the links between them, hopefully he’ll return before it’s too late. Next month sees assassinations at the hands of bounty hunters – but is it the Republic or the Empire who are the target?